Ebook
What is hope? A feeling? Something you do? A belief or a cluster of beliefs? A way of perceiving the world? Is hope the same as wishful thinking? Hope is complicated. Nevertheless, hope can make our lives better. In Understanding Hope, Philip Smith combines theology, psychology, philosophy, and his own experience of personal loss to help readers understand and practice hope. Understanding Hope is short, but it requires hard thinking. It’s worth the effort.
“This is a careful, accessible account of the latest thinking on
the virtue of hope, full of everyday examples and illustrations,
and a measured argument for the place of hope in the Christian
life, illuminated by his own experience of grief and loss.”
—Ross McCullough, assistant professor of theology, George Fox
University
“Understanding Hope is essential in our day. Philip Smith’s
thought-provoking read explores the essentials of hope through the
lenses of spiritual faith and psychology. The vivid examples
included inspire a considered exploration of understanding hope.
Smith provides a rich window into how this life of hope is lived
out through the appendixes of his personal ‘last walk’
essays.”
—Kristina Kays, professor of psychology, George Fox
University
Philip Smith is professor of philosophy at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. He is the author of The Virtue of Civility in the Practice of Politics (2002), Why Faith is a Virtue (2014), and two novels: The Heart of the Sea (2008) and Buying the Bangkok Girl (2013).