Beloved Chaos: moving from religion to Love in a red light district - Softcover

Zumwalt, Jamie West

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1640854800 ISBN 13: 9781640854802

Publisher: Author Academy Elite, 2018

Synopsis

What do you do when your faith no longer makes sense, when everything you thought you believed falls apart?After twenty years in ministry, Christianity suddenly was no longer working for Jamie Zumwalt. In the midst of this crisis, she opened Joe’s Addiction, a coffee shop, to conduct a Grand Experiment: Is it possible to live what Jesus taught—giving to those who ask, caring for the poor, forgiving and loving your enemies? And if possible, can it transform not only individuals, but an entire community? Experience a red light district plagued by poverty and violence, as Jamie weaves her own story of overcoming sexual abuse, shyness, and judgmental religion with the stories of those living on the margins. From giant, tattooed gang enforcer, Forklift, to little Mary, the sex worker, we learn the patience necessary to fight despair and restore hope to men and women experiencing homelessness and addiction. Jamie challenges ideas about God and people and invites us to leave religion to follow the Way of Love, creating a Community of Hope that becomes a little taste of heaven, here on earth.

About this title

About the Author:

Jamie West Zumwalt is an author and lead pastor of Joe's Addiction, a coffee shop community in a "red light" district of Oklahoma City, where marginalized people living in poverty, addiction, mental illness, and homelessness have found a place of belonging. 

Jamie grew up in conservative, Evangelical Christianity, became a missionary in Taiwan and then a trainer of hundreds of missionaries who went to places around the globe to spread Christianity, until a personal faith crisis challenged everything she believed. 

Her book, Beloved Chaos: moving from religion to Love in a red light district, tells stories of the Joe's Addiction community, as well as the evolution of her own faith from religious fundamentalism to a more open and inclusive Way of Love. Jamie now speaks at colleges, churches, and conferences, inviting people to enter into the Dream of a Better Way that she believes makes a Better World. 

Jamie and her husband, John, have five biological children and many more who call Jamie, "Mama." "Mimi" is her favorite title though, given to her by her one granddaughter.

Review:

"Learn about the kind of revolutionary love that can change the world . . . a page-turner of a book with a lot of heartache and a lot of beauty, and it will leave its mark on you." -Brian D. McLaren

"As the scaffolding of American evangelicalism collapses, Jamie West Zumwalt offers a hopeful alternative in her newest book. Beloved Chaos. Jamie shows us another way of worship: love in action... prepare yourself for a wild and life-changing ride." -Christopher L. Heuertz

"Jamie Zumwalt and her crew are extremists for love.  The pain is real, but so is the beauty. Read this book and you will be deeply impacted." -Craig Greenfield

"With vulnerability, Jamie engages in some of the best local theologizing I have ever come across; revealing what Love looks like in the midst of pain, rejection, loss, violence . . . And it is indeed, a Beautiful Chaos." -David Scott Vining

"The beauty and terror of our humanity seeps through the pages and sparks hope in the hearts of readers... Beloved Chaos holds the power to inspire you to create the kind of community we all long for." -Phileena Heuertz

"Beloved Chaos calls us to hear stories of people as they come to be rehumanized in the beloved, messy, sometimes smelly embrace of community." -Hugh Hollowell

"These stories made me laugh out loud, nearly cry, and feel so many more emotions... It's an amazing collection! I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about love in action!" -Thomas Jay Oord

"Jamie Zumwalt has written a love story. A raw, real, unfiltered look at unconditional love in action. Be ready to have your religious sensibilities challenged!" -Steve Hollingsworth

"Zumwalt's true stories narrate the poverty, human brokenness, abuse, and exploitation that is happening right now in American cities." -Marty Michelson 

About this edition

• Publisher: Author Academy Elite
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1640854800
• ISBN 13: 9781640854802
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 334