Publishers Weekly
★ 08/10/2015
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.)
From the Publisher
With her usual blend of plain-talking and sharp insight, Diana Butler Bass brings into focus the usually fuzzy realm of the spiritual but not religious, providing a much-needed guidebook for... the often-perplexing but growing turn away from organized religion.” — Religious Newswriters Association
“I’ve been grateful for Bass’s sharp mind, but upon finishing Grounded, I found myself in love with her mystical heart and gorgeous storytelling. We need to believe that God is with us, in dirt and water and suffering and homes and neighborhoods. God is definitely in this book.” — Glennon Doyle Melton, author of Carry On, Warrior
“Provocative and well-researched, Grounded is an admirable contribution to the understanding of contemporary American Christianity, which is in constant needs of reformation. May the church listen.” — National Catholic Reporter
“A profound and literary book.” — Christian Century
“Bass’ credentials... frequently help bridge the gap between those who practice Christianity and those who research it. ‘What makes her an unusual voice among commentators in American religion right now is that she’s a proponent of hopeful religion.’… Grounded champions a return to nature and an embrace of hospitality.” — Religion News Service
“In her excellent treatise, [Bass] declares the current state of religion as not dying but transforming…. 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.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Grounded is a wise and beautiful book. It is, in fact and in places, almost an anthem to the sacred unity of the physical and the spiritual in the formation of human faith and in the maturation of the human soul.” — Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence
“In Grounded, Diana Butler Bass brings theology back down to earth. She writes about the environment and about the church in a way that makes sense, feels authentic, and doesn’t put you to sleep. A stunning book that will open up new conversations in the church and beyond.” — Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution
“I absolutely love this book. I’ve long respected Diana Butler Bass for her intelligent, academic approach to the religious conversation, and never more so than in the pages of this book. Grounded made me love this beautiful world more deeply, and made God’s presence more visible everywhere I looked.” — Shauna Niequist, author of Savor and Bread & Wine
“An absolutely gorgeously written book about real faith in the real world.” — James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage
“In this lyrical, mystical, and spiritual book, … Bass has made an important contribution by beautifully explaining a broader and more inclusive understanding of God that can be embraced by the spiritually independents (”spiritual but not religious”) and also by those rooted in one of the world’s religions. ” — Spirituality and Practice
“‘There is nothing worse than sleeping through a revolution,’ Bass says. Her new book will not only help you wake up. It will equip you to be an enthusiastic participant in what I believe is the deepest and most important movement taking shape in our lifetime.” — Brian D. McLaren, speaker, activity, and author of A New Kind of Christianity
“The reversing of engines that Diana Butler Bass describes in Grounded was first announced by Jesus himself, of course. How strange that it should seem so new and even revolutionary 2,000 years later.” — Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Center for Action and Contemplation
“Diana Butler Bass’s thoughtful mandate amounts not so much to a dismissal of the church, but a summons to renewal that can be both faithful and contemporary. Her accent champions a connectedness to the actual context in which we live.” — Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary
“Americans’ search for the divine is alive and well, although it looks different than it has in the past. In Grounded, Bass investigates the spiritual lives of contemporary believers, questioning what happens when people expand their search for God beyond church buildings to the world around them.” — Deseret News
“With one part mysticism, one part theology, and one part ecology, each chapter takes us from a theologically sound understanding of the sacred nature of the natural world to a mystical understanding of tending that world, then to sections on real crises in our world, ecologically and economically.” — Clarion Journal
“Bass 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. A deeply theological book, but also a practical one; causes one to ponder the spiritual implications of farmers’ markets in altogether new ways.” — Booklist
“Beginning with earth (dirt), air (sky) and water Bass weaves an engaging story of interconnectedness ending in the revelation of the divine in the here and now. I thoroughly enjoyed the texture and twists of insights opening the stunning truth of emerging faith in our midst.” — Sister Simone Campbell, author of A Nun on a Bus
“Bass blends anecdotes from her own experience with incisive social commentary and interviews with people committed to making a difference in their communities. … A thoughtful examination of the current trend toward social engagement and practical spirituality.” — Shelf Awareness
“Although her ideas are revolutionary, the book is well grounded. Spiritual directors and other contemplatives will find themselves at home in Bass’s descriptions of experiencing the presence of God in everyday encounters in the world as well as the unexpectedly numinous in nature or sacred places.” — Presence Journal
Religious Newswriters Association
With her usual blend of plain-talking and sharp insight, Diana Butler Bass brings into focus the usually fuzzy realm of the spiritual but not religious, providing a much-needed guidebook for... the often-perplexing but growing turn away from organized religion.
National Catholic Reporter
Provocative and well-researched, Grounded is an admirable contribution to the understanding of contemporary American Christianity, which is in constant needs of reformation. May the church listen.
Religion News Service
Bass’ credentials... frequently help bridge the gap between those who practice Christianity and those who research it. ‘What makes her an unusual voice among commentators in American religion right now is that she’s a proponent of hopeful religion.’… Grounded champions a return to nature and an embrace of hospitality.
Christian Century
A profound and literary book.
Shauna Niequist
I absolutely love this book. I’ve long respected Diana Butler Bass for her intelligent, academic approach to the religious conversation, and never more so than in the pages of this book. Grounded made me love this beautiful world more deeply, and made God’s presence more visible everywhere I looked.
Glennon Doyle Melton
I’ve been grateful for Bass’s sharp mind, but upon finishing Grounded, I found myself in love with her mystical heart and gorgeous storytelling. We need to believe that God is with us, in dirt and water and suffering and homes and neighborhoods. God is definitely in this book.
Phyllis Tickle
Grounded is a wise and beautiful book. It is, in fact and in places, almost an anthem to the sacred unity of the physical and the spiritual in the formation of human faith and in the maturation of the human soul.
James Martin
An absolutely gorgeously written book about real faith in the real world.
Shane Claiborne
In Grounded, Diana Butler Bass brings theology back down to earth. She writes about the environment and about the church in a way that makes sense, feels authentic, and doesn’t put you to sleep. A stunning book that will open up new conversations in the church and beyond.
Deseret News
Americans’ search for the divine is alive and well, although it looks different than it has in the past. In Grounded, Bass investigates the spiritual lives of contemporary believers, questioning what happens when people expand their search for God beyond church buildings to the world around them.
Clarion Journal
With one part mysticism, one part theology, and one part ecology, each chapter takes us from a theologically sound understanding of the sacred nature of the natural world to a mystical understanding of tending that world, then to sections on real crises in our world, ecologically and economically.
Presence Journal
Although her ideas are revolutionary, the book is well grounded. Spiritual directors and other contemplatives will find themselves at home in Bass’s descriptions of experiencing the presence of God in everyday encounters in the world as well as the unexpectedly numinous in nature or sacred places.
Sister Simone Campbell
Beginning with earth (dirt), air (sky) and water Bass weaves an engaging story of interconnectedness ending in the revelation of the divine in the here and now. I thoroughly enjoyed the texture and twists of insights opening the stunning truth of emerging faith in our midst.
Booklist
Bass 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. A deeply theological book, but also a practical one; causes one to ponder the spiritual implications of farmers’ markets in altogether new ways.
Brian D. McLaren
‘There is nothing worse than sleeping through a revolution,’ Bass says. Her new book will not only help you wake up. It will equip you to be an enthusiastic participant in what I believe is the deepest and most important movement taking shape in our lifetime.
Richard Rohr
The reversing of engines that Diana Butler Bass describes in Grounded was first announced by Jesus himself, of course. How strange that it should seem so new and even revolutionary 2,000 years later.
Shelf Awareness
Bass blends anecdotes from her own experience with incisive social commentary and interviews with people committed to making a difference in their communities. … A thoughtful examination of the current trend toward social engagement and practical spirituality.
Walter Brueggemann
Diana Butler Bass’s thoughtful mandate amounts not so much to a dismissal of the church, but a summons to renewal that can be both faithful and contemporary. Her accent champions a connectedness to the actual context in which we live.
Spirituality and Practice
In this lyrical, mystical, and spiritual book, … Bass has made an important contribution by beautifully explaining a broader and more inclusive understanding of God that can be embraced by the spiritually independents (”spiritual but not religious”) and also by those rooted in one of the world’s religions.
Booklist
Bass 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. A deeply theological book, but also a practical one; causes one to ponder the spiritual implications of farmers’ markets in altogether new ways.
Shelf Awareness
Bass blends anecdotes from her own experience with incisive social commentary and interviews with people committed to making a difference in their communities. … A thoughtful examination of the current trend toward social engagement and practical spirituality.
National Catholic Reporter
Provocative and well-researched, Grounded is an admirable contribution to the understanding of contemporary American Christianity, which is in constant needs of reformation. May the church listen.
Christian Century
A profound and literary book.
Presence Journal
Although her ideas are revolutionary, the book is well grounded. Spiritual directors and other contemplatives will find themselves at home in Bass’s descriptions of experiencing the presence of God in everyday encounters in the world as well as the unexpectedly numinous in nature or sacred places.
Spirituality and Practice
In this lyrical, mystical, and spiritual book, … Bass has made an important contribution by beautifully explaining a broader and more inclusive understanding of God that can be embraced by the spiritually independents (”spiritual but not religious”) and also by those rooted in one of the world’s religions.
Religious Newswriters Association
With her usual blend of plain-talking and sharp insight, Diana Butler Bass brings into focus the usually fuzzy realm of the spiritual but not religious, providing a much-needed guidebook for... the often-perplexing but growing turn away from organized religion.
Religion News Service
Bass’ credentials... frequently help bridge the gap between those who practice Christianity and those who research it. ‘What makes her an unusual voice among commentators in American religion right now is that she’s a proponent of hopeful religion.’… Grounded champions a return to nature and an embrace of hospitality.
Booklist
Bass 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. A deeply theological book, but also a practical one; causes one to ponder the spiritual implications of farmers’ markets in altogether new ways.
Deseret News
Americans’ search for the divine is alive and well, although it looks different than it has in the past. In Grounded, Bass investigates the spiritual lives of contemporary believers, questioning what happens when people expand their search for God beyond church buildings to the world around them.
Clarion Journal
With one part mysticism, one part theology, and one part ecology, each chapter takes us from a theologically sound understanding of the sacred nature of the natural world to a mystical understanding of tending that world, then to sections on real crises in our world, ecologically and economically.
Hearts and Minds Books
Invites us to environmental stewardship, to living more attentive to God in the ordinary, being present to God’s ways in the neighborhood and the common space. Handsome, well written, and thought provoking - such are the makings of a good book, and this is one of the best of 2015.
So What Faith
Grounded offers a beautiful blend of personal story and the macro shift. A book about how people experience God that should be of particular interest to those who lead organized efforts related to such pursuits, especially those who seek to lead communities of faith called church.
Patheos Edges of Faith
Bass’s book offers a stunning path to be called again, not as believers seeking salvation, but as mystics, poets, and humans seeking integration, beauty, and wholeness. … Reading Grounded offers the needed reminder and invitation to experience again faith, God, and each other…. A wise, nuanced book.
Sojourners
Bass seems at peace with the role she has assumed in this faith landscape: witness, storyteller, and occasional wisdom-dispenser to an institution-overhauling generation. Grounded elucidates the centuries-long power structures that have propped up hierarchical religion, and where the present spiritual-but-not-religious energy may take us.
Hearts and Minds
Diana Butler Bass is a very important figure, a smart and charming writer, and her books should be on your list. …This is truly down-to-Earth theology, and… it is going to enrich and bless and deepen the lives of many.
Patheos
In Grounded, Butler Bass convincingly plants us and God squarely in the soil of this world, and gently invites us to get up out of the pews and take a long, meandering walk outside, where more and more people are finding and experiencing God.
Library Journal
10/01/2015
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.
