Hope is more than optimism tied to a desired outcome. Bourgeault takes us step by step through her understanding of this and what she sees as the way into it. Her last chapter delivers a punch telling us that we preach one gospel and live another. This definitely does not further the reign of Christ. To really change the planet we need to "narrow the gap between the means and the ends". Some of her examples of how we do not do this really caused me to say "ouch". This is a short book with no extra fluff. It is easy to understand. It is new thinking on the Christian way and is hopeful in a way more down to earth than pie in the sky.