Grounded : finding God in the world : a spiritual revolution

Grounded Finding God in the world : a spiritual revolution

Diana Butler Bass, 1959-

Book - 2015

"The headlines are clear: religion is on the decline in America as many people leave behind traditional religious practices. Diana Butler Bass, leading commentator on religion, politics, and culture, follows up her acclaimed book Christianity After Religion by arguing that what appears to be a decline actually signals a major transformation in how people understand and experience God. The distant God of conventional religion has given way to a more intimate sense of the sacred that is with us in the world. This shift, from a vertical understanding of God to a God found on the horizons of nature and human community, is at the heart of a spiritual revolution that surrounds us and that is challenging not only religious institutions but po...litical and social ones as well. Grounded explores this cultural turn as Bass unpacks how people are finding new spiritual ground by discovering and embracing God everywhere in the world around us, in the soil, the water, the sky, in our homes and neighborhoods, and in the global commons. Faith is no longer a matter of mountaintop experience or institutional practice; instead, people are connecting with God through the environment in which we live. Grounded guides readers through our contemporary spiritual habitat as it points out and pays attention to the ways in which people experience a God who animates creation and community. Bass brings her understanding of the latest research and studies and her deep knowledge of history and theology to Grounded. She cites news, trends, data, and pop culture, weaves in spiritual texts and ancient traditions, and pulls it all together through stories of her own and others' spiritual journeys. Grounded observes and reports a radical change in the way many people understand God and how they practice faith. In doing so, Bass invites readers to join this emerging spiritual revolution, find a revitalized expression of faith, and change the world."--Amazon.com.

Saved in:
Place a Hold Save to List Email this

2nd Floor Show me where

231/Bass
1 / 1 copies available
Location Call Number   Status
2nd Floor 231/Bass Checked In
Subjects
God (Christianity)
Spirituality > Christianity.
Christianity > 21st century.
Published
New York, NY : HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers [2015]
Language
English
Main Author
Diana Butler Bass, 1959- (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
323 pages ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages [289]-314) and index.
ISBN
9780062328540
  • Introduction: Genesis
  • Part 1. Natural Habitat
  • Chapter 1. Dirt
  • Chapter 2. Water
  • Chapter 3. Sky
  • Part 2. Human Geography
  • Chapter 4. Roots
  • Chapter 5. Borne
  • Chapter 6. Neighborhood
  • Chapter 7. Commons
  • Conclusion: Revelation
  • Afterword
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • Index
Review by Booklist Review

Global religion is seeing a shift. Many find themselves uncomfortable with a remote God up in the sky, seeking instead an earthy, present spirituality more concerned with the day-to-day of life in the world than with just getting into heaven. Bass calls us to join this revolution. Earth, water, air, gardens, home, neighbors the author digs her fingers into the soil of our surroundings to unearth a new way of looking at spirituality and our place within our increasingly global neighborhood. Bass has that gift of seeing the world around her and drawing together the threads of her experience and her extensive library to weave a cohesive ideology of living in connection with and concern for other humans. It's a deeply theological book, but also a practical one; a book that causes one to ponder the spiritual implications of farmers' markets in altogether new ways.--Engel, Christine Copyright 2016 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In her excellent treatise, Bass (Christianity After Religion) addresses the apparent decline of religious practice in America. In cogent, convincing arguments, she declares the current state of religion as not dying but transforming. Bass juxtaposes the postcard church-its static, pristine steeple pointing to heaven above-with the energetic church of community-oriented churchgoers across the Earth. "God is with us. Here," she states. In her introduction, Bass explains the chapters that follow, including strengthening her own journey, respecting all faiths, and asking "Where is God?" within each given subject. "Natural Habitat" ponders dirt, water, and sky; "Human Geography" covers roots, home, neighborhood, and commons. Her conclusion comes with the revelation and defense of "an ongoing spiritual evolution." She often quotes fellow religious writers (from Sam Harris to Hildegard) and tells transformative stories (from finding her Quaker roots, to mourning with a man on a plane). Bass's biblical and effusive style, always mixing the personal with the political and scriptural, finds a deeper, more profound register in this latest book. It is a call to arms, sure to inspire Bass's intimate fan base committed to a Christian revolution. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

Historian Bass (A People's History of Christianity) follows up on her popular Christianity After Religion, an exploration of the growing number of people who identify as "spiritual but not religious." Bass believes this shift amounts to another Great Awakening and that it signifies, not the end of religion or faith, but its transformation away from the hierarchical toward the personal and individual experience of God in the world and the self, as well as toward communities and the common good. While much of what Bass says is derivative-of authors such as Phyllis Tickle and even of Bass's earlier works-she will likely draw new readers as she presents what churches need to hear. VERDICT Bass's dedicated readers will get a great deal from this work, but those new to her message will benefit as well. © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Similar Items