Born Again And Again

by Sweeney, Jon M.

• ISBN13: 9781557254313
• ISBN10: 1557254311
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-08-01
• Publisher: Paraclete Pr

Summary

"When I was five, I knelt with my father in the living room of our house to ask Jesus into my heart." So begins Jon Sweeney's spiritual memoir of his childhood experiences. Full of poignancy, humor, and surprise,Born Again and Againexplores aspects of Christian fundamentalism not usually seen: the mysticism of God indwelling the body, religious certainty and its positive and negative effects, powerful experiences of worship, community, and trust, and most of all, the importance of struggling with matters of faith until they are truly one's own. With a remarkable range of experiences - from Scofield Bibles to firsthand missionary work in Asia and from street witnessing to the tutelage of family and famous friends - Sweeney writes with warmth and affection for the faith he has left behind. And he offers wise reflections on those aspects of fundamentalism that all Christians can learn from. Visit Jon Sweeney's blog at www.jonmsweeney.wordpress.com .

Table of Contents

Introduction	ix
PART I
just as I am	3	(13)
the most important decision in fundamentalism
angel in the trees	16	(13)
my unusual religious imagination
medicine men	29	(11)
my gurus
speaking the unspeakable	40	(10)
the power of language in fundamentalism
if a tree falls in the woods	50	(11)
history and truth
PART II
all that is, seen and unseen	61	(10)
my Scofield Bible
light from light	71	(9)
the zeal of fundamentalist faith
begotten not made	80	(8)
arguing with a spiritual inheritance
one holy catholic and apostolic church	88	(8)
coming to terms with the sheep and the goats
the life of the world to come	96	(13)
listening for the will of God
PART III
I should have been too saved	109	(10)
discovering new fundamentals
washing out my ears	119	(10)
belief I can live with
he fumbles at your soul	129	(13)
following the love of God
knocking everywhere	142	(10)
coming to terms with dogma
a wild night and a new road	152	(15)
death is full of new birth
afterword	167	(3)
acknowledgments	170	(1)
notes	171