In this fearful and cynical age, when doom-and-gloomers forecast catastrophe and fearmongers try to get us to hedge our bets on the future with insurance policies and safety nets, we need to rediscover real hope. Lewis Smedes says, "Hope is as native to our spirits as thinking is to our brain. Keep hoping, and you keep living. Stop hoping, and you start dying." He shows how hope powers every good thing we accomplish and helps us overcome every bad thing we encounter. He talks about how to keep hope alive in difficult times, discern false hope from true hope, and move beyond worry to trust in God.

"Selected sermons and speeches by Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., one of the foremost champions of civil rights--a moral conscience of this nation"--

America’s most inspirational voices, in their own words: “If you’re looking for a reason to act and dream again, you’ll find it in the pages of this book” (Chicago Tribune). Published when Studs Terkel was ninety-one years old, this astonishing oral history tackles one of the famed journalist’s most elusive subjects: Hope. Where does it come from? What are its essential qualities? How do we sustain it in the darkest of times? An alternative, more personal chronicle of the “American century,” Hope Dies Last is a testament to the indefatigable spirit that Studs has always embodied, and an inheritance for those who, by taking a stand, are making concrete the dreams of today. A former death row inmate who served nearly twenty years for a crime he did not commit discusses his never-ending fight for justice. Tom Hayden, author of The Port Huron Statement, contemplates the legacy of 1960s student activism. Liberal economist John Kenneth Galbraith reflects on the enduring problem of corporate malfeasance. From a doctor who teaches his young students compassion to the retired brigadier general who flew the Enola Gay over Hiroshima, these interviews tell us much about the power of the American dream and the force of individuals who advocate for a better world. With grace and warmth, Terkel’s subjects express their secret hopes and dreams. Taken together, this collection of interviews tells an inspiring story of optimism and persistence, told in voices that resonate with the eloquence of conviction. “The value of Hope Dies Last lies not in what it teaches readers about its narrow subject, but in the fascinating stories it reveals, and the insight it allows into the vast range of human experience.” —The A.V. Club “Very Terkelesque—by now the man requires an adjective of his own.” —Margaret Atwood, The New York Times Review of Books “An American treasure.” —Cornel West

Today more and more people are asking questions about human, social, and cosmic destiny. Does the universe have a purpose? What is the point of historical existence? What happens at death? What can we hope for? Is it possible to talk meaningfully about another world? In 'Keeping Hope Alive', Dermot A. Lane addresses these and other questions. The author sets out to develop a theology of hope rooted in both human experience and the Christian tradition. In discussing Christian belief, Lane pays particular attention to the death and resurrection of Christ as both the pivotal eschatological event and the fundamental ground of Christian hope. At the same time he deals with contemporary human experience, addressing questions arising from the Marxist critique of Christianity, the nuclear threat, the ecological crisis, and the apparent emptiness of much post-modern thinking. Dermot Lane confronts difficult issues, such as death, heaven, hell, purgatory, resurrection, reincarnation, and the possibility of universal salvation, with realism and honesty. The end result is a new theological synthesis that takes account of recent developments in anthropology, feminism, and cosmology. This carefully-crafted book will be of value to all who are asking searching questions about the meaning of living and dying.

In our faithful work toward building a better world, we may often feel we're losing the battle. The poor get poorer, the vulnerable continue to be abused, and justice for all is a distant dream. No matter how hard we work, nothing changes. Somedays, we wonder if God is even still with us in the fight. But what happens, in our striving for social justice, when we discover that God offers us something entirely different than the promise of victory? In this love letter to the disheartened activist, pastor Timothy Murphy reflects on his own journey of disappointments and despair and rediscovers a faith - and a God - who inspires us to continue fighting, even when it feels like we're losing the battle.

Life changes in a nanosecond when storms sweep in, often without warning. They leave our knuckles white and our hearts broken. With minds barely able to think clearly, we often set our Bible aside. In reality, that’s when we need its comfort and strength most. This devotional is written for those in crisis, for those longing for hope but lacking the ability to focus on a lengthy Scripture passage. These minute-sized devotions offer respite to readers caught in the storms of life. Each of the 90 devotions follows a pattern:Key VersePause (devotion)Ponder (application question or action step)Pray (short prayer)Relevant quoteReaders of these devotions are facing difficult circumstances and need spiritual encouragement in bite-sized pieces. Their greatest need is hope. They need reassurance that God’s love will never let them go. His presence will never leave them, and His strength will carry them through. Keeping Hope Alive addresses these needs as follows:Its overall message directs their minds to God’s character and promises. These bite-size bits of truth will feed their soul and give them the strength and encouragement needed for that day.Devotions are short enough to read and keep their focus even when their minds are on overload.All segments work together to make it easy for readers to recall truth.Relevant quotes reinforce the day’s teaching.

Keeping Hope Alive is about the incredibly supernatural things that God comes and does in the lives of everyday people. He comes meeting the needs of the individuals on the streets, in kids Bible Clubs, for the homeless, and on mission trips. The scripture says that if you give a cup of cold water in His name, we have done everything. When the Keeping Hope Alive teams go out, rather than a cup of cold water, we give out bottled water in hospitals, roses at the bus station on Mothers Day, candy to little children in apartment communities, and bread to poor on mission outreaches. We hear story after story from those we encounter of how blessed they are by the simple act of love that we extend to them in Jesus name. This book shares the details of many of these encounters where God showed up blessing individuals through these simple acts of obedience. As we put our arms around them; He places His arm around them, too. When we give to them; He gives to them, too. These pages are filled with stories of Hope. Hope that has been revitalized, instilled, and even seen become reality, as we minister through the non-profit Christian organization of Keeping Hope Alive.