Does life in the suburbs kill our souls? Without a spiritual focus, we can start acting as if the world's highest priorities are a perfect lawn, a daughter on the honor roll, and a son's victory in soccer. David Goetz shows that the suburbs are a real world but often a spiritually dead one.
For many busy American suburbanites, attending to one's spiritual life has become just another box to check off on the daily to-do list. We heed the call to join committee after committee and are promised that the more time and energy we give to the church community, the closer we'll feel to God. But although we seem to have it all together, with our yards perfectly manicured, our children's homework done, and the items for the church clothing drive folded neatly in plastic bags, we find that our suburban spirituality and religious life seem as artificially flavored as soda pop.
Death by Suburb is a wake-up call to suburbanites who have put their spiritual life on cruise control and let the caffeine-driven culture wreak havoc on their relationship with God. Combining witty anecdotes and a suburban insider's sometimes surreal experience, Goetz offers eight spiritual disciplines that can help you create what he calls a "thicker spiritual life" without having to leave your cul-de-sac comfort zone. Whether it means creating room for the ancient traditions of stillness and silent meditation or battling the hyper-competition that breeds in the suburbs, Goetz spells out concrete methods for nurturing the spiritual life amidst the noise and routine of daily suburban experience.
A great number of seekers find themselves in the seemingly unreal world of the suburbs. They read spirituality books but find themselves in carpools and coaching soccer, not in monasteries. Dave Goetz, a former pastor, shows that the suburbs are a real world, but a spiritually corrosive one. The land of SUVs and soccer leagues can truly be toxic to the soul. Suburbanites need to understand how the environment affects them and what spiritual disciplines are needed for their faith to survive and thrive. Goetz identifies eight toxins in the suburban life, such as hyper–competition and the "transactional" friendship, and suggests eight corresponding disciplines to keep the spiritual life authentic. Goetz weaves sociology studies, his own experiences, current events, wisdom of the spiritual masters, and a little humor to equip spiritual suburbanites for how to relate to God amidst Starbucks, strip–malls, and perfect lawns.
David L. Goetz is a former editor for Leadership Journal, the leading periodical for pastors, and a former pastor. He writes for Christianity Today and was the general editor of The Pastor's Soul series, which was nominated for the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association's Gold Medallion Book Award in 2000. He is president of CZ Marketing, a brand and strategy firm serving the nonprofit sector. Goetz lives with his family in Wheaton, Illinois.
Author: Dave Goetz
Located in: Wheaton, IL
Submitted: January 04, 2006
Tell us a little about yourself. I run a brand strategy company for nonprofits as well as middle-market service companies. Before starting my firm six years ago, I was an editor and product development manager at Christianity
Today, Inc. in Carol Stream, Il. I have written for Christianity Today, Christian History,
Marriage Partnership, and Leadership Journal. My wife and I are trying to raise three wild and
crazy kids as well as a Golden Retriever and a hampster named Noel.
What was your motivation behind this project? I grew up in rural North and South Dakota, so when I moved to the 'burbs, I realized that people here think differently.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? I hope folks will 1) become more reflective on how suburbia affects their lives, and 2) open themselves up to God through the 8 spiritual practices in the book.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? I have been shaped in part from all my reading of the Christian spirituality classics, including Madam Guyon, Francois Fenelson, Michael Molinas, and others. Richard Rohr, the Franscican, has also shaped my thinking, especially on the different spirituality journeys that men and women take in the second half of life.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: For free downloadable small group curriculum on the eight practices that come from the book, people can visit www.deathbysuburb.net.
Catalog Shopping
Membership
