"When I was five, I knelt with my father in the living room of our house to ask Jesus into my heart." So begins Jon Sweeney's spiritual memoir of his childhood experiences. Full of poignancy, humor, and surprise, Born Again and Again explores aspects of Christian fundamentalism not usually the mysticism of God indwelling the body, religious certainty and its positive and negative effects, powerful experiences of worship, community, and trust, and most of all, the importance of struggling with matters of faith until they are truly one's own. With a remarkable range of experiences - from Scofield Bibles to firsthand missionary work in Asia and from street witnessing to the tutelage of family and famous friends - Sweeney writes with warmth and affection for the faith he has left behind. And he offers wise reflections on those aspects of fundamentalism that all Christians can learn from. Visit Jon Sweeney's blog at .
Author
Jon M. Sweeney is an independent scholar and writer of popular history. He is married, the father of three, and lives in Montpelier, Vermont. He has worked in book publishing for 25 years: after co-founding SkyLight Paths Publishing, he was the editor in chief and publisher at Paraclete Press, and in August 2015 became editorial director at Franciscan Media Books. He has written more than 20 books, seven about Francis of Assisi, including "When Saint Francis Saved the Church" and "The Complete Francis of Assisi." HBO has optioned the film rights to "The Pope Who Quit." Jon's first 20 years were spent as an involved evangelical (a story told in the memoir "Born Again and Again"); he then spent 22 years as an active Episcopalian (see "Almost Catholic," among others); and on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi in 2009 he was received into the Catholic Church. Today, Jon is a practicing Catholic who also prays regularly with his wife, a rabbi. He loves the church, the synagogue, and other aspects of organized religion. He would never say that he's "spiritual but not religious." In all of his writing, Jon is drawn to the ancient and medieval (see "The Road to Assisi," and "Inventing Hell"). Many of his books have been selections of the History Book Club, Book-of-the-Month Club, and Quality Paperback Book Club.
