Advance Comment
SEARCHING FOR SACRED GROUND


"Through the story of Lawrence Hart, Raylene Hinz-Penner bridges the Mennonite world and the world of the Cheyenne-Arapaho people. This is a story that cuts against the grain of the expectations of who American Indians are and what American Indians can do. Lawrence Hart is a treasure. Hinz-Penner presents him shiningly."
—Robert Warrior (Osage), Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professor University of Oklahoma

"A captivating blend of biography and history, this book explores peacemaking and ministry in both the Cheyenne and American Mennonite traditions through the distinguished leadership of Chief Lawrence Hart. Hinz-Penner traces four generations of cultural exchange through her own family ancestry and Chief Hart’s richly textured Native American world. Holding these stories together, Searching for Sacred Ground is a meditation on destiny and the possibilities of restorative justice."
—Rachel Waltner Goossen, Department of History, Washburn University

"Lawrence Hart is one of the most creative Native-American leaders in the world today. He has forged a remarkable synthesis between his traditional heritage and his adopted Anabaptist-Christian beliefs. In this book Raylene Hinz Penner invites us to accompany her on a journey of discovery into the sources of Hart’s life and achievements."
—James C. Juhnke, Professor Emeritus of History, Bethel College, Kansas

"In Searching for Sacred Ground, author Raylene Hinz-Penner has accomplished two meaningful goals. On one level, she explores the universal search for balance in life, using historical events and people to illustrate the constant tensions between conflict and resolution. On a parallel story line, she weaves into this rich tapestry the life of an exceptional man, Cheyenne Peace Chief Lawrence Hart. Through his personal story, as well as the story of his extended family, we are offered the rare opportunity of sharing a story that is both touching and instructive."
—Bob Blackburn, Ph.D., Executive Director, Oklahoma Historical Society

"Searching for Sacred Ground is about Lawrence Hart’s quest for renewable sites on the earth and in relationships, in history, and in the heart. Raylene Hinz-Penner appropriately seeks to preserve this extraordinary life story in the way that Lawrence Hart preserves the stories, the language, the deeds, the ways of doing justice, and even the bones of his ancestors—by giving them continual attention and honor in his own life. Her quest in right remembering, a personal pilgrimage toward cross-cultural understanding and connections amid images of the sacred, becomes a true expression of the life and influence of Lawrence Hart. Reading of these journeys is a rich educational and spiritual experience.
—John Sheriff, Interim President, Bethel College; E. E. Leisy Professor of English


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Copyright © 2006 by Cascadia Publishing House
10/18/06