Description

In the great tradition of authors who leave church but remain spiritual—such as Barbara Brown Taylor, Rob Bell—the author of Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul forges a new path toward a true spiritual home, embracing a deep connection to the natural world.

The story of Adam and Eve’s fall from innocence in the Garden of Eden is a mythical account of humanity’s broken relationship with the divine, with Earth, and with themselves.

In contrast, Celtic wisdom is built on a strong bond with Earth. In the prophetic figures that Newell draws from, the Garden of Eden represents the inner garden of our souls and the outer garden of Earth, which are seen as essentially one. To live in relation to what is deepest in us is to live in relation to the ground from which we and all things have come. Where are we today, in relation to our true selves and the sacredness of Earth? And how are we to find our way home again?

This life-affirming, nourishing book contemplates these questions at a moment of great spiritual awakening, an era characterized by religious exile on a vast scale. We need a new sense of home spiritually, deeply rooted within ourselves and in our shared journey with each other and Earth.

About the Author

John Philip Newell is an internationally acclaimed spiritual teacher, speaker, and author of many books, including A New Ancient Harmony and The Rebirthing of God. The former Warden of Iona Abbey in the Western Isles of Scotland, he is the founder of Earth & Soul (A Celtic Initiative of Study, Spiritual Practice, and Compassionate Action) and teaches regularly in the United States and Canada as well as leading international pilgrimage weeks on Iona.

Praise For…

"Newell takes the urgent and timely issue of reimagining religion’s relationship with Earth and shows how wise voices have been modeling this all along. I found among these voices some old friends, like Martin Buber and Julian of Norwich; some acquaintances I should get to know better, like Nan Shepherd; and others whose names I'd seen but knew nothing about, like Rabindranath Tagore. The Great Search an engaging collection of prophets and poets that draws us into a more expansive relationship with the spiritual world of nature. Beware: reading this book will lead to ordering more books!" — James Stump, author of The Sacred Chain