Leaving Church

A Memoir of Faith

Have you ever felt like you’ve had more questions than answers? Have you ever been troubled by the hard truth that life is equal parts disappointment and hope?

New York Times bestselling author Barbara Brown Taylor in Leaving Church shares, “This is not the life I planned, or the life I recommend to others. But it is the life that has turned out to be mine, and the central revelation in it for me—that the call to serve God is first and last the call to be fully human—seems important enough to witness to on paper. This book is my attempt to do that.”

Once hailed as one of America’s most effective and beloved preachers, eloquently tells the moving and delightful story of her search to find an authentic way of being Christian—even when it meant giving up her pulpit.

Leaving Church will remind you to observe the world around you, that you’re not alone if you’re struggling with your faith, and to never give up on your search for authenticity. This book is more than a memoir, it is a profound yet fresh wilderness experience that will remind you to keep walking in your faith.

Praise for Leaving Church:

“This beautiful book is rich with wit and humanness and honesty and loving detail….I cannot overstate how liberating and transforming I have found Leaving Church to be.” —Frederick Buechner, author of Beyond Words

“A finely crafted memoir . . . a rich evocation of her lifelong love affair with God.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Taylor is a better writer than LaMott and a better theologian than Norris. ...she is the best there is.” — Living Church

Wonderfully moving story of openness, faith and burnout.

Barbara Brown Taylor expresses what so many of us are feeling. We long for something we can’t quite put into words and seek to meet that longing by committing to work we believe in. When our efforts are not enough, we try harder, driving ourselves and those around us to suffer, and losing the joy to which we are called.

Her beautiful, compassionate writing and her gentle humor let me go deeper into things I hadn’t fully articulated. I felt seen, cared for and set free.

Extraordinary!

Would you consider the audio edition of Leaving Church to be better than the print version?

I did not read the print version

What was one of the most memorable moments of Leaving Church?

When BBT began speaking of the difference between the life of faith and the life of "Mother Church," and the demands Mother Church places on the person of faith -- demands which can negatively nuance the person's faith walk.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I loved the fact that the reader had some characteristics (like over-pronounced consonants at the ends of words) that characterize BBT's speaking style. I did not care for the reader's predictable inflections, which gave the narration a "sing-song" quality.

loved it,

Well written. Helps one to get out of the traditional "safe" boxes of life to enter into the greater life that God has offered to each of us.

A good read.

Leaving Church was excellent. Barbara told her journey into spirituality and becoming an ordained minister and on to leaving ministry and her relationship with God throughout. As a therapist, I can relate to caregiver fatigue, even when you love what you do. I have also chased my spirituality sometimes doing better without being tied to a church, and sometimes needing what a church can provide. This provided some excellent perspective. I highly recommend!

Engaged me head, heart, faith and bodily

Perhaps it’s because I’ve been on a similar journey - but I know these are salient questions for many… BBT shares here in a way that helps me ponder, wonder and heal.

I do prefer it when she personally reads, but
Can’t complain about this narrator.

I’m really grateful for this “offering “