The Dance of Hope: Finding Ourselves in the Rhythm of God's Great Story [Paperback]

William C. Frey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 21, 2003

A quick glance at the headlines reveals a world plagued by violence, hatred, unrest, disease and death–a world without hope. A look into our hearts yields similar results: loneliness, anger, sorrow, and depression are companions many of us would rather not carry. What happened to the “abundant life” Jesus promised us?

William Frey suggests that root of the problem is a loss of memory. In our haste to study and know the Bible, we have failed to experience the story of the Bible, and thus we have forgotten who we are.

The Dance of Hope helps readers regain the Bible story as it reveals the fullness of our identity as God’s creation, recovers a biblically founded hope for the future, and equips the Christian community to be bearers of authentic hope to the world. When believers view the Bible story through what William Frey calls a “creation lens,” they discover a promised future of glory that can fill them with hope for today.

Also included is a study guide that leads readers through times of prayer, reflection, personal assessment, and Scripture study, teaching them to view the world through hopeful eyes.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

A quick glance at the headlines reveals a world plagued by violence, hatred, unrest, disease and death–a world without hope. A look into our hearts yields similar results: loneliness, anger, sorrow, and depression are companions many of us would rather not carry. What happened to the "abundant life" Jesus promised us?

William Frey suggests that root of the problem is a loss of memory. In our haste to study and know the Bible, we have failed to experience the story of the Bible, and thus we have forgotten who we are.

The Dance of Hope helps readers regain the Bible story as it reveals the fullness of our identity as God's creation, recovers a biblically founded hope for the future, and equips the Christian community to be bearers of authentic hope to the world. When believers view the Bible story through what William Frey calls a "creation lens," they discover a promised future of glory that can fill them with hope for today.

Also included is a study guide that leads readers through times of prayer, reflection, personal assessment, and Scripture study, teaching them to view the world through hopeful eyes.

About the Author

William C. Frey, a bishop in the Episcopal Church, has long been known as a leader in the renewal movement in the Anglican Communion. Frey, ordained in 1955, first served in a number of Episcopal parishes in Colorado and New Mexico. From there he and his family went to Costa Rica and then to Guatemala as missionaries, where he was made a bishop. After his stint in Guatemala he was elected bishop of Colorado, a role he served for 18 years. From there he became dean of the Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry, Ambridge, Pennsylvania. Now retired, Bishop Frey and his wife, Barbara, live in San Antonio, Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press; 1 edition (January 21, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578564921
• ISBN-13: 978-1578564927
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 0.5 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #460,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Dance of the Divine, February 19, 2003

By 

Patricia S. Brown (West Milton, Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Dance of Hope: Finding Ourselves in the Rhythm of God's Great Story (Paperback)

Once in a while a book comes along that is so beautifully written that it moves one to tears, such is this one. Frey has taken the theme of the Bible - God's love - and written it down in an easy to understand, poignant exposition. He moves from the Creation story, through the New Testament, to us and the necessity of our new creation in a style that is at once friendly and yet demanding.
This is not a "preachy" type of book, yet it compels the reader to confront himself and his relation with the God of Creation, and therein lies the hope. Hope is more than the wish that things will be better in the future, for those things often do not happen. Frey tells us that those types of wishes are illusions. Then he goes on to picture for us the dynamic movement of God in our world, and helps us to see that just as God said, "It is good many," years ago, He still says that today about us if we let Him work in our lives and to make in the person we were supposed to be.
I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to explore what it means to have a relationship with God, or to the person who wants to find out how God has been at work in this world all down through the ages.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gentleman's Guide to Grace, December 10, 2004

By 

H. G. Bauer - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dance of Hope: Finding Ourselves in the Rhythm of God's Great Story (Paperback)

I had the pleasure of meeting Bishop Frey at a C. S. Lewis seminar a couple of weeks ago, and I was so impressed with the profound wisdom and humanity of this good man, that I bought a copy of his book on the spot. I haven't been disappointed. Biship Frey writes as he speaks, with the utmost humor and gentility. Once you hear the music, it's too late. You will dance. And this book lights the way.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant, touching, and genuinely hope-filled, March 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Dance of Hope: Finding Ourselves in the Rhythm of God's Great Story (Paperback)

If you've ever felt lost, lonely, or without hope in the big wide world, then this book is for you. Filled with inspiration and insight; a divine read!