Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
In this powerful and personal New York Times bestseller, President Jimmy Carter contemplates how faith has sustained him in happiness and disappointment and considers how we may find it in our own lives.
All his life, President Jimmy Carter has been a courageous exemplar of faith. Now he shares the lessons he learned. He writes, "The issue of faith arises in almost every area of human existence, so it is important to understand its multiple meanings. In this book, my primary goal is to explore the broader meaning of faith, its far-reaching effect on our lives, and its relationship to past, present, and future events in America and around the world. The religious aspects of faith are also covered, since this is how the word is most often used, and I have included a description of the ways my faith has guided and sustained me, as well as how it has challenged and driven me to seek a closer and better relationship with people and with God."
Quoting eminent Protestant theologians, in Faith President Carter describes his belief in religious freedom, moral politics, and the place of prayer in his daily life. He examines faith's many meanings, he describes how to accept it, live it, how to doubt and find faith again. This is a serious and moving reflection from one of America's most admired and respected citizens.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 5-6) and index.
All his life, President Jimmy Carter has been a courageous exemplar of faith. Now he shares the lessons he learned. He writes, "The issue of faith arises in almost every area of human existence, so it is important to understand its multiple meanings. In this book, my primary goal is to explore the broader meaning of faith, its far-reaching effect on our lives, and its relationship to past, present, and future events in America and around the world. The religious aspects of faith are also covered, since this is how the word is most often used, and I have included a description of the ways my faith has guided and sustained me, as well as how it has challenged and driven me to seek a closer and better relationship with people and with God."
Reviews provided by Syndetics
Library Journal Review
Jimmy Carter (b. 1924) served as 39th president of the United States and has always been a person of deep faith. In his postpresidential life, Carter has become a prolific author. In this latest work after A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety, the politician includes several personal anecdotes from a life in politics mingled with broad ruminations on the nature of faith, broadly conceived. The result is what can be described as a cozy faith read, which is not intended to challenge any of the reader's beliefs. Though light on theology, Carter's work offers a healthy dose of advice for political leaders of all stripes during this time of widespread discontent. Verdict Comfortable spiritual nourishment for readers of all types.-Denis Frias, Mississauga Lib. Syst., Ont. © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
In his latest book, the former president offers readers a combination of memoir and faith-based meditation, the former providing a sometimes secular context for the latter. His thoughtful book is replete with quotations from people of faith whose work he admires, people like Reinhold Niebuhr, Søren Kierkegaard, Karl Barth, and others. The insights, however, are all his own. For Carter, the word faith is not only a noun but also a verb, for while he believes that people are saved by grace through faith, and not by works, he nevertheless applauds action inspired by faith. In that spirit he devotes a chapter to brief profiles of people whose works have been exemplary, most notably Hyman Rickover and his late mother, Lillian. He comments at length on current politics, deploring the growing disparity in wealth between the haves and have-nots and also America's current belligerence, noting that 240,000 U.S. soldiers are stationed in at least 172 foreign countries. Nevertheless, he concludes on a positive note, stating his belief that the ultimate fate of humankind will be good.--Cart, Michael Copyright 2010 Booklist
Kirkus Book Review
A highly personal reflection on faithin God, in humanity, and in oneself.In his latest, Carter (A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety, 2015, etc.), well-known for his Christian beliefs and lifelong involvement in his local church, continues to investigate his faith. Though the narrative tends to ramble, the author provides ample wisdom and fascinating insights into his past. While mostly about the divine, faith, he writes, touches on other aspects of life as well: "There is another kind of faith, perhaps more difficult to sustain: having a firm belief in yourself and in other people, or in a seemingly impossible dream." He stresses the importance of having faith in our neighbor and, when warranted, in government. Nevertheless, it is religious faith to which the former president most often refers, and in the book's most meaningful passages, he explores the story of his own struggles with faith and with doubt. While he was in the Navy, immersed in the new science of nuclear energy, Carter turned to the writings of liberal contemporary theologians such as Rudolf Bultmann and the Niebuhr brothers to reconcile his traditional Christian background with the modern world in which he was living and working. Carter's father's death, election losses, and his own struggle with cancer all further shaped his faith. "To me, faith' is not just a noun but also a verb," he notes, meaning that a life lived in faith brings about answers to questions and guidance along life's path. Of course, politics feature prominently in the book, as well; throughout, the former president discusses domestic and foreign policy as he lived it and as it stands today. There are curmudgeonly moments, unfortunately, when Carter dwells on how everything in America seems to have worsened over time, but overall the tone is positive. "My faith is the key to my optimism," he writes.Intimate insights from one of America's most prolific presidential authors. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.