More than Words

“What could be more valuable to us than family? But what could be more divisive and troubling than the way the term ’family values’ has been used as a weapon in today’s culture wars? I’m so glad that Erin Wathen has given us a fresh take on family values in her beautifully written, very readable new book, More than Words. Mom, blogger, and pastor, Erin is a writer worth following, starting with More than Words.”

—Brian D. McLaren, author of The Great Spiritual Migration

“Erin Wathen is a welcome voice of love, justice, and mercy for those of us who cringe at how the term ’family values‘ has been misused in our political landscape. More than Words is full of practical wisdom, guiding us in those unique and beautiful relationships, with all their abundance.” 

—Carol Howard Merritt, author of Healing Spiritual Wounds

“Family values have long been at the cherished center of the Christian heart, but somewhere along the way the entire concept of family values became synonymous with bigotry, hate, and exclusion. In More than Words, Erin Wathen beautifully reclaims what this term was originally intended to be—a manifesto that leads one to a life of justice, love, and beauty.”

—Benjamin L. Corey, author of Undiluted: Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus

“Increasingly, it seems, we live in a world more focused on differences and divisions than on points of commonality. Wathen takes that unfortunate reality head-on, presenting us with values we can all get onboard with and, in doing so, provides a common ground around which to grow our families and communities in even healthier and more nurturing ways. Her book is personal, engaging, honest, real, and biblically grounded. It’s difficult to imagine any Christian who wouldn’t find value, growth, and enjoyment in Wathen’s perspective.”

—Mark Sandlin, cofounder of The Christian Left, blogger for Huffington Post and Patheos, and ordained minister in the PC(USA)

“More than Words is for all those who want to change the world but have no idea how to do it. Erin Wathen has given us the blueprint to transform big, heady values into insanely practical actions so that we can make a difference in our families, our communities, and beyond. And I, for one, am grateful.”

—Scott Dannemiller, author of The Year without a Purchase

“Too often, progressive Christians find themselves at a loss for words when asked to say what they believe, defaulting instead to describing what we don’t believe. In More than Words, Erin Wathen offers much-needed language for the values Christian families stand for. Readers of Wathen’s blog will delight in seeing her work in longer form as she maintains an easy, accessible style, as if she has just poured you a cup of coffee at her kitchen table. Often funny, sometimes poignant, and always thought-provoking, More than Words provides just the right words for a time such as this.”

—Lee Hull Moses, author of More than Enough