Naked Spirituality - by Brian D McLaren (Paperback)

About the Book

Controversial church leader McLaren does here for spirituality what he did for Christian beliefs in "A New Kind of Christianity": offering spiritual practices that can transform us while shunning old practices that no longer work and actually hinder growth.

Book Synopsis

"A rich, brilliant and important book: wonderfully readable and personal, filled with insight and wisdom, it invites us into practices that can transform our lives." --Marcus J. Borg, author of Speaking Christian

"Brian McLaren is a bridge builder. In these simple yet profound spiritual practices he perfectly marries his evangelical heart and contemplative soul, and we are all richer for the union." --Cynthia Bourgeault, author of Centering Prayer and The Wisdom Jesus

In the same way he revitalized our faith in A New Kind of Christianity, church leader Brian McLaren reinvigorates our approach to spiritual fulfillment in Naked Spirituality--by tearing down the old dogmatic practices that hamper our spiritual growth, and leading us toward the meaningful spiritual practices that can help transform our lives.

From the Back Cover

Christianity is in crisis. Many sincere Christians feel their traditional Christian practices are in danger of becoming irrelevant, empty rituals. In his previous book A New Kind of Christianity, Brian D. McLaren offered new biblical models for how we understand the central ideas of a faith that provides hope for restoring and reinvigorating the power of the gospels to transform us and our communities.

In Naked Spirituality, McLaren takes his prophetic work a step further by confronting how the lack of a simple, doable, durable spirituality undermines the very transformation God is calling us to undergo. As a result, our religious structures become tools to maintain the status quo and not catalysts for personal and social change. McLaren presents a four-stage framework for understanding the spiritual life, and he unfolds spiritual practices appropriate to each stage. Each practice is rooted in a simple word: here, thanks, O, sorry, help, please, when, no, why, behold, yes, and silence. Naked Spirituality offers accessible, practical wisdom for living a truly spiritual life. Staying true to Jesus's core message while engaging faithfully with our postmodern world, McLaren presents a proven spiritual program for engaging in and sustaining a meaningful relationship with God.

Review Quotes

"McLaren is the elder statesman of a movement called the 'emerging church.'... If his movement can survive in the politicized world of conservative Christianity, McLaren could find a way for young Evangelicals and more liberal Christians to march into the future together." - Time magazine
"Wise, easy to read, and practical." - Fr. Richard Rohr, author of The Naked Now
"A rich, brilliant and important book: wonderfully readable and personal, filled with insight and wisdom, it invites us into practices that can transform our lives." - Marcus J. Borg, author of Speaking Christian
"Brian McLaren is a bridge builder. In these simple yet profound spiritual practices he perfectly marries his evangelical heart and contemplative soul, and we are all richer for the union." - Cynthia Bourgeault, author of Centering Prayer and The Wisdom Jesus
"This is one of Brian's greatest hits, and not just because it has the word "naked" in the title. It is a book that strips things down to the bare essentials, cutting through stale debates, old ideologies, and ethereal theology to unveil a simple love for God and neighbor that is worth devoting your life to. So forget the clutter. Stop suffocating in religion. Slow down from the hustle. Tune out the noise. Unplug from the world. And enjoy this simple little book about life with God -- you will find something on these pages that will help you breathe again." - Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution
"Brian speaks of a holistic spirituality that takes into account the dark sides of human nature, as well as the joyous sides. Only a mature Christian leader like Brian can write with such depth, and it reflects his own character of integrity, honesty and compassion. I place this on the recommended reading list for all people of faith, and especially those who are seeking." - Grant Hagiya, Resident Bishop of the Seattle and Alaska Areas of the United Methodist Church
"McLaren both charts an arc of the spiritual life and suggests practices to nurture [it]. . . . McLaren deserves endless thanks for reminding us that estrangement and no do not represent a breakdown of the spiritual life. . . . Naked Spirituality is very astute." - Christian Century
"Reading Brian's latest book was like going on a spiritual retreat. After several years of extensive international ministry travel--a very outward life--I needed to be drawn inward, down into the groundedness of quiet, prayerful attention to God. My list of people who absolutely need to read this beautifully written book includes long-time followers of Jesus as well as spiritual-but-not-yet followers of Jesus. Surely that is an indication of the wisdom and authentic depth of Naked Spirituality." - Lynne Hybels, Author of Nice Girls Don't Change the World and Advocate for Global Engagement
"McLaren's trademark persuasiveness is put to good effect as he continues to shatter paradigms for spiritual seekers." - Library Journal (starred review)
"[I] was absolutely hooked from the first page... found it to be one of the most stimulating books on spiritual formation I have read in ages. ... These stories are honest and kind and good... at every point they illustrated the life of a real and raw experience of God and the human responses we offer.... This guidebook to simple words for a not so simple spirituality is an incredible gift, a true asset to us, bread for the journey." - Hearts and Minds
"These stories are honest and kind and good... they illustrated the life of a real and raw experience of God and the human responses we offer.... This guidebook to simple words for a not so simple spirituality is an incredible gift, a true asset to us, bread for the journey." - Hearts and Minds
"Using personal narrative, simple language devoid of church-speak, and self-deprecating humor, McLaren's intimate voice envelops the reader with a sense of safety to match the vulnerability his title suggests. . . . Anyone wanting to conserve the spiritual spark in themselves will find this book a gentle and generous tract." - Publishers Weekly
"Anyone wanting to conserve the spiritual spark in themselves will find this book a gentle and generous tract." - Publishers Weekly