Hoping for More: Having Cancer, Talking Faith, and Accepting Grace

by Deanna A. Thompson

“We tend to use words like miracle and mystery in the context of serendipity. In this frank and eloquent account of life transformed by cancer, Deanna Thompson explores these articles of faith as they are also wont to appear—on the hard edges of hope and the dark side of joy.” —Krista Tippett, from the Foreword"Hoping for More" is a story of a young religion professor with a stage IV cancer diagnosis and a lousy prognosis for the future. Amid the grief and the grace of her fractured life, this theologian—who is also a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend—searches for words adequate to express her faltering faith. More Anne Lamott meets Harold Kushner than the teller of a pious, God-saved-me-from-cancer tale, Thompson unpacks the messy realities that arise when faith and suffering collide. Told in shimmering prose, "Hoping for More" takes readers on an unsentimental journey through the valley of the shadow of cancer—beyond the predictable parameters of prayer, the church, even belief in life after death. What emerges is a novel approach to talking faith and accepting grace when hope is all you've got.“Deanna Thompson's honest and faithful book shows how healing happens in community, and how blessing is found amid doubt and pain. This is a book of grace.”—Sara MilesAuthor of Take This Bread (2007) and Jesus Freak (2010)“I learned so much by reading this book, as a pastor, friend, and mother. Thompson's insights are for everyone who has ever struggled with serious illness or loved someone who has, which means that this book is ultimately for everyone. If you have ever wondered, "What do I say?" or "What do I do?" this book offers wise counsel, with humor, intellect, and, most of all, grace. In Hoping for More, you get to eavesdrop on the intimate thoughts of someone worth listening to. In the end, Thompson's deepest theological insights are not about cancer but about life itself.”—Lillian DanielSenior Minister, First Congregational Church UCC, Glen Ellyn, IllinoisAuthor of This Odd and Wondrous Calling (2009) and Tell It Like It Reclaiming the Practice of Testimony (2006)“Thompson stands in her cancer with rare, radical awakeness to its bracing truth . . . and gives us a moving, life-lived testimony to the graciousness of grace.”—Serene JonesPresident of Union Theological Seminary“In Hoping for More, Deanna Thompson presents her extraordinary journey of diagnosis and treatment of stage IV breast cancer. Thanks to her strong personal voice, reading this book is like listening to a friend tell you about part of her life over a cup of tea. Of the many miracles in this book is Deanna’s ability to reflect on her faith, illness, and loved ones at the same time. She quietly offers a systematic theology enriched by living with cancer—making this book a valuable resource for those interested in the intersection of medicine and faith.”—Monica A. ColemanAssociate Professor of Constructive Theology and African American Religions, Claremont School of TheologyAuthor of Not Reflections on Faith and Depression (2012)Deanna A. Thompson is Professor of Religion at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and author of Crossing the Luther, Feminism, and the Cross. She lives with her husband and two daughters in St. Paul

Genres: Memoir, Christian

168 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2012

Reviews

[Katherine Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

would rate 3.5 as i read it for my theology class & need to meet my reading goal for the year lol. her account was more profound and packed quite a punch in 150 pages. I appreciated the author’s authenticity & realness of her cancer journey and how it impacted her faith.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have lived a healthy life. Never a hospital visit or surgery. I expect the day will come when my record of healthiness is broken, but I count myself fortunate. What if one is in the prime of life -- early 40s -- and an aching back leads to the diagnosis of stage 4 metastatic breast cancer that has moved into one's spine? What if you receive this news and you are wife and mother of two children? The prognosis is that death is likely to be in your near future. How do you live with such news?

Deanna Thompson shares her story from a "perfect" life through diagnosis, treatment, and into remission. Since her cancer was stage 4 and moved into her spine, she cannot ever claim to be cured. Remission yes, but cure no. But in the midst of this seeming tragic turn of events Deanna experiences God's grace through the efficacy of the treatments she is given, the support of her family, friends, colleagues, and church. This is the story of a woman's battle with cancer, but it is also the story of the blessings that come when communities step up and surround a person with love and support.

Deanna wrote this book while in remission. She is now in her third remission, which means that the cancer has reared its head twice since the manuscript went to the publisher. The title is important -- Hoping for More -- for Deanna speaks as a theologian going through a traumatic set of experiences of hope for this life and the next. Many liberals/progressives want us to focus on the present-- on the presence of God in this life -- seeing attention given to the afterlife/heaven as a distraction. Deanna's experience has given her a different take on this question.

She writes:

And I wonder whether those of us who talk about God for a living do a disservice to the God of the Bible and to those who suffer when we limit our discussion to the present. After all, the Bible is full of promises of life with God not only in the here and now but also in life beyond the grave. For all of us who struggle to trust in these promises—even in the midst of death-dealing conditions—hearing that there’s more than just this terminal diagnosis or that life-shattering earthquake offers a word of hope. That the suffering of this world isn’t the final word is an essential part of the gospel’s good news.

[Thompson, Deanna A. (2012-05-01). Hoping for More: Having Cancer, Talking Faith, and Accepting Grace (p. 145). Cascade Books, an Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers. Kindle Edition.]

This is a beautifully written book. Once you pick it up you will want to keep reading. It's not in a voyeuristic manner -- but once you begin you want to hear a word of hope and healing. Deanna is a gifted writer who has been able to tell her story in a compelling manner. She doesn't see cancer is a gift. She doesn't believe this has happened for a reason. She wants more life to live. At the same time she knows that death is a constant companion. So far she remains healthy -- in remission -- but her hope is placed in God for this life and for the next.

Take and read -- you will be blessed and encouraged.

[Susan Meeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read, hard to put down. Tells the truth about her experience and her wrestling with prayer, with facing death by cancer, with the things people say.

Not poetic, no "deathless" prose, yet worth reading more than once. A theology professor, the author reflects her Christian faith amidst a terminal diagnosis: how it is to put your life down and pick it up again; how to deal with a certainly uncertain life; and how the rest of us can support this journey.

Share with people who have extended/chronic illnesses and have to deal like this author does with the Christian platitudes of friends and family, as well as their own deep questions of faith.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Deanna's book. She holds in tender balance the deep and ongoing struggle of cancer with the challenges (and blessings) of faith in a life in "cancer-world". She tells her story of tests, illness, fear, and the small victories along the way without sugary sentimentality. I often found myself thinking "Oh, that must have been similar to what _______ went through with her cancer" and was grateful for that insight. I may have been a bit biased in my reading of the book as I had the blessing of meeting Deanna recently and hearing some of her story in a more personal way. Even so, this is an excellent read - I highly recommend it.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wise and understated, the author tells her experience as a Stage IV cancer survivor. Full of real experience, theological musings, honest wrestling.

I love the last chapter, about the paradox in Christian faith talking about living in the present, but having a very real and eschatological hope for the future. It's true that we have often emphasized one at the expense of the other, but she really lifts up the necessity of both.

As well, her chapter on the things people say when you have cancer was real and not sugar-coated.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deanna, a mother of small children and a professor of theology was striken with what could easily be fatal cancer. Her account of the journey through her diagnosis and treatment, combined with deep, painfully honest theological reflection, are a must read for anyone struggling with these issues or working with people who are.

[Jennifer McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My former neighbor in St Paul. Beautifully written.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully thoughtfully written book. I cried at several points- her suffering, her family’s suffering. I was amazed at just how much support - physical and emotional- she has. Beautiful and amazing. I felt hope in the final chapters. So honest in her telling and in her faith discussion.