Grounded: Finding God in the World-A Spiritual Revolution

by Diana Butler Bass

Overview

The headlines are clear: religion is on the decline in America as many people leave behind traditional religious practices. Diana Butler Bass, leading commentator on religion, politics, and culture, follows up her acclaimed book Christianity After Religion by arguing that what appears to be a decline actually signals a major transformation in how people understand and experience God. The distant God of conventional religion has given way to a more intimate sense of the sacred that is with us in the world. This shift, from a vertical understanding of God to a God found on the horizons of nature and human community, is at the heart of a spiritual revolution that surrounds us – and that is challenging not only religious institutions but political and social ones as well.

Grounded explores this cultural turn as Bass unpacks how people are finding new spiritual ground by discovering and embracing God everywhere in the world around us—in the soil, the water, the sky, in our homes and neighborhoods, and in the global commons. Faith is no longer a matter of mountaintop experience or institutional practice; instead, people are connecting with God through the environment in which we live. Grounded guides readers through our contemporary spiritual habitat as it points out and pays attention to the ways in which people experience a God who animates creation and community.

Bass brings her understanding of the latest research and studies and her deep knowledge of history and theology to Grounded. She cites news, trends, data, and pop culture, weaves in spiritual texts and ancient traditions, and pulls it all together through stories of her own and others' spiritual journeys. Grounded observes and reports a radical change in the way many people understand God and how they practice faith. In doing so, Bass invites readers to join this emerging spiritual revolution, find a revitalized expression of faith, and change the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062328571
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/06/2015
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
File size:	979 KB

About the Author

Diana Butler Bass (Ph.D., Duke) is an award-winning author of eleven books, popular speaker, inspiring preacher, and one of America's most trusted commentators on religion and contemporary spirituality, especially where faith intersects with politics and culture.

Her bylines include The New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN.com, Atlantic.com, USA Today, Huffington Post, Christian Century, and Sojourners. She has commented in the media widely including on CBS, CNN, PBS, NPR, CBC, FOX, Sirius XM, TIME, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Mother Jones, and in multiple global news outlets.

Her website is dianabutlerbass.com and she can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. She writes a twice-weekly newsletter - The Cottage - which can be found on Substack. 

Table of Contents

Introduction

Genesis 1

Part 1 Natural Habitat 27

Chapter 1 Dirt 31

Chapter 2 Water 65

Chapter 3 Sky 97

Part 2 Human Geography 127

Chapter 4 Roots 133

Chapter 5 Home 163

Chapter 6 Neighborhood 193

Chapter 7 Commons 233

Conclusion

Revelation 267

Afterword 281

Acknowledgments 285

"God, We Wonder Where to Find You" Hymn 289

Forty Days with Grounded: A Devotional 291

Notes 335

Index 361

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/10/2015
In her excellent treatise, Bass (Christianity After Religion) addresses the apparent decline of religious practice in America. In cogent, convincing arguments, she declares the current state of religion as not dying but transforming. Bass juxtaposes the postcard church—its static, pristine steeple pointing to heaven above—with the energetic church of community-oriented churchgoers across the Earth. “God is with us. Here,” she states. In her introduction, Bass explains the chapters that follow, including strengthening her own journey, respecting all faiths, and asking “Where is God?” within each given subject. “Natural Habitat” ponders dirt, water, and sky; “Human Geography” covers roots, home, neighborhood, and commons. Her conclusion comes with the revelation and defense of “an ongoing spiritual evolution.” She often quotes fellow religious writers (from Sam Harris to Hildegard) and tells transformative stories (from finding her Quaker roots, to mourning with a man on a plane). Bass’s biblical and effusive style, always mixing the personal with the political and scriptural, finds a deeper, more profound register in this latest book. It is a call to arms, sure to inspire Bass’s intimate fan base committed to a Christian revolution. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

With her usual blend of plain-talking and sharp insight, Diana Butler Bass brings into focus the usually fuzzy realm of the spiritual but not religious, providing a much-needed guidebook for... the often-perplexing but growing turn away from organized religion.” — Religious Newswriters Association

“I’ve been grateful for Bass’s sharp mind, but upon finishing Grounded, I found myself in love with her mystical heart and gorgeous storytelling. We need to believe that God is with us, in dirt and water and suffering and homes and neighborhoods. God is definitely in this book.” — Glennon Doyle Melton, author of Carry On, Warrior

“Provocative and well-researched, Grounded is an admirable contribution to the understanding of contemporary American Christianity, which is in constant needs of reformation. May the church listen.” — National Catholic Reporter

“A profound and literary book.” — Christian Century

“Bass’ credentials... frequently help bridge the gap between those who practice Christianity and those who research it. ‘What makes her an unusual voice among commentators in American religion right now is that she’s a proponent of hopeful religion.’… Grounded champions a return to nature and an embrace of hospitality.” — Religion News Service

“In her excellent treatise, [Bass] declares the current state of religion as not dying but transforming…. Bass’s biblical and effusive style, always mixing the personal with the political and scriptural, finds a deeper, more profound register in this latest book.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Grounded is a wise and beautiful book. It is, in fact and in places, almost an anthem to the sacred unity of the physical and the spiritual in the formation of human faith and in the maturation of the human soul.” — Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence

“In Grounded, Diana Butler Bass brings theology back down to earth. She writes about the environment and about the church in a way that makes sense, feels authentic, and doesn’t put you to sleep. A stunning book that will open up new conversations in the church and beyond.” — Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution

“I absolutely love this book. I’ve long respected Diana Butler Bass for her intelligent, academic approach to the religious conversation, and never more so than in the pages of this book. Grounded made me love this beautiful world more deeply, and made God’s presence more visible everywhere I looked.” — Shauna Niequist, author of Savor and Bread & Wine

“An absolutely gorgeously written book about real faith in the real world.” — James Martin, SJ, author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage

“In this lyrical, mystical, and spiritual book, … Bass has made an important contribution by beautifully explaining a broader and more inclusive understanding of God that can be embraced by the spiritually independents (”spiritual but not religious”) and also by those rooted in one of the world’s religions. ” — Spirituality and Practice

“‘There is nothing worse than sleeping through a revolution,’ Bass says. Her new book will not only help you wake up. It will equip you to be an enthusiastic participant in what I believe is the deepest and most important movement taking shape in our lifetime.” — Brian D. McLaren, speaker, activity, and author of A New Kind of Christianity

“The reversing of engines that Diana Butler Bass describes in Grounded was first announced by Jesus himself, of course. How strange that it should seem so new and even revolutionary 2,000 years later.” — Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Center for Action and Contemplation

“Diana Butler Bass’s thoughtful mandate amounts not so much to a dismissal of the church, but a summons to renewal that can be both faithful and contemporary. Her accent champions a connectedness to the actual context in which we live.” — Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary

“Americans’ search for the divine is alive and well, although it looks different than it has in the past. In Grounded, Bass investigates the spiritual lives of contemporary believers, questioning what happens when people expand their search for God beyond church buildings to the world around them.” — Deseret News

“With one part mysticism, one part theology, and one part ecology, each chapter takes us from a theologically sound understanding of the sacred nature of the natural world to a mystical understanding of tending that world, then to sections on real crises in our world, ecologically and economically.” — Clarion Journal

“Bass digs her fingers into the soil of our surroundings to unearth a new way of looking at spirituality and our place within our increasingly global neighborhood. A deeply theological book, but also a practical one; causes one to ponder the spiritual implications of farmers’ markets in altogether new ways.” — Booklist

“Beginning with earth (dirt), air (sky) and water Bass weaves an engaging story of interconnectedness ending in the revelation of the divine in the here and now. I thoroughly enjoyed the texture and twists of insights opening the stunning truth of emerging faith in our midst.” — Sister Simone Campbell, author of A Nun on a Bus

“Bass blends anecdotes from her own experience with incisive social commentary and interviews with people committed to making a difference in their communities. … A thoughtful examination of the current trend toward social engagement and practical spirituality.” — Shelf Awareness

“Although her ideas are revolutionary, the book is well grounded. Spiritual directors and other contemplatives will find themselves at home in Bass’s descriptions of experiencing the presence of God in everyday encounters in the world as well as the unexpectedly numinous in nature or sacred places.” — Presence Journal

From the Publisher

With her usual blend of plain-talking and sharp insight, Diana Butler Bass brings into focus the usually fuzzy realm of the spiritual but not religious, providing a much-needed guidebook for... the often-perplexing but growing turn away from organized religion.

Religious Newswriters Association

Provocative and well-researched, Grounded is an admirable contribution to the understanding of contemporary American Christianity, which is in constant needs of reformation. May the church listen.

National Catholic Reporter

Bass’ credentials... frequently help bridge the gap between those who practice Christianity and those who research it. ‘What makes her an unusual voice among commentators in American religion right now is that she’s a proponent of hopeful religion.’… Grounded champions a return to nature and an embrace of hospitality.

Religion News Service

A profound and literary book.

Christian Century

I absolutely love this book. I’ve long respected Diana Butler Bass for her intelligent, academic approach to the religious conversation, and never more so than in the pages of this book. Grounded made me love this beautiful world more deeply, and made God’s presence more visible everywhere I looked.

Shauna Niequist

I’ve been grateful for Bass’s sharp mind, but upon finishing Grounded, I found myself in love with her mystical heart and gorgeous storytelling. We need to believe that God is with us, in dirt and water and suffering and homes and neighborhoods. God is definitely in this book.

Glennon Doyle Melton

Grounded is a wise and beautiful book. It is, in fact and in places, almost an anthem to the sacred unity of the physical and the spiritual in the formation of human faith and in the maturation of the human soul.

Phyllis Tickle

An absolutely gorgeously written book about real faith in the real world.

James Martin

In Grounded, Diana Butler Bass brings theology back down to earth. She writes about the environment and about the church in a way that makes sense, feels authentic, and doesn’t put you to sleep. A stunning book that will open up new conversations in the church and beyond.

Shane Claiborne

Americans’ search for the divine is alive and well, although it looks different than it has in the past. In Grounded, Bass investigates the spiritual lives of contemporary believers, questioning what happens when people expand their search for God beyond church buildings to the world around them.

Deseret News

With one part mysticism, one part theology, and one part ecology, each chapter takes us from a theologically sound understanding of the sacred nature of the natural world to a mystical understanding of tending that world, then to sections on real crises in our world, ecologically and economically.

Clarion Journal

Although her ideas are revolutionary, the book is well grounded. Spiritual directors and other contemplatives will find themselves at home in Bass’s descriptions of experiencing the presence of God in everyday encounters in the world as well as the unexpectedly numinous in nature or sacred places.

Presence Journal

Beginning with earth (dirt), air (sky) and water Bass weaves an engaging story of interconnectedness ending in the revelation of the divine in the here and now. I thoroughly enjoyed the texture and twists of insights opening the stunning truth of emerging faith in our midst.

Sister Simone Campbell

Bass digs her fingers into the soil of our surroundings to unearth a new way of looking at spirituality and our place within our increasingly global neighborhood. A deeply theological book, but also a practical one; causes one to ponder the spiritual implications of farmers’ markets in altogether new ways.

Booklist

‘There is nothing worse than sleeping through a revolution,’ Bass says. Her new book will not only help you wake up. It will equip you to be an enthusiastic participant in what I believe is the deepest and most important movement taking shape in our lifetime.

Brian D. McLaren

The reversing of engines that Diana Butler Bass describes in Grounded was first announced by Jesus himself, of course. How strange that it should seem so new and even revolutionary 2,000 years later.

Richard Rohr

Bass blends anecdotes from her own experience with incisive social commentary and interviews with people committed to making a difference in their communities. … A thoughtful examination of the current trend toward social engagement and practical spirituality.

Shelf Awareness

Diana Butler Bass’s thoughtful mandate amounts not so much to a dismissal of the church, but a summons to renewal that can be both faithful and contemporary. Her accent champions a connectedness to the actual context in which we live.

Walter Brueggemann

In this lyrical, mystical, and spiritual book, … Bass has made an important contribution by beautifully explaining a broader and more inclusive understanding of God that can be embraced by the spiritually independents (”spiritual but not religious”) and also by those rooted in one of the world’s religions.

Spirituality and Practice

Bass digs her fingers into the soil of our surroundings to unearth a new way of looking at spirituality and our place within our increasingly global neighborhood. A deeply theological book, but also a practical one; causes one to ponder the spiritual implications of farmers’ markets in altogether new ways.

Booklist

Bass blends anecdotes from her own experience with incisive social commentary and interviews with people committed to making a difference in their communities. … A thoughtful examination of the current trend toward social engagement and practical spirituality.

Shelf Awareness

Provocative and well-researched, Grounded is an admirable contribution to the understanding of contemporary American Christianity, which is in constant needs of reformation. May the church listen.

National Catholic Reporter

A profound and literary book.

Christian Century

Although her ideas are revolutionary, the book is well grounded. Spiritual directors and other contemplatives will find themselves at home in Bass’s descriptions of experiencing the presence of God in everyday encounters in the world as well as the unexpectedly numinous in nature or sacred places.

Presence Journal

In this lyrical, mystical, and spiritual book, … Bass has made an important contribution by beautifully explaining a broader and more inclusive understanding of God that can be embraced by the spiritually independents (”spiritual but not religious”) and also by those rooted in one of the world’s religions.

Spirituality and Practice

With her usual blend of plain-talking and sharp insight, Diana Butler Bass brings into focus the usually fuzzy realm of the spiritual but not religious, providing a much-needed guidebook for... the often-perplexing but growing turn away from organized religion.

Religious Newswriters Association

Bass’ credentials... frequently help bridge the gap between those who practice Christianity and those who research it. ‘What makes her an unusual voice among commentators in American religion right now is that she’s a proponent of hopeful religion.’… Grounded champions a return to nature and an embrace of hospitality.

Religion News Service

Bass digs her fingers into the soil of our surroundings to unearth a new way of looking at spirituality and our place within our increasingly global neighborhood. A deeply theological book, but also a practical one; causes one to ponder the spiritual implications of farmers’ markets in altogether new ways.

Booklist

Americans’ search for the divine is alive and well, although it looks different than it has in the past. In Grounded, Bass investigates the spiritual lives of contemporary believers, questioning what happens when people expand their search for God beyond church buildings to the world around them.

Deseret News

With one part mysticism, one part theology, and one part ecology, each chapter takes us from a theologically sound understanding of the sacred nature of the natural world to a mystical understanding of tending that world, then to sections on real crises in our world, ecologically and economically.

Clarion Journal

Invites us to environmental stewardship, to living more attentive to God in the ordinary, being present to God’s ways in the neighborhood and the common space. Handsome, well written, and thought provoking - such are the makings of a good book, and this is one of the best of 2015.

Hearts and Minds Books

Grounded offers a beautiful blend of personal story and the macro shift. A book about how people experience God that should be of particular interest to those who lead organized efforts related to such pursuits, especially those who seek to lead communities of faith called church.

So What Faith

Bass’s book offers a stunning path to be called again, not as believers seeking salvation, but as mystics, poets, and humans seeking integration, beauty, and wholeness. … Reading Grounded offers the needed reminder and invitation to experience again faith, God, and each other…. A wise, nuanced book.

Patheos Edges of Faith

Bass seems at peace with the role she has assumed in this faith landscape: witness, storyteller, and occasional wisdom-dispenser to an institution-overhauling generation. Grounded elucidates the centuries-long power structures that have propped up hierarchical religion, and where the present spiritual-but-not-religious energy may take us.

Sojourners

Diana Butler Bass is a very important figure, a smart and charming writer, and her books should be on your list. …This is truly down-to-Earth theology, and… it is going to enrich and bless and deepen the lives of many.

Hearts and Minds

In Grounded, Butler Bass convincingly plants us and God squarely in the soil of this world, and gently invites us to get up out of the pews and take a long, meandering walk outside, where more and more people are finding and experiencing God.

Patheos

10/01/2015
Historian Bass (A People's History of Christianity) follows up on her popular Christianity After Religion, an exploration of the growing number of people who identify as "spiritual but not religious." Bass believes this shift amounts to another Great Awakening and that it signifies, not the end of religion or faith, but its transformation away from the hierarchical toward the personal and individual experience of God in the world and the self, as well as toward communities and the common good. While much of what Bass says is derivative—of authors such as Phyllis Tickle and even of Bass's earlier works—she will likely draw new readers as she presents what churches need to hear. VERDICT Bass's dedicated readers will get a great deal from this work, but those new to her message will benefit as well.

Library Journal