Sacred Travels: Recovering the Ancient Practice of Pilgrimage [Paperback]

Christian George (Author), Calvin Miller (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 6, 2006

The Christian life is a journey not just spiritually but also physically and experientially. As global travel becomes more accessible, new opportunities arise for these journeys to be spiritually significant. You may find yourself in historic places where Christian faith shaped entire civilizations. And you may realize that you too are being changed—from a tourist to a pilgrim. Christian George recovers the ancient spiritual practice of pilgrimage, in which travel to sacred sites leads to the transformation of the soul. In engaging narratives of his worldwide voyages, he follows in the footsteps of spiritual pilgrims from across the centuries, from Luther in Wartburg to Spurgeon in England. His travels to landmark places from Iona to Assisi give him not only a better understanding of his Christian heritage, but also of God's inner work in pilgrims throughout history and today. Come with Christian as he breaks bread with Benedictines in Ireland and worships with the Taizé community in France. Experience the transforming power of spiritual pilgrimage. And discover what it means to be a pilgrim as you follow God wherever he leads.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Pilgrim and wordsmith Christian George here shares himself unstintingly to make us see how visiting Christian places can expand us spiritually. Well done!" (J. I. Packer, Regent College, author of Knowing God )

"Sacred Travels is a perspective-giving memoir that sweeps its readers into church history and deep theological thought. The book is personal and poetic yet strikingly unpretentious. It's a series of journal entries that beckons human souls to grope for God. What I got from the book was a very creative reminder that while life on earth is temporal, living is a grand experience of learning to depend on the Lord." (Sarah Sumner, professor of theology and ministry, Azusa Pacific University, and author of Men and Women in the Church )

"Christian's project to 'recover the ancient practice of pilgrimage' is a timely one. . . . We armchair pilgrims need not be unengaged spectators when reading the book. For behind the good humor, the touching simplicity, the cleverness too, a morality tale in the medieval tradition is being told to us. And it is one that carries the nuances, the paradoxes, the wisdom and the joy so evident in the lives of our narrator and of many who have trodden the path of pilgrimage before him." (Patrick Fintan Lyons, OSB, Glenstal Abbey, Ireland )

"George is an explorer at every level. His is a fresh, and deep, new voice discovering the ancient paths as timeless, true and life-giving. History comes to life. The stones and saints speak. He's got me looking at maps and wondering where I last saw my backpack. For the ancient paths lead us forward." (Kelly Monroe Kullberg, author of Finding God Beyond Harvard: The Quest for Veritas )

"Christian George has a pilgrim heart and a soul sensitive to the sacred. These reflections on his pilgrim journeys to sites of spiritual significance provide just the right combination of memoir and invitation to stir the pilgrim spirit in us all. This book is written with a gentle spirit that whispers, 'You come, too.'" (J. Norfleete Day, Associate Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School )

"For more than half a century I have been a pilgrim; yet only through Christian's insightful pen have the journeys suddenly come full course, especially in the spiritual realm. Interestingly I first met Christian George in the midst of one of his pilgrimages. Traveler or not, young or old, this brief but life-changing volume puts the world and its journeys into perspective! Interweaving travel experience, historical vignettes and personal observation, Christian has given his readers the map to an edifying pilgrimage." (Dorothy Kelley Patterson, professor of theology in women's studies, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas )

"If you are weary of 'religious fast food' and of competing on the 'fast track,' then slow down and walk awhile with Christian George. You will discover the richness of the authentic pilgrim life. This is a stimulating guidebook for pilgrims who are serious about making progress in the things that matter most." (Warren W. Wiersbe, author and former general director, Back to the Bible )

"Considering that only 18 percent of U.S. adults hold a passport in the face of rapid globalization, it only follows that to be truly educated, Americans must commit themselves to travel. Christian George resurrects the sadly neglected Christian practice of the pilgrimage, saying in effect that not only do we travel to know the world better, we need to take spiritual journeys in order to learn more about ourselves. Sacred Travels is a book that will convince you to hurry to renew your passport or rush to apply for one." (Karen Mains, director, Journeys for Hungry Souls )

"Sacred Travels is a warm confessional written by a sojourner who has discovered the heart of God. It is in every sense a 'moving' book. . . . Thank God that Christian George poked around in the cold ashes, and found for us the living embers of old sacrifices. In this book, he kindled yesterday's coals into new fire." (From the foreword by Calvin Miller, author and professor, Beeson Divinity School )

Product Details

• Paperback: 179 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (December 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830835024
• ISBN-13: 978-0830835027
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #571,383 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Pilgrim's Tale, December 30, 2006

By 

Heather Zempel (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sacred Travels: Recovering the Ancient Practice of Pilgrimage (Paperback)

I've been looking forward to reading this book ever since I first heard it was coming out. Several months ago, I prepared to embark on my own pilgrimage to the Holy Land and was shocked at the dearth of writing on this ancient practice. Especially writing from a Protestant perspective. Three cheers for Christian George for digging up this important spiritual discipline and re-imagining it for emerging generations.

Weaving tales of personal travel with church history, theology, ecclesiology, and good old-fashioned Biblical story-telling, Christian offers us an opportunity to go on pilgrimage with him chapter by chapter. He demonstrates from personal experience the life-changing potential and spiritually transformative power of sacred travel. He helps us understand in a very practical way that pilgrimage is more than visiting "holy sites." It's about allowing God to turn our otherwise ordinary travels into holy opportunities, and it's about turning our everyday, ordinary walking-around lives into journeys with God because life is pilgrimage.

Christian packs this book full of history and biographical sketches of ancient fathers and modern-day saints. Even if you aren't interested in the idea of pilgrimage, it's worth reading from an historical perspective.

Two minor disappointments. First, I felt the book ended rather abruptly with no "next steps" for those who are ready to put this pilgrimage thing into practice. It was more descriptive than prescriptive. (Hopefully Christian is feverishly writing away on another more practical book that will give novice pilgrims practical ideas for integrating this practice into the fabric of their spiritual lives)

Secondly, I was shocked that there was nothing in the book on Jerusalem. In fact, there was very little on the more traditional pilgrimage sites of Israel, Egypt, and Turkey. Once again, I hope Christian gives us an opportunity to walk a mile or two in his Crocs after he has an opportunity to journey with God to those places.

Please read this book. After turning the final page, I wanted to read more. But more importantly, I yearned to run upstairs and start packing my backpack and atlas for another holy adventure. I am passionate about pilgrimage and the opportunity it offers for spiritual transformation, and I am so excited that Intervarsity Press has published this book for emerging generations of Christ-followers.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An adventure in Christian history and faith, April 7, 2007

By 

Annemarie Kidder (MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Travels: Recovering the Ancient Practice of Pilgrimage (Paperback)

This book is a treasure trove and a lens through which the sites of Christian history are illumined and brought to life. Characters from Augustine to Luther, from Benedict to Brother Roger, from Bunyan to Spurgeon speak and teach and preach, and we are placed in their company and allowed to listen and respond. Christian George is a master story teller, a word smith, a winsome companion along the road of Christian lore and legend, of history and mystery. He takes us by the hand with gusto and clear vision of his destination and abates all fears in the traveler by showing us his own vulnerability and subtle trepidation in the face of topography and divine presence. This book is both an invitation to go and see the way George does with his colorful, poetic, humorous perspective and a model for delving into the history of our Christian faith in the places of the heart. I recommend this book highly as a personal adventure in pilgrimage or for group exploration. Not only inveterate travelers or church history buffs, but also those whose faith has grown stale due to lacking circulation and exercise will find their muscles toned and their heart beat accelerated by these stories and testimonies spanning two thousand years of faith.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!, December 27, 2007

By 

Melissa Ward (Birmingham, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sacred Travels: Recovering the Ancient Practice of Pilgrimage (Paperback)

I enjoyed every aspect of this book! It appealed to my love of travel, as well as my desire to grow in my faith. I loved how Christian was able to tell interesting stories about fascinating places, and, at the same time, provide inspirational insights into his personal journey of faith. I cannot wait to read his future books!