Testimony - Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation

"A must-read for anyone seeking to navigate the fault lines of our polarized moment"In Testimony, Jon Ward recounts his upbringing and eventual break from an influential evangelical church to diagnose broader political and cultural issues.Ward spent two decades of his life inside evangelical Christian circles and two decades outside as a journalist covering politics, government, culture, and the nature of power. Through his story, Ward explores how the evangelical church lost its witness--and how it can regain it by laying aside grasps at power to serve with Christlike love."With raw honesty, deep insight, and a self-deprecating sense of humor, Jon Ward offers an insider's view into the White evangelical world in which he was raised. Testimony will be illuminating for those who have walked this path and for those struggling to understand the world of conservative evangelicalism from the outside."--Kristin Kobes Du Mez, New York Times bestselling author of Jesus and John Wayne"Testimony demonstrates the power of truth--no matter who it comes from or where it leads. This book will make you ponder, discuss, and testify about your own journey and beliefs."--Jemar Tisby, New York Times bestselling author of The Color of Compromise and How to Fight Racism; professor, Simmons College of Kentucky"An illuminating work that shines light into the fissures of spiritual abuses in the church and that documents Ward's journey as a Christian to move forward and find a better way."--Makoto Fujimura, artist and author of Art and Faith: A Theology of Making"Jon's meticulous reporting has always brought nuance and life to his writing about politics; his thoughtfulness about faith is the secret weapon he's now sharing with the world. This book is honest, vulnerable, scrupulous, and surprising; a must-read for anyone seeking to navigate the fault lines of our polarized moment."--Ana Marie Cox, New York Magazine columnist"Testimony will be for this generation and moment what Don Miller's Blue Like Jazz was for that moment. This is a work that will connect."--Michael Wear, author of Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House about the Future of Faith in America