A pastor walks out of the church and into the woods, in pursuit of the God he's lost. Millions of Americans, disillusioned with organized religion, yearn for meaning and transcendence in their lives, and many of them are finding that in nature. When pastor and theologian Tony Jones, PhD, had his crisis of faith, brought on by personal trauma and broken relationships, he sought solace in the outdoors-paddling a canoe, hunting with his dog, butchering deer. When he walked out of the church and into the woods, he left the orderly pews and numbered hymns for chaotic spaces and untamed wilderness. And he re-discovered God - a God who brings peace in the midst of storms, a God who lives in the community of our fellow creatures, a God who's acquainted with death. This is the God of wild places. In The God of Wild Places , Tony mines his own experiences, recent research in evolutionary psychology, and ancient wisdom from various spiritual and philosophical traditions to fashion lessons about solitude, the predator-prey relationship, the importance of place, risk, failure, and death, and the chaotic presence of God. Tony's guidance in The God of Wild Places promises to introduce a generation of Americans to the transcendence available only in untamed spaces; his writing draws on wisdom from Christianity to Buddhism, Kant to Cioran, Jim Harrison to Annie Dillard. This is a journey of loss and discovery through forests and fields, lakes and streams, from knowing to unknowing, from finding to losing-from life to death, and then back to life. This new paperback edition features a fresh preface from Tony, reflecting on the book's reception and the continuing search for the divine in nature. “A compelling, thematically rich, and deeply personal book, for readers exploring spirituality, personal growth, and the intricate relationship between faith and the natural world.” ―Library Journal “Jones offers thoughtful observations, rich inner conversation, and insightful spiritual musings. Whether outdoor enthusiasts or not, readers will find much to ponder.” ―Booklist “I have read a lot of books in my life, but never one like this. Wherever you are on the food chain-a passionate hunter like Tony or a cauliflower steak eater like me-this captivating memoir will take you places you might never have gone on your own: into the elemental mysteries of life, death, creatureliness, and divinity with someone who has turned from the orderliness of religion to find salvation in the God of the Wild. I'm glad I went.” ―Barbara Brown Taylor, author of Leaving Church and Learning to Walk in the Dark “I love this book. I love its honesty, its tenderness, its craft, its settings, its quests and questions, and the profound mysteries toward which it bows. It takes you places you need to go. And it is so well written you will reread many passages.” ―Brian McLaren, author, activist, and fly fisherman “Decades ago, a wise man told me that the best writing is honest writing. The God of Wild Places is exactly that, honest writing-beautifully honest. So pure, so true-reading it was like breathing the fresh, crisp air of Tony Jones's cherished wildlands. It is at once a theological history lesson and an autobiography, a rare work that inspires, teaches and entertains. I loved it!” ―Jim Shockey, host of Uncharted and author of Call Me Hunter “In his newest writing, Tony has managed to weave together into one beautiful but foreboding tapestry, the surprisingly unpredictable nature of life in the suburbs, with the unexpected but predictable cycles of nature in the wild places. I found myself leaning in toward the page and then beyond, into the counterintuitive teaching that has always been at the heart of the wisdom of the ages. I loved it!” ―Suzanne Stabile, author of The Path Between Us, The Journey Toward Wholeness, host of The Enneagram Journey Podcast, and co-author of The Road Back to You, with Ian Morgan Cron “In this unflinching memoir supported by theological reflection, Tony Jones lays bare his personal wounds and the injuries of humanity caused by a lack of deep natural connection. While groomed for a clerical career, he found more salvation in the woods with his trusted hunting dog at his side. 'Hunting has always been for survival,' he writes, adding to this fundamental human experience crucial spiritual and emotional dimensions. Jones's transcendent depictions of the various habitats of his prey-ducks, turkeys, deer, and elk who roam vast mountains, lakes, and woods-are like arrows targeting the divine sublime. He endures harrowing episodes and massive losses, always restoring himself in wild places. Ultimately, the lessons from his story of transformation offer an inspiring corrective to the corrosive consumerism and crude competition of modern life in America.” ―Jessica Carew Kraft, author of Why We Need to Be Wild: One Woman's Quest for Ancient Human Answers to 21st Century Problems “This is the story I have bee