Purple State of Mind: The Book
Hitting the bookshelves, virtual and otherwise today is Craig's new book and companion piece to the documentary Purple State of Mind: Finding Middle Ground in a Divded Culture.
You can learn more about the book and purchase it here.
Praise for Purple State of Mind
Brandon Fibbs at Christianity Today raves "Purple State of Mind is about as honest a dialogue on the things that both divide and unite us as you will find. With authenticity that doesn't pull punches and intimacy that never loses sight of the big picture..."
Peter Blackstock at NO DEPRESSION magazine called Purple State: "Heated, humorous, vehement, compassionate, and most of all relentless."
Lawrence Toppman, film critic for The Charlotte Observer described the movie as "Irreverent, accusatory, supportive, blunt, profound."
James Heflin of The Valley Advocate called Purple State of Mind "an important model....an earnest attempt to model the bridging of American cultural extremes, to foster a larger conversation."
Praise for Reasons to Believe
 "Marks gives us a stunning glimpse of American evangelicalism in all its variety."
— Publishers Weekly ('Starred Review')
"John Marks is just the kind of travel companion you want on a tour through America in a time of religious turmoil: He is open when he needs to be, probing when appropriate, and blunt when the moment calls for it. REASONS TO BELIEVE illuminates a world that most people think they know, but don't. Marks's discoveries about Christianity in America will reshape your views of the future of faith."
—Bruce Feiler, author of Walking the Bible and Where God Was Born
"In these polarized times, books that build bridges are important, especially when they have so much to offer people on both sides of the chasm. People for whom religion in general and Christianity in particular no longer work will find in John Marks's book a penetrating view into what has been the dominant strain of Christian faith in America in recent decades. People who are quite happy and secure in that dominant strain of Christian faith will gain even more, I think: a chance to see themselves as others see them. Both sides, I hope, will finish this book hoping for something better than the binary options we have too often been given: a secular-and-unspiritual way and a spiritual-but-dysfunctionally-religious way. With social tenderness and personal frankness, Marks offers this honest confession of doubt, which, according to the old Tennyson poem, may actually contain more faith than 'half the creeds.'"
—Brian McLaren, activist and author of numerous books, including Generous Orthodoxy and most recently Everything Must Change
"Mingles personal reflections with a journalistic foray into evangelical America... one of the more insightful recent books about evangelicalism."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Marks tracks his former born again faith with a ruthless critical eye."
—Darcey Steinke
"A work of courageous journalism as well as a memoir of startling self-reflection."
—Jonathan Kirsch, LA Times Book Review
"Finely written survey of contemporary evangelicals...Marks portrays no plastic piety in play but rather tells us stories of devout Christians who struggle and contend."
—Linda McCullough Moore, Books and Culture |
