Acting on Faith: Stories of Courage, Activism, and Hope Across Religions

by Diane Faires Beadle (Editor), Jamie Haskins

Different faiths, shared hopes. Are we more alike than we know? In these first-person stories from diverse voices of faith, hear from people whose faith leads them to seek justice and work for love amidst our world's violence and divisions. Gain a deeper understanding of the diverse beliefs practiced by your neighbors and our shared hopes for building a better world. Reflection questions with each chapter make this book perfect for small group study or read as a private devotional. Acting on Faith inspires hope and encourages personal action through concrete examples of faithfulness, justice, and love from those on the front lines of activism and advocacy. A portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to Habitat for Humanity of Wake County's Interfaith Build.

112 pages, Paperback

Published March 17, 2020

About the author

Diane Faires Beadle loves bringing people of various cultures and faiths together. She helps plan Habitat for Humanity of Wake County’s annual Interfaith Build. Diane was raised in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and serves as Senior Minister at St. Paul’s Christian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. A graduate of Vanderbilt Divinity School and Rhodes College, Diane was born in Texas, grew up in Germany, and considers Tennessee home. She also has a great love for Sri Lanka, where she spent two years teaching English. She and her husband Michael enjoy hiking, running, cooking spicy foods, and traveling the world.

Reviews

[Kirsten Baer · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are beautiful stories about people of all different faiths working to make the world a better place. We need each other and we can do amazing things together!

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the chance to read this book as an ARC, it’s stories of faith in action from all different faith traditions are smart and hopeful without being syrupy or idealistic. This is a book meant to give a practical foothold for hope in a time where it feels we are all divided. An excellent read.

[Melinda Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If the arc does not bend toward justice, we must bend it ourselves." -Tahil Sharma, page 94.

A delightful short book of stories from all different religious traditions about how faith and religious tradition inform our social action. I've read similar essays and books before from the Abrahamic traditions, but this is the first I've read that also included Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Pagan and Witchcraft stories of liberation, healing, and hope. And yes, this is from a Christian publisher and Christian editors, but really does allow for each author's voice and religious tradition to come through. There are discussion questions at the end of each chapter the invite the reader for a deeper conversation. This would be an excellent young adult book study or interfaith book group read.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, Beadle and Haskins have crafted an excellent idea of having individuals tell stories of how their varied faith traditions called them to do acts of justice and mercy. However, about half the book is more editorial than stories, persons telling philosophical and theological ideals which have drawn them to care about their world.

That said, the stories which are given are excellent. Generally well-crafted and inspiring, the stories given provide a look into the overlapping nature of how healthy faith traditions encourage care for the vulnerable and wounded and justice for those oppressed and marginalized.

[Sophia Palermo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not religious, but I have recently been viewing religion as a tool others use to do something bad. I really wanted some validation to prove that people are actually doing good, moral and ethical things upon the basis of their religion and this was a great read for that. The essays just got a bit repetitive and some of them I felt had no other point than to promote their thinking, but overall, this book was a collection of people trying to make the world a better place and I appreciated that.

[Randy Kuss · Rating 5 out of 5]

The breadth and depth of this slim seeming volume is stunning with a dazzling richness of stories and tellers – Christian and Buddhist, Muslim and Bahá’í, Jewish and Hindu and Sikh and more. Each tale told draws deeply from personal experiences of engagement and growth while the editors’ questions in each section draw the threads together and invite readers to journey deeper. Well done work by excellent servants of the Word.

[Sarah Renfro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book challenges and encourages those in the faith. I especially appreciate the story about those in the refugee camp who took care of others in their need despite religious differences. All of God's children need the basics like food, love, and compassion. The authors' personal reflections at beginning of each chapter weave the stories together which is a lovely tapestry of faith. I recommend this book in a time where we all need HOPE and COURAGE.

[Deborah K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book moves readers through geographical and spiritual intersections everyone encounters in religious life. Though we come with different and sometimes difficult experiences, we find a way to work together. We can serve, make the world a better place, the greatest expression of our faith.

[Margaret Faires · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an easy read; ie. no BIG words or hard-to understand theological ideas. It is just normal people writing about their personal reactions to a relevant topic for today. I think it is a great read for Lent.