The Road Away from God
- Christian Living
- Publisher: Baker Books (Baker Publishing Group)
- Published: 2022
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Publisher's Description
It's no easy journey disentangling the good news of the gospel from the toxic theologies that have rendered Jesus unrecognizable. It's no wonder the church has sent many walking. In The Road Away from God, Jonathan Martin reimagines Luke's story of two disillusioned disciples walking the Emmaus road away from the holy city where they had watched their hope die a gruesome death right before their eyes. For anyone who is feeling their faith unravel, reckoning with religious trauma, or walking the long road of deconstruction, Martin speaks compassionate hope into the journey of today's disillusioned disciples, revealing that the resurrected Christ is profoundly present with them--even on what seems to be the road away from God. With "a pastor's heart and poet's touch," as Rachel Held Evans once wrote of Martin, this is a book to help you feel seen in your spiritual journey and all its complexities, and to find resurrection even where you least expect it.
Endorsements (5)
“This book feels like a walk in the woods with an encouraging friend. One of those walks you take after a delicious meal, where you’re walking but still carrying your wineglass. As you walk, you open up your heart to really listen, and your friend is brutally honest without being hurtful. And your friend tells you the truth about themselves, which is almost exactly the truth about yourself, and it sets you both free. Jonathan Martin took me on such a walk in The Road Away from God. His words, his stories, his journey are a true gift. And even though the book’s title might contradict this . . . while reading, I think I found Jesus again. I think you will too.”
“Whether you are among the countless walking wounded who have fled religious institutions for their spiritual lives or have edged slowly away from what was once your sacred home to find yourself in the wilderness, Jonathan is a one-man welcome wagon. He’s arrived at your door with a hot dish, a field guide for navigating your new landscape, and a contagious, humble faith in your spirit knowing where it needs to go to find what it needs to find. I am blessed to count Jonathan among my most trusted friends and spiritual companions, and now, dear reader, you can too.”
“In this timely and well-written book, Jonathan Martin joins us for a long walk on the Emmaus road, which these days is crowded with disappointed and disillusioned people forlornly trudging away from the high hopes they once held for the Christian faith. But Jesus is full of surprises and doesn’t give up on any of us—even the most despairing. Martin patiently reminds us of this beautiful truth as he gently whispers how the road away from God can become the road back home. I am grateful for the help and hope this book will bring to so many.”
“In a sea of deconstruction how-to guides, Jonathan Martin offers something uniquely different. The Road Away from God reads less like a map to follow and more like postcards from a seasoned fellow traveler. In each chapter, Jonathan Martin offers his trademark blend of endearing approachability and nurturing pastoral care without ever giving way to the temptation of easy answers with neatly tied bows. In the end, readers will come away with a profoundly changed awareness of the God who has been traveling this road with them all along.”
“There is no one more uniquely qualified to help us navigate the spiritual crisis of our time than Jonathan Martin. His own wounds, scars, and shipwrecks have gifted him with the empathy and tenderness to discern Christ in the chaos. The Road Away from God is a timely work, gently reminding us that the God we left behind was limited. And while the desolate, godforsaken road of deconstruction may feel lonely, we are not alone, for it is here that we finally meet the limitless Christ of the cosmos.”
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