From Willow Creek to Sacred Heart: Rekindling My Love for Catholicism

In the spirit of Merton's Seven Storey Mountain and Dorothy Day's The Long Loneliness, Chris Haw's From Willow Creek to Sacred Heart chronicles the journey of a young Christian seeking a personalrelationship with Christ within the context of a faith community committed to love, justice, and solidarity with the poor. Haw's journey spans contemporary American Christianity - from a nominal Catholic background to megachurch Evangelicalism, to a new monastic community, and then to Catholicism after an intense spiritual experience on Good Friday.

Raised outside of Chicago, Haw experienced a tragedy in high school and was embraced by Willow Creek, a dynamic megachurch with thousands of active members and dozens of ministries. He became active at Willow Creek and, with a younger generation of radical evangelicals that include bestselling authors Rob Bell and Shane Claiborne, became a leader of the emergent church and new monastic movements. Haw founded an intentional Christian community in Camden, New Jersey, and soon after, began partnering the local Catholic Church. Haw's story and style will appeal to a vast variety of Christians - Catholics who champion the Church's social teachings, those drawn to monastic practices and living in intentional community, and those seeking inspiration and encouragement to live a life in solidarity with the poor and marginalized.

In the spirit of Merton's Seven Storey Mountain and Dorothy Day's The Long Loneliness, Chris Haw's From Willow Creek to Sacred Heart chronicles the journey of a young Christian seeking a personal relationship with Christ within the context of a faith community committed to love, justice, and solidarity with the poor. Haw's journey spans contemporary American Christianity - from a nominal Catholic background to megachurch Evangelicalism, to a new monastic community, and then to Catholicism after an intense spiritual experience on Good Friday.

Raised outside of Chicago, Haw experienced a tragedy in high school and was embraced by Willow Creek, a dynamic megachurch with thousands of active members and dozens of ministries. He became active at Willow Creek and, with a younger generation of radical evangelicals that include bestselling authors Rob Bell and Shane Claiborne, became a leader of the emergent church and new monastic movements. Haw founded an intentional Christian community in Camden, New Jersey, and soon after, began partnering the local Catholic Church. Haw’s story and style will appeal to a vast variety of Christians - Catholics who champion the Church's social teachings, those drawn to monastic practices and living in intentional community, and those seeking inspiration and encouragement to live a life in solidarity with the poor and marginalized.

Sometimes you hear someone share their story and you get the sense that they are pioneers, scouts, groundbreakers...blazing a trail that a lot of people will hike on after they are long gone. Chris Haw is one of those trailblazers (from the foreword).
Shane Claiborne, Author of The Irresistible Revolution

Chris Haw's journey from Willow Creek to Sacred Heart (and the Roman Catholic tradition) is an important addendum to the story of twenty-first-century American Christianity - not only because Haw's journey is representative, but because he has engaged the questions that come up along the way so well.
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Author of The Wisdom of Stability

A gift to a Church too often divided by 'conservatives' who demand submission and 'liberals' who demand freedom. Chris Haw has, through his witness and his words, opened up a broader vision of a truly Catholic life beautifully lived.
William Cavanaugh, Professor of Catholic Studies and Senior Research Fellow, DePaul University

This book is really excellent, and reveals the maturity that seems to be showing itself in so many of our churches today. It is an ideal example of non-dual thinking, the contemplative mind that can see ‘beyond the shadow and the disguise’ of things. Before returning to the Catholic Church, Chris Haw did courageously from the outside what so many of us cradle Catholics seldom do - but need to do - from the inside.
Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico

This book is perfect for those struggling to understand how they fit into the Church and world today, especially those young adults seeking to make sense of their faith in challenging times.
Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., Author of Dating God

Because of Haw's lucid line of thought, it reminded me of G. K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy. But the book offers today's readers unique gifts as well, because Chris feels the peculiar challenges of the present moment.
Brian McLaren, Author of Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?

Chris Haw is a husband, father, carpenter, adjunct professor at Cabrini College, and founder of Camden Houses, an intentional community based in Camden, New Jersey. Haw, who returned to the Catholic Church in 2006, is a leader in the New Monasticism movement and in 2008 he cowrote Jesus for President with his friend Shane Claiborne. Author Residence: Camden, NJ.

Shane Claiborne is a prominent Christian activist, speaker, and the bestselling author of several books including The Irresistible Revolution, Jesus for President, and Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers. He is also a founding partner of The Simple Way, a faith community in inner city.

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