Eight Trails

""In this engaging and readable book, Joanne Swenson offers 'eight paths' as practical and effective guides for spiritual adventure. Inviting us to question what we may have been told in religious traditions, she encourages us to discover our own deepest questions about spiritual power and meaning. This is the liberating invitation that young minds need."" --Elaine Pagels, Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion, Princeton University ""That a Harvard-trained scholar writes so accessibly--in lessons to her adult children--is refreshing. Eight Trails is a wise, thoughtful companion for anyone seeking meaning and purpose. Swenson's brilliant trail metaphor turns key attributes into lived experience, offering clarity and spiritual depth. Even at my age of seventy-seven, reading it sparked deep introspection. It felt like walking familiar ground and suddenly noticing important markers I'd missed. This book guides readers of all ages toward a life anchored in meaningful religious commitments."" --Fred Sievert, Retired President, New York Life Insurance Company ""Joanne Swenson's Eight Trails will be a valuable tool for anyone talking to an often-skeptical younger generation about the nature of religious faith. Drawing upon her family's history of trips in the Pacific Northwest and her experiences from teaching world religions, Swenson has written an engaging and refreshing look at faith without relying on too-familiar tropes."" --John W. Hawthorne, author of The Fearless Christian University ""Eight Trails is a wise and timely guide for anyone who feels lost on their spiritual path. With depth, humility, and grace, Rev. Joanne Swenson shows how religious faith--when approached with curiosity and courage--can still illuminate the way. A profound companion for seekers and skeptics alike."" --Brandan Robertson, author of Queer and Christian: Reclaiming the Bible, Our Faith, and Our Place at the Table