God Land

A Story of Faith, Loss, and Renewal in Middle America

In the wake of the 2016 election, Lyz Lenz watched as her country and her marriage were torn apart by the competing forces of faith and politics. A mother of two, a Christian, and a lifelong resident of middle America, Lenz was bewildered by the pain and loss around her - the empty churches and the broken hearts. What was happening to faith in the heartland?

From drugstores in Sydney, Iowa, to skeet shooting in rural Illinois, to the mega churches of Minneapolis, Lenz set out to discover the changing forces of faith and tradition in God's country. Part journalism, part memoir, God Land is a journey into the heart of a deeply divided America. Lenz visits places of worship across the heartland and speaks to the everyday people who often struggle to keep their churches afloat and to cope in a land of instability.

Through a thoughtful interrogation of the effects of faith and religion on our lives, our relationships, and our country, God Land investigates whether our divides can ever be bridged and if America can ever come together.

©2019 Lyz Lenz (P)2020 Tantor

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I finished listening to it in two sittings. it was a great quick listen.

Lyz understands God Land.

As Lyz mentions in the book, many denizens of Middle America claim that outsiders don’t really know them.

Lyz puts in the work and provides the life experience to speak as and about being a citizen of “God Land”.

Whiteness, evangelical Chrsitianity, Midwestern identity, and the values entailed are explored in Lyz’s journalistic work.

As an atheist I wonder just how much humans have to experience before they leave the church.

But I imagine Lyz’s very real story and history will resonate with many seeking to find a place in modern Christianity.

Such a thoughtful look at such an emotional thing

I found this to be a very intelligently assembled discussion on why still believe in something that seems to be actively excluding you. The writing is fast paced and smart and poetic all at the same time. Well worth the time!

Healing.

This book was not only well written but from the heart at the same time as informative. That is a hard thing to do simultaneously! This author is a brave woman, who is trailblazing the way of people, especially millennial women, that are no longer getting their needs met in the church.