After being published in late November 2021, “Lord, I Don’t Want to Die a Christian: My Journal and Journey to Freedom,” quickly rose to Amazon’s top spot as the number one new release in Christian Liberation Theology and has remained a best-seller since. As recounted in her recent feature with Voyage ATL, the first-ever published author, Chandrika D. Phea has encountered several transformative experiences that have shaped the focus of her debut work.

“After living in China as a Christian missionary, hosting a two-year Bible study for seven curious Chinese freshman college students, my sense of curiosity inhaled and later exhaled when returning to the practice of western religion,” said Phea.

Phea is a native of Oklahoma City, but has called Columbus home for more than 15 years. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies from Beacon University and has pursued opportunities to serve in the community since then. Ultimately, her desire to continue her journey as an ordained minister led her to China, where she served as an Oral English teacher at SIAS University in Zhengzhou. While there, she captured her experiences with a close-knit group of Chinese young adults practicing Christianity through journal entries, which became the foundation for her book. 

“Born into a devoutly religious family, the daughter, niece, and grandchild of Christian clergy, degreed in Biblical studies, ordained as a reverend of the faith, I now have questions of the religion that raised and readied me.”

The book explores the intersection of religion, spirituality, and personal curiosity. Phea’s background and life experiences serve as a lens to pose questions, inviting the reader to explore his/her/their own thoughts about Christianity as a religious and spiritual institution. 

To learn more about “Lord I Don’t Want to Die a Christian: My Journal and Journey to Freedom" and Chandrika D. Phea, visit https://chandrikadphea.com/.