Protestant Portraits: People Of Many Cultures Bring New Challenges And Startling Lifestyles To An Old Religion

Book Summary

From an unlikely mix of Protestants of different races and lifestyles, Cateura has drawn extraordinary revelations about the state of Protestantism today. Out of a silence nurtured for generations behind the portals of the institutional religion, she has persuaded a wide range of believers of many cloths and backgrounds to speak out and openly reveal their inner thoughts, conflicts and aspirations. These include not only traditional members, but also former shamanists, Confucians, Koreans, Chinese, storefront Hispanics, born-again Christians, ex-Catholics, gays, lesbians, all of whom are adding color and exoticism to a somewhat fading fabric. The memoirs are based on one-to-one interviews with famous and not-so-famous people. Among those who share their personal memoirs with the reader are Bishop Paul Moore, Jr., former head of the New York Episcopal Church; storefront Pentecostal and former member of Harlem's Young Lords Party, Gerardo de Jesus; Coretta Scott King; Charles "Chuck" Colson of Watergate fame; J. Willard Marriott, Jr., hotel CEO and Mormon stake; Hi Chul Wang, Korean Presbyterian; Norman Vincent Peale (shortly before he died); Major Betty Baker of the Salvation Army; gospel jazz singer, Mark Kibble; lesbian pastor, Pat Bumgardner; Chinese businessman, Wing Ning Pang; Scott Simon, Quaker and National Public Radio host; Rebecca Zook, an Amish housewife; the charismatic, Phil Gerrish; and 8 others.

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