ICYMI: I loved Taylor's exploration of various faiths, striving for open-mindedness, respecting differences, and finding captivating new avenues for her faith in this five-star read.
In Holy Envy, Barbara Brown Taylor, an Episcopal priest who left a position as a church pastor, shares her experiences and surprises while teaching a course on the religions of the world at a small Southern college.
Holy Envy is a thought-provoking, accessible look at world religions and at the bridges that can be built between people of various faiths by considering traditions and beliefs that overlap as well as those that are wholly individual.
Taylor examines differences in faiths as well as where varied faiths intersect, and by seeing these religions through the eyes of her students--many of whom are venturing into knowledge of world religions for the first time--Taylor shares how she learned more than she could have imagined.
I found her lengthy exploration of the concept of and circumstances of “the stranger”--and how it can shed invaluable new light on a life and established beliefs--especially interesting.
Taylor is smart and thoughtful, delicate yet straightforward, and I was taken with her vulnerability and honesty as she revealed how the lessons she learned related to and reflected upon her own experiences.
Do you have any Bossy thoughts about this book?
Barbara Brown Taylor is also the author of An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith, Learning to Walk in the Dark, Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith, and other books. I love her thoughtful writing and introspection.