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Bright Hope
Discovering Resilient, Sustainable Ways of Living through Even the Darkest Times
by Ted Brackman
Foreword by Jim Wallis
Imprint: Cascade Books
Hope is not an attitude--it's a way of life. Therapist Ted Brackman, a colleague of Jim Wallis in the early Sojourners community, mines psychological, theological, and sociological insights in this practical and compassionate guide for "living well while ill."
Ted's work was deepened by his eleven years with pancreatic cancer (after a nine-month prognosis). He developed and lived out a way of life animated by hope in the transcendent reality of God's future coming to us in the present. In his writing, he is an honest, inspiring companion:
- for those who struggle to face the next hour with courage and strength.
- for those who feel defeated and need a new way forward that reframes the present.
- for caregivers and advocates who need new tools for replenishing both internal and external resources.
- for communities of faith seeking to bring change to, and empowering hope within, marginalized populations.
For all those ready to find a new way of living when false hopes and distractions are stripped away, to learn how to build a foundation for personal, communal, and social thriving . . . Ted Brackman offers Bright Hope.
Ted Brackman, MA (Pacific Lutheran Univ., Tacoma), MDiv (interdisciplinary program in theology, psychology, and social ethics from the Pacific School of Religion / The Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley), was a retired counselor and social change advocate. He lived with his wife, Debra, in Sumner, WA. They have two adult daughters (Greta, Tera) and three grandchildren (Lander, Cora, Isla).
“We’re all dying every day, but not all of us know that to the depths as did Ted Brackman. His book is a passionate, intelligent, faithful cry from the heart that speaks to all people seeking to follow Jesus in challenging times. Drink in Ted’s words of wisdom and be inspired anew to walk in joyous discipleship!”
—Wes Howard-Brook, author of “Come Out, My People!”: God’s Call Out of Empire in the Bible and Beyond
“As a spiritual director, I find the insights and practices in Bright Hope an entry point into apprehending and living into real hope. . . . And as one who accompanied Ted throughout his journey of life in the face of death, I am a witness to how he knew and lived into the ‘bright hope’ he longed for all to see.”
—Sue Ferguson Johnson, spiritual director, Abide in Me
“Bright Hope is a light in dark times. It offers wisdom, guidance, and inspiration for living a grateful and hopeful life, even in the face of extreme personal and societal challenges. Brackman masterfully weaves his experience living with terminal cancer into examinations of social injustice and homelessness, helping us to see the path to hope and the utility of remaining hopeful.”
—Tristia Bauman, senior attorney, National Homelessness Law Center
“I will never forget what Ted shared shortly after his diagnosis: ‘I’m not asking “Why me?” but rather, “Why not me?”’ His hope wasn’t in being the exception to the rule, but rather as one who turned his face into the storm with resilient hope. . . . Fellow strugglers with disease and injustice will find encouragement in the words of a man who lived out his faith with genuine, gritty hope like no one else I have ever known.”
—Linda J. MacDonald, author of How to Help Your Spouse Heal from Your Affair
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