Holy Conversation: Talking About God in Everyday Life [Paperback]

Richard Peace (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2006

Winner of a 2006 Chicago Book Clinic Award of Excellence! God is back on the agenda. Today people are fascinated by spirituality, and they have lots of questions. Who better to talk with them than Christians? Trouble is, many of us don't know how to talk about our faith or are uneasy about religious salesmanship and canned evangelistic formulas. We are afraid of button-holing others, being offensive or saying something wrong. We simply don't know how to express our faith naturally--in everyday language. In Holy Conversation Richard Peace teaches us how to engage in easy and comfortable conversation about the good news of Jesus--the pressure is off. Using small, easy steps, he explains the gospel in plain language and encourages us in practical ways to share our faith with friends, neighbors and colleagues. Written as a guide for small groups, Holy Conversation is designed to be completed in twelve weekly sessions (other options are provided). Not only do group members read about holy conversation, they actually engage one another in spiritual conversation. This is the ideal resource for helping laypeople to become competent and confident Christian conversationalists!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Richard Peace has understood that spiritual interest in our culture is exploding, and every day Christians have an unprecedented opportunity to engage in authentic and deeply meaningful spiritual conversation with friends. Not only does he understand the culture and help us recover genuine spiritual conversation, but he does so in intensely practical ways." (Rick Richardson, author of Evangelism Outside the Box, and Associate Professor of Intercultural Studies, Wheaton College )

"A generation ago, Peter Berger's Social Construction of Reality observed that everyone is socialized into some specific worldview, and that in a pluralistic society--with many views of the world--the one intervention that most opens people out of their worldview and toward another is conversation with someone who lives by a contrasting worldview. At last, we have a book for Christians that is immersed in this reality and teaches Christians how to cooperate with it." (George G. Hunter, Distinguished Professor of Evangelization, School of World Mission and Evangelism, Asbury Theological Seminary )

"Richard Peace has done enormous service for the church by putting together his vast experience and storehouse of knowledge about how we can communicate Jesus Christ in the twenty-first century. As a pastor I am deeply appreciative. This will be a well-used resource by many small groups for many years to come." (Pete Scazzero, author of The Emotionally Healthy Church )

"Holy Conversation is fresh encouragement for the lost practice of 'talking about God in everyday life.' Richard Peace is an engaging academic thinker whose gift is to translate even this 'scary' topic into a language and experience that can be understood by all. Our churches are waiting for a book like this and the world is waiting for 'holy conversation.'" (David Schoen, Evangelism Minister and Team Leader, Local Church Ministries )

"Kudos to Richard Peace for his latest book. Dr. Peace has used his extensive experience as a teacher of evangelism and practical theologian, his expertise in small group dynamics, and his commitment to the art of interpersonal communication to provide a useful study guide to help Christians and secular people talk about the gospel in ways that are comfortable, easy, and mutually beneficial and enriching." (Richard Stoll Armstrong, Ashenfelter Professor of Ministry and Evangelism Emeritus, Princeton Theological Seminary )

"More and more Christians are realizing that what people outside the faith need is not (a) a sales pitch, (b) an argument, (c) a sermon or (d) an information dump. Instead, they need caring, thoughtful conversation partners. If you want to become one, then there's no better starting place than Holy Conversation." (Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christian )

Product Details

• Paperback: 127 pages
• Publisher: IVP Connect (May 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830811192
• ISBN-13: 978-0830811199
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 7.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #67,997 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't be offensive!, November 25, 2008

By 

K. McClelland "Book-a-holic" (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Holy Conversation: Talking About God in Everyday Life (Paperback)

Holy Conversation is an excellent guidebook to sharing your faith without offending others! My women's group is taking a spiritual journey with this slim volume. We are learning to use ordinary words to express our heart-felt beliefs and to steer clear of language that is loaded with confusion and for many, offense. Richard Peace has addressed a very necessary issue in today's society. Highly recommended!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Group Ministry Pastor, October 9, 2008

By 

David B. Swenson (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Holy Conversation: Talking About God in Everyday Life (Paperback)

We are using this book as curriculum for our 8 Life Groups. It has been an engaging study. I love how this reviews the Gospel content. It gets our minds wrapped around the essentials. All of us review our stories as well as get prepared to tell THE story. I recommend it wholeheartedly!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful Study Gudie, April 21, 2008

By 

Pastor Chris "EvangelismCoach.org" (Richmond VA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Holy Conversation: Talking About God in Everyday Life (Paperback)

I like how this book is laid out. It is an excellent resource as a group study, and one that would be comfortable in a mainline setting.

The study questions will provide great conversation starters and the assignments between weeks will help group members grow confident in their ability to talk about their faith.

This book would be excellent for those who have never had to think through their testimony before, or have difficulty expressing the highs and lows of their faith Journey in Christ.

Chris

EvangelismCoach.org