Testimony: Talking Ourselves into Being Christian

From the time we wake up in the morning until we turn out the lights at night, we are talking. We talk into cell phones, across the office, and over meals. We talk to ourselves, to friends, to strangers, to those we love, and sometimes, whether we know it or not, even to God. Talk can be cheap, but talk can also be holy.

In this groundbreaking book, Long, a theologian and respected authority on preaching, explores how Christians talk when they are not in church. "Testimony" breaks the stained-glass image of religious language to show how ordinary talking in our everyday lives, can be sacred speech. In a world of spin, slick marketing, mindless chatter, and easy deception, "Testimony" shows that the hunger for truthful, meaningful and compassionate speech is ultimately grounded in truth about God.

Long takes on new territory in the examination of the way language shapes the experience, practice and communal life of Christians. Using biblical sources as well as contemporary stories and compelling anecdotes, Long demystifies the often narrow understanding of Christian testimony as "churchy talk" reserved only for preachers and evangelists.

Free downloadable Study Guide also available.