Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith
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| Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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By now I expected to be a seasoned parish minister, wearing black clergy shirts grown gray from frequent washing. I expected to love the children who hung on my legs after Sunday morning services until they grew up and had children of their own. I even expected to be buried wearing the same red vestments in which I was ordained. Today those vestments are hanging in the sacristy of an Anglican church in Kenya, my church pension is frozen, and I am as likely to spend Sunday mornings with friendly Quakers, Presbyterians, or Congregationalists as I am with the Episcopalians who remain my closest kin. Some-times I even keep the Sabbath with a cup of steaming Assam tea on my front porch, watching towhees vie for the highest perch in the poplar tree while God watches me. These days I earn my living teaching school, not leading worship, and while I still dream of opening a small restaurant in Clarkesville or volunteering at an eye clinic in Nepal, there is no guarantee that I will not run off with the circus before I am through. This is not the life I planned, or the life I recommend to others. But it is the life that has turned out to be mine, and the central revelation in it for me -- that the call to serve God is first and last the call to be fully human -- seems important enough to witness to on paper. This book is my attempt to do that. After nine years serving on the staff of a big urban church in Atlanta, Barbara Brown Taylor arrives in rural Clarkesville, Georgia (population 1,500), following her dream to become the pastor of her own small congregation. The adjustment from city life to country dweller is something of a shock -- Taylor is one of the only professional women in the community -- but small-town life offers many of its own unique joys. Taylor has five successful years that see significant growth in the church she serves, but ultimately she finds herself experiencing "compassion fatigue" and wonders what exactly God has called her to do. She realizes that in order to keep her faith she may have to leave. Taylor describes a rich spiritual journey in which God has given her more questions than answers. As she becomes part of the flock instead of the shepherd, she describes her poignant and sincere struggle to regain her footing in the world without her defining collar. Taylor's realization that this may in fact be God's surprising path for her leads her to a refreshing search to find Him in new places. Leaving Church will remind even the most skeptical among us that life is about both disappointment and hope -- and ultimately, renewal. |
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| 10-02-08 | 5 | (NA) |
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I'm one of those "great generation" representatives who fell away from the organized Christian church in my young adulthood after an excellent religious and theological grounding in my youth. I never found a way or reason to return, although I remained very spiritual. This book, which I have read twice now, was very much like being with a fellow traveler although our needs and experiences were different. I strongly recommend that anyone on the religious spectrum read it for an honest spiritual path that is not quite the norm but still on the path.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-11-19 11:06:33 EST)
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| 06-21-08 | 4 | 1\1 |
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This gracefully written narrative tells the story of Taylor's journey toward ordained ministry, her years as an Episcopal priest, and her departure from that life into a new vocation as a college professor. She decides that the most important calling is not to be ordained or to be religious, but to be fully human and to live a life of love. This is a touching autobiography, an eloquent memoir of faith.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-10-03 12:08:47 EST)
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| 04-24-08 | 4 | (NA) |
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I read a lot of memoirs these days. In fact they are probably my favorite literary genre. Maybe I should have been warned by Taylor's subtitle - not simply "a memoir," but "a memoir of faith." Because this is not a memoir in the usual sense. There is precious little of Taylor's childhood, youth or young adulthood - no real concrete stories and examples from her life. Too much of this book remains caught in the abstraction of ideas and beliefs, with not nearly enough examples. The people who show up in the book remain undeveloped vague outlines. And I have a hard time identifying with Brown's spiritual "quest," if that is what it is. I don't think it's because she's a woman either. What few facts that do emerge about her life outside this "quest" do not really serve to make her a sympathetic character. Daughter of a psychotherapist, sister of a lawyer, wife of an engineer - all these tidbits add up to what appears to have been a life of privilege and ease, and continued to be even after her ordination, as she speaks of her Saab and Audi and how they didn't fit into her rural community, and goes on at some length about everything she "wanted" in her custom-built home outside of town (in lieu of a parsonage near her church). What comes through in Barbara Brown Taylor's book is a story of a driven overachiever, who in fact drives herself into a near nervous breakdown, which finally causes her to leave her church and the active priesthood. While I do not doubt the sincerity of her quest for her true vocation and place in God's world, I do wonder about her motives. She became more likeable - more human - in the final section of the book, after she had left the priesthood, when she talks about her crisis of faith and things like her fears of inadequacy and the death of her father. Having said all of this, I still have to say that I'm glad I read the book, which has left me with much to think about in regard to my own role in the Church (Catholic in my case)and my relationship with God and my place in His world. I also think that Taylor is a person I'd like to know, but these 200-plus pages have not given me that opportunity. A memoir of faith? Perhaps. A "memoir"? No. - Tim Bazzett, author of Reed City Boy
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-06-22 11:23:18 EST)
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| 04-04-08 | 3 | 1\2 |
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This book would have been more accurately described in the subtitle as a "Memoir of Personal Experience".
She dismisses orthodox Christian Theology and doctrine as something that the Apostles and Early Church had to "come up with" to explain this or that. Ultimately it is a story of how the narrow Christian path and Church "didn't work" for her, and many of her thoughts and experiences confirm the fact that women were never meant to be "priests" in the first place (though this fact enrages those who hold to the political language of "equal rights" versus sound apostolic theology). I found the book pleasant and very readable, but at the same time it was a sad story of how Christ just "wasn't enough". While most in our culture will find it "affirming" or down right "spiritual", it is a disappointment for the orthodox Christian who may wish to read a story about how Christ and the scriptures contain "all things necessary for salvation". Barbara's approach in later life is gnostic and universalist. In the words of her Presiding Bishopess, "saying Christ is the only way is to put God in too small of a box". Emotions, feelings, and cravings rule the day in the final analysis of her relationship to Christ, and it seems that "leaving" orthodoxy is freeing to her, though I question she was ever there in the first place. Ultimately, God is the final judge of what she has done and what she now teaches. Here elevation of Native American theology and her fondness of "other paths" leads the committed Christian looking elsewhere for a story of knowing Christ and Him crucified, and following Him in a culture that values personal choice and heterodoxy over all other things. In the end it is a volume that will find great company with the writings of Spong, Borg, Ehrman, and others who deny the reality of John 14:6 and the authority of Holy Sripture in the name of being on "an authentic journey". If I have to "put my eggs in one basket" I am going to have to stick with the Apostles and the Church Fathers and leave "other ways" up to Barbara, fine preacher though she is. (Review Data Last Updated: 2008-04-24 10:51:54 EST)
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| 04-04-08 | 3 | (NA) |
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This book would have been more accurately described in the subtitle as a "Memoir of Personal Experience".
She dismisses orthodox Christian Theology and doctrine as something that the Apostles and Early Church had to "come up with" to explain this or that. Ultimately it is a story of how the Christian story and Church "didn't work" for her, and many of her thoughts and experiences confirm the fact that women were never meant to be "priests" in the first place. I found the book pleasant and very readable, but at the same time it was a sad story of how Christ just "wasn't enough". While most in our culture will find it "affirming" or down right "spiritual", it is a disappointment for the orthodox Christian who may wish to read a story about how Christ and the scriptures contain "all things necessary for salvation". In the end it is a volume that will find great company with the writings of Spong, Borg, Ehrman, and others who deny the reality of John 14:6 and the authority of Holy Sripture in the name of being on "an authentic journey". (Review Data Last Updated: 2008-04-07 11:10:57 EST)
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| 04-01-08 | 5 | (NA) |
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Over the course of my life I have learned certain things about salad; it has good, nourishing things in it, like spinach, almonds, feta cheese, and olive oil. Sometimes you can add strawberries. With a splash of balsamic vinegar, it sings. Other times it is dressed with slightly less healthy things like mayonnaise or sour cream, but generally its ingredients have a clear line of succession back to something alive; apples, raisins, eggs, potatoes.
Then I moved to South Dakota, where I was introduced to "salad". Unlike what I have just described, this concoction is made of things like Cool Whip and crushed up Oreos. It tastes good in the moment, but by the end of it I am always left slightly nauseous and wondering where it came from. There's a lot of spiritual "salad" out there. Thankfully, this offering is not in that group. From the moment you crack open the cover, it sings. Her story of earthy, fragrant devotion to God is refreshing and very alive. It breathes the living life of Christ and speaks from the still beating but wounded heart of the church. Thankfully, Taylor veers only briefly into the sordid realm of political hot button issues, and for good reason. With fifteen years in the pastoral crucible under her belt, and an evident love for all of us, Taylor comes across as someone you can trust. Her words in this precious memoir are nourishing, full of flavor and, like the vegetables in her Georgia garden, entirely organic. (Review Data Last Updated: 2008-04-05 11:04:13 EST)
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| 03-01-08 | 5 | (NA) |
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This book just "popped" up as an advertised suggestion for me, and after looking at the details on Amazon, I decided to order it. I am doing a lot of soul searching about my own faith journey, and am having a struggle with the Institutional Church not truly following the teachings of Jesus, having gotten enmired in politics and building empire. I felt this book was speaking to me, and is one I could hardly put down. It is well written, and certainly one I would, and have recommended to others.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-04-02 11:12:07 EST)
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| 02-08-08 | 5 | (NA) |
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This book is such a good read and truly reflects much of my personal experience- I treasure the author's way of writing about nature and so many of her feelings.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-03-02 11:11:54 EST)
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| 01-14-08 | 5 | (NA) |
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BBT has been a favorite author for many years. This book is just another in a series of thoughtful, spiritual and hope-filled writings from a great author.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-02-08 11:07:40 EST)
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| 12-12-07 | 4 | (NA) |
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I enjoyed reading the memoir Leaving Church. I enjoy hearing other people's faith journeys and this was well written. It shows that faith and seeking God broadens and changes as it grows. The author is open about this process and how it isn't always easy, especially when you are invested in the process.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-01-15 11:46:15 EST)
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| 10-22-07 | 5 | 2\2 |
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I must admit in the beginning that I am a Barbara Brown Taylor fan. She is an excellent writer as well as a truly honest human being. To be able to write an auto-biography such as this is admirable.
It seems to me that many of us question the institutional church. Ms. Taylor, who was so deeply engrossed in it as a priest of the Episcopal Church, was faced with the same question. She had the guts to follow her inner-being and act accordingly, knowing that God's love for her will never cease. God's kingdom doesn't need the institutional MAN-made church! (Review Data Last Updated: 2008-01-10 14:29:22 EST)
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| 09-22-07 | 5 | 1\2 |
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I especially enjoyed the book because I could relate to it. I was in seminary and after one year, I didn't feel that I was on the right track for where I was suppoed to be the rest of my life. I could see so much of myself in Barbara's description of herself. Passionate about church and serving, Barbara lets the reader understand that it is not for everyone. I read the book twice as I prepared to leave seminary. It was powerful for me.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-10-23 06:08:57 EST)
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| 08-28-07 | 4 | 1\2 |
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This is my first book by Ms. Taylor, so I knew very little about her history or her place in the world, although it was clear she didn't really leave "the church" from the dust jacket and a cursory look at reviews. I thought she might cover more about a crisis in faith that she was able to surpass, or how she retained her faith while moving toward less connection to organized religion, which is a common scenario in America. Those two possibilities would probably have resonated more for me personally.
In any case, her story was quite interesting and finely crafted. The first section, from her youth down a path that eventually led her to ordination (in another religion, no less) mixed nicely the events, her motivation, and the unexpected turns without feeling too self-conscious "me" autobiography. One can appreciate her yearning for a small, highly personal congregation in a lovely little church. The second part was more about on-the-job training and the inevitable burn-out from trying to do everything for everybody, pushing her own worship and honoring of God to the background. Rather than stepping back and finding a better balance, she chose the path of leaving her position and moving on to another career. Perhaps she could have found the balance needed to survive long-term as a priest. I don't know. From the third section, I suppose it's clear she made the right choice and found a more natural calling for her gifts and personality. One may even conclude her faith found a more complete flowering once out from under the constraints a practicing priest must follow. I had the vague feeling that she was presenting her "outside looking in" story as more difficult than it really was, as the woman I learned about in the first two sections seemed made of what was necessary to find success in her new life without a true crisis. Ms. Taylor was a pleasant diversion from my usual books. I probably won't read another one of hers, however. My own religious attitude may not be the right fit. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-09-23 06:05:58 EST)
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| 08-24-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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Although the story is so specifically about a minister in transition, the journey she depicts can be recognizable and helpful to many. Any one who has ever made a major change in life, having "died" to their old ways in order to be "born anew" will find the insights and prose in this memoir both uplifting and truly helpful.
I have read other works by this author and found the prose in this book to be her clearest, most succinct and spiritually mature yet. Truly a great read! (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-08-28 14:01:58 EST)
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| 08-21-07 | 2 | (NA) |
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Heterodoxy and syncretism run rampant throughout this memoir. Such qualities are highly valued by some. But for those who are looking for "a memoir of faith" that points to Jesus, this book is not it. Taylor early in the book states that she could have as easily developed her faith by way of non-Christian religious practices as through the Episcopal Church, and ended up with just as good a relationship with whoever the Supreme Being happens to be. A lot of people share her opinion. They are the ones for whom this book is written.
I'm not questioning Taylor's sincerity or criticizing her right to her own religious beliefs; I'm just saying that some people may pick up the book under the false impression that Taylor will be describing a spiritual journey that is more in line with traditional orthodox Christian beliefs than it really is. If you are sympathetic to Taylor's philosophy of faith, you'll like the book. It has some nice prose and turns of phrase. If you'd rather read a memoir by someone who developed a relationship with God through Jesus, believing him to be "the way, the truth and the life" as Jesus himself asserted, then you should avoid this book. It all depends on which camp you fall into. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-08-24 19:31:18 EST)
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| 08-14-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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Leaving Church was possibly the best book I have ever read exploring the issues of religion and faith and everyday life. Taylor looks at the questions of 'what is faith?', 'what is Christianity?', and 'how do those ideas tie in, or have meaning for me in terms of my personal experience of the divine?'
She also looks at the issues common to many people, women in particular, of becoming so immersed in taking care of others that one utterly loses oneself. Taylor has a way of showing us how the seemingly simple or straight-forward 'demands' of faith need to fracture into a prism of possibilities and concerns when confronted with the actual complexities of the tapestry of human life. I would recommend this book to anyone attempting to live the best life possible, and torn by the compromises that come with having limited resources of time, money, and energy. Taylor has been there before us, and has many insights to share that lighten one's load and broaden one's perspective. Charry Stover Crestone, Colorado (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-08-22 04:15:16 EST)
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| 08-10-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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Ms. Taylor has created a map of her journey from her childhood in a non-believing family to deep faith that developed after finding her place in the universe while simply lying in the grass one day. What makes her story interesting is that the reader can identify with her at any point. This story isn't just about the "highs" in her religious life (she becomes a very popular priest), but how she dealt with the difficulties that develop because of her religious devotion to God and to her parishioners. This book is a "keeper." You'll be tempted to make a lot of marginal notes-I can't wait to refer back to them when I re-read this book.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-08-15 06:17:50 EST)
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| 08-09-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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This is my first BTB book. I've been reading articles by her for a long time, but was intrigued with this title. Frankly, I find "religious" books tiresome and boring much of the time. But, Brown has captured so many of the struggles I have had with the institutional church with such grace and gentleness, that I found myself welling up many times while reading. Her phrasing and descriptive passages about the meaning of the collar and the vestments of ministry was particularly poignant to me. I found myself feeling deeply her experience of serving the elements of the Eucharist. I, too, feel the sacredness of that moment, even though I serve in a less liturgical tradition.
Would that all of us who long to "leave church" could find another satisfying answer to God's inexorable call on our lives. I found myself wondering, still, after the book was finished, how she was able to leave the pastoral ministry. Sometime I hope that I might get a chance to sit on a porch, rocking, with her and have her explain it to me. Each time I even think of "leaving Church" I feel the relentless call of God pulling me back to serve in the place that I, in many ways, find after these 20 years, I don't want to be. Even though the book was wonderful, and has taken its place on my shelf along with LaMotte and other female authors I highly value, she didn't answer the "Why I left Church" question for me. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-08-15 06:17:50 EST)
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| 08-03-07 | 2 | (NA) |
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I very much looked forward to reading this book and was aware that it was getting some very nice reviews. So, I was surprised to be underwhelmed and disappointed by it. Perhaps, if I knew the author, had heard any of her inspiring sermons or read her other works, I would view this memoir more favorably. Before writing this review I consulted with one other person in my church who just finished the book. Interestingly, that person had a very similar reaction to mine. I give the book 2 stars because it appears to resonate with some readers - perhaps, the majority of those who are actually reading it. But, I can't imagine that its appeal would be universal among general readers or even the niche of Christian readers. The best way to explain this thought may be through a comparison. Consider the book "My Struggle with Faith", by Father Joseph Girzone (author of the "Joshua" series): (1) it is an uplifting personal account with a clear intent to benefit and inspire the reader, (2) the book is all about faith and is fully relevant to clergy or laymen,(3) the cover bears the picture of a happy human face. In contrast, "Leaving Church": (1) is not uplifting and feels like a rationalization for the author's life decisions, (2) is not really about faith, but more about job burn-out and one person's struggle to achieve a healthy balance between personal and professional life, (3) the cover on my copy features a beautiful white bird fleeing from the gate of an antique cage - are we to assume that the author views herself as the beautiful bird and views the Episcopal Church as an antique cage?
Perhaps the author should be applauded for her honesty, but I was deflated by her apparent inability to sit in a pew after her own decision to relinquish her position behind the pulpit. I was also deflated by her admission of mourning the loss of social status once she removed the collar. These things represented conflicts to me because the author seems to want to convince the reader that she has achieved a better and purer form of faith now that she has left church. I would definitely not recommend this book to people in search of their spiritual compass. Nor would I give this book to anyone who is enthusiastic about pursuing a life of service in the clergy. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-08-10 05:53:11 EST)
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| 07-27-07 | 4 | (NA) |
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Barbara Brown Taylor's memoir was interesting and revealing on several levels.
On a personal level I appreciated her honesty about herself and how she grappled with the challenges of ordained ministry in the church. On literary level, this is a fine work. It is elegent in choice of words and even poetic in places as she paints for the reader the currents of her life, thought and reflections on her ministry in the church. On a theological level this book reveals a great deal about the agonizing struggle of so many in the church today over questions that are rooted in core theological convictions. What she reveals is her own core theological convictions (though without explicitly elaborating on them) regarding the authority and interpretation of Scripture, the person and importance of Jesus Christ for Christians (and others who do not profess to to be) and moral/ethical matters over human sexuality. I enjoyed the book, less for it's biographical telling of the details of her life, and more for what it says about her own struggle within herself to serve in a church that has progressively abandoned historic Chritian orthodoxy and moral strictures to govern its common life and belief(a move which she certainly wishes were accelorated). (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-08-03 08:21:20 EST)
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| 06-09-07 | 5 | 6\6 |
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The age of 76 years is not an easy time to have a crisis of faith. I was, and am, faced with many questions about my Church. After reading Leaving Church by Barbara Brown Taylor, the small questions have lessened in importance and a much larger picture has emerged.
I knew Barbara Brown Taylor to be a powerful preacher and retreat leader, but her writing has a personal tone with which the reader can identify and from which many answers can be gleaned. I will read more of her books and feel that their importance is only now being realized by the faithful. For those of us who were, and still are, puzzled by the happenings in our Church today, her comments have been more than just helpful. They have kept me, and the friends for whom I have purchased the book, in the Church and hopeful for its future. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-28 06:11:25 EST)
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| 06-06-07 | 5 | 2\2 |
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Barbara Brown Taylor has created another winner. Her books always cause me to thing, again and again and again. In Leaving Church, she addresses the theological paradox of losing life to find it again. She uses her life experience of leaving the church and her ordained ministry to find God in a place of Sabbath time and communion with the Creator God. Her journey is personal, and yet its themes are universal. The Reader's Guide at the end of the book asks probing questions that help us to personalize Taylor's message and foster growth.
I highly recommend this book. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-10 15:22:32 EST)
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| 06-04-07 | 4 | 2\2 |
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Writing in carefully structured format, former Episcopalian priest, Barbara Brown Taylor, splices the why of her anti-climactic divestment. Cut into thirds (Finding, Losing, Keeping) she covers her spiritual journey, many times verging on the apologetics of the spiritual vs. religious route.
At first I was a bit disappointed she dwelt so much on her role of pastor and the examination of the usefulness/logic of such a profession. I originally picked this book up searching for a kindred spirit as ex-church peon. But I was able to reach across the differences we shared in stations and identify with her journey, undoubtedly a testament to Brown's empathy and talent. This is the first "Christian" book I've read in 5 years. It drew mixed emotions. I cried as I read Brown's description of tending to broken birds yet recoiled at her tendency to wrap her spiritual experiences up as anecdotal. Yet this was a good book, well worth the read for either side of the track: heretics (etymologically meaning those who make a choice, as Taylor informs) or faithful church-goers. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-10 15:22:32 EST)
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| 05-16-07 | 5 | 4\5 |
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Ms. Taylor so aptly presented the minister's psyche and "occupational hazards" that I thought she must have had my office and my mind wire-tapped! A compassionate piece that really touched my heart. I feel as if I know her; and she knows me. This book also came out at just the right time for me, as I was leaving my pulpit. Thank you.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-10 15:22:32 EST)
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| 05-13-07 | 4 | 3\4 |
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I am unfamiliar with the other works of thjs authoress, but will take steps to remedy this state. She is named as one of the twelve most effective preachers in the English-speaking world, and we crave people of this calibre, whether in a pastoral charge, or some other ministry. I have warmed to the story she relates, and to the pleasant and feisty manner in which she says it. I would recommend its message to all those who are unsatisfied with their experience of the "established church", but whose spirituality leads them forward without abandoning their faith.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-10 15:22:32 EST)
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| 05-12-07 | 5 | 4\4 |
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The Reverend Taylor, once again, uses her consummate story telling abilities to weave a story of her call to ordained ministry, her call to a small parish in a small town, and, ultimately, her call to leave what anyone would deem a highly effective and successful ministry. At the risk of minimizing or trivializing her path with a phrase: she found that when church was getting between her and God, she had to leave church in order to reconnect with God. Her writing often takes one's breath away when she finds just the right words, just the correct metaphor that puts one inside her head and in her heart. Anyone who aspires to ordained ministry should read this. Anyone who is in ordained ministry should read this. Anyone who ever knew anyone in ordained ministry should read this.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-10 15:22:32 EST)
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| 05-12-07 | 5 | 2\2 |
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This is a book that I do not want to finish. It is jam packed full of liltingly descriptive prose of how her life grew bigger as she became smaller. We are allowed a secret look into her most sacred changing world - her life!
The author spins a thread through all humanity (especially those who work in "The Church") gathers us all up, and strips away any self appointed entitlement that may be perpetuating our walk. She knows that under all our fine wrappings, we are completely naked. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-07-10 15:22:32 EST)
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| 05-09-07 | 5 | 2\2 |
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Honest appraisal of the joys and the pitfalls of parish ministry for a caring woman. This book carried me gratefully through every page and I was sorry to come to the end. I especially appreciated Brown's ability to look at the idiosyncracies of church life without bitterness and with obvious understanding of human dynamics. I will read this again!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-05-13 06:53:19 EST)
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| 03-27-07 | 5 | 10\11 |
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Nearly 18,000 pastors leave ministry each year in the United States. This is the story of one. Barbara Brown Taylor does a magnificent job of telling her story. She is a gifted writer. Any pastor who has struggled with the "pastoral call" will relate to portions of this book. I do have one word of caution to add. Taylor writes from a specific theological perspective. Those whose frame of reference is from another perspective might begin to tune out when confronted with the differences. Please, do not do so. This story goes beyond doctrinal distinctives. Barbara Brown Taylor is an adjunct professor of Christian spirituality at Columbia Theological Seminary. She is an editor-at-large and columnist for THE CHRISTIAN CENTURY. She has written several books. She was named one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world by Baylor University. Her story is worth reading. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-05-10 06:55:57 EST)
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| 03-26-07 | 5 | 5\7 |
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Barbara Brown Taylor is a gifted writer & I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent reading her memoir. I loved her descriptions of how she felt God led her from here to there and her thoughtful reflections on the meaning of her life. I loved her acceptance and open attitude toward others... she muses about what kind of a world would this be if we all LISTENED to each other and learned about each other, rather than judging and preaching. This book was a joy to read as well as offering me a hand down my own path of faith.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-05-10 06:55:57 EST)
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