Praise for The Body Broken"The pathos of God for the torn and tearing body of Christ has seized the heart of Robert Benson. This book is a pure, passionate and prophetic cry to transcend all division and discord into reverence one another in obedience to the Master. One more thing: Benson is a helluva writer"-Brennan Manning, author of A Glimpse of Jesus"In a time when bookstores are full of books and films about the end of the road (everyone seems to want to know), The Body Broken takes us on a journey for the sake of the journey itself, and in the process, it teaches us about loving one another, not by imperative, but by example." -from the foreword by John Fischer, author of Love Him in the Morning: Reflections on God's FaithfulnessJesus prayed for our unity as believers in the hours before His betrayal and crucifixion. Robert Benson tenderly pleads for all of us who follow Him to heed our Lord's petition and concentrate on what unites us instead of what divides us. In a thoughtful and beautifully written volume Benson challenges each of us to reexamine what it means to be a follower of Jesus in the diverse body of Christ. His honesty and heart for the church shine throughout this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.-Dave Burchett, Author of Bring'em Back Alive: A Healing Plan for those Wounded by the Church and When Bad Christians Happen to Good People"Again and again, Robert Benson speaks to my heart. His search for authenticity and the power of his words to articulate the way stations on that pilgrim pathway resonate for me in a unique way. The Body Broken lifts us into a new dimension of spiritual reality." - Luci Shaw, Writer-in-Residence, Regent College and author of Water Lines"As always, Benson's deceptively simple storytelling sneaks up on you. His style, a fusion of gentleness, raw truth, and quiet power (remind you of anyone?), is put to good use here. The Body Broken is a keeper." - Nikki Grimes, award-winning author of Bronx Masquerade and What Is Goodbye?"It is a great irony that all of us who love Jesus and know that he prays for us, even now, that we "may all be one," have such a difficult time loving one another. Robert Benson doesn't exactly tell us how to do it but he does tell an honest story about the ways that Jesus' prayer is getting worked out in his life." - Eugene Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, B.C.Editorial ReviewsFrom Publishers WeeklyFor those brave writers who attempt to dispense spiritual wisdom from their own experiences, each sentence can be fraught with peril. Those who traffic in their own experiences of God for a public audience run the risk of disclosing too much or too little-having too many answers to be convincing, or not enough to satisfy the hungry reader. What saves Episcopal layman and veteran spiritual writer Benson's autobiographical musings from becoming routine is his willingness to share his struggles with a specific issue: why is the fellowship of believers broken into so many competing parties? Benson's desire to understand, respect and honor the faith of other Christians is a powerful force here, animating that which otherwise might have seemed mundane. Reflecting on how difficult it is for even those bound by a mutual faith to seek a common scriptural understanding, Benson comments: "We are not called to explain the Christ; we called to follow the Christ. We are not called to build walls that keep his friends apart from each other; we are called to build the kingdom together." Alternatively tender, sad, regretful and joyous, Benson offers his tales with the honesty of a man who doesn't pretend to have all the answers. He brings to the topic a profound, if chastened, sense of God's presence in his daily life and relationships. Benson's passion will appeal to many readers seeking a well-crafted meditation on a topic that has persistently bemused Christians of all denominations. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.ReviewPraise for Robert Benson"In looking at his own life with candor and hope, Robert Benson helps us to look at our own. His words have the ring of truth."?Frederic BuechnerPraise for Between the Dreaming and the Coming True"Charming and elegantly written . . . that rare gift, a thought-provoking record of his own spiritual quest for God through the dark night of depression . . . Willa Cather's phrase, ‘Thy will be done in art as it is in heaven' could serve as an epigraph to this fine work."?Publishers Weekly