Fragmented Lives

How one can trust amidst uncertainty, fear, and anger. Fragmented Lives describes the meaning of faith for people the Church has shown little facility for attracting but whom it would like to reach, people who have entered church doors occasionally but who have little depth of commitment. It is a book for persons exploring the basis of faith, as well as for church leaders looking to understand how their programs and message can align with faith journeys today. While examining the growing emphasis on spirituality for those wanting "spirituality without structures," it argues that spirituality has become so elastic in its meaning that it is lacking the definition and direction people seek in finding answers to their questions. The authors use personal stories to animate the discussion of how faith must be construed as something other than "belief" or "assent." They provide a road map for discovering the journey of living into a faith tradition together. Through this journey, the meaning of faith is illumined and the Church is revealed to be the community of faith that fulfills the needs and intentions of those seeking to live a more authentic life beyond the fragmentation they experience in this age of uncertainty.