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This title in other formats:

Other titles in the Living Way: Emergent Visions series:

  1. The Boundary-Breaking God: An Unfolding Story of Hope and Promise

A Christianity Worth Believing: Hope-Filled, Open-Armed, Alive-And-Well Faith for the Left Out, Left Behind, and Let Down in Us All (Living Way: Emergent Visions)

by Doug Pagitt

A Christianity Worth Believing: Hope-Filled, Open-Armed, Alive-And-Well Faith for the Left Out, Left Behind, and Let Down in Us All (Living Way: Emergent Visions) Cover

ISBN13: 9780787998127
ISBN10: 0787998125
All Product Details

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Praise for A Christianity Worth Believing

"If you are drawn to the mystifying, loving God whom we meet in Jesus Christ, but put off by? 'Christianity,' this contrarian, wise, winsome, passionate book is a must-read."

—Lauren F. Winner, author, Girl Meets God; assistant professor, Duke Divinity School

"Envisioning and articulating fresh ways of holding and living Christian faith, Pagitt's book reads like an old-fashioned testimony, but it opens up important new possibilities and serves as a window into the soul of a new generation of Christians."

—Brian McLaren, networker; speaker; author, A New Kind of Christian, A Generous Orthodoxy, and Everything Must Change

"With honesty, humor, and insight, Doug Pagitt offers us a beautiful, holistic, compelling vision of the Kingdom of God. If you're one of the ever-increasing multitude who sense something is profoundly 'off' with traditional Christianity, this book is a must read!"

—Gregory A. Boyd, author, Myth of a Christian Nation

"This is Doug Pagitt's raw, honest, fear-and-trembling faith workout. Thanks, Doug."

—Shane Claiborne, activist, author, and recovering sinner

"I am certain that this book will resonate with the many who have always felt there must be more to this faith life that we've chosen. Doug has created a treatise on Kingdom living in the here and now that you just will not want to miss."

—Jim Watters, former vice president of support ministries, World Relief; currently director of development, Pastor's Retreat Network

"Here is theology as it is supposed to be: a love story between two parts of one whole. Intimate, candid, vulnerable as well as brilliant and salvific, this one is God-talk at its most persuasive. It is also emergence Christianity at its clearest and best."

—Phyllis Tickle, founding editor, Religion Department of Publishers Weekly; author, The Words of Jesus

Review:

Pagitt, a leader in the Emergent church movement, came to faith as a teenager at a Passion play, but Christian theology often didn't cohere with his own raw, powerful and inclusive experiences of and intuition about God. Here Pagitt tells his own story and weaves together a new theology for the Emergent movement, viewing Christian doctrine from a slightly different perspective and trying to break it out of the firm grasp of Greek thinking by returning it to its Jewish context, the way it would have been understood by first-century readers. To Pagitt, humanity's fallen state as a result of sin should not be emphasized so much as God's desire to partner with people to do good work in the world. The Bible is not so much about truth and error as it is a picture of God attempting to reconnect, while Jesus represents our potential to live in love and establish the kingdom of God now. Pagitt clearly articulates both the heart and theology of the Emergent movement. Conservative critics will no doubt consider this Christianity subtly twisted out of recognition, but postmodern readers struggling with current expressions of faith will see love and hope. (June)(Publishers Weekly, June 2008)

Synopsis:

A Christianity Worth Believing

A Christianity Worth Believing offers an engaging, 'come-with-me-on-a-journey-of-exploring-the-possibilities' approach to what it means to be a follower of Jesus in our day. Written by Doug Pagitt—a leading voice in the Emergent conversation—this beautifully written book weaves together theological reflections, Christian history, and his own story of faith transformation.

Pagitt invites readers to follow him as he tells the story of his un-churched childhood, his life-altering conversion at age 16, his intense involvement in the church, and his growing sense of unease with the version of Christianity he was living. On page after page, Pagitt lays out his journey toward an authentic, passionate expression of a faith that feels alive, sustainable, and meaningful.

A Christianity Worth Believing is for the growing numbers of people who have serious and thoughtful questions about Christianity, who have lived for years with deep-seated wondering and doubts about their faith. Pagitt points the way to a new kind of faith by asking the "off-limits" questions about God, Jesus, sin, the Bible, humanity, church, and the Kingdom of God. Rather than rehashing old debates, he offers new insights, provocative possibilities, and hopeful alternatives.

In A Christianity Worth Believing you may well discover questions you didn't think you could ask, ideas you didn't think you could pursue, beliefs you didn't think you could hold onto. Ultimately you will discover a Christianity worth believing.

About the Author

Doug Pagittis the pastor of Solomon's Porch, a holistic, missional Christian community in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has written a number of books, has worked in churches, for a non-profit foundation, and owns two businesses in Minneapolis. Doug is a sought-after speaker for churches, denominations, and businesses throughout the United States and around the world on issues of culture and Christianity.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
dfenrick, May 19, 2008 (view all comments by dfenrick)
I read the first three chapters this book on Doug Pagitt's website (dougpagitt.com) and couldn't wait for its release. Since picking up a copy "hot off the presses," I only put the book down to eat, sleep, and conduct other necessary functions ;-)

This book will be a gift of affirmation for those who aren't afraid to ask questions and question the answers. For those who have often felt like a "fish out of water" in Sunday school, small groups, Bible school and seminary, Pagitt invites you into a theological conversation. He masterfully and winsomely weaves together his own life story with insights drawn from church history, theology, cultural anthropology, missiology, and scripture. Simply put, Pagitt writes an eloquent narrative theology for a "post-systematic" generation.

As a professor of intercultural and biblical studies, I am impressed with the depth of Pagitt's theological, historical, and cultural knowledge, and his unique gift to write about such topics in way that engages and is accessible to readers. He shows how so much of our "Christian" language and understanding of what it means to be Christian has been shaped by cultural contexts and worldviews very different than ours today... and very different than those of the biblical writers. In peeling back the cultural layers that clothe so much of Western Christianity, he reveals a faith that is dynamic, conversational, invitational, relevant, relational, wholistic, and alive. This is what I try to help my students discover; faith in a God fully engaged in our world and inviting us to join in God's adventure - today.

Get some friends together, grab your pens, take notes, and enter into a conversation that will help you discover a Christianity worth believing... and living.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780787998127
Subtitle:
Hope-Filled, Open-Armed, Alive-And-Well Faith for the Left Out, Left Behind, and Let Down in Us All
Author:
Pagitt, Doug
Publisher:
Jossey-Bass
Subject:
Christian Life - General
Subject:
Christian Life
Subject:
Christianity
Subject:
Christian Theology - General
Subject:
Christianity - 21st century
Copyright:
Edition Description:
Hardcover
Series:
Living Way: Emergent Visions
Publication Date:
June 2008
Binding:
Hardcover
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
242
Dimensions:
9.03x6.39x.94 in. .98 lbs.

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