I want to make an offer to some of you to read a book and engage in a conversation here about that book. I’d like the conversation to take place near July 1; so about a month from now. The offer is for these kinds of people: people who have struggled with their faith, people who are spiritual directors who know the struggles of others, people who are pastors who attend to the struggles, and emerging Christians who are struggling. Here’s the book:

We will postpone this discussion until about August 15; evidently the books have now disappeared from Amazon in the USA. I’m hearing they will be available mid-July so that should give everyone plenty of time. The “Temporarily out of stock” note did not appear when I created the link.
Here’s the deal: there are enough responding to this offer that I will make this public. Write a 500 word response to me about the book — no summaries of the book — and we’ll start posting responses on the blog when we get enough to start the series, but not until August. How does Jamieson’s “chrysalis” theory help you understand or minister to others in the journey of faith?
Chrysalis: The Hidden Transformation in the Journey of Faith. The book is by Alan Jamieson, from New Zealand.
Alan Jamieson is known for the research he has done on leaving church (A Churchless Faith and Church Leavers). This book gently “maps” the journey of faith traveled by those who leave church. The book maps the shifting of faith from pre-critical to hyper-critical to post-critical.
This is a good book; it is one of the more important books I’ve seen that speaks to the journey of faith for many in the emerging movement. But I would think pastors and spiritual directors would also have lots to say about this book.
So, again, here’s my offer: I’d like to get 5-10 readers of this book to engage in a conversation about it on this blog. Of course, you can post simultaneously on your own blog if you have one and want to post there, but I’d like to see what could come of several folks reading this book. I will add my own thoughts as well.
Just drop me a line or make your intentions known in the comment box below.