Overview

Christians have always looked to models within the Christian faith to guide their lives. At a time when the church is more identifiable by ugly partisan politics--what we call ""crappy Christianity""--than by compassionate neighbor love, this book highlights the lives and work of seven individuals who are pursuing their Christian calling in humility and profound love for and service to others, this book highlights the lives and work of seven individuals who are pursuing their Christian calling in humility and profound love for and service to others. Their commitments have led to vocations in working with homeless women, employing refugees, lobbying on Capitol Hill for environmental protection, healing trauma in urban communities, peacemaking in Israel-Palestine, advocating for immigrants, and walking alongside people in addiction recovery. Their individual and collective witness offer compelling examples of authentic Christian life, which is marked in part by active, embodied faith in pursuit of the common good; a broad and inclusive love for all people; rightly ordered political identities and loyalties; and a commitment to work toward holistic redemption of both people and the systems that constitute our life together. In contrast to much of contemporary American Christianity, these models of faith demonstrate that Christians should focus much more on what we are for rather than what we are against.

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9781532653155

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"""This book winsomely preaches the gospel without ever getting preachy. The authors use a series of contemporary life stories to illustrate what it means to follow Jesus authentically and creatively, and then weave together a description of faith that is simultaneously realistic, encouraging, hopeful, and compelling. This is the best and most refreshing discussion of what it means to be a Christian that I have read in years."" --Douglas Jacobsen, author of Gracious Christianity: Living the Love We Profess ""In Faithful Witness in a Fractured World, Johnson and Snarr lower the boom on an overheated discourse, making room for secular and religious people alike to think quietly about what faith lived in public means. They give us role models of decent, regular people taking their religious commitments seriously and doing tangible, real world good--not all at once, but bit by bit until kingdom come. This book is an inspiration, an antidote to being overwhelmed, and a reminder of the radical, transformational possibility that comes from doing small things with great love."" --Eileen Markey, author of A Radical Faith: The Assassination of Sister Maura ""What makes for an authentic Christian life? In this era of huge cultural, political, and social change, this book tells us how not to be a 'crappy Christian' and reminds us of the way to live into the Kingdom of God. Michael and Nicole introduce us to seven individuals whose vocations have been shaped by their understanding of Jesus' call to love our neighbors. This inspiring book shows how this enduring and radical life in Christ offers a way for personal and political transformation."" --Diane Randall, Executive Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation"

This book winsomely preaches the gospel without ever getting preachy. The authors use a series of contemporary life stories to illustrate what it means to follow Jesus authentically and creatively, and then weave together a description of faith that is simultaneously realistic, encouraging, hopeful, and compelling. This is the best and most refreshing discussion of what it means to be a Christian that I have read in years. --Douglas Jacobsen, author of Gracious Christianity: Living the Love We Profess In Faithful Witness in a Fractured World, Johnson and Snarr lower the boom on an overheated discourse, making room for secular and religious people alike to think quietly about what faith lived in public means. They give us role models of decent, regular people taking their religious commitments seriously and doing tangible, real world good--not all at once, but bit by bit until kingdom come. This book is an inspiration, an antidote to being overwhelmed, and a reminder of the radical, transformational possibility that comes from doing small things with great love. --Eileen Markey, author of A Radical Faith: The Assassination of Sister Maura What makes for an authentic Christian life? In this era of huge cultural, political, and social change, this book tells us how not to be a 'crappy Christian' and reminds us of the way to live into the Kingdom of God. Michael and Nicole introduce us to seven individuals whose vocations have been shaped by their understanding of Jesus' call to love our neighbors. This inspiring book shows how this enduring and radical life in Christ offers a way for personal and political transformation. --Diane Randall, Executive Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation

Author Information

Nicole (Niki) L. Johnson is Professor of Religious Studies and Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. She is the author of Practicing Discipleship: Lived Theologies of Nonviolence in Conversation with the Doctrine of the United Methodist Church (Wipf & Stock, 2009) as well as several articles and chapters at the intersection of religion and society. Michael T. Snarr is Professor of Political Science and Director of the Honors Program at Wilmington College (Ohio). He has edited several books and served on the boards of various faith-based organizations, including Sugartree Ministries, Friends Committee on National Legislation, and Christian Peacemaker Teams.

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