About this item
Highlights
- Build sacred rhythms for rested, sustainable justice--where beauty and resistance naturally flow Many today are caught in cycles of outrage and exhaustion while trying to stay sane and engaged.
- About the Author: Jonathan Walton is a senior resource specialist for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship focusing on political discipleship and civic engagement.
- 192 Pages
- Religion + Beliefs, Christian Life
Description
About the Book
"Build sacred rhythms for rested, sustainable justice-where beauty and resistance naturally flow. Many today are caught in cycles of outrage and exhaustion while trying to stay sane and engaged. Can we find a different way? In this spiritually rich guidebook, Jonathan Walton offers a transformative rule of life-an ancient spiritual practice reimagined for today's weary believers. His framework roots authentic action in deep, restorative rest, creating enduring rhythms that connect inner renewal with meaningful engagement in a broken world. Drawing from desert spirituality and the wisdom of organizers, Walton provides the spiritual scaffolding needed to sustain both interior formation and outward engagement. These practices and frameworks show us how to live a life so rooted that our pursuit of justice flows from a place of authentic restfulness, not reactivity. Through personal narrative and practical guidance, he reveals the four essential rhythms that nourish a life of purpose: Rest (embrace true restoration beyond guilt or avoidance), Restore (rebuild internal resources for the journey ahead), Resist (stay centered and engage injustice), and Repeat: develop sustainable patterns for lifelong flourishing. Beauty and Resistance shows how to hold together the tensions of delight and grief, awe and disappointment. It's an invitation to trade reactivity for rhythm, burnout for balance, and anxious spirituality for grounded connection with God, self, and neighbors. Discover the path to a spirituality where beauty and resistance naturally flow from a deeply rested life"-- Provided by publisher.Book Synopsis
Build sacred rhythms for rested, sustainable justice--where beauty and resistance naturally flow
Many today are caught in cycles of outrage and exhaustion while trying to stay sane and engaged. Is there a different way? How can you pursue justice, work towards a renewed world, and sustain your faith without burning out?
In this spiritually rich guidebook, Jonathan Walton offers a transformative rule of life--an ancient spiritual practice reimagined for today's weary believers. His framework roots authentic action in deep, restorative rest, creating enduring rhythms that connect inner renewal with meaningful engagement in a broken world. Drawing from desert spirituality and the wisdom of organizers, Walton provides the spiritual scaffolding needed to sustain both interior formation and outward engagement. These practices and frameworks show you how to live a life so rooted that your pursuit of justice flows from a place of authentic restfulness, not reactivity.
Through personal narrative and practical guidance, Walton reveals the four essential rhythms that nourish a life of purpose:
- Rest: Choose to work out of rest, not for it
- Restore: Replenish your inner life for the work before you
- Resist: Seek individual and collective flourishing
- Repeat: Establish rhythms to be a whole person in fruitful community
In Beauty and Resistance, you'll learn
- how to reflect God's kingdom in every area of your life.
- how to live out a rule of life grounded in Christ and his kingdom that leads to communal flourishing.
- how both beauty and resistance are necessary to fully engage with both delight and grief, lament and rejoicing, and appreciation and disappointment.
- how to live within your limits to contribute to radical flourishing in the world, recognizing that God is God and you are not.
Beauty and Resistance shows how to hold together the tensions of delight and grief, awe and disappointment. It's an invitation to trade reactivity for rhythm, burnout for balance, and anxious spirituality for grounded connection with God, self, and neighbors. Discover the path to a spirituality where beauty and resistance naturally flow from a deeply rested life.
Review Quotes
"In Beauty and Resistance, Jonathan Walton casts a holistic vision of life in the kingdom of God--a kingdom that contrasts and upends the kingdoms and idols of this world. He pairs this vision with much-needed emphasis on sustainable emotional and spiritual formation to fuel a vibrant life of Christian justice. The church desperately needs this pairing of prophetic witness and sustainable spirituality, and Walton's stories can help us!"
--Jason Jensen, vice president of spiritual foundations for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA and author of Formed to Lead"For those numbed by the relentless polarization of this era, Beauty and Resistance is a stirring call to action. We have enough authors who tell us how we can change the world, but Jonathan Walton adds something else: a rule of life for embracing beauty and rest as well as resistance. At the core of Walton's story is a refreshing honesty, vulnerability, and a welcome belief that resistance and beauty can not only coexist but thrive together."
--John Blake, CNN editor and author of More Than I Imagined"Jonathan Walton embodies a lived gospel of hope and justice, guiding generations of students. If you are looking for a vital, restorative rhythm for sustainable justice rooted in spiritual renewal and deep engagement, this is your guide!"
--Sandra Maria Van Opstal, founder of Chasing Justice and author of The Next WorshipAbout the Author
Jonathan Walton is a senior resource specialist for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship focusing on political discipleship and civic engagement. He is also the creator of the Emotionally Healthy Activist Course and co-founder of KTF Press. He has written five books, including Twelve Lies That Hold America Captive. He holds a degree in creative writing from Columbia University and an MA from the City University in New York in the Study of the Americas. He lives in Queens, New York, and attends New Life Fellowship.