Reviews
Two Silver Nautilus Award winners
The Nautilus Awards honor books that “inspire and connect our lives” and make “literary contributions to spiritual growth, conscious living, … responsible leadership and positive social change.” Karen has been honored to receive this award for both of her books.
PRAISE FOR TRUSTING CHANGE
“This book has come just in time, reminding us that our own capacity for transformation is as mighty as the roiling upheavals of these uncertain times. . . . Hering is a wise and generous guide, providing writing prompts, meditations, and stories, inviting us to look within and also beyond, for courage, strength, and trustworthy hope. This is a book to read quietly, by yourself, when change and loss come crashing down, and it is a book to read together, in circles of mutual support, building together the creative communities that keep us resilient and brave. In these pages we remember what changes we’ve already weathered. Trusting Change insists that our wisdom is old and deep, nimble, collective, and constantly evolving.”
—Victoria Safford, author of Walking Toward Morning and With or Without Candlelight
“Trusting Change spoke to me at a time when the world seems dark and uncertain and hope seems to evaporate without a trace. It opened the eyes of my heart to see what is deep inside the chrysalis: life wiggling and squirming in the mass of goo, which has rekindled my flickering hope. Our journey may encounter obstacles along the way, but we can trust that life finds a way when all roads seem closed. Let’s continue the journey of transformation with Trusting Change.”
—Eleazar S. Fernandez, author of Burning Center, Porous Borders and President of the Union Theological Seminary, Philippines
WRITING TO WAKE THE SOUL:
Named one of the best
spiritual books of 2013
by Spirituality and Practice honoring
Resources for Spiritual Journeys
“… insights and writing prompts arranged in such a way that their freshness shines.”
Reviewed by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Tikkun magazine, review by Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew:
“… a refreshingly socially conscious approach to writing as a spiritual practice…. Hering’s exercises are intimate conversations with self, the holy, others in a writing group, voices present in religious teachings, and the emergent, collective narrative of our culture….This is worthy, holy work.”
The Christian Century,
review by Cindy Crosby:
“We write for many reasons: to make sense of our world, to know ourselves and our motivations, to understand whether we believe in God—and if so, what we believe and what to do about it. Our lives, Hering says, are open-ended narratives, as is ‘the larger story we are all writing together.’ ‘Words are almost never enough,’ she writes. ‘And yet, they are all we have.’ Hering’s words—pastoral, comfortable, and provocative—are excellent company.”
From others:
“In this powerful, lovely, practical, and provocative book Karen Hering offers the world both a new form of ministry that transcends multiple traditional boundaries and profound evidence that the asking of unanswerable questions brings forth wide-open spiritual narratives of astonishing depth.”
—Mary Farrell Bednarowski, professor emerita of religious studies, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
“Waking up each day to engage in writing that wakes the soul is a delight. My soul yearns for a time when I can do contemplative writing. Having a guide on how to engage in such a kind of writing is an immensely precious gift. Karen Hering has given us that precious gift— Writing to Wake the Soul. Elegant, accessible, and poetically imaginative, Writing to Wake the Soul is a great companion to have in one’s spiritual journey. Don’t go without it!”
—Eleazar S. Fernandez, author of Burning Center, Porous Borders
“Profound in its clarity and completeness, here is a contemplative guide to awaken the nurturing spirit in each of us. At the essence of every spiritual journey is the task of finding our own footing on the path. Like a good guide, this book will take you by the hand as you journey, but only long enough to help you discover the compass and spiritual grounding you already carry within.”
—William C. Moyers, author of Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption
“Karen Hering offers her reading companions a seasoned writer’s elegant lines, a committed spiritual practitioner’s well earned discoveries, a teacher’s encouragement and provocative writing prompts…. The theological themes she illuminates are beautifully rendered, and while her definitions are often precise, she invites us to respond to them as expansively as possible. This is a most inspiring and practical guide that will appeal to a wide spectrum of spiritual seekers.”
—Julie Neraas, associate professor at Hamline University and author of Apprenticed to Hope: A Soucebook For Difficult Times