Buddies Share Their Spiritual Journeys
- Men
- Christian Living
- Publisher: Resource Publications (Wipf and Stock)
- Published: 2025
FritzSearch.com earns a commission on purchases made through Bookshop.org links.
Publisher's Description
Sixteen older men were asked to describe their spiritual journeys while on a retreat. They responded by opening their souls and speaking with rare honesty, courage, and vulnerability. The candor of the men revealed a tapestry of beliefs: most were Christian, though some attended church and others did not. One was Jewish while others identified as spiritual, agnostic, or atheist. The retreat provided a forum where the men presented authentic accounts of how their spiritual journeys unfolded in a secular society. The men shared how they apply their spiritual values to daily life, speaking of inner-world challenges, such as dealing with imperfections, doubts, and fears, and outer-world experiences, like suffering child abuse, the war in Vietnam, and alcoholism. This deep sharing created a deeper bond among the men, a connection characterized by respect and empathy. Buddies is a deeply personal and engaging collection of stories, each written, to paraphrase John of the Cross, "with no other light or guide than the one which burns in their heart."
Endorsements (5)
“In these touching and poignant stories by sixteen men, we encounter a rich exploration of faith. The variety of perspectives is likely to offer readers some narratives that resonate deeply and others that challenge. But all the stories invite reflection on one’s own spiritual journey and beliefs.”
“A group of articulate men consider their lives, their ‘spiritual journeys’ and essentially tell us how and what brings body and soul into a healthy union. They ask, how important is your early childhood experience of the holy? What’s ‘religion?’ Does church play a role in a healthy journey? What shatters your relationship to the sacred and what are the experiences that knit you into healing and wholeness? Their stories help us notice where and how you become aware of the mysteries of your soul and how you might build a healthy union to your inner life. The men are generous in sharing their experiences with us and their stories offer a compelling invitation to examine our own sacred journeys.”
“Buddies is a well-crafted, moving collection of insights and stories of spiritual journeys shared by members of a men’s group led by John Bingham. They discuss the important distinction between the influences of organized religion and the direct spiritual encounters that shaped their lives. John combines his wisdom as an Episcopal Priest and his insights as a psychotherapist to create a unique and very engaging read.”
“This book is exactly what it says on the cover. It is an account of sixteen male friends getting together to share their spiritual journeys. In an age of toxic masculinity, it is refreshing to read these frank, honest, and emotional stories. They are all very different, because the men come from different backgrounds and have different spiritual experiences. The narrator lets the men speak for themselves, so what we get is an insight into how men think about God.”
“We live impoverished when disconnected from the individual soundings of the ‘Other’ in the unvarnished holiness of our friends’ lives. John Bingham bridges this gap with a remarkable, connective sharing during a retreat among friends—vulnerably and honestly sharing life stories centered on the holy as individually experienced. The reader is privileged to ‘listen in’ upon a polyphony of transcendence in these seventeen men’s separate journeys, a remarkable blessing that is not to be missed.”
See something wrong on this page? Report a problem