A Stranger in the House of God: From Doubt to Faith and Everywhere in Between
'Honorable Mention - 2007 Book of the Year for the Preacher's Soul. In the ever-expanding sphere of spiritual memoirs, John Koessler's 'A Stranger in the House of God' deserves a special look. Koessler paints a portrait of his faith journey in courageously transparent strokes, inviting us to feel the pain of being an outsider looking in, the whiplash of failed prayer, the ups and downs of pastoral ministry, or the uncertainty of deciphering theology that seems just beyond grasp. From start to finish, we feel a subtle push to reflect on our own faith journey or simply to gather enough courage to take another trembling step.'  -- PreachingToday.com <br><br> (PreachingToday.com)'[John Koessler's] memoir, in which he proves himself a graceful writer, is a coming-of-age and coming-to-faith saga. The book is immediately accessible....Koessler is disarmingly self-revelatory, at first curiously observing people of faith as an outsider, then eventually gushing theological and spiritual insights while never positioning himself above his readers....In an age when the church faces disparities among right-wing conservatives, the emergent church, and even a Pope who claims the Catholic Church as the only true church, Koessler's quiet little memoir is instructive. 'A Stranger in the House of God' returns us to common roots -- to how churches and believers are viewed by outsiders, and to how the power of God unto salvation is still operative on middle America's Everyman.'  -- Christianity Today <br><br> (Christianity Today)