Sacred Travels: Recovering the Ancient Practice of Pilgrimage

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!

After reading this book, you will want to visit the sites mentioned within this volume. The incredible detail given makes the reader feel like he's actually there visiting the site with the author, as opposed to some frommer's travel guide where the site is listed and what happened there. Instead, George goes through the historical significance in a gentle way and slams the inevitable arugement of "what does this have to do with me?" by presenting theological applications and impact. If the chief end of man is to Glorify God and enjoy Him forever, (westminster cat. - shorter confession), then are we not to understand that this faith we have is not formed in some mental vacuum? Church history can be an intimate expression of praise and joy unto the Lord. Thanks to George for NOT letting this pass us by.

Mr. George does a great job of including history and personal experiences without giving either short shrift. His theology (somewhat different than mine) is clear without being overwhelming. Buy this book if you are considering traveling to any of the many sites he covers (are they extend beyond the usual pilgrimage sites).

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.

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.