Customer Reviews

Losing Your Religion, Finding Your Faith: Spirituality for Young Adults

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Hoover's book is a good guide to any young adult graduating from high school and entering college or a vocation. He explains that many young adults do not lose their faith--they just find a new way to understand it. As they question their traditions, experiences, and religious convictions they see different aspects (probably because they are on their own).

Hoover describes the spiritual journey as a "Road Trip". Many people commute to work. Commuters are only concerned with getting to their destination. They dread the trip, ignore the sights, and think only of the end. Hoover points out that many people live their spiritual lives as commuters on the way to heaven. "Road Trips" involve rest stops, visiting, sight seeing, discussions, laughter, and growth. This, according to Hoover, is what the spiritual journey should be. Our growth should be enjoyable and have an awareness of the journey to heaven. Throughout the book this metaphor encourages discipline, an appreciation for tradition and discussion, and a seeking for spiritual growth and formation.

This book is a great book for any graduate.

LOSING YOUR RELIGION/FINDING YOUR FAITH, a book by Paulist priest Brett Hoover, presents relevant information regarding young adult spirituality. Hoover is qualified to write this work for two reasons. First, he has worked with young adults as a college campus minister. Second, he is also young himself and has personally navigated the "spiritual roadmap" he speaks of in his book . Hoover's basic premise is that young people are often raised in a religious tradition, but abandon it at college age. He does not see this as a reason for discouragement since many people rediscover their religion in a new and vital way. The book discusses many of the ways young people lives their faith in ways which are both familiar and different. Hoover has much to offer for people looking for ways to strengthen their faith and offers many suggestions for people hoping to deepen their faith. In many ways the book presents similar themes found in Scottie McLennan's FINDING YOUR RELIGION but the emphasis of the Hoover book is more specific to the Catholic faith. People who are looking to strengthen their faith as well as people in ministry will find this book helpful .

I bought this book because I've been investigating the religion I was brought up in. I found the book to be overly optimistic that one can readily walk back into a faith after becoming disillusioned with it. I think it's written by a Catholic man, but could be relevant to any Christian viewpoint. The author asserts that we don't really lose our faith, but "misplace it" because we don't like the religious environment we find it in. I would recommend this if you want to work your way back to a place of faith, but if you've already decided you want out, this won't help with affirming that decision.

Losing Your Religion, Finding Your Faith: Spirituality and Young AdultsExcellent advise, should be read by all young adults.