Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words [Hardcover]

Brian D. McLaren (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 15, 2011

“A rich, brilliant and important book: wonderfully readable and personal, filled with insight and wisdom, it invites us into practices that can transform our lives.” —Marcus J. Borg, author of Speaking Christian

“Brian McLaren is a bridge builder. In these simple yet profound spiritual practices he perfectly marries his evangelical heart and contemplative soul, and we are all richer for the union.” —Cynthia Bourgeault, author of Centering Prayer and The Wisdom Jesus

In the same way he revitalized our faith in A New Kind of Christianity, church leader Brian McLaren reinvigorates our approach to spiritual fulfillment in Naked Spirituality—by tearing down the old dogmatic practices that hamper our spiritual growth, and leading us toward the meaningful spiritual practices that can help transform our lives.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Wise, easy to read, and practical.” (Fr. Richard Rohr, author of The Naked Now )

“A rich, brilliant and important book: wonderfully readable and personal, filled with insight and wisdom, it invites us into practices that can transform our lives.” (Marcus J. Borg, author of Speaking Christian )

“Brian McLaren is a bridge builder. In these simple yet profound spiritual practices he perfectly marries his evangelical heart and contemplative soul, and we are all richer for the union.” (Cynthia Bourgeault, author of Centering Prayer and The Wisdom Jesus )

“McLaren’s trademark persuasiveness is put to good effect as he continues to shatter paradigms for spiritual seekers.” (Library Journal (starred review) )

“Anyone wanting to conserve the spiritual spark in themselves will find this book a gentle and generous tract.” (Publishers Weekly )

“These stories are honest and kind and good... they illustrated the life of a real and raw experience of God and the human responses we offer.... This guidebook to simple words for a not so simple spirituality is an incredible gift, a true asset to us, bread for the journey.” (Hearts and Minds )

“McLaren both charts an arc of the spiritual life and suggests practices to nurture [it]. . . . McLaren deserves endless thanks for reminding us that estrangement and no do not represent a breakdown of the spiritual life. . . . Naked Spirituality is very astute.” (Christian Century )

From the Back Cover

Christianity is in crisis. Many sincere Christians feel their traditional Christian practices are in danger of becoming irrelevant, empty rituals. In his previous book A New Kind of Christianity, Brian D. McLaren offered new biblical models for how we understand the central ideas of a faith that provides hope for restoring and reinvigorating the power of the gospels to transform us and our communities.

In Naked Spirituality, McLaren takes his prophetic work a step further by confronting how the lack of a simple, doable, durable spirituality undermines the very transformation God is calling us to undergo. As a result, our religious structures become tools to maintain the status quo and not catalysts for personal and social change. McLaren presents a four-stage framework for understanding the spiritual life, and he unfolds spiritual practices appropriate to each stage. Each practice is rooted in a simple word: here, thanks, O, sorry, help, please, when, no, why, behold, yes, and silence. Naked Spirituality offers accessible, practical wisdom for living a truly spiritual life. Staying true to Jesus's core message while engaging faithfully with our postmodern world, McLaren presents a proven spiritual program for engaging in and sustaining a meaningful relationship with God.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne (March 15, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061854018
• ISBN-13: 978-0061854019
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #393,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, pastor, and networker among innovative Christian leaders, thinkers, and activists. His groundbreaking books include A New Kind of Christian, A Generous Orthodoxy, The Secret Message of Jesus, and Everything Must Change. Named by Time magazine as one of America's top twenty-five evangelicals, McLaren has appeared on Nightline and Larry King Live, and has been covered by The Washington Post and the New York Times.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 62 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond Beautiful - or - It's Wednesday but Sunday's a Comin' March 31, 2011

By William Dahl VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Beyond Beautiful - or - It's Wednesday - But Sunday's A Comin'

Theologian Stanley Hauerwas has said, "Theology is not best understood as a system -- narrative might have something to do with theology."[i] Narrative is fine Stanley - but I'd like some tools that have practical application to my life, and those around me, as a person of faith. I'd also like some boots on the ground authenticity from the real life experiences of a fellow sojourner.

Enter Brian McLaren - Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words Here's the honest truth about the impact this book had on my life:

I had just finished Chapter 20 "Why - When You Have Come to Zero." My wife arrived home from work. She began to prepare dinner and I wandered into the kitchen to catch up together on the day's events - an uneventful Wednesday.

As we stood there chatting, the phone rang. It was our daughter Liz calling from her home in Utah. Liz and her fiancée Aaron had buried Aaron's mother on Monday - just two days ago. They had just received a phone call - Aaron's father had been killed in a car crash.

We concluded the tearful call with our daughter. I went into another room and sat silently - questions, remorse, sorrow, anger, dismay, confusion - ricocheting throughout my being. We ate half our dinner and adjourned to a couch. Jacki looked at me - sorrow and befuddled are two words that were embossed on her facial expression. We were both at zero - in shock - wounded - naked and fully exposed to the unconscionable in life. I leaned forward, grabbed my reading glasses and Brian's book. I turned to the first page of Chapter 20 and read the chapter aloud to my wife.

I looked up and closed the book. "Beautiful?" I remarked, gazing at my wife. - "Beyond Beautiful," she replied - as restorative waves of soothing, healing truth rolled through our souls.

In Naked Spirituality - A Life With God in 12 Simple Words Brian McLaren gets real with God, with life, the seasons inherent within human existence - sharing his boots on the ground experience as a fellow sojourner. Another formulaic, step-by-step, overly simplistic, bogus promise-laden landmine from an over-caffeinated evangelical Christian? Not Hardly.

At this stage in life, I need to learn from the experience of others...others who live in my world...the real world - the world of faith that Brian McLaren lives in. I'm worn out on opinions, perspectives and narrative nonsense of people trying to sell books - suggesting that "if you do this, you'll be fine."

In this book, Brian shares his own personal life lessons that are raw, real and uncut. McLaren's dance with language provides hues of color that I had overlooked in the life of. He provides vistas and vantage points where the reader can stand side-by-side with him gazing beyond what we are presently able to visualize. There's no artificial ingredients in the flavors McLaren serves up.

Take a seat with Brian McLaren - at his table - The table of life with the living God. Enjoy the feast that Naked Spirituality provides - one course at a time. Savor the tender, succulent, mysterious seasonings contained in each course: Here, Thanks, O, Sorry, Help, Please, When, No, Why, Behold, Yes and Silence.

No, this is not another fast-food systematic theology or another bland narrative. For us, Naked Spirituality is a unique and nutritious innovation from Brian McLaren - as he continues to evolve his craft in delivering fare for the faithful. There's one thing that separates Brian from the rest of the authors in faith and culture - he has eaten his own stuff before he allows anybody else to sample it in print. He readily identifies the faith dishes he has dined on, admits the tastes he has worn out, the spices that have turned out to be bland, the sinew of life he has choked on - the wards of people he has encountered, hospitalized after being poisoned with the fare of faith served up with a seal of God attached to it.

"Beautiful?" - "Yes - Beyond Beautiful."

For us, this book was, and shall be, both a timely and enduring blessing. For us, it was It's Wednesday - But Sunday's a Comin'.

Forgive me Tony - Thank you Brian!

Please pray for our daughter Liz, son-in-law Aaron and their daughter Rebekka.

This book is precious - so is life - so is the privilege of relationship with the living God - here - today - in any and all circumstances - even when you're at zero....or not.

NOTES

[i] Hauerwas, Stanley Hannah's Child - A Theologian's Memoir, Wm. B. Eerdsman Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, MI, Cambridge, U.K. Copyright © 2010 by Stanley Hauerwas, p.63. --- Please don't misinterpret my quote from Dr. Hauerwas. His life, and the book from which this quote is excerpted - are distinctly admired by me - and many others.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Discovering An Authentic Spirituality May 28, 2011

By Brian

Format:Hardcover

Naked Spirituality is for anyone who wants to strip away the clutter of traditional religious trappings and dive into a deeper, purer, and more meaningful spirituality. Reading it feels like a quick dip in a cool pond on a hot day. For those of you who didn't grow up on a farm, that is a good thing! Totally refreshing.

Let me allow McLaren to introduce the book. In the Preface of Naked Spirituality, he says, "This book is about getting naked - not physically, but spiritually. It's about stripping away the symbols and status of public religion - the Sunday-dress version people often call 'organized religion.' And it's about attending to the well-being of the soul clothed only in naked human skin" (ix). Then, in an interview on my blog, McLaren said: "In a single sentence, I hope the book helps a wide range of people become more vulnerable to a genuine and transformative experience of God's presence in their lives." Indeed, it does that. Naked Spirituality invites people to leave behind the masks and pretences that most of us drag around. It then helps us to find practical ways to enjoy a better, more authentic, and more spiritual life.

Naked Spirituality is focused around twelve meditative words that serve as spiritual practices: here (opening to God's abiding presence), thanks (expanding our sense of gratitude and enoughness), O (soaking up the joy of life and God), sorry (living honestly and transforming wrongs), help (empowering ourselves to ask for help from God and others), please (relying on the support of God and others to get through difficulties), when (aspire after a better life and world), no (allowing ourselves to acknowledge pain, lament about our troubles, and refuse a problematic life and world), why (allowing ourselves and others to ask God the difficult questions that arise from pain and doubt), behold (mindfully noticing and appreciating the indescribable goodness of God and the world), yes (joining and engaging in the sacred mission of God) , and [...] (enjoying moments of silence and contemplation).

McLaren weaves together pithy writing, evocative Scripture, powerful stories, intriguing quotes, enriching poetry, thoughtful song lyrics, etc. in order to help the reader dive deeply into these spiritual practices. Straight up prose would have been too dry - and boring. Thankfully the many different kinds of writing that McLaren uses keeps the spiritually thirsty reader both satiated and engaged. He also provides an appendix with suggestions for group practice, body prayers, and spoken prayers.

This book is not a cheesy self-help book that provides the 10 easy steps to spiritual enlightenment. Those books are a dime a dozen. Instead, Naked Spirituality provides 12 meditative concepts to consider, and then allows each reader to develop the spiritual practices that will best help them embody the spiritual ideas. In other words, McLaren dignifies the reader for having a brain, heart, and context that might be different from his own - and other readers. Instead of spoon-fed religiosity, McLaren invites others to dive in and explore the waters with him.

To conclude this review, here is a taste of how McLaren describes the spiritual life:

"There is a river that runs like a song through this world, a river of sacredness, a river of beauty, a river of reverence and justice and goodness. I know that some people have only rarely seen or barely sensed it. But I also know that you and I are learning to live like green trees along its shore, drawing its vitality into us, and passing it on for the healing of our world. Its waters are clear, refreshingly cool, and clean, and if you care, you can strip naked, dive in, and swim" (237).

Naked Spirituality is full of quality writing like that quote. If you want to connect more deeply to God and your own authentic self, treat yourself to this refreshing, rejuvenating book. It will help you strip off the rags of tired religion and dive into the Healing River of God.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of Naked Spirituality by Brian McLaren May 2, 2011

By tghali

Format:Hardcover

I loved Brian McLaren's latest book, Naked Spirituality - A Life With God in 12 Simple Words. It was sent to me by The Ooze Network as part of their Viral Bloggers program. I am not required to write a positive review so know that these are my honest thoughts.

In truth, the book caught me my surprise. There wasn't a lot of attention surrounding it, not much praise, no criticisms, not even a "Farewell Brian McLaren" tweet. In looking back on it, I think we all know why. Which in some way, it made the reading experience a little more satisfying to me.

The point of the book is about getting naked - not physically, but spiritually. It's about stripping away the symbols and status of public religion - the Sunday-dress version people often call "organized religion". There is a number of audiences this book could work for. The obvious one is anyone interested in spiritual formation. Second is the over-churched or those that are very discontent with the idea of "organized religion". In the intro, Brian says he is also writing to the "Spiritual but Religious". And I'll agree, especially for the "intelligent unchurched and seeking" (Check out his video below).

Good books begin well (they should end well too) and I appreciated his introduction of why he incorporates the term "naked". Frankly, I wince any time the term is mentioned in public, especially in a Christian setting. But Brian echoes Jesus here and says when the Lord taught his disciples to pray, he said go in your closet, where you are naked, and when you pray be "naked" before the Lord. Naked = void of all pretense, absent of all self-righteousness, completely baring your pure, soul to your Maker. In this sense, not only is the imagery not awkward, but the idea of soul to soul with God is quite beautiful and appropriate for prayer..

I was fortunate enough to hear this material on one of our Biblical Seminary retreats last year. Speaking for so many of us, we loved it. His insights on spiritual formation are fantastic. Years of pastoral ministry, his more recent work in traveling and writing and his personal seeking of the Lord offers so much wisdom that it's a joy to read and reflect upon. It was interesting to read some of the points and illustrations he used during our time together.

Most people know Brian as a postmodern type who is vague and objectively elusive but in this book, he is reflective and very transparent. In fact, I'm interested in seeing the feedback here. My hope is that some of his critics will be moved by his God-fearing heart.

Anyway, here's a summary of what I liked:

Among the reasons I appreciate Brian is his humility. I've seen him speak a number of times and read his books - even when I disagree with his points, I always appreciate the way he intelligently articulates himself with such humility.

The "12 Words" are pretty solid (wasn't sure I would but It resonated very much with me). I'm rarely satisfied with any book/subtitle that claims to have "10 Steps for Better-living" but this worked for me. What I really liked were the double chapters that looked at each word from different angles. This not allowed for shorter chapters but allowed the reader to really appreciate the two angles on the same word. The twelve words he uses are Here, Thanks, O, Sorry, Help, Please, When, No, Why, Behold, Yes and "..." (which is a cool idea).

He also divides the 12 words into the "4 Seasons of Life". Thinking about these words with the backdrop of these seasons of life was an added feature as opposed to seeing the words "Part 2".

His sources - Kempis, Rohr, Merton, Bruggemann, Lewis, Yancey. Need more of some, can't have enough of others.

An excellent appendix too that includes a section on Group Practices, Body Prayers, Simple Prayers and Discussion Guide.

Appreciated his diverse inclusions from different religions but his central emphasis on Jesus. Brian is gifted at showing the reader God's goodness found in not so obvious places. For those who appreciate the idea of natural law/grace, there's some great anecdotes here.

For people who pray, this is a must read.

His reinterpretation of the Prayer of Jabez. Seriously, it's about time someone wrote about this prayer that Bruce Wilkerson hijacked and made millions from.

I loved the emphasis on the Holy Spirit. He even articulates a great case for Pentecostalism. Now I'm not persuaded to be Pentecostal in the "traditional Pentecostal" sense but I did appreciate where he was coming from.

What I wasn't sure about:
Brian always throws me a bit with his love for evolution. I'm all for micro-evolution and he always depicts God as the Creator and the Divine Hand behind it all but as an honest reader, I wonder if he credits too much to the theory of evolution (It's still a theory, right?). Brian loves nature and I appreciate his insights but sometimes I find the evolution commercials to be distracting.

Only 12 words? I'm sure he had a list of 50 and many of these words were probably synonymous with each other. I would have been interested in seeing the words that didn't make it - is there a B-sides project here?

My most critical point is I think he took it a little easy on "The Season of Spiritual Surviving" section. I found myself wondering if he was avoiding controversy or just a much godly person than me. Don't get me wrong, it was honest, it was pastoral, it invoked hope, etc. but if I had to narrate my inner monologue, I think I was looking for some more anger and emptiness. I'm also a big Radiohead fan so maybe it's unfair to project my presuppositions here.

Conclusion

For Gen-Xers who were moved by Richard Foster and Dallas Willard, I think this book is perfect for you. It's fresher. In comparison to Celebration of Discipline, one of the most influential books of my life, Naked Spirituality does an excellent job in reminding you that you are naked in your closet before the Lord. Your closet is still connecting to your home, your neighborhood, your world. You're naked but in some sense, so is everyone else - they may just not realize that they are before God. This is my favorite feature of the book and I highly recommend it.