Broadleaf Books, 2021
ISBN: 978-1506469645
Reviewed by Chris Holmes
_____________________________________________________________________________________
This book is a wonderful mix of personal experience, of theology, a deep love of Nature and a thorough dislike of patriarchy and the damage done by the religious hierarchy. Victoria writes that ‘my personal spirituality is rooted in the Christ tradition – a term I prefer over Christian, which is a label I find difficult to swallow these days’. She calls herself an ‘edge walker’ travelling the narrow space between the religious tradition she credits with having forged her soul and her direct and very personal experiences in Nature that have revealed a truth of their own. I believe that many of us can relate to that. There are parts of the book that a non-Christian may find unnecessary – Victoria does not shy away from explaining that the Bible has much to say about wilderness. If you are still in the Christ tradition then these chapters on the wild you might well find exhilarating – as I did.
Near the beginning of the book, Victoria says that ‘I longed for Church to be a place where Mystery is experienced, not explained’. There is indeed much about her personal experiences, particularly with animals, which are beautifully described – but there is also much explanation and guidance. The resources chapter at the end is very useful.
This felt like a very honest and open book, of someone still on the journey, full of wisdom and passion but with an engaging humility. Victoria Loorz is a spiritual director and cofounder of the Wild Church Network and Seminary of the Wild.