About

Since moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2014, Becky Garrison has been covering this region's craft culture including food, beer, wine, spirits, cider, coffee, and cannabis/CBD, as well as the regional festival scene, and the rise of secular spiritual communities.
Her eight books include her latest release Distilled in Washington: A History (The History Press, 2024), a book that marks her shift from covering the Holy Spirit to distilled spirits. Garrison's recent writing credits on the PNW craft culture include work for The Alcohol Professor, Beverage Master Magazine, Cidercraft, The Dirty Spoon, The Grapevine Magazine, Northwest Travel & Life, Oregon Wine Press, Paste Magazine, ROVA, and SIP Magazine.

During her tenure as professional Christian author (1994-2010), she penned seven books including Red and Blue God, Black and Blue Church (Jossey Bass, PW starred review), as well as contributing work to nine other books. In addition, she served as the Senior Contributing Editor for The Wittenburg Door, the nation's oldest religious satire magazine for over a dozen years. Currently, she servs on their board of directors and contribute to the Door'ssubstack. Also, she writes articles pertaining to spiritual health and wellness for Spirituality & Health, as well as infrequent reflections on church & state separation and spiritual narcissism for outlets like Yale Divinity School's Reflections magazine and the Women in Theology blog.

When she is not writing on her iPad or frequenting tasting rooms and brewpubs, Garrison can be found camping, hiking, kayaking, flyfishing, and savoring the PNW festival and music scene.

Other Works

  • War of the Game

    Forthcoming
  • Roger Williams's Little Book of Virtues

    2020
  • LOVE, ALWAYS: Partners of Trans People on Intimacy, Challenge & Resilience

    2015
  • Sports Stories

    2011
  • Ancient-Future Disciples: Meeting Jesus in Mission-shaped Ministries

    2011
  • Banned Questions about Jesus AND Banned Questions about the Bible

    2011
  • Split Ticket: Independent Faith in a Time of Partisan Politics (WTF: Where's the Faith?)

    2010
  • Taking Flight: Reclaiming the Female Half of God's Image Through Advocacy and Renewal

    2010
  • Besides the Bible: 100 Books that Have, Should, or Will Create Christian Culture

    2010
  • Starting from Zero with $0: Building Mission-Shaped Ministries on a Shoestring

    2010
  • Jesus Died for This?: A Religious Satirist's Search for the Risen Christ

    2010
  • Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music: Pop, Rock, and Worship

    2009
  • The New Atheist Crusaders and Their Unholy Grail: The Misguided Quest to Destroy Your Faith

    2008
  • Rising from the Ashes: Rethinking Church

    2007
  • Red and Blue God, Black and Blue Church: Eyewitness Accounts of How American Churches are Hijacking Jesus, Bagging the Beatitudes, and Worshipping the Almighty Dollar

    2006
  • On the Ground After September 11: Mental Health Responses and Practical Knowledge Gained

    2005
  • Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music

    2005
  • Trout Fishing Near American Cities

    2002
  • TheDoorMagazine Interviews: Take Two (The Door Magazine)

    2002
  • On the Eighth Day God Laughed

    2000

Awards and Recognition

  • 2012 Knight Grant for Reporting on Religion and American Public Life.
  • Publishers Weekly Starred Review: Red & Blue God, Black and Blue Church, 2006