In Search of Deep Faith

What do Thomas Cranmer, C. S. Lewis, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Vincent VanGogh and Maria von Trapp have in common? It's not a list I would have immediately put together, but Jim Belcher does, and quite elegantly, in his book "In Search of Deep Faith."

Several weeks ago, I received a message from a long-time friend of mine asking if I would read and review a new book written by a friend of his. Because of the mutual connection, I was glad to, though I had no idea what the book was about. It's probably not a book I would have picked up on my own, but had I not, I would have missed a real gem.

Belcher's book is about his family's year-long pilgrimage through England and Europe, seeking to explore the lives of some of his faith-heroes, and along the way, seeking to learn about pilgrimage and what it means to instill deep Christian faith in his children. He writes in such a way that you feel as if you are there, includes pictures of some of the sites they visited, and effectively and powerfully weaves the stories of the heroes in with his family's story. Some of the stories I knew, some I thought I knew, and some (like Cranmer's) were brand new.

The theme is pilgrimage—but it's not just a travelogue across Europe (though that would have been enough to hook me). As the title suggests, Belcher is, all along the way, seeking to learn how these saints from the past can encourage and inform and inspire our faith today. How can we live beyond the superficiality of modern, American Christianity (what some researchers call "Moral Therapeutic Deism")? That's a question we all need to reflect on, and for me, Belcher's book has been a great place to start.

As it combines two things I love so dearly (travel and faith), Belcher's book is highly recommended, especially if you have young children you long to instill deep faith into. You don't have to make a physical pilgrimage like Belcher's family did (though how cool would that be?). Learning and sharing the stories of heroes of the faith can help us all see how we can better live more faithfully today. I commend this book to you; you'll find it an engrossing and enjoyable read, and it might even encourage you on your own journey toward deep faith.

Full disclosure: I was provided an electronic copy of this book in return for reviewing it, though I was not asked or expected to provide a positive review.