From Publishers Weekly
Card, a Dove Award-winning songwriter and author or co-author of more than 14 books (including Scribbling in the Sand, one of PW's Best Religion Books for 2002), here turns his attention to the Apostle Peter, who he says has been ignored by contemporary Protestants and Catholics alike. Card delves deep into the "emotional life" of Peter, the disciple Jesus called "the Rock." We are wrong when we assume that this title came because of Peter's strength or perfect stability, Card warns; Peter was a flawed man and an unlikely choice to be a foundation. He did, however, eventually become this sure foundation: Card traces Peter's evolution through the Gospels and the Book of Acts to the mature expressions of leadership and care for the flock that we see in his two epistles. In those letters, Peter extends the call of discipleship to all who confess Christ, using the same title Jesus once conferred exclusively upon him to call others to be "living stones" of God's spiritual temple. As always, Card offers some stunning exegesis and biblical insights, pointing readers to connections they might not otherwise have made. (In the post-resurrection scene where Jesus asks Peter three times whether Peter loves him, for example, Card posits that Jesus is giving Peter the opportunity to make restitution for his three earlier denials. "Painful as the questions are, they are an expression of Jesus' creative forgiveness.") This book is original, compelling and full of joy. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
"The ultimate reason for getting to know Peter is so together we might better know Jesus. For the story of Peter is the story of Jesus. Perhaps, if you and I do our best, the same will be said of us someday." Simon Peter emerges from the pages of the Gospels with greater clarity and definition than any other person except Jesus. He is the Rock, the unambiguous leader of the Twelve. He could even be described as Jesus' best friend. But that is not all. "He was a fragile stone," writes Michael Card, "completely dependent on his Master and Friend, even as Jesus had insisted on his dependence on the Father." In this landmark book, songwriter and musician Michael Card explores the dynamic, contradictory life of the apostle Peter. The fruit of years of careful study, this book revisits well-known passages and discovers unexpected insights, painting a portrait of Peter that is both familiar and jarring. With a scope spanning the entire New Testament, Card reveals how the impetuous fisherman of the Gospels was transformed into the pivotal leader of the early church. The life of Simon Peter thus serves as a model for Christian discipleship, offering hope that we likewise can be changed as Jesus calls us to follow him.


From the Inside Flap
"A Fragile Stone--a fitting title indeed. Peter, the most well-developed character in the Gospels aside from Jesus, is presented in all his misery and magnificence. Just as Paul is remembered as the one who persecuted the church before his own conversion on the road to Damascus, Peter is remembered forever as the apostle who denied Christ. The Rock on whom Jesus would build his church proved to be a sand pile. When he attempted to walk on water, the Rock sank like a stone. "The author's unabashed love for Peter shines through these pages and permits him to probe the emotional complexity of the man without romance or sentimentality. . . .Card is not a neutral, dispassionate observer when Jesus dismantles Peter's false self of inner agitation, drivenness, bravado and emotional turmoil in order to shape a new creation who will become the unquestioned leader of the apostolic community. "A Fragile Stone speaks to wobbly disciples who never seem to get it all together and to naive leaders who think they have. Michael Card has written a lyrical love song about Peter, and, personally, I found the melody contagious." - from the foreword by Brennan Manning, author of A Glimpse of Jesus


About the Author
Michael Card is an award-winning musician, performing artist and the writer of such songs as "El Shaddai" and "Immanuel." He has produced over twenty albums, including A Fragile Stone and Scribbling in the Sand: The Best of Michael Card Live. He is also the author of numerous books, including The Parable of Joy and Scribbling in the Sand. He lives in Tennessee with his wife and four children.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Simon Peter emerges from the pages of the Gospels with greater clarity and definition than any other person except Jesus. He is the Rock, the unambiguous leader of the Twelve. He could even be described as Jesus' best friend. But that is not all. "He was a fragile stone," writes Michael Card, "completely dependent upon his Master and Friend, even as Jesus had insisted on his dependence on the Father."

In this landmark book, songwriter and musician Michael Card explores the dynamic, contradictory life of the apostle Peter. The fruit of years of careful study, A Fragile Stone revisits well-known passages and discovers unexpected insights, painting a portrait of Peter that is both familiar and jarring. With a scope spanning the entire New Testament, Card reveals how the impetuous fisherman of the Gospels was transformed into the pivotal leader of the early church.

The life of Simon Peter thus serves as a model for Christian discipleship, offering hope that we likewise can be changed as Jesus calls us to follow him.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly