Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor
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Book Reviews of Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith
Book Review: Barbara Brown Taylor's Best (So Far)
Summary: 5 Stars
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.Book Review: connection and growth
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading Taylor's "An Altar in the World", I read this to get more context and understanding for what she was going through, but it's an amazing work on its own. Reading about her attraction to religion, I felt connected to her; understanding her following burning-out experience sounded like a clear warning for me (who is in the process of applying to seminary); seeing her growth and understanding of God in all aspects of life is entirely refreshing. I'd recommend it for anyone who labels themselves Christian - it lends a greater understanding to just how big and all-encompassing our God is. I also recommend it to people who find themselves repelled by the label (and culture of) Christians - it explains what's going on under the surface for some of us.Book Review: A Book I was Told I Must Read
Summary: 5 Stars
A former minister of my church sent me an email a few weeks ago suggesting that I read LEAVING CHURCH. After 22 years with us, all of a sudden he ups and resigns - this while I was Board chairman. The book evidently brought back a lot of memories for him and suggested that there were others who had experienced similar thoughts about the church they had been pastors of. It did not take me long to see why he had this reaction. I could relate. The book also delved into spirituality, and I have found it to be a most worth-while read. Have even suggested it to a Bible study group who selects their own topics. This book was purchased through Amazon for a very reasonable price and was received most promptly,much sooner than publicized.Book Review: A joy to read!
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved reading this book! I did not want to put it down. Ms. Brown-Taylor writes so beautifully about her experience, using non-traditional narrative to explain her thoughts and ideas. I could connect with her with her experiences of over commitment and spiritual exhaustion in wanting to live out a purposeful life as one of God's faithful disciples and what that actually meant for her. And what it might also mean for me. She "lets go" of life as she expected it to go, somewhat painfully, and in the process finds her life, finds the path that God intends for her. She ends the book with her continued, more peaceful and even more joyful, quest for a closer purposeful communion with God.Book Review: A very helpful book; a travel guide for faith journeys!
Summary: 5 Stars
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.