Unveiling the Mystery of the Father’s Maternal Love
THE MOTHER HEART OF GOD
An award-winning journalist pursues a global investigation
into the nature of God and along the way discovers the love and comfort
that brings healing to every soul!
“Exclusive interviews with 50 leaders of faith”
Have you ever wondered what God is like? I sure have. I’m an investigative journalist, but first and foremost, I’m a devout Christian. I didn’t plan to write a book. But, one day, I was reading the Bible and discovered something that totally electrified me! For more than 5,000 years, scholars focused on the fatherly qualities of God’s love, but did they overlook the maternal side? One question led to another as I interviewed 50 global leaders of faith, from the U.S. to the Middle East, including:
- Dr. Raymond Damadian, inventor of the MRI machine.
- Jürgen Moltmann, one of the world’s leading Protestant theologians.
- Ruth Graham, Dr. Francis Collins, Tony Campolo and other authors.
- The Vatican, and renowned Catholic scholars who inspire.
- J. I. Packer, general editor of the English Standard Version Bible.
- Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan, former U.S. Professor of the Year.
- Della Reese, co-star of the television show Touched by an Angel.
Their answers will surprise you. In a world reeling from one crisis to another, it is deeply encouraging to know that God not only loves us as our kind heavenly Father, but on a deep spiritual level, as a mother comforts a child [Isaiah 66:13]. The Mother Heart of God is an invitation to the reader to experience the comfort and intensity of God’s infinite embrace, a love that shelters, protects and brings healing to every soul!
QUOTES
What will you discover?
“When God created men and women to be like Him,
women are half of the equation – we are half of the picture.”
Ruth Graham, author, daughter of Billy Graham
“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you.”
Isaiah 66:13 NIV
The Old Testament prophets used the analogy of the “womb”
to disclose how God gently “shelters us” and “carries us in compassionate love.”
Pope Benedict XVI
Metaphors help us to imagine the nature of the Creator.
Richard A. Taylor, theologian
All three persons of the Godhead reveal paternal and maternal qualities in their relationship with us. They are one in essence . . . The paternal aspect of God is a combination of authority and care. The maternal quality is one of loving support.
J.I. Packer, editor, ESV Bible
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us,
that we should be called children of God!
1 John 3:1 NKJV
CELEBRITIES
It was an honor to interview more than 50 wonderful leaders of faith – from Anglican and Baptist, to Catholic and Charismatic. Whether speaking in Virginia or the Vatican, leaders shared insights about the Bible and the mercy of God in ways I had never heard before. In the Mother Heart of God, I will introduce you to:
Craig D. Atwood – Scholar, Moravian Theological Seminary, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Daniel Ayuch – Theologian, St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology, Lebanon.
Sebastian Brock – Oxford University professor, world authority on the Old Syriac Gospels.
Tony Campolo – Author, speaker and professor emeritus, Eastern University, PA.
Gary Chapman – Author of the Five Love Languages and renowned marriage expert.
Francis Collins – Scientist and Director of the Human Genome Project, at time of interview.
Nicky Cruz – Author, whose life is featured in the movie, The Cross and the Switchblade.
Raymond Damadian – Inventor of the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine.
Danae Dobson – Author, speaker, and only daughter of Dr. James Dobson.
Stasi Eldredge – Well-known author, and ministry leader at Ransomed Heart, Colorado.
Ruth Graham – Public speaker, author, and daughter of Billy Graham.
Viviane Haenni – Founder of a Christian educational and spiritual center in Switzerland.
Doris K. Hamilton – Widow of Neill Q. Hamilton, author of Maturing in the Christian Life.
Margaretha Hendriks-Ririmasse – Dean, Christian University of the Moluccas, Indonesia.
Robert Hiebert – Director, Septuagint Institute, and professor, Trinity Western University.
Thomas Hopko – Dean emeritus, Saint Vladimer’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, New York.
Elizabeth Johnson – Professor of Theology, Fordham University, New York.
Laura Duhan Kaplan – Rabbi, scholar, and former U.S. Professor of the Year.
Anne Lamott – New York Times best-selling author and speaker.
James Lindenberger – Professor emeritus, Hebrew Bible, Vancouver School of Theology.
Anne Graham Lotz – International speaker and author who shared one of her columns with me.
Christl Maier – Senior theologian at the oldest Protestant university in the world (Germany).
Brennan Manning – Best-selling author of The Ragamuffin Gospel and inspirational speaker.
Fio Mascarenhas – Scholar and chairman of the Catholic Bible Institute in Mumbai, India.
Fulata Mbano-Moyo – Theologian, World Council of Churches, Geneva.
Jürgen Moltmann – One of the top Protestant authors and theologians in the world.
Elisabeth Moltmann – Biblical scholar and author in Germany (married to Jürgen).
Three Monks – Benedictine monastery, Westminster Abbey, Seminary of Christ the King.
J.I. Packer – Well-known author and general editor of the English Standard Version Bible.
Chonda Pierce – Comedienne, author and spokeswoman for World Vision.
Della Reese-Lett – Singer, actress, and co-star of TV show, Touched by an Angel.
Jennifer Rothschild – Singer, author, and speaker with the Billy Graham evangelistic team.
Sandra M. Schneiders – Theologian, author, and a woman who made Catholic history.
James Shelton – New Testament scholar at Oral Roberts University.
Janet Soskice – Professor of Philosophical Theology, Cambridge University, England.
Luci Swindoll – Former executive, Mobil Oil Corp., author and Women of Faith speaker.
Richard A. Taylor – Scholar and Director, PhD program at Dallas Theological Seminary, TX.
Vatican – Federico Lombardi, Director, Vatican Press, spokesman for Pope Benedict XVI.
Gay Lynn Voth – Bible teacher at Columbia Bible College, at the time of interview.
Hyveth Williams – Professor of homiletics, SDA Theological Seminary, Michigan.
William Paul Young – Author of The Shack, a best-selling religious novel.
Ravi Zacharias – International evangelist, author, and faith conference speaker.
Yair Zakovitch – Author and professor, Bible Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
I also interviewed: Leslie Chambers, a director with Exodus International; Joseph Fitzmyer, co-editor of the New Jerome Biblical Commentary; Rowshan Nemazee, scholar, Champlain College, Vermont; Buffy Sainte-Marie, award-winning singer, Rafael Zer, scholar, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; and Eliezer Segal, professor, Religious Studies, University of Calgary.
I will be forever grateful for the time and insights these wonderful people shared with me.
ENDORSEMENTS
“The Mother Heart of God is brilliant, balanced and beautiful! I love it!
You are holding such a gift in your hands!”
Wm. Paul Young, best-selling author
“A book for all men and women who love God, Trudy touches the heart of what it means to be human and what it means to grow in grace and understanding.”
Lynne Bundesen, author and three-time winner
of the “Excellence in Media” award
“This new book is an amazing example of how a collection of articulate, educated
people deeply committed to differing religious faiths can agree on a concept that has never even occurred to most of us. And, yet the concept is so obvious.”
Vivian Ruskin, columnist, related to Mark Twain
“Draw deeply. The Mother Heart of God is what men and women have been waiting for! Emboldened by the Bible Trudy loves deeply, she has captured the true meaning of the verse in Genesis that both the “male and the female” are created in the image of God. Self-esteem will be restored as women take their rightful place in the world as God intended. It’s been a long time coming . . .”
Susan Janetti, Mental Health Counsellor
“Trudy is a wonderful example of proving that one person can make a difference!
She has often been described as a David against Goliath reporter. Despite facing formidable challenges, her passion for writing the truth always prevails.”
Surrey International Writers Conference
“Special Achievement Award” to Trudy