This book connects the work of Alfred North Whitehead, process writers, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Henri Nouwen, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, to present a defense or "apologetic" for faith, hope, and love in action. A theology of hope provides a framework for counseling troubled, despairing persons in the midst of acute suffering, loss, and tragedy. Doty identifies the need for a healthy religion that will inspire, transform, and enable personal and community healing. This is the work of peacemaking in families and in our world.
This book will connect with an audience that includes all believers and all who live with doubts and questions. All seekers will find this a stimulating and helpful dialogue with the hard questions.
"I am impressed by the sensitivity of her presentation of the ideas of Whitehead and others in his 'process' tradition. She represents this position with scholarly accuracy, but also with literary skill and personal appropriation. Hence her work is of value not only to scholars but also more widely to a lay audience."
John B. Cobb Jr., Professor Emeritus, Claremont School of Theology
"Hooray for Pauline Doty! Her courage encourages us to lower our lofty traditions-so they may speak with the hurt, pain, loss, grief of our everyday lives. She invites us by her example-trust our own experience, follow our own questions, create our own "process" of life in faith and action. By confiding in us, Doty lends confidence that God (by many names and revelations) goes with and before us, all ways and always. This is a book for all whose "process" of life and work wants healing to lead to hoping, the practical to the prophetic. What a call to confront in urgent grace the "outrageous"-within and around us!"
Rev. John Auer, Retired, forty years' United Methodist congregational urban ministry
