“Whatever is bringing you light, and life, and joy, move toward that. That’s God. We’re told that God is love, over and over, so move toward that love, however that looks like in your life. And whatever’s getting in the way of your search for that love, let it go.”– Reba Riley, author, Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome
This week, a powerful new memoir hits the shelves called Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome: A Memoir of Humor and Healing, by new author Reba Riley. The memoir details Reba’s 29th year, as she vows to visit 30 religions by her 30th birthday in hopes of healing her spiritual and physical brokenness. The memoir reads something like a beleaguered seeker’s travelogue (with lots of laughing along the way), as we follow Reba into all manner of Christian churches, synagogues, mosques, buddhist temples, wiccan festivals and sweat lodges. Each visit, even those she ran out the door from, proves to be a stepping stone toward wholeness, and offers her faithful traveling-companion-readers a vicarious peek into the rituals and sacred grounds of traditions less traveled.
Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of the best-selling Eat, Pray, Love, says of the book: “Hilarious, courageous, provocative, profound … Reba Riley brings the light for seekers of all paths.” Other reviewers have called the book a “game-changer,” and “one of the best books on spiritual healing I’ve read,” and cited Reba as “an author to watch.”
I got to chat with Reba, who also happens to blog here at Patheos, about her book this week. I hope you enjoy meeting her and learning more about Post-Traumatic Church Syndrome.
For more conversation on the book – and to read an excerpt – visit the Patheos Club here!
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