Faith of My Fathers: Conversations with Three Generations of Pastors about Church, Ministry, and Culture (emergentYS) [Paperback]

Chris Seay (Author)

Book Description

Series: emergentYS | Publication Date: August 16, 2005

Faith of My Fathers is three generations of American pastors telling their life stories in the context of the church. Together, this grandfather, father and three sons manifest a sweeping history extending from the 'good ol' days' of the 1950s to the postmodern shift through the new millennium. Politics, parenting, racism---no topic is off limits and no holds are barred. Often heated and always engaging, this family dialogue provides unique perspectives on the things that church owes to its grandparents and parents while affirming the need for today's church to define itself. These intimate conversations articulate what it really means to nurture a missional Christianity while loving, honoring, and embracing the generations that have gone before.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Conversations with Three Generations of Pastors about Church, Ministry, and Culture Faith of My Fathers is three generations of American pastors telling their life stories in the context of the church. Together, this grandfather, father, and two sons manifest the sweep of history extending from the "good old days" of the 1950s to the postmodern shift of today. Ranging from politics to parenting to UFOs, no topic is off limits. Often heated and always engaging, this family dialogue provides perspective on the things that the church owes to its grandparents and parents, while at the same time affirming the need for today’s church to define itself. These intimate conversations articulate what it really means to nurture a missional Christianity while loving, honoring, and embracing the generations that have gone before.

About the Author

Chris Seay is the pastor of Ecclesia, a progressive Christian community in Houston, Texas, recognized for exploring spiritual questions of culture and breaking new ground in art, music, and film. Chris is the author of The Gospel According to Tony Soprano and The Gospel Reloaded. He lives in Houston with his wife, Lisa, and their four children.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan/Youth Specialties (August 16, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310253268
• ISBN-13: 978-0310253266
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #709,455 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chris Seay is a church planter, pastor, president of Ecclesia Bible Society, and internationally acclaimed speaker. His six previous books include The Gospel According to Lost, The Gospel According to Tony Soprano, and Faith of My Fathers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Generations Speak..., December 3, 2005

By 

Eric P. Wilbanks "Image Architect" (Cleveland, TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faith of My Fathers: Conversations with Three Generations of Pastors about Church, Ministry, and Culture (emergentYS) (Paperback)

Do yourself a favor: Ignore the title. Force yourself to at least read the first chapter. That's what I did.

Now, I don't know if it was some sort of male version of PMS or what, but I found myself against all logic continually moved with emotion. I was downright weepy at times-downright annoyed at others. It's embarrassing. Chris Seay, along with his brother Robbie, sat down for an extended conversation with his father and grandfather. All four are "career" ministers with very different philosophies of ministry. This book is nothing more than a transcript of that conversation, raw and mostly unedited. It is insightful, honest and a must read for anyone who wrestles with the ongoing tension between church and culture.

Oh, and "Papa" definitely steals the show.

Should you buy the book? You'll know the answer to that after reading chapter one.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Generational Gumbo, October 17, 2005

By 

Dr. L. P. Leavell III "wave runner" (Denton, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Faith of My Fathers: Conversations with Three Generations of Pastors about Church, Ministry, and Culture (emergentYS) (Paperback)

Very good look at the past and present challenges and realities of ministry through diverse sets of lens. Worth the read...

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but Shallow, January 29, 2009

By 

Scott Asher "ashertopia" (Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faith of My Fathers: Conversations with Three Generations of Pastors about Church, Ministry, and Culture (emergentYS) (Paperback)

I read Faith of My Fathers because of the interesting premise of three generations of pastors sharing, via dialogue, diverse opinions on topics of relevance to today's culture. While it was interesting at times and an easy read there wasn't as much insight to be gained as promised.

The book is mostly Seay's opinion, and he has the final word, on relevant topics with quips from the other members of his family. When there were disagreements the grandfather tended to quit talking and the father seemed to cave a lot to the tag team of Seay and his brother along with Donald Miller, making a guest appearance.

The book didn't live up to its promise or potential. Ultimately, an interesting but shallow look at a family and how they deal with each other.