Reckless Faith

Living Passionately as Imperfect Christians

Bible studies on the life of Peter examine his letters, the book of Acts, and the Gospels. 

He was impulsive, arrogant, and passionate to a fault. Yet Jesus chose him to lead the early church. Peter, one of the most colorful of Jesus’ disciples, paints the picture of a man who wants desperately to be holy but is hampered by being all too human. Sound familiar?

Reckless Faith looks at this caustic, cocky, cowardly, chosen man and what his life has to say to Christians today. Through a study of his letters, the book of Acts, and the Gospels, Peter springs off the page as one who held nothing back, lived large, and was used by God despite his most sinful nature.

This Fisherman Resource includes author commentary, interactive questions, and opportunities for reflection as you discover how God allows us to come to him as holy and human. Great for individual study or in a group, Reckless Faith will show you that being a follower of God doesn’t necessarily mean having it all together.
“Jo Kadlecek opens the life of this apostle–and her own as well–so that we can be encouraged as we grow, whether through the discovery of life callings or personal frailties.”
–Vinita Hampton Wright, author of Simple Acts of Moving Forward

“Through direct and compelling examination, Kadlecek brings the apostle Peter across 2,000 years of history to your personal space. He is one of us, a postmodern servant leader whose struggles are transparent and honest. Kadlecek challenges us to consider if it is not Peter who is extraordinary, but rather his approach to faith and life.”
–Rudy Carrasco, executive director of the Harambee Christian Family Center
AUTHORBIO: Jo Kadlecek holds Master of Arts degrees in humanities with an emphasis on American literature (where her thesis project was a full-length play on the conversion of Dorothy Day), and in cross-cultural communication with an emphasis in urban ministry. She has a bachelor degree in speech and English secondary education. Currently, she and her husband live in New York City as white residents in the predominantly black neighborhood, trying to continue a commitment to urban living and cross-cultural neighboring. (She also lived in the black community of west Jackson, Mississippi for a year, and in Denver's Five Points for seven years.) Kadlecek's commitment to urban and social justice issues enhances her devotion to the literary arts, since both reflect the drama of human experience.

Founding editor and columnist with Inklings, a quarterly literary journal, Kadlecek is an award-winning freelance writer and journalist, covering primarily cross-cultural, literary, and religious issues for publications such as Discipleship Journal, Charisma, Christianity Today, The Saturday Evening Post, Clarity, Virtue and The National/International Religion Report.

Kadlecek is a contributing editor to www.Crosswalk.com, and the co-author of eight books, including the Gold Medallion finalist Resurrecting Hope: Powerful Stories of How God is Reaching the Cities (Regal) with John Perkins. In 1999 she wrote I Call You Friend: Four Women's Stories of Race, Faith and Friendship with Pamela Toussaint (Broadman&Holman) and Feast of Life: Spiritual Food for Balanced Living (Baker). She has a forthcoming book with Guidepost's Ruth Stafford Peale, another with Dr. Taylor Field of Graffiti Baptist Ministries on New York's lower east side, and is currently writing a book with Broadman&Holman that explores stories of redemption in the everyday.

In addition to her writing, Kadlecek has taught literature, communication, and writing courses for the past eighteen years to adult, college, and high school students on several Christian and mainstream campuses. As of September 2000, she will be working as a part-time writing teacher at a local elementary school with third and fourth grade students. Kadlecek has spoken at numerous workshops, writers' conferences, and literary festivals and has taught Bible studies at a variety of conferences, retreats, seminars, and churches. She is a member of the National Writer's Union and formerly served on the board of advisors for Virtue, Inklings, and VisionNew York. View titles by Jo Kadlecek

About

Bible studies on the life of Peter examine his letters, the book of Acts, and the Gospels. 

He was impulsive, arrogant, and passionate to a fault. Yet Jesus chose him to lead the early church. Peter, one of the most colorful of Jesus’ disciples, paints the picture of a man who wants desperately to be holy but is hampered by being all too human. Sound familiar?

Reckless Faith looks at this caustic, cocky, cowardly, chosen man and what his life has to say to Christians today. Through a study of his letters, the book of Acts, and the Gospels, Peter springs off the page as one who held nothing back, lived large, and was used by God despite his most sinful nature.

This Fisherman Resource includes author commentary, interactive questions, and opportunities for reflection as you discover how God allows us to come to him as holy and human. Great for individual study or in a group, Reckless Faith will show you that being a follower of God doesn’t necessarily mean having it all together.

Reviews

“Jo Kadlecek opens the life of this apostle–and her own as well–so that we can be encouraged as we grow, whether through the discovery of life callings or personal frailties.”
–Vinita Hampton Wright, author of Simple Acts of Moving Forward

“Through direct and compelling examination, Kadlecek brings the apostle Peter across 2,000 years of history to your personal space. He is one of us, a postmodern servant leader whose struggles are transparent and honest. Kadlecek challenges us to consider if it is not Peter who is extraordinary, but rather his approach to faith and life.”
–Rudy Carrasco, executive director of the Harambee Christian Family Center

Author

AUTHORBIO: Jo Kadlecek holds Master of Arts degrees in humanities with an emphasis on American literature (where her thesis project was a full-length play on the conversion of Dorothy Day), and in cross-cultural communication with an emphasis in urban ministry. She has a bachelor degree in speech and English secondary education. Currently, she and her husband live in New York City as white residents in the predominantly black neighborhood, trying to continue a commitment to urban living and cross-cultural neighboring. (She also lived in the black community of west Jackson, Mississippi for a year, and in Denver's Five Points for seven years.) Kadlecek's commitment to urban and social justice issues enhances her devotion to the literary arts, since both reflect the drama of human experience.

Founding editor and columnist with Inklings, a quarterly literary journal, Kadlecek is an award-winning freelance writer and journalist, covering primarily cross-cultural, literary, and religious issues for publications such as Discipleship Journal, Charisma, Christianity Today, The Saturday Evening Post, Clarity, Virtue and The National/International Religion Report.

Kadlecek is a contributing editor to www.Crosswalk.com, and the co-author of eight books, including the Gold Medallion finalist Resurrecting Hope: Powerful Stories of How God is Reaching the Cities (Regal) with John Perkins. In 1999 she wrote I Call You Friend: Four Women's Stories of Race, Faith and Friendship with Pamela Toussaint (Broadman&Holman) and Feast of Life: Spiritual Food for Balanced Living (Baker). She has a forthcoming book with Guidepost's Ruth Stafford Peale, another with Dr. Taylor Field of Graffiti Baptist Ministries on New York's lower east side, and is currently writing a book with Broadman&Holman that explores stories of redemption in the everyday.

In addition to her writing, Kadlecek has taught literature, communication, and writing courses for the past eighteen years to adult, college, and high school students on several Christian and mainstream campuses. As of September 2000, she will be working as a part-time writing teacher at a local elementary school with third and fourth grade students. Kadlecek has spoken at numerous workshops, writers' conferences, and literary festivals and has taught Bible studies at a variety of conferences, retreats, seminars, and churches. She is a member of the National Writer's Union and formerly served on the board of advisors for Virtue, Inklings, and VisionNew York. View titles by Jo Kadlecek