God's Scoundrels and Misfits examines the relationships of biblical characters with God and with each other. Some took advantage of the second chances God offered them while others missed the opportunities to change the direction of their lives. Lessons learned from the choices they made and the outcomes they experienced are explored in the context of modern families and individuals. Sibling rivalry, unbridled ambition, women's issues, suffering, and forgiveness are some of the issues that are brought forward into contemporary living. The times may have changed, but the challenges remain the same.
""Braswell and Bartollas share the ancient stories of men and women in the Bible in contemporary prose and with discerning insights into strengths and weaknesses common to all of us. They help us grasp the lessons that can be learned from missed opportunities, make the best of second chances, and put someone else's needs before our own. This book will enrich your faith and challenge you to live closer to God.""
--Alex B. Aronis, Author of Developing Intimacy With God: An Eight-Week Prayer Guide...
""In God's Scoundrels and Misfits, biblical characters familiar to many of us are used to examine and teach the importance of character and the choices we make. . . . Ministers preparing sermons will get a rich trove of ideas to tell stories of faith from the pulpit.""
--David A. Johnson, Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University
""At once timeless and timely, God's Scoundrels and Misfits brings together stories from the Old and New Testaments to show parents and children, husbands and wives, rich and poor, rulers and citizens, how they can live a more godly life in today's world.""
--Pam Chester, Editor, Routledge
""In God's Scoundrels and Misfits, the authors take the lives of approximately thirty biblical characters and retell them so we can see the big picture regarding their relationships, choices, and consequences. . . . [T]he authors also show how God was working in the lives of these characters, something they nor we are often aware of.""
--John Michael Helms, from the foreword
Michael Braswell is Professor Emeritus at East Tennessee State University. A former prison psychologist and licensed therapist, he has taught courses on human relations, correctional counseling, ethics, and social justice, as well as a film course on themes of justice. He has published books on ethics, social justice, counseling, and the spiritual journey, as well as two novels and three short story collections.
Clemens Bartollas is Professor of Sociology at the University of Northern Iowa as well as a Presbyterian minister. Areas of specialization and courses he has taught include criminology, youth violence, gangs, and correctional treatment. He has published widely in the field of criminal justice and criminology including books on juvenile justice and delinquency, women and the criminal justice system, and correctional treatment. Professor Bartollas has also published biographies on Emile Cailliet (with Abigail Adams), Norman Carlson, and Thomas Richard Ross.
