Publication

1999 - Riverhead Books, New York, New York (State)

Language

English

Word Count

96,000 words, Guess

Page Count

384 pages

Identifiers

and 5 more
  • OCLC Control Number41227257
  • Better World BooksO7-AZE-907
  • Better World Books9781573227216
  • Better World BooksP6-ALI-733
  • Open LibraryOL24963646M

Classifications

  • DDC230/.03
  • LCCBV4501.2 .N63 1999
  • LCCBV4501.2 .N63 1998
and 1 more
  • LCCBV 4501.2 .N63 1999

Description

Struggling with her return to the Christian church after many years away, Kathleen Norris found it was the language of Christianity that most distanced her from faith. Words like "judgment," "faith," "dogma," "salvation," "sinner"even "Christ"formed what she called her "scary vocabulary," words that had become so codified or abstract that their meanings were all but impenetrable. She found she had to wrestle with them and make them her own before they could confer their blessings and their grace. Blending history, theology, storytelling, etymology, and memoir, Norris uses these words as a starting point for reflection, and offers a moving account of her own gradual conversion. She evokes a rich spirituality rooted firmly in the chaos of everyday lifeand offers believers and doubters alike an illuminating perspective on how we can embrace ancient traditions and find faith in the contemporary world.

First Sentence

I was about sixteen years of age when I discovered the word "eschatology."

Description

"Struggling with her return to the Christian church after many years away, Kathleen Norris found it was the language of Christianity that most distanced her from faith. Words like "judgment", "faith", "dogma", "salvation", "sinner" -- even "Christ" -- formed what she called her "scary vocabulary", words that had become so codified or abstract that their meanings were all but impenetrable. She found she had to wrestle with them and make them her own before they could confer their blessings and their grace. Blending history, theology, story-telling, etymology, and memoir, Norris uses these words as a starting point for reflection, and offers a moving account of her own gradual conversion. She evokes a rich spirituality rooted firmly in the chaos of everyday life -- and offers believers and doubters alike an illuminating perspective on how we can embrace ancient traditions and find faith in the contemporary world." -- from back cover.

Subjects

Other Editions

  • Amazing grace: a vocabulary of faithRiverhead Books1999-01-01
Show 6 more editions

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