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Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation Hardcover – April 18, 2023

by Jon Ward (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 382 ratings
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"Ward is consistently clear-sighted and perceptive as he charts a genuinely fascinating personal and spiritual evolution."--Publishers Weekly

Jon Ward's life is divided in half: two decades inside the evangelical Christian bubble and two decades outside of it.

In Testimony, Wardtells the engaging story of his upbringing in, and eventual break from, an influential evangelical church in the 1980s and 1990s. Ward sheds light on the evangelical movement's troubling political and cultural dimensions, tracing the ways in which the Jesus People movement was seduced by materialism and other factors to become politically captive rather than prophetic.

A respected journalist, Ward asks uncomfortable but necessary questions, calling those inside and outside conservative Christian circles to embrace truth, complexity, and nuance. He recounts his growing alarm and grief over the last several years as evangelical conservatives attacked truth, rejected personal character, and embraced authoritarianism and conspiracism. He shares his search for a faith that embodies the values he was taught as a child.

Ward's experience and reflections will resonate with many readers who grew up in the evangelical movement as well as all those who have an interest in the health of the church and its impact on American life.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    256 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Brazos Press
  4. Publication date
    April 18, 2023
  5. Dimensions
    8.25 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1587435772
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1587435775
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

An insider's view into the evangelical movement
Publisher's Weekly Review
Kristin Kobes Du Mez Endorsements
Jemar Tisby Endorsement
Makoto Fujimura Endorsement

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Jon Ward's life is divided in half: twenty years inside the evangelical Christian bubble and twenty years outside of it.

In Testimony, Wardtells the engaging story of his upbringing in, and eventual break from, an influential evangelical church in the 1980s and 1990s. He sheds light on the evangelical movement's troubling political and cultural dimensions, tracing the ways in which the Jesus People movement was seduced by materialism and other factors to become politically captive rather than prophetic.

A respected journalist, Ward asks uncomfortable but necessary questions as he calls those inside and outside conservative Christian circles to embrace truth, complexity, and nuance. Ultimately, he longs for a return to the way, the truth, and the life of Christ.

"Testimony is the book I have been waiting for. I suspect there are millions more like me who will resonate with Jon's powerful witness. To read it is to participate in a circle of trust where you are not alone, you're not going crazy, and all is not well. This is a form of setting things right--a move toward healing. I'm listening and grateful."
--Charlie Peacock, Grammy Award-winning music producer; founder and director emeritus of Commercial Music Program, Lipscomb University School of Music

"Ward's personal story--of faith and family and things left behind--is also the story of how our culture came unglued. Testimony is a deeply moving book, and deeply important."
--Matt Bai, author of All the Truth Is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid

"Ward's honest, meditative, and beautifully written memoir shines a bright light on the often-obscured links between religion and politics in America."
--Yuval Levin, author of A Time to Build

From the Back Cover

"A must-read for anyone seeking to navigate the fault lines of our polarized moment"

In Testimony, Jon Ward recounts his upbringing and eventual break from an influential evangelical church to diagnose broader political and cultural issues.

Ward spent two decades of his life inside evangelical Christian circles and two decades outside as a journalist covering politics, government, culture, and the nature of power. Through his story, Ward explores how the evangelical church lost its witness--and how it can regain it by laying aside grasps at power to serve with Christlike love.

"With raw honesty, deep insight, and a self-deprecating sense of humor, Jon Ward offers an insider's view into the White evangelical world in which he was raised. Testimony will be illuminating for those who have walked this path and for those struggling to understand the world of conservative evangelicalism from the outside."
--Kristin Kobes Du Mez, New York Times bestselling author of Jesus and John Wayne

"Testimony demonstrates the power of truth--no matter who it comes from or where it leads. This book will make you ponder, discuss, and testify about your own journey and beliefs."
--Jemar Tisby, New York Times bestselling author of The Color of Compromise and How to Fight Racism; professor, Simmons College of Kentucky

"An illuminating work that shines light into the fissures of spiritual abuses in the church and that documents Ward's journey as a Christian to move forward and find a better way."
--Makoto Fujimura, artist and author of Art and Faith: A Theology of Making

"Jon's meticulous reporting has always brought nuance and life to his writing about politics; his thoughtfulness about faith is the secret weapon he's now sharing with the world. This book is honest, vulnerable, scrupulous, and surprising; a must-read for anyone seeking to navigate the fault lines of our polarized moment."
--Ana Marie Cox, New York Magazine columnist

"Testimony will be for this generation and moment what Don Miller's Blue Like Jazz was for that moment. This is a work that will connect."
--Michael Wear, author of Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House about the Future of Faith in America

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Brazos Press (April 18, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1587435772
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1587435775
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.02 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.25 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 382 ratings

About the author

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Jon Ward

Jon Ward

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Jon Ward is senior political correspondent for Yahoo News, author of "Camelot's End: Kennedy v Carter and the Fight that Broke the Democratic Party" (Twelve Books, 2019), and host of “The Long Game” podcast. He has covered American politics and culture for two decades, as a city desk reporter in Washington D.C., as a White House correspondent who traveled aboard Air Force One to Africa, Europe and the Middle East, and as a national affairs correspondent who has traveled the country to write about two presidential campaigns and the ideas and people animating our times. He has been published in The Washington Post, The New Republic, Politico Magazine, Vanity Fair, The Huffington Post, and The Washington Times.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
382 global ratings
MUST READ!!!
5 Stars
MUST READ!!!
I grew up in CLC and this is 💯 spot on! “Testimony” by childhood friend Jon Ward is a straightforward case for how White Christian arrogance & ignorance teamed up with a soulless demagogue to help ruin a democracyI highly recommend it for everyone who grew up in the evangelical church & lived to tell of it!
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Top reviews from the United States

kelpster
5.0 out of 5 stars A deeply human, insightful, and cathartic read
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
Jon’s writing expertly weaves his knowledge of modern Church history (1970’s Jesus Movement through present day) with the evolution of his own beliefs as delivered by a deep well of life experience.

Having had spent decades brushing spiritual shoulders with many of the charismatic characters that make their way through Jon’s stories, I found myself gripped with curiosity about the conclusions he’d draw, given that my own have been rife with pain, confusion and judgment in recent years in particular. Rather than accepting the most convenient modern path (tribalism), he bravely and concisely lays out a powerful and redemptive vision for the Church as a positive and meaningful participant in the real world.

Roughly 1/2 of my copy ended up underlined due to either new insight or good old fashioned relatability with the author’s experiences. Overall, it was a breath of fresh air to read, and should enable a moment of thoughtful self-examination for folks from all political persuasions and Christian faith traditions.
6 people found this helpful
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Dale P
5.0 out of 5 stars Credible, insightful, thought-provoking…
Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2024
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As someone who grew up in “fundamental evangelicalism,’ Ward’s book is both prophetic and poignant, sounding a clarion call for listening, learning, and engaging with people who see and believe things differently than I do. I have been personally challenged and shaped by this work, both to think and act differently when it comes to my past, the people in it, and how I should interact with people in the here and now. Highly recommended. Thanks, Jon, for speaking with such reality and rawness about your own journey. I am grateful.
5 people found this helpful
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Karen
4.0 out of 5 stars Well Written
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2023
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I liked the author's written description of his experience growing up in the evangelical movement. However, I am perplexed as to why he still believes in the evangelical concept of Jesus.
One person found this helpful
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KEM
5.0 out of 5 stars Scary and even terrifying at times
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2023
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Excellent book - every right wing, fundamentalist that has even an inkling of looking outside their bubble should read this. It really opened my eyes to my nun and mother controlled Catholic upbringing, how I escaped referring to myself as a recovering Catholic during that period, and how I have been living in my very own intelligentsia bubble of college educated people ever since. The author raves on some current politicians, correctly and for good reason. Through all of this he remains an evangelical (IMHO) but one who things rather than accepts. The book clearly shows how much easier it is to accept and believe what you are told to think, than question and think critically. All I really want is for people to question and think critically - your brain is one of the greatest gift God gave you. Evangelicals should use it to praise God rather than let someone else do their thinking for them.
8 people found this helpful
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BB
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for those who came to faith during the Jeus Movement, or had parents who did.
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
A well written concise story of growing up in the Evangelical Movement within a family where both parents came to faith during the 1960s-70s Jesus Movement.

Ward tells about his upbringing in a not so well-known mega church on the east coast and how the members lived in an Evangelical bubble and ignored the world around them in the mane of holiness. Ward's parents did their best to protect their children from the world, and keep them from most real-life experiences. The author chaffed against the restraints but at the same time didn't really know how to rebel. In his early twenties he "surrendered" and started living the way his parents and church wanted and would affirm. As he matured, he slowly realized he was living in an untrue world and began to break out. His chosen profession as a journalist led him to begin breaking away from his insular world and caused him to become estranged from most of his family. Trump and covid were the final blows to his fundamentalist beliefs and practices. Ward realized there was a much broader and more faithful faith community outside his church circles, people who welcomed questions, disagreements and ambiguity.

I highly recommend this book.
15 people found this helpful
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Jay Firebaugh
3.0 out of 5 stars 2/3s great - Last 1/3 imbalanced
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2023
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The first 2/3 of this book was great! It was balanced, informative, challenging, insightful. Ward brings clarity based on his experience in an evangelical church family and offers great perspective. BUT the last third of the book is his anti-Trump rhetoric over & over. It’s as if he is seeking to justify why his outlook on the Trump presidency was in such conflict with his parents. Page after page the message is “Trump is bad and anyone favoring him is an uninformed idiot.” His leftist perspective on happenings is presented as cold-hard facts with no basis for any other perspective. This was in such contrast with how balanced his insights were in the beginning of the book. I should have stopped reading at chapter 12!
23 people found this helpful
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Rob
5.0 out of 5 stars Used book
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2024
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For a used book it was in good shape at a great value. I'm pleased!
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Rebecca
4.0 out of 5 stars Echoing what I couldn’t explain
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2023
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Many pages of this book were cathartic. I have to wonder if the Jesus movement was what pushed my mom into her conservative bubble where she took solace from my fathers mental illness that she ignored and prayed over his “demons” daily. I grew to do the same as a teenager going to a SBC until I left for college and saw the world in a different light. He gives backstory of his life in a Christian bubble fueled by emotional highs for Jesus, however this is not sustainable. Then writes of the phases of his theological reorganization. I think many evangelical kids if the 80s and 90s can identify. I left the church nearly 15 years ago drained and feeling unattached though long for one. He writes quite a bit about politics, a bit too much for me so why 4/5 stars but overall I enjoyed this book as I am at the tail end of processing my dysfunctional evangelical past. I am grateful Ward gave me words to explain the emotions that confused me for years.
29 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

R Mason
4.0 out of 5 stars Sobering very informative read of the evangelical movement through the 80’s to present day
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 9, 2024
Verified Purchase
This book really opened up to me how the evangelical movement in the USA also shaped UK churches. The research from the author and succinct way this book was written accurately shows how the churches in the States have moved towards Trump. A very sobering informative read. Have recommended this book to so many people.
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Dave Andrews
5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read book for all evangelicals and post-evangelicals
Reviewed in Australia on July 19, 2023
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TESTIMONY: Inside the Evangelical Movement That Failed a Generation

This is a book for all of us who have grown up in evangelical churches, gone through charismatic renewal, and joined in the Jesus Revolution, only to be more and more disillusioned and ever more concerned that, instead of a dream come true, our religion had become a nightmare.

In 'Testimony', Jon Ward shares his story - that many of us can relate to - of how his early experiences of innocent spirituality were cynically co-opted and controlled and channelled by church leaders into supporting an oppressive religious system that suppressed his innate curiosity, sensuality and agency, but how, eventually, his own irrepressible quest for authenticity, honesty, and integrity in the divine struggle for the common good of humanity, caused him to rebel against the authoritarian guardians of a resurgent, reactionary, intolerant ‘Christian’ nationalism.

‘A respected journalist, Ward asks uncomfortable but necessary questions, calling those inside and outside conservative Christian circles to pursue truth, complexity, ambivalence and nuance.’ He recounts his growing alarm as evangelical conservatives have attacked the pursuit of evidence-based truth, rejected the importance of personal moral character, and embraced Christian supremacy and dominion theology over against ethnic, religious and gender minorities.

He shares his search for a faith that embodies the Christlike values he was taught as a child – love for God, love for neighbour and love for marginalised and disadvantaged groups of people.

I recommend all evangelicals and post-evangelicals read this book.

Dave Andrews
One person found this helpful
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