- Winner of a Chicago Book Clinic 2004 Design Award

"The ultimate reason for getting to know Peter is so together we might better know Jesus. For the story of Peter is the story of Jesus. Perhaps, if you and I do our best, the same will be said of us someday"--Michael Card.

Simon Peter emerges from the pages of the Gospels with greater clarity and definition than any other person except Jesus. He is the Rock, the unambiguous leader of the Twelve. He could even be described as Jesus' best friend. But that is not all. "He was a fragile stone," writes Michael Card, "completely dependent upon his Master and Friend, even as Jesus had insisted on his dependence on the Father."

In this landmark book, songwriter and musician Michael Card explores the dynamic, contradictory life of the apostle Peter. The fruit of years of careful study, A Fragile Stone revisits well-known passages and discovers unexpected insights, painting a portrait of Peter that is both familiar and jarring. With a scope spanning the entire New Testament, Card reveals how the impetuous fisherman of the Gospels was transformed into the pivotal leader of the early church. The life of Simon Peter thus serves as a model for Christian discipleship, offering hope that we likewise can be changed as Jesus calls us to follow him.



Michael Card is an award-winning musician and performing artist. His many books include A Fragile Stone, Inexpressible, The Nazarene, and the Biblical Imagination Series on the four Gospels.



Foreword by Brennan Manning



Introduction: The Search for Simon

Part 1: The Stone



1. A Meeting on the Seashore - John 1:40-43



2. Jesus the Fisherman - Luke 5:1-11



3. A GlimpseInside His Household - Luke 4:38-39



4. The Fearless Water Walker - Matthew 14:22-33



5. Who They Both Are - Matthew 16:13-23



6. Loyal Despair - John 6:53-71



7. "Fear Not!" - Mark 9:2-10



8. Back to Fishing - Matthew 17:24-27



9. Confusion at the Final Meal - John 13:6-10



10. Dismay in the Garden - Mark 14:27-42



11. The Despairing Denier - Mark 14:66-72



12. ". . . and Peter" - Mark 16:7



13. A Farewell on the Seashore - John 21:1-23

Part 2: The Bridge



14. The Passionate Preacher - Acts 1--5



15. The Compassionate Healer - Acts 3:1-10; 9:32-42



16. The Fearless Prisoner - Acts 4:1-4; 5:18-20; 12:1-19



17. The Reluctant Reconciler - Acts 10:1-33



18. The Passionate Writer - 1-2 Peter



Epilogue: The Faithful Martyr



Bibliography



About the Author



"[Michael Card's] unabashed love for Peter shines through these pages and permits him to probe the emotional complexity of the man without romance or sentimentality. . . . Card is not a neutral, dispassionate observer when Jesus dismantles Peter'sfalse self of inner agitation, drivenness, bravado and emotional turmoil in order to shape a new creation who will become the unquestioned leader of the apostolic community. A Fragile Stone speaks to wobbly disciples who never seem to get it all together and to naive leaders who think they have. Michael Card has written a lyrical love song about Peter, and personally, I found the melody contagious."



"Card offers some stunning exegesis and biblical insights, pointing readers to connections they might not otherwise have made. . . . Original, compelling, and full of joy."