Apprenticed to Hope: A Sourcebook for Difficult Times

By Julie E. Neraas

Book Overview

With emphasis on its spiritual and religious dimensions, Apprenticed to Hope: A Sourcebook for Difficult Times, is a compelling compilation of thirty-two essays exploring the nature of hope. Julie Neraas draws from a wide range of sources, offering many different ways to think about hope. She considers hope's relationship with faith, the human imagination, and community; distinguishes authentic hope from optimism and false hope, and draws upon her own experience with chronic illness, as well as what she has learned from places where hope is tested. Additionally, she addresses contemporary questions about where we can look for sources of hope in turbulent times.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806657642
• ISBN13: 9780806657646
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Augsburg Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A Light to Guide Us

Julie Neraas has woven a remarkable tapestry of reflection, story and helpful guidance to create a book that is exactly as it promises to be: a sourcebook for difficult times. The raw honesty of her own experience with a particularly cruel kind of illness, coupled with the great depth of her own learning and wisdom, shine new light on how we can relate to Hope -- even in the midst of suffering and spiritual despair. As a Hospice volunteer and medical ethicist, I am struck by how much one slim volume has to offer anyone who has encountered the limitations of their own body and must come to a new understanding of what Hope looks like. But even the healthiest among us can benefit enormously from this beautifully nuanced examination of one of our greatest spiritual needs, the need for Hope in the midst of a sometimes painful and difficult world.

A Special Connection with Hope

"When all the paths you have tried lead to dead ends, and you see nothing but closed doors, the energy of hope is the hatchet with which you break down doors." ~ Julie E. Neraas It is a rare book that can make you appreciate your life more and this is one of them. Julie E. Neraas is in a continual struggle with CFIDS and yet she still has hope. While she has not found a cure for her illness she has found ways to make peace with her difficult situation. "Apprenticed to Hope" is as much about Julie E. Neraas' struggle as it is about hope. As she reveals her own dark night of the soul she somehow gives comfort to the reader. In some way Julie E. Neraas is like a kind friend who takes your hand and leads you on a journey of discovery. This book explores all the many facets of hope and how they appear in real life. Some of the chapters include: The Nature of Hope Hope's Limits Hope as a Choice Threats to Hope False Hope Hope Seeks the Bigger Picture How Hope Returns Hope and History Hope as Partnership between Human and Divine Hope's Origins in Mystery I could especially relate to her stories of how the imagination can take over when you find yourself in a difficult situation. I also enjoyed reading many of the heart-warming stories in this book. Instead of just discussing hope in an intellectual way, Julie E. Nerass also brings a new understanding to how hope functions in real-life situations. I'd recommend this to anyone who suffers with pain, depression or any chronic illness. This book would also be perfect for anyone who feels jaded, it is a good reality check and will give you a greater appreciation for life. I think anyone can benefit from reading this book because we all need an understanding of hope. ~The Rebecca Review P.S. Please see the comments section for a link to an apparent cure for CFIDS

Must have!

I have shared this book with 10 friends and used it for a support group. It is intimately inspiring and offers well constructed ideas about our relationship to hope. It can guide us as individuals, and those we care about and care for during times of hardship or depair.

Keep one, give five to friends or family

I've already purchased fourteen copies of this book. I'm keeping one and giving the rest to friends and family members. This book extends what I myself can offer to family or friends who are ill, discouraged, or who've faced challenging setbacks. In giving it away, I feel like it is extending the hand I've offered friends and loved ones, and gives me one more way to have a conversation with and understand friends in need. Neraas' book opened my mind to a new way of understanding the human spirit and provides language, metaphors and frameworks for understanding what "Hope" is and how it can be accessed. While I was skeptical at first, I was pleased that the book works for people of any religious background, as well as for those with no affiliation at all. It is appropriate to send to friends who are merely down, or to those who face a life threatening illness. While Neraas says one can read the book by skipping around to chapters of most interest, I did not find this an effective way to approach the book. I'd recommend reading it through - but going more quickly through chapters that are of less interest.