Many of us go through life feeling we are failing to be the person we could be. But as this liberating book explores, there is power to be found in imperfection. Ruth Scott encourages us to believe that if we are able to own and work with our complexity, we will find within it great resources. Drawing on stories from her own personal history, the experiences of people she has worked with over the years, poems, art and international news accounts, she celebrates the messiness of being human through revealing the creative potential it offers for real, risky living.

Ruth Scott

Cover page

About the author

Dedication

Title page

Imprint

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Part 1: Leaving Eden

1. Paradise lost

2. Life after Eden

3. Tools for the journey

Part 2: Community

4. No man is an island

5. Community challenge

6. I am because we are

Part 3: Greed

7. What's yours is mine!

8. Our blinded sight

Part 4: Compassion

9. No more Mr Nice Guy

10. The cost of caring

Part 5: Conflict

11. No peace in our time

12. Faith in conflict

Part 6: Love and Sex

13. Only fifty shades of grey?

14. Where is love?

Part 7: Power

15. How are the mighty fallen

16. True power

Part 8: Privacy

17. Justice or just us?

18. Retributive and restorative justice

Notes

Copyright acknowledgements

Written by a priest, the book emboldens us to acknowledge and accept the messiness of being human by blowing open the myth that people who seem 'together' have life under control, and revealing the creative potential of real, risky living.

Emboldens us to acknowledge and accept the messiness of being human by blowing open the myth that people who seem 'together' have life under control, and revealing the creative potential of real, risky living. Written by a British woman priest in the spirit of Richard Rohr's Falling Upward and Immortal Diamond. Rowan Williams has been Ruth's 'reader over my shoulder'. Focuses on 'this is how it is' rather than 'this is how it ought to be' so that readers feel accepted and accompanied as they work out ways of moving forward for themselves. Reveals that what we wrestle with could be what enables us to take wing. Increases our respect and compassion for ourselves and others. Immediately engaging writing - the author is a frequent speaker on Radio 2's 'Pause for Thought' and an occasional broadcaster on Radio 4. The book recognizes that there is a gap between what is publicly acknowledged to be the nature of human experience and the private reality many of us live. As a result, we can be afraid to talk about the struggles and questions we have for fear of judgement and rejection, and may feel unnecessarily alone or abnormal. Ruth Scott does not attempt to give simple answers to complex issues, but encourages us to believe that when we are able to own and work creatively with our complexity we can find within it great resources. The book is very helpfully illustrated with stories from the author's own personal history and from the experiences of people she has worked with over the years, along with poems, art and international news accounts.

The Revd Ruth Scott works freelance as a writer, broadcaster, lecturer and mediator whose disparate areas of work are united by the theme of storytelling. She was among the first women to be ordained priest in the Church of England in 1994, and is now a member of the Quakers. She has written drama and reflective programmes for the BBC World Service and Radio 4, and presented 'Pause for Thought' on Radio 2's 'Wake up to Wogan' for 15 years until Sir Terry Wogan's retirement. She has continued to present since Chris Evans took over, and is a regular faith guest on Radio 2's 'Good Morning Sunday' where she has a book review slot.

Power of Imperfection

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