Rating: 
Summary: A great autobiographical account of Christian discipleship
Review: After reading this you will be able see why Carter is renowned as a Sunday School teacher. This work began with material from lessons he has given in his Southern Baptist congregation. He enlivened it with examples from his life and how he has tried to live out the teachings of his faith. The result is a very warm, personal, and powerful biographical account of Christian discipleship in practice. It is not entirely gloss though; he also deals with times in his life when he struggled with his faith, and a few contemporary subjects like the "Jesus seminar" and the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Good: The stories from his life are inspiring, particularly of his work against racism in the south in the 60s and his current work in mediating international conflicts as part of the Carter Center. I also was touched by the "personal edge" that this book brings. Carter talks openly about his marriage, conflicts with his sons, his career changes, and personal discovery of God's leading for his life. It's powerful.
Bad: Occasionally he gives excessive focus to justifying some of his political situations in the 70s. But this is just a small fault....
Opinion: As someone who can identify both with Carter's political/social views and many of his spiritual understandings, I found it to be wonderful reading. In recent times the Bible has been widely misused by the political right to justify all sorts of heinious public policies, and those of us who differ have often been derided as less than Christian. In this context Carter's book is extremely refreshing. It's by far the most inspiring read of the year. The book is rather pricy, but well worth it in my opinion.
Rating: 
Summary: The spiritual autobiography of a good Christian ex-President
Review: Former President Jimmy Carter initially intended Living Faith to be a compendium of his Sunday school teachings. However, as he wrote, it became more of an autobiography relating how he grew up and the role of his faith in his private and public lives. The first third of the book depicts his early life in, departure from, and return to rural Georgia, written in a meandering style sprinkled with appropriate Biblical verses. He then goes on to explain his approaches to leadership, justice, peacekeeping, fighting poverty, and civil rights through his faith in God and Jesus Christ and his understanding of the Bible. His philosophy is possibly best summed up by the simple theology of pastor Eloy Cruz (with whom President Carter worked on a missionary trip). "You only have two loves in your life -- for God, and for the person in front of you at any particular time."I have always respected President Carter and felt that he was misunderstood and should have had more time in office. His work since his presidency with Habitat for Humanity, the Carter Center, his peacekeeping efforts, and his support of fledgling democracies has probably outweighed his actual presidency. Living Faith will help the reader better understand this good, honest man, the likes of which are virtually nonexistent in modern politics.
Rating:
Summary: A Gentle Man and a Gentleman
Review: Former President Jimmy Carter is a truly outstanding person. He is very devoutly committed to his faith and he uses illustrations from his own life to affirm the faith that guides him.
Carter is indeed a humble peacemaker and this book is a sterling testament to faith, hope and living a good life. It is a book for everybody regardless of faith. It is a book about core values and internal beliefs. It is a book about the power of sharing.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful.
Review: I doubt that I could be tempted to read a book authored by any political leader of my time -- or any time -- with [as of now] perhaps one exception. As a man of great intellectual curiosity, spiritual insight, and ethical depth, Jimmy Carter is a most uncommon leader; one who continues to make meaningful contributions to the welfare of humanity and who continues to offer thoughts worth considering. In this volume, a spiritual thread binds President Carter's consideration of economic, social, political, humanitarian, scientific, philosophical, religious, and very personal issues.
"No matter what we seek in life, we are more likely to find it if we are not self-centered but concentrate on something or someone outside ourselves."
Rating:
Summary: Thought Provoking
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I feel that it gave me a real insight into one our great leaders. I found it thought provoking on several topics, including religion, politics, and sociology.
Rating:
Summary: Thought Provoking
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I feel that it gave me a real insight into one our great leaders. I found it thought provoking on several topics, including religion, politics, and sociology.
Rating: 
Summary: Good man, fair-to-middlin' book
Review: I've always regarded Jimmy Carter as a better human being than a president. What he accomplished after his term in office is, I believe, much greater than what he accomplished as Chief Executive of the United States. Unsurprisingly, given his humanitarian efforts, his personal faith leans more towards the social gospel and less towards the personally spiritual aspects of the faith, although those aspects are present as well. When discussing theological issues, or discussing the controversies in his Southern Baptist Church, he falls a little short. He does not display a good understanding of some conservative positions. I'm not saying he has to agree with them, but to claim that inerrantists mostly believe the King James Version is inerrant is, well, errant. True inerrantists believe the inerrancy is in the original documents, in the original languages. Those who believe homosexuality is wrong (what he calls "attacking homosexuals) get their beliefs from a few Old Testament verses, claims Mr. Carter. Actually, there are passages in the New Testament that would seem to support that position as well. And it is obvious he has never even made an attempt to come to grips with the doctrine of predestination. One thing in his favor, though: he does not support the conclusions of the Jesus Seminar. Jimmy Carter deserves much respect for the good that he's done for humanity. I believe his faith is genuine, and he is truly a born-again believer. He has challenged me, through this book, to put more action behind my faith. All who read this book should realize one thing: a theologian he is not.
Rating:
Summary: Road Map to Living Your Faith
Review: Jimmy Carter has written a wonderful memoir using his personal struggles as a way to better live his faith. The life incidents in the book are told so honestly that it is evident that here is a man who is dealing with his own shortcomings, but trying to live his life as he believes Jesus would have him do it. Because of that, Living Faith becomes a wonderful road map for those of us who are also all-too-human but who truly desire to know and do our Heavenly Father's will. I found the observations regarding the early years of his marriage candid and illuminating. The wooden check good for one apology which he made in his wood shop and gave to Rosalyn was a great example of putting your values into action. From this book, we see a man who is inspired by Christ, not shackled by dogma, and who sincerely strives to live the Word and make the world a better place. I recommend this book as one that inspires and stimulates our higher impulses to do good. Don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: Road Map to Living Your Faith
Review: Jimmy Carter has written a wonderful memoir using his personal struggles as a way to better live his faith. The life incidents in the book are told so honestly that it is evident that here is a man who is dealing with his own shortcomings, but trying to live his life as he believes Jesus would have him do it. Because of that, Living Faith becomes a wonderful road map for those of us who are also all-too-human but who truly desire to know and do our Heavenly Father's will. I found the observations regarding the early years of his marriage candid and illuminating. The wooden check good for one apology which he made in his wood shop and gave to Rosalyn was a great example of putting your values into action. From this book, we see a man who is inspired by Christ, not shackled by dogma, and who sincerely strives to live the Word and make the world a better place. I recommend this book as one that inspires and stimulates our higher impulses to do good. Don't miss it!
Rating:
Summary: Faithful Advice Mr. President
Review: President Carter gives us a window into his life and family to understand what makes our "born again" President tick. It is not a memoir, but a revelation of what it means to be a faithful Christian and how anyone can emulate Jesus. After all that is what a Christian is supposed to do. Mr. Carter's style is very much like listening to him address us, sometimes he back tracks a little because he want to make a point that we really need to know. For those Christians on the other side of the political fence, it is an understanding of Mr. Carter as a brother in faith and not the political cartoon. We can see how sometimes the office of the Presidency can overwhelm the occupant, and leave us to assume the President is weak. Mr. Carter's witness to Jesus and the message of Peace and Love in his own words and example show tremendous strength of character, and dedication to a living God. This would make an excellent study and discussion book for young adults as well as more "mature" couples. Thank you Mr. Jimmy, especially for reminding us that the little dash in between, is what we have done.
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