Living Faith

by Jimmy Carter

For almost three decades, President Carter has regularly spent part of each Sunday reading from scripture and sharing his personal faith with neighbors, friends, and visitors at his Baptist church in Plains, Georgia. In "Living Faith," he draws on this experience, exploring the values closest to his heart and the personal beliefs that have nurtured and sustained him.
For President Carter, faith finds its deepest expression in a life of compassion, reconciliation, and service to others. "Living Faith" is filled with stories of people whose lives have touched his--some from the world stage, more from modest walks of life. We see how President Carter learned about other faiths from Prime Minister Menachim Begin and President Anwar Sadat; learned a lesson in forgiveness from a clash with commentator George Will; how he was inspired by the simple theology of preacher Ely Cruz, "Love God and the person in front of you"; and how the cheerful strength of family friend Annie Mae Rhodes taught him the meaning of "patient faith."
Rooted in scripture and infused with a vision of how a dynamic faith can enrich our public and private lives, this is the most personal book yet by one of our most admired Americans--a warmly inspirational volume to give and to share.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Religion, Christian, Presidents, Memoir, Politics

288 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 1991

About the author

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

James Earl Carter, Junior, known as Jimmy, the thirty-ninth president of the United States from 1977 to 1981, creditably established energy-conservation measures, concluded the treaties of Panama Canal in 1978, negotiated the accords of Camp David between Egypt and Israel in 1979, and won the Nobel Prize of 2002 for peace.

Ronald Wilson Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter, the incumbent, in the presidential election of 1980.

He served and received. Carter served two terms in the senate of Georgia and as the 76th governor from 1971 to 1975.

Carter created new Cabinet-level Department of education. A national policy included price decontrol and new technology. From 1977, people reduced foreign oil imports one-half to 1982. In foreign affairs, Carter pursued the second round of strategic arms limitation talks (SALT). Carter sought to put a stronger emphasis on human rights in 1979. People saw his return of the zone as a major concession of influence in Latin America, and Carter came under heavy criticism.

Iranian students in 1979 took over the American embassy and held hostages, and an attempt to rescue them failed; several additional major crises, including serious fuel shortages and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, marked the final year of his tenure. Edward Moore Kennedy challenged significantly higher disapproval ratings of Carter for nomination of the Democratic Party before the election of 1980. Carter defeated Kennedy for the nomination lost the election to Ronald Wilson Reagan, a Republican.

Carter left office and with Rosalynn Smith Carter, his wife, afterward founded the nongovernmental center and organization that works to advance human rights. He traveled extensively to conduct, to observe elections, and to advance disease prevention and eradication in developing nations. He, a key, also figured in the project of habitat for humanity. Carter particularly vocalized on the Palestinian conflict.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/jimmyc...

Reviews

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have had this book on my shelf for quite a while, but had never gotten around to opening it up. Sadly, Jimmy Carter in the news recently reminded me of it. In this book, President Carter gives a great overview of his Christian faith and how it has informed and affected him over the course of his many careers. Although his beliefs are a bit traditional and dated for me, i came away from this book with a great respect and reverence for how he translated his faith into action and good, instead of dogma and judgement. Despite mixed reviews of the Carter presidency, I'd be proud to have another person like him in the White House. His character and ethics are what once made this nation great, and are probably the best hope of saving it today. My heart goes out to Jimmy Carter for who he is and how he lives.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jimmy Carter not only served as President of the United States in the post-Watergate years but also taught a mean Sunday school class. This book, based around some of those lessons but written as a personal narrative is very helpful in understanding the contours of Jimmy Carter's faith. Two things stood out to me. One is that Jimmy Carter has had a genuine personal encounter with Christ. Two is that he is strongly convinced that it is not enough to profess faith in Christ if one does not live this out in a life of active and sacrificial service. He talks about his own journey in this regard including his life in politics, as founder of the Carter Center, and his work with Habitat for Humanity. And he speaks very personally about his own marriage and the tensions and growth he experienced over the years.

Most memorable to me is the story he told of the Rev. Otis Moss's sermon at the funeral service of Mrs. Martin Luther King, Sr, where Moss spoke of the "little dash between"--the dash that appears between the date of our birth and the date of our death on a grave marker. What a challenging image to remind us of the fleeting character of our lives and the challenge to make the most of our days.

[Don Heiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Former President Jimmy Carter's 1996 autobiographical book "Living Faith" is based on life experiences that influenced his Sunday school lessons. The book reflects his personal commitments which are challenging, innovative, and in his words --"fills me with joy and peace". I found his writing inspiring and very interesting.

[Luann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful perspective from a man who happened to be President of the United States. His life, from boyhood to post-presidency, has been carved and molded by his strong Christian beliefs. There is so much I learned about this man that has changed my opinion of why he handled issues during his presidency the way that he did. The Carter Center, too, is so much more than a presidential library and his work with Habitat for Humanity is one of his many passions. I really enjoyed this book and found myself asking, "what more can I do to give back to & serve others"?

[Tom Guise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jimmy Carter is a good man. He was also a good President, in spite of what many will say. He did the best he could with the issues he was given, as all Presidents' do. Being the President of the US, is not a job I would want. The fate of too many good and honest people rest on that office holders' shoulder. Each of our President's are human, none of them are perfect, yet we judge them on their perfection, a scale by which none of us dare to measure ourselves by first.

[Peter Mayeux · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is well written with insights about human@
experiences. He draws many parallels between religious beliefs and the stability of marriage vows and practices. Often he'll begin with a life lesson or experience and then connect it to beliefs in God and religion.He covers a wide range of human experiences and he draws many parallels in the book. To quote US News and World report, "Carter writes with compelling honesty about his mistakes, his challenges, and his faith."

[Julia Sedgwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We don't understand how the radio receives signal but we believe it does and have faith in it. How is that any different from God?"

This book was full of so much wisdom that I know I will be looking back on.

[J 5jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Religion is all too often viewed in a negative light these days; Jimmy Carter's book Living Faith does a good job of show the positive effects religion can have. Carter reiterates time and time again that "We need God's presence at all times - not just when life is at its most difficult." (Page 33). This is central to all of Carter's ideas; he likes to mention how he has evolved into a better man in every period of his life due to his constant relationship with God. A specific example Carter gives of how religion helped him in a big way is that it saved his marriage. He and his wife had problems but councilors did not seem to help, whereas they "could share our most troubling crises through prayer, often individually - sometimes together." (Page 73). Carter soon found that most of his problems found a way to work themselves out when he let God be involved in them. Less important than his marriage, but perhaps more impressive, is Carter's abilities for forgiveness that he learned over time. After many years of teaching Sunday-school, Carter learned the centrality of forgiveness to a good and happy life and would write "letters to people involved (in conflicts), saying that I hoped we could be reconciled." (Page 86). The world would be a much better place with almost no war if everyone possessed Carter's ability for forgiveness. The book, while it did not have a compelling plot, action or drama, is a worthwhile read because of the positive effects the ideas could have on the world.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Christians can buttress their arguments on almost any subject by emphasizing certain selected Scripture verses then claiming that they should be applied universally. But when we do this, we're using the Bible as a rationalization for our personal preferences, which we assume are correct. The resulting divisions are usually based on the presumption of preeminence by one group over others: 'God and I are right, and anyone who diagrees with us is wrong.' I'm always concerned about such 'true believers.'"

"It would be a tragedy if a platform of 'I hate gay men and women' proved to be a route to political office in the United States of America."

" I'm not a Christian because I think that belief in Christ will let me see my father again, or my brother, after I die. That's not a major consideration for me anymore, although it was for a long time. What is important is what Christ means to me as a personal savior, an avenue to God, an example, a guide, and a source of reassurance, strength and wisdom."

"He said there would be a marker on Mrs. King's grave, wither her name and a couple of dates - when she was born and when she died - and a little dash in between. He(the reverend at the funeral of Mrs. Martin Luther King, Sr.) said he didn't want to talk about when she was born, or when she died, but about that little dash. The question is, What do we do with that little dash in between, which represents our life on earth?"

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a lot of respect for President Jimmy Carter, more for his continuing efforts towards world peace and his work with Habitat for Humanity than for anything else. I knew that he was a Christian, but I didn't really know much about his beliefs or his life. So I was pleased to find this audiobook in the library book sale.

While we don't share all the same beliefs, I really found so much to admire about Carter in this book. He hasn't always had an easy path in life. He talks about his decision to leave the Navy and his struggles in his early marriage. He also talks about his public life. It was fun to get an insider's look at what was going on.

My favorite line from the book is something another Christian said to him once. "In this life, you only have to love two people. One is God, and the other is the person in front of you."

I really enjoyed this. It was only one tape, so it was a very brief story, but I would recommend it.

[Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a lot going for it: nicely packaged, well-written, thoughtful, candid. At times I really enjoyed it. But overall I found it a little disappointing. Carter endless boasting is too much to stomach.

The most helpful aspect of this book was to understand better the contours of Carter's personal theology. What is very clear is that by any classical standard Carter may be a committed Christian but he is no evangelical. His beliefs include: Homosexual practice is acceptable (p.187), Biblical inerrancy is ridiculous (p.197-8), Reinhold Niebuhr and Soren Kierkegaard are his favorite theologians, Mormons are Christian, evolution is not up for debate....

A pretty helpful book for political junkies needing to know more about Carter, but not as helpful as an inspirational aid for Christians.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

i am convinced jimmy carter is one of the best all around people of this generation. living faith is an inspiring book about how a person should conduct him or herself in the face of trying times. the book has a lot of corny parts but president carter pulls off the message still. there's clearly a lot of scripture and verse in the text, but it doesn't read like he's pushing his particular religion. rather he honestly tells how his faith has continued to help him grow as a person. one can really learn from the message he sends here.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jimmy Carter tells about his faith throughout his life, starting with his early childhood, his early naval career, and then when he returns to his hometown in Georgia. He talks about faith is working for justice, and the civil rights movement, his faith by action such as through Habitat for Humanity, and his hope for peace and his work for it through his organization. I learned a lot about the former president and his faith.

[Silvio Curtis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rambling spiritual memoir. It might have been more interesting if I'd read it together with a more systematically focused source about Baptist religion or about Carter's life, which this book could have helped put in perspective. But by itself, I found it neither very informative nor very provocative.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am always impressed by President Carter's books and this one was no exception. The best point I took away from this book was the same one from the sermons Sunday Morning in Plains.

Followers of Jesus must remember that love is the greatest of all things and that is how we lead others to Christ, not exclusion or judgement.

[Mark Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding very readable and inspirational book. Picked this up at the Carter Library on a recent trip to Atlanta and glad I did. Especially enjoyed the chapters relating faith in leadership and justice. Pretty heavy the way he relates faith to just about everything including the origins of the universe. Definitely have a healthier respect for Jimmy Carter after reading this book.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would be so much easier to like organized religion if it were as Jimmy Carter envisions and practices it. I was lucky enough to read this book in time for a signing he did in St. Louis in January 1997. My copy is signed, and I got to meet him, which was immensely humbling.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Went to a booksigning at Cody's Bookstore in Berkeley to get it signed by Jimmy Carter. I couldn't get myself to talk, so I just stared at him. He and Tony Campolo exemplify Compassionate Christians.

[Mark Ennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspiring

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book President Carter talks about how his faith and values have shapedhis life. This book is 5 star must read book.

[Cws]

92 Car

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed his honesty in the book, it was so personal and real. I would read it again.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stood in line to have him sign mine!

[Karen Klasi Wentlandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I swear I'm going to finish this.

Update: Some day I will finish this.

Update: I may never finish this.

[Leah Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was what I would expect from Jimmy Carter. He took bible verses and related them to different stages in his life.

[Darian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first biography where I learned there was such a thing as super passionate married Christians.

[J. Michael Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

When he was 70 years old, Jimmy Carter decided to put some of his Sunday School lessons in a book. He had been teaching Sunday School all his adult life, and in the last decades, he taught a Sunday School class every week—open to the public—in his little church in Plains, Georgia. The room would be packed, mostly with visitors who had travelled to Plains just to attend his class.

In working with his editors, his original plan morphed from being a book of lessons to being a book about his own life and faith. Most of the material in the book was extracted from those lessons, but the 200+ page volume reads like a story, not a lecture.

Carter lived a remarkable life: born in Jim Crow Georgia, the son of a conservative, generous farmer—and a liberal, unpredictable, generous mother—Carter went on to excel in the Navy, a political career, and a post-presidency mission to help the poorest people in the world.

He could be stubborn, self-righteous, and humorless. But he was also humble, gracious, strong, and talented. True—there is plenty to dislike and criticize if you look for it and cut corners. But the more the years pass by, the better we are able to see and appreciate a unique man—who indeed put God first in his life, and struggled all his decades to grow in love for his neighbor. Long considered a “failed” president by politicians of both parties, historians are now reassessing his presidency and coming to very different understandings. While long respected for his post-presidency, people are now gaining new appreciation for his presidential years as well.

This book is filled with stories of people who taught Carter and influenced him along the way. He remembers always being in church, always having religion be part of his life. But his faith in God and his understanding of Christianity grew as Carter experienced new places, people, and situations. Living Faith is the record of his growth in learning to imitate the life of Jesus with authenticity and transparency.

We often like to talk about public figures behind their backs, spouting our shallow political and religious opinions based on mere scraps of quotes and misquotes. Our own lives are richer, however, if we let these famous people speak for themselves. We may still come away with the same opinions as before. But in Jimmy Carter’s case, we are likely to be enriched and changed ourselves by his testimony.

[Randy Corn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this book when I was helping my Mom move and decided to look at the opening chapter. I realized after just a few pages that this was a book that I wanted to read. I think Momma got this as a Christmas present a few years back, and it is autographed by the author.

I have to say that I have perhaps more questions about the faith of Jimmy Carter after reading this book than I did before I read it. He speaks of reading after such liberal scholars as Tillich and Neibour and apparently agreeing with them. He also rails against the conservative, or as he calls it, the fundamentalist takeover of the SBC. He argues that the SBC is wrong to limit ordination to men. He does mention that some verses would support that view, but it is largely a matter of the Scripture reflecting the errors or prejudices of the authors. This was the most troubling part of the story to me. Carter does not seem to have a high view of Scripture. He talks about the conservatives only being interested in personal wealth and putting others down, while liberals are all about serving the poor and needy. What’s more he seems to paint with too broad a brush by saying that there is no contradiction between believing whatever science teaches and the Bible. He even says it is not a problem for him to believe man evolved from a lower form of life.

Still, as I said, this book is full of contradictions for me. He tells of being more involved in evangelism than most Christians I know. I think that perhaps he is one of those folks who sees the world in a sort of secular sacred dichotomy. They don’t contradict because they don’t integrate.

[Andrei J · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.1/
First religious book I have ever read. It tackles about the living faith of James Carter since he was a child and how his family tremendously impacted him. Rosalyn, his wife, has also been a part of this story that fundamentally has played huge part of the times of successes and failures of his.

What I like to this are those interesting Scriptures that Carter incorporated in which he had interpreted and attempted to connect for every chapter. As a Catholic, I am not reading bible thus it is very compelling to witness some of it that are really powerful if you will give a time to think about it.

Exercpts of some of the lines that deeply-moved me:

“When I return to my beginnings, I see a number of times when I believed I wanted most was challenged by a more difficult path. When I had the courage to choose that path, even in the midst of despair and uncertainity, I was given a glimpse of deeper truths that continue to sustain me.“

“Faith means the betting of one's life upon the God in Jesus Christ,... the giving or commitment of one's whole life.“

“Love God, and the person in front us.“

“But we have to be something innovative; it is shame if we cannot think of anything to do.“

“All of us can have new and greater lives if we are willing to take a chance on something exciting and unpredictable“.


I have enjoyed reading this perhaps 3 weeks because of some reason. Nonetheless, an honor to be one of the guest of Mr. James Carter's life in which I presume is relatively full of meaning, significance, and purpose.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

In some ways, I might have been more like Jimmy Carter if I had been President: meaning good, trying to keep my faith while honoring people, but not a strong leader and generally ineffective.

Carter states the purpose of this book is to explain in understandable terms how his life has been affected by Jesus’ words and actions. Also about how he tried to live up to these, sometimes falling short, sometimes coming close. I think of a President as being the height of a person's growth. I think Carter showed that growth continues to happen.

This book is more about the values which Carter cherishes, not only as President, but all through his life. He talks about how both faith and the military formed him. Also how he has changed as he understood both life, relationship, and God’s direction better. He talks about justice, peace, relationships, and trying to emulate what God would want him to do.

On the whole, it is a worthwhile book to read. His writing is not inspiring, but plain. At times it felt like I was wading through what he was trying to say. But it was well worthwhile once you understood his point. Read Living Faith and understand the man and his faith better.

For more of my notes and thoughts, please see my book blog.