First published 2024
Circle of Hope began as a radical experiment in Philadelphia. For forty years, this congregation grew from a single community into four separate churches. The pastors and members built their mission around the Sermon on the Mount, serving the marginalized and working for justice in the present world rather than focusing solely on future salvation. They positioned themselves at the edge of American evangelicalism, part of a small but influential movement seeking authentic ways to follow Jesus. Then crisis struck. Generational conflicts tore at the community's fabric. The religious landscape grew more politicized around them. A pandemic prevented them from gathering for worship. Foundation-shaking activism rose within their ranks. Pulitzer Prize winner Eliza Griswold chronicles how Circle of Hope's devoted leaders and congregants struggle to navigate these challenges while staying true to their beliefs. The community faces urgent questions about commitment, power sharing, and welcoming society's most vulnerable members in an increasingly fractured world.
Genres: christian-fiction, american-fiction, contemporary, activism, family-drama
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, social-issues
Setting: Philadelphia
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
352 pages · Hardcover · Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Content warnings: mental-illness