Habits of Hope

"""Habits of Hope offers a transformative road map for students and teachers navigating today's challenges. The essays in this book present a vision of education oriented toward the end of communion with God. When interpreted through the lens of Christians hope, the practices of reading, writing, and conversation become habits that cultivate holiness. A great, thought-provoking, and inspiring read for such a time as this."" -- Edgardo A. Colón-Emeric, Irene and William McCutcheon Professor of Reconciliation and Theology and dean of the Divinity School at Duke University ""During this cultural moment where discord and division dominate the contemporary landscape, it is essential that educators at all levels provide learning experiences that cultivate the virtue of hope in the lives of our students. By drawing on the wisdom of a diverse group of authors, this volume offers judicious insights into a variety of educational practices designed to resist fear and despair and nurture human flourishing. I encourage faculty, administrators, and church educators to engage with this timely text."" -- Kim S. Phipps, president of Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania ""In a time of cultural collapse, this collection inspires hope as faithful obedience but also an antidote for a weary age. This hope is not a fleeting wish, but a purposeful, spiritual assurance that can be cultivated in practices for teaching, writing, learning, conversation, and considering the other. In these inspiring habits of hope, we see the vital contribution Christian education might offer the world."" -- Michael D. Hammond, president of Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts ""Habits of Hope brilliantly illuminates the transformative power of hope within Christian higher education. With profound insights and practical wisdom, this book serves as a guiding light for educators and leaders, seamlessly integrating hope into their daily work. It not only encourages but empowers individuals to navigate the challenges of our current world with a movement filled with the hope of Christ."" -- Deanna L. Porterfield, president of Seattle Pacific University ""Hope is not theoretical. It is a practice and a choice. Habits of Hope reminds us that while there is real suffering in our world and on our campuses, Christian higher education can and should make the active choice to cultivate hope to honor our relationships with God, one another, and our communities. The diverse authors and insights in this volume provide a pathway to hope for us to follow, inspired by our faith."" -- Molly A. Schaller, professor of higher education and associate dean of the School of Education at St. Louis University ""Hope can be simultaneously ubiquitous and elusive, familiar and amorphous, profound and cliché, but as the contributors of Habits of Hope remind us, real hope is absolutely indispensable in educational contexts. Whether you are encouraging readers to think about hope from biblical, theological, psychological, equitable, or practical perspectives, Habits of Hope is required reading for those who see Christian hope and transformative educational outcomes as inseparable.” -- Beck A. Taylor, president of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama ""With the myriad threats and challenges facing students and teachers today, the landscape of formal education often feels more life-draining than life-giving. Hope is desperately needed in this space. Habits of Hope offers just this, not by introducing new educational techniques or interventions but by sketching a spiritually and theologically rich vision of hope and exploring how we might teach and learn in light of it. This is a stimulating and edifying work."" -- Jason Baehr, professor of philosophy at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles"