Strength For the Journey: a Pilgrimage of Faith In Community by Diana Butler Bass

DIANA BUTLER BASS Foreward by Carol Howard Merritt Updated version of spiritual autobiography from an important voice in the church - Insights on how parishes have confronted issues of change As a standard in the field of spiritual autobiography, Diana Butler Bass' Strength for the Journey has been a guide for thousands of Christians who have also found themselves "journeying" along a path toward a faith different from that discovered in childhood. This new edition will retain all that drew readers to its pages alongside the voice of those next generation Christians now walking that path for themselves. In Strength for the Journey, Diana Butler Bass illustrates the dynamic strength and persistence of mainline Protestantism. While many baby boomers left the church, only to come back later in life, Bass was a "stayer" who witnessed the struggles and changes and found much there that was meaningful. Offering thought-provoking portraits of eight parishes she attended over two decades, she explores the major issues that have confronted mainline denominations, congregations, and parishioners during those years--from debates over women clergy to conflicts about diversity and community to scrimmages between tradition and innovation. Paperback 304 pages Diana Butler Bass was born in Baltimore, Maryland and grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona. For as long as she can remember, she's been interested in spirituality, religion, history, and politics--passions she intertwines in her books and writing. She holds a Ph.D. in American religious history from Duke University. After a dozen years teaching undergraduates, she became a full-time writer, independent researcher, educator, and consultant. Her work has been cited in the national media, including TIME Magazine, USA TODAY, and the Washington Post, and she has appeared on CNN, FOX, PBS, and on NPR. For five years, she wrote a weekly feature on American religion for the New York Times syndicate. She currently writes for Huffington Post and Washington Post and is a contributing editor at Sojourners magazine.