MACON, Georgia - March 21, 2007- Smyth & Helwys today announced the publication of a new book by James Autry, Looking Around for God: The Oddly Reverent Reflections of an Unconventional Christian.
Autry is well known as an author, speaker, business executive, and leadership consultant. He received considerable national attention when he was one of the poets featured on Bill Moyers' special series, "The Power of the Word," on PBS. His first two books were books of poetry, Nights Under a Tin Roof and Life After Mississippi. Both were reflections on his upbringing in rural Mississippi where he was shaped by the values of fundamentalist Southern Baptists, including his father, a Southern Baptist pastor. Autry has differentiated himself from his culture of origin without abandoning his respect for his roots.
The story of a fundamentalist-reared Christian rebelling against his upbringing and then finding his way back to religion is an old story, and I won't beat it to death again on these pages. But fast-forwarding through and looking back at the years -- marriage, children, divorce, remarriage, careers, and success, with traditional church-going as well as experimentation with other religions and spiritual disciplines interspersed throughout--I realize that I have experienced the presence of the divine many times, and still seek to experience it many more times. Some people refer to that as a spiritual quest. I call it "looking around for God." The early reviews of Looking Around for God have been positive, including endorsements from Patricia DeJong, Stephen Mitchell, and Elaine Pagels. According to James Dunn of both Wake Forest Divinity School and the Baptist Joint Committee Endowment, "Jim Autry picks at the most profound presuppositions of belief, tickles the intellect, pricks the conscience, and kicks us all in the seat of the pants."
Looking Around for God is Autry's first work that delves specifically into his life of faith. Known primarily for his poetry by fans of southern literature or his leadership principles, Autry is forging into a new genre as an author. He was encouraged to do so by his friends Norman Lear and Bill Moyers. "Yes, it's true," Moyers writes. "I did urge Jim Autry to write this book. For lesser sins the Good Lord may yet forgive me; this one could be unpardonable."
Most of Autry's 10 books focus on the relationship of self-reflection and leadership, including The Servant Leader, Love and Profit, and Life and Work: A Manager's Search for Meaning. As a business executive, Autry served as president of Meredith's Magazine Group, a $500 million operation with more than 900 employees. He directed the operation of nearly 40 publications, including Better Homes and Gardens, Ladies Home Journal and Metropolitan Home.
In publishing Autry's work, Smyth & Helwys Publishing continues its tradition of offering books that explore Christian faith, respect the reader, and honor the best of the free-church tradition.
"I have been a fan of Mr. Autry's work as a Southern poet for two decades," said Mark McElroy, senior editor of Smyth & Helwys Publishing. "His work was considered too unconventional for publishers of traditional Christian devotional books. Perhaps nothing could be more important for us than to offer a work that describes an honest pursuit of a relevant Christian faith, even if it does color outside the lines."
For more information on Looking Around for God by James Autry, visit www.looking.helwys.com, or call 800-747-3016.
Smyth & Helwys is best known for its line of Sunday school materials, books, and the Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary series. The organization has been a leader in creating online resources for Bible study and group support through innovative web-based resources such as NextSunday.com, Learning Matters magazine, and its newest service, Caleb’s Cafe.
Contact information:
Smyth & Helwys
6316 Peake Road
Macon, GA 31210
www.helwys.com
478-757-0564 • 800-747-3016
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