Freedom from Fear: Finding the Courage to Act, Love, and Be - Hardcover

Church, Forrest

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312325339 ISBN 13: 9780312325336

Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2004

Synopsis

In Freedom from Fear, Forrest Church distills a lifetime of wisdom gleaned from helping others into a plan of action for all of us who live in fear. Fear prevents us from living life to its fullest, and now, more than ever before, fear's grip seems to be tightening. In order to overcome fear, we must first recognize it and then foster the courage necessary to defeat it.

Church identifies five basic types of fear associated, respectively with the body, intellect, conscience, emotions, and soul:

1. FRIGHT: instinctive fear, designed to protect us from physical danger.
2. WORRY: fear produced by our worst imaginings.
3. GUILT: fear caused by a troubled conscience
4. INSECURITY: fear prompted by feelings of inadequacy
5. DREAD: fear generated by life's fundamental uncertainty

Most of us suffer from all of these fears at various points and to varying degrees. About physical fear there is no remedy, nor should there be. This fear is a survival mechanism. But the other fears, Church argues, are distortions that we allow to take over our lives.

Courage is when fear speaks and the heart answers. After absorbing fear's best argument, the heart says no. As Church explains, nothing out of the ordinary is required. Anyone, and at almost any time, can find the courage to answer fear. The wisdom that makes courage possible is so universal and elemental that it can be summed up in three short imperatives: Do what you can, want what you have, and be who you are.

Here the works of "fear experts" like Susan Jeffers and Lucinda Basset have much to teach us, as do literary classics like Robinson Crusoe and The Little Prince. Including a study guide for group discussion, Freedom from Fear is a luminously uplifting yet completely practical guide that will change how we live.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Advance Praise for Freedom from Fear

"Forrest Church's Freedom from Fear is as clear a guide to facing our inner demons as I have read. This book delivers on the book title's promise big time . . . . Whether you are experiencing mild anxiety, paralyzing terror, or something in between, Church's message will speak to you: It will do more than speak to you; it will reach out a hand and guide you through to freedom."
- Thom Rutledge, author of Embracing Fear and Finding the Courage to Live Your Life

"Freedom from Fear makes a compelling case that love is the true opposite of fear. This book offers tools and insights that can literally en-courage readers."
- Gavin De Becker, bestselling author of The Gift of Fear

"Freedom from Fear is a practical, in-depth, down-to-earth look at fear, with plenty of nuggets on how to deal with it."
- Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D., author of Love is Letting Go of Fear

"In this wise, witty, and immensely kind book , Forrest Church helps us deal with the life-draining fears that burden our daily lives. Any person who grapples with punishing levels of anxiety, guilt--or just simply worries too much--can learn much from this gem of a book."
- Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of Creating a Life

About the Author:

Forrest Church is senior minister at All Souls Unitarian Church in New York City. He received his Ph. D. from Harvard University and has written or edited more than twenty books, including, most recently, Restoring Faith: America's Religious Leaders Answer Terror with Hope; Bringing God Home: A Traveler's Guide; and The American Creed: A Biography of the Declaration of Independence.

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0312325339
• ISBN 13: 9780312325336
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224