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An Altar in the World  By  cover art

An Altar in the World

By: Barbara Brown Taylor
Narrated by: Barbara Brown Taylor
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Publisher's summary

In her critically-acclaimed Leaving Church ("a beautiful, absorbing memoir," said the Dallas Morning News), Barbara Brown Taylor wrote about leaving full-time ministry to become a professor, a decision that stretched the boundaries of her faith. Now, in her stunning follow-up, An Altar in the World, she shares how she learned to encounter God beyond the walls of any church.

From simple practices such as walking, working, and getting lost to deep meditations on topics like prayer and pronouncing blessings, Taylor reveals concrete ways to discover the sacred in the small things we do and see. Something as ordinary as hanging clothes on a clothesline becomes an act of devotion if we pay attention to what we are doing and take time to attend to the sights, smells, and sounds around us. Making eye contact with the cashier at the grocery store becomes a moment of true human connection. Allowing yourself to get lost leads to new discoveries. Under Taylor's expert guidance, we come to question conventional distinctions between the sacred and the secular, learning that no physical act is too earthbound or too humble to become a path to the divine. As we incorporate these practices into our daily lives, we begin to discover altars everywhere we go, in nearly everything we do.

©2010 Barbara Brown Taylor (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about An Altar in the World

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Keep Thinking

This book is phenomenal… I’m not sure how I feel ending it. Barbara has made me re-examine life and the precious things there in! I will read this book many more times!! Thanks Barbs!

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Vulnerable, honest, dark, loving, kind.

Brown doesn't tell you the truth. She takes you through her grappling with the questions. Anyone who's questioned the Bible because of its chauvinist, violent, dogmatic, or otherwise inaccessible qualities will do well to read this book.

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Refreshing

I found the first to be surprisingly refreshing and reminding me that you trust to spiritual growth to life all around me.

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The X beneath my feet

This book is a return to all the things that matter. Thank you, Barbara Brown Taylor, for helping me practice the art of just being.

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Engaged with every word!

If you’re meant to read this book like I was (recommend by my counselor), you learn to listen and let go of expectations that God will find that new job, find purpose in God whatever you are doing, be present in every moment and bless others and other things. Such a gift!

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Enjoyed this refreshing yet simple perspective

I always enjoy listening to books that celebrate our relationship with God. I love the simple practices this author describes to draw us closer. I’m actually going to have to listen to it again and take some notes!

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Heart Warming!

This book in itself was an answer to a prayer. The author about Individuals passing each other. This book was a blessing I needed.

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A gift...

Beautifully written and a gift to behold. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. It resonated deeply.

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OUTSTANDING - SPIRITUAL RENEWAL

Barbara Brown Taylor walk with her readers in renewing their spiritual journeys. It is a book you can listen to over and over again.

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Insightful, heartfelt, lovely

I love Barbara Brown Taylor's down-to-earth Theology and presentation of it. It's so not-glossy, I felt I had a friend in her and the God she describes.

Loved it. Highly recommend!

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