Between the constant noise, screens, news alerts, and more, it's no surprise so many of us feel overwhelmed and tired on the daily. The new life found in the spring season and the celebration of Earth Day on April 22 offer us a chance to reconnect with the earth and discover the divine in wild places. The books below explore the connections between our spiritual lives and nature, and invite us to find relief for our weary souls through the trees, birds, and natural world right outside our door.
Explore How Birdwatching Shapes Our Souls
Birdwatching is a delight, a deepening. It puts us in touch with the ineffable, and it draws us toward self-denial for the sake of love. Birding brings us close to hope, abundance, and joy. In fact, it looks a lot like prayer. In Watch and Wonder, naturalist, birder, and Episcopal priest Ragan Sutterfield delves into how birdwatching shapes our souls. Whether you are a serious birder with an extensive life list or a casual observer of hawks along the highway, this book is an invitation to wonder and awe.
Find Hope at the Water's Edge
Fishing is an exercise in hope. In a world where every answer is at our fingertips, fishing is transformative for its sheer unpredictability. Priest and fisherman Pete Nunnally loves to teach people how to fish for fish and, through that, how to fish for what their soul is yearning for: to come alive. In Catching Hope, he takes his readers fishing with him. Along the way you'll learn how fishing connects the human condition to the divine presence in all things. And even if you never go fishing, this book will open your heart to the hidden wisdom and beauty found at the water's edge.
Reimagine How to Care for a Changing World
Winner of the New England Book Award
How do we use our incredible power to heal rather than to harm? What does it mean to truly love a forest? How to Love a Forest is a tender and fearless reimagining of what it means to care for forests, ecosystems, and each other in a changed and changing world. In this bracing, clear-eyed, yet hopeful work, forester Ethan Tapper weaves a new land ethic for the modern world, reminding us that what is simple is rarely true, and what is necessary is rarely easy.
Care for the Earth Even in Death
The care of creation is the responsibility of all Christians. Join Sequola Dawson in her insightful exploration of death rituals as she examines funerals, memorials, and burial practices and advocates for a more ecologically responsible approach to caring for creation. With thousands of dollars spent on burials, The Green Funeral argues for a more responsible approach—one that acknowledges the environmental impact of traditional practices and seeks to honor our loved ones without compromising the land they leave behind.
Revel in the Beauty and Wisdom of Trees
Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees
There is great wisdom to learn from trees, and when we connect intimately with them, we can deepen our spiritual lives and grow in the understanding that all beings are part of the fabric of the holy. Trees have much to offer as soul friends, and their millennia of growth and loss provide deep wisdom, if we know how to pay attention. The Spiritual Wisdom of Trees encourages us to revel in the beauty and wonder of trees as they increase our capacity to bear witness to loss and grief. Integrating science and spirituality, coauthors Beth Norcross and Leah Rampy explore the knowledge held within the living world of trees and planted within each of us.
Discover the Divine in the Natural World
Throughout millennia and across the monotheistic religions, the natural was often revered as a sacred text. As we grapple to make sense of today's tumultuous world, one where nature is at once a damaged and damaging source of disaster, as well as a place of refuge and retreat, we are called again to examine how generously it awaits our attention and devotion, standing ready to be read by all. Weaving together the astonishments of science; the profound wisdom and literary gems of thinkers, poets, and observers who have come before us; and her own spiritual practice and gentle observation, Barbara Mahany reintroduces us to The Book of Nature. We needn't look farther for the divine.
Uncover the Wild Roots of Faith
Whether disillusioned by the dominant church or unfulfilled by traditional expressions of faith, many of us long for a deeper spirtuality. With an ecospiritual lens on biblical narratives and a fresh look at a community larger than our own species, Church of the Wild uncovers the wild roots of faith and helps us deepen our commitment to a suffering earth by falling in love with it—and calling it church. Through mystical encounters with wild deer, whispers from a scrubby oak tree, wordless conversation with a cougar, and more, Victoria Loorz helps us connect to a love that literally holds the world together—a love that calls us into communion with all creatures.
Rewild Your Spirituality in Nature
Field Guide to Church of the Wild
Victoria Loorz, Valerie Luna Serrels
Church of the Wild is more than a novel way to do church outside or declare nature your church. Expanding beyond religious and institutional boundaries, it invites you to rewild your spirituality no matter your spiritual heritage. Field Guide to Church of the Wild invites us into landscapes and wild church communities to meet the movement's leaders and participants, both human and more-than-human. Take this field guide with you into the fields and wildish edge lands of your home place. Join an emerging yet ancient spiritual practice: remembering our place in an alive and holy web of interconnection.
Grapple with Parenting in the Age of Climate Collapse
We are living in an era of climate collapse, and climate anxiety touches nearly everything we do—including our parenting. This Sweet Earth wrestles with our questions and fears and dares to argue that while the future remains unknown, there is still awe and wonder, love and struggle, gratitude and joy to be found. As we raise our children toward this uncertain future, Lydia Wylie-Kellermann helps us see that those same children shift our posture, slow us down, and invite us to fall in love with the ground on which we stand.
Let Nature Be an Ally in Living Well
Research indicates that spending time in a natural setting provides a plethora of benefits, from lower blood pressure to increased immunity to an enhanced sense of well-being. But the pace of our lives often leaves little room for connecting with nature, and our history of colonization complicates our relationship to the landscapes we inhabit. Guided by wellness coach and poet Heidi Barr, in Collisions of Earth and Sky we experience a journey of self-inquiry for digging into our origins and roots, figuring out what it means to be a good community member, and integrating those truths and lessons so we can add to the healing of the world.
Looking for even more encouragement? Register for our FREE Earth Day webinar!
Many of us feel the strain of constant news alerts, screens, and noise, and we are longing to step outside, slow down, and reconnect. This Earth Day, join us for a gentle conversation on connections between nature and spiritual practice, created for those who are tired, overwhelmed, or longing for rest in an always-on world. This webinar invites us into a quieter way of being, one rooted in attention, presence, and the living world.
Join our panel of spiritual teachers and thinkers on Wednesday, April 22 at 1 PM ET / 12 noon CT for The Earth Is Alive: Spiritual Wisdom from Trees, Birds, and Wild Places, as they explore:
- A spacious, nature-rooted spirituality for burned-out people
- Simple practices of attention that calm our anxiety and invite us back into our bodies
- A grounded, honest hope that doesn’t require optimism or constant engagement
Searching for books for kids? Check out these picture books from our sister imprint, Beaming Books!
On the longest day of the year, during the summer solstice, flowers explode like tiny fireworks of joy. A community comes together to savor the golden days of summer and celebrate the summer solstice, by gathering in a large community flower garden. Children pick flowers and weave flower crowns, symbolizing their friendship and connection to the earth, spreading happiness and kindness. Summer Solstice Wish is a joyful celebration of the glorious long days of summer that seem to pass all too quickly.
During her weekly car ride with her grandmother from the city to the reservation, a young Native girl ponders the moon that seems to follow them. Each week, she looks forward to listening to her grandmother's warm, soothing voice as she sings and tells stories. Tonight, her grandmother teaches her about Grandmother Moon, her significance, and why we honor her.
In her debut picture book, Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason (Schaghticoke/HoChunk) captures a grandmother and grandchild's relationship through their shared wonder and admiration. Along with rich illustrations, Grandmother Moon preserves Indigenous histories and teachings within a modern setting, reminding us that Grandmother Moon is always watching over us, and wherever we are, we are safe and loved.
To view all of our books and resources, visit broadleafbooks.com.
