Grace Matters: A Memoir of Faith, Friendship, and Hope in the Heart of the South (Paperback)

~ Chris P. Rice (Author) "I was about to be blindsided by a burly, big-shouldered black man named Spencer Perkins..." (more)
Key Phrases: dinner slab, grace matters, sewing lady, Voice of Calvary, Big House, Reconciliation Meetings (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In Grace Matters, we follow the remarkable journey of Chris Rice, a naive white college student from Vermont, who was transformed into an insightful man of faith who helped form a thriving interracial community in Jackson, Mississippi. Chris Rice's compelling story uncovers the wounds that divide the races and reveals what it takes to bring blacks and whites together, honestly, compassionately, and transcendently.
As a young man in 1981, Chris Rice thought he would take a few months off from his college to join the Voice of Calvary ministry. There he met Spencer Perkins— the eldest son of John Perkins, legendary African American evangelist and civil rights movement activist-and was forever changed. Together, Chris and Spencer and an extraordinary group of ordinary people entered into a bold experiment, creating an interracial faith community called Antioch, after the Mediterranean city where the followers of Jesus first became known as "Christians." Pooling their resources, this dedicated group of black and white Christians joined forces to realize the vision of the Sermon on the Mount. In so doing they not only enriched their own lives but also those of their inner-city neighbors.

From the Back Cover

Praise for Grace Matters

Grace Matters was named a Publishers Weekly Notable Book of 2002 and won a Christianity Today Award of Merit.

"[A] real story of real people and real faith. My prayer is that the ‘seeds’ of this story of struggle and hope they planted will spread and bloom and grow in the lives of many people."
–John Perkins, chairman, Christian Community Development Association, and author, Let Justice Roll Down

"This remarkable, inspiring story reads like a good novel. It is a story of powerful Christian faith, intense personal commitment, and maddening human frailty. Though it ends in tragedy, this is a story of hope: My encounter with Grace Matters has left me daring to hope that, even now, we Christians might yet live out the true meaning of our radical creed . . ."
–Glenn C. Loury, director, Institute on Race and Social Division, Boston University

"[Grace Matters] is confessional, candid, and even painful as the author bares his soul and his struggles. . . . This is a book with a fundamental and hopeful message–that grace can become a way of life."
–Jim Wallis, editor, Sojourners magazine, and convener, Call to Renewal

"A good read is a voyage of self-discovery . . . With incredible honesty Chris avoids writing about jealousy and pride in the abstract. Instead he recounts his most embarrassing moments–outbursts of unprovoked anger, periods of consuming jealousy, sobering comments from observers . . . Grace Matters is about race, leadership, and self-discovery, but its crowning message is about grace."
–Christianity Today

"Rice’s . . . ultimate topic is a friendship that was severely tested and bent but never broken, not because of the strength of the two friends but because of grace–simple and absurd, illogical and amazing."
–Christian Century

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (December 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787970980
• ISBN-13: 978-0787970987
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #685,969 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Story, August 1, 2008

By	Nathan Millheim "NateDogg" (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is simply a beautiful and well-written story of friendship. The vulnerability, honesty and humility in the stories make it a remarkable and inspirational work. May the story of Chris and Spencer inspire us tear down the walls that divide us and march forward as more whole people, learning to love with a steady dose of grace.

5.0 out of 5 stars Blown away by this book., September 18, 2008

By	June Lawrence - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This books keeps your attention just to see what happens with the bold project. You get to know the personalities fo the book too and that helps to keep you there - rooting for them.