Per the intro outline:
This work is an attempt to weave together the lives of a diverse group of people into a whole fabric. It is a cloth of many hues and colors. There are dark threads of suffering and pain and abuse, blended with the bright colors of joy and hope and the love of life. Since it is their journey, as much as possible, it is conveyed in their own words.
Chapter 1 provides a historical overview. This timeline will be useful as the story unfolds thematically rather than chronologically.
Chapter 2 is the book of origins, exploring who these people were before joining and what motivated them to turn their backs on life as they knew it, "forsaking all" for the cause of Jesus and Father David.
Chapter 3 focuses on the belief system that shapes and sustains life in The Family. There is no effort at theological evaluation of Family literature or the official Statement of Faith. Rather, I have attempted to locate and explicate the essential theological and ideological commitments that bring focus and direction to the lives of the disciples.
Chapter 4 explores the most distinctive and controversial dimension of the movement, "The Law of Love." Here I examine the shifting and evolving sexual ethos, the emergence of sexual allure as a means of proselytizing and financial support, and the most sensitive aspect of life in the Family, sexuality and children. Although I treat this topic at length in this chapter and reference it fully in other places, the intent is not to make this issue the central focus. Whereas sexuality is fundamental to Family identity, it is but one dimension of a complex corporate character.
Chapter 5 focuses on the central aspects of life in The Family: religious experience, the missionary enterprise, and the life of faith.
Chapter 6 deals with the cost of discipleship. Here we explore the emotional distress, physical hardship, and outright persecution that has often been a corollary of disciple life.
Chapter 7 relates the life experience of Father David's grandchildren, the second generation who were born and raised as Children of God and have chosen to remain. The book closes with some brief reflections on the future of The Family.