A deeply personal memoir about the nature of faith, the inevitability of doubt, and the importance of radical love in facing all the beautiful and terrible things that happen in our lives—and including a chapter about the genesis of Invested Faith.
BEAUTIFUL AND TERRIBLE THINGS
by Amy Butler
Oct 03, 2023 | ISBN 9780399589485
“Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid,” said theologian Frederick Beuchner. Pastor Amy Butler, the first woman at the helm of New York’s historic Riverside Church, knows firsthand that to navigate such a world, one must be courageous, honest, and compassionate. In Beautiful and Terrible Things, Pastor Amy draws on the most meaningful, challenging, and soul-shaking moments of her own life to offer larger lessons on theology and relationships.
From JONATHAN MERRITT
Award-winning author and contributing writer for The Atlantic
“When I survey the state of institutional religion today, I find so many reasons to despair. But as Amy Butler reminds us, the church is not God. Informed by her deeply personal experiences, Beautiful and Terrible Things casts a vision for a wide-armed faith that is capable of making sense of these fractious and chaotic times. She fearlessly navigates white-hot cultural debates—from abortion to LGBTQ inclusion—with grace and humility, eschewing extremes and forging common ground. If you feel spiritually unmoored or religiously disillusioned, you’ll find more than a mustard seed of hope in the pages of this book. Amen and amen.”
From JEREMY RUTLEDGE
Pastor of Circular Congregational Church in Charleston, SC
“The first chapter of Amy Butler’s book broke my heart; the following chapters filled it up. There’s no voice like Amy’s—a path-breaking woman, native Hawai‘ian, prophetic pastor, and gifted storyteller.”
From RABBI ANGELA BUCHDAHL
Senior Rabbi at Central Synagogue in New York, NY
“I devoured this beautiful book from my theological sister—whose honesty, humor, and courage I have always admired. I found such beautiful, resonant expressions of the God I believe in, and such compassionate humanity, on every page. I am so glad Amy has put this out into the world and am so proud her voice is echoing in this moment.”
The Book Tour Continues:
Join Pastor Amy and Rabbi Angela Buchdahl for
Faith and Doubt in Dialogue
at Central Synagogue
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 6:30 pm
Central Synagogue, Main Sanctuary
652 Lexington Avenue, NYC
Check out the schedule below to see events!
From CINDY ON GOODREADS.COM
“I must start this review by stating I am not Christian, yet I was curious to read this memoir and I am so glad I did. As I have shared before I am always a bit hesitant to read memoirs as while the author’s life story may be compelling, often the writing is less than stellar. This memoir was one of the exceptions. Both the story and writing are stellar and profound. The author is clearly a special human and I found her personal story moving and her reflections on god, humans and community thought provoking.”