Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us into the Sacred

Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us into the Sacred2024 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner in "Religion Spirituality of Western Thought" Category Winner of the Living Now Book Award, Church of the Wild reminds us that once upon a time, humans lived in an intimate relationship with nature. Whether disillusioned by the dominant church or unfulfilled by traditional expressions of faith, many of us long for a deeper spirituality. Victoria Loorz certainly did. Coping with an unraveling vocation, identity,

2024 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner in "Religion / Spirituality of Western Thought" Category

Winner of the Living Now Book Award, Church of the Wild reminds us that once upon a time, humans lived in an intimate relationship with nature.

Whether disillusioned by the dominant church or unfulfilled by traditional expressions of faith, many of us long for a deeper spirituality. Victoria Loorz certainly did. Coping with an unraveling vocation, identity, and planet, Loorz turned to the wanderings of spiritual leaders and the sanctuary of the natural world, eventually cofounding the Wild Church Network and Seminary of the Wild.

With an ecospiritual lens on biblical narratives and a fresh look at a community larger than our own species, Church of the Wild uncovers the wild roots of faith and helps us deepen our commitment to a suffering earth by falling in love with it--and calling it church. Through mystical encounters with wild deer, whispers from a scrubby oak tree, wordless conversation with a cougar, and more, Loorz helps us connect to a love that literally holds the world together--a love that calls us into communion with all creatures.

Author: Victoria Loorz
Publisher: Broadleaf Books
Published: 10/05/2021
Pages: 245
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.20w x 0.80d
ISBN: 9781506469645


Review Citation(s):
Shelf Awareness 10/05/2021

About the Author
Loorz, Victoria: - Victoria Loorz is a spiritual director and cofounder of the Wild Church Network and Seminary of the Wild. She is founding pastor of the Church of the Wild in Ojai, California, and Bellingham, Washington. Loorz earned her MDiv from Fuller Seminary and has a background in strategic visioning, product development, and marketing with large organizations like the Walt Disney, WellPoint Insurance, and World Vision. She has become a leading voice for including the natural world as a companion on the spiritual journey. Loorz's work and ministry have been covered by Spirituality & Health, Religion News Service, and other outlets, and she began the research for this book with a grant from Louisville Institute's Pastoral Study program. Loorz lives in Bellingham, Washington.