Freedom from Fear: Finding the Courage to Act, Love, and Be

by Forrest Church

In Freedom from Fear , Forrest Church distills a lifetime of wisdom gleaned from helping others into a plan of action for all of us who live in fear. Fear prevents us from living life to its fullest, and now, more than ever before, fear's grip seems to be tightening. In order to overcome fear, we must first recognize it and then foster the courage necessary to defeat it.

Church identifies five basic types of fear associated, respectively with the body, intellect, conscience, emotions, and soul:

1. FRIGHT: instinctive fear, designed to protect us from physical danger.
2. WORRY: fear produced by our worst imaginings.
3. GUILT: fear caused by a troubled conscience
4. INSECURITY: fear prompted by feelings of inadequacy
5. DREAD: fear generated by life's fundamental uncertainty

Most of us suffer from all of these fears at various points and to varying degrees. About physical fear there is no remedy, nor should there be. This fear is a survival mechanism. But the other fears, Church argues, are distortions that we allow to take over our lives.

Courage is when fear speaks and the heart answers. After absorbing fear's best argument, the heart says no. As Church explains, nothing out of the ordinary is required. Anyone, and at almost any time, can find the courage to answer fear. The wisdom that makes courage possible is so universal and elemental that it can be summed up in three short imperatives: Do what you can, want what you have, and be who you are.

Here the works of "fear experts" like Susan Jeffers and Lucinda Basset have much to teach us, as do literary classics like Robinson Crusoe and The Little Prince . Including a study guide for group discussion, Freedom from Fear is a luminously uplifting yet completely practical guide that will change how we live.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2004

About the author

Rev. Forrest Church served for almost three decades as senior minister and was minister of public theology at All Souls Unitarian Church in New York City. He wrote or edited twenty-five books, including Love & Death.

Reviews

[Jim Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is like having a conversation with Rev. Church. I enjoyed this as I as much as I enjoyed many of his other books. Very thought-provoking and good fodder for group discussion.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had some helpful tools for me, overall the book was OK.

Best quote:

Do what you can
Want what you have
Be who you are.