No Home Like Place: A Christian Theology of Place

by Leonard Hjalmarson

"The sense of being lost, displaced, and homeless is pervasive in contemporary culture. The yearning to belong somewhere, to be in a safe place, is a deep and moving pursuit. Loss of place and yearning for place are dominant images..." (Brueggemann, The Land) Fragmentation, mobility, dualism--these forces work against our belonging, and work against our richly dwelling in the places we live. Add to these the rise of "virtual" place and relationships, and our sense of displacement only increases. It has been difficult to embrace a call to life as mission in this world under these conditions, and equally difficult to embrace a call to place. Are there "sacred" places? If every place is sacred, does the word lose its meaning? What is it that God loves about place? Can architecture contribute to our ability to engage in a place? How do experiential human questions like "belonging" intersect with a theological lens? Does a biblical view of place imply an ecology and an ethic? How do pilgrimage and place relate? How can the arts assist us in place-making? This book addresses these questions and more, in a lively dialogue between theology and culture.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Church, Christian Living

248 pages, Paperback

First published May 22, 2014

Reviews

[Len Hjalmarson · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I started No Home Like Place while travelling – it helped me be attentive to the places we were visiting and the people who belonged there. I finished reading soon after arriving home – it helped me be attentive to this place that I call home – its rhythms, beauty and gifts. Hjalmarson reminds me I am not the first to rediscover sacredness in both pilgrimage abroad and returning home. With biblical engagement and poetic allusions, he invites readers to embrace “place” as a thing to be noticed, a gift to be treasured, a locale to be attentive to. This is a timely book. Its appeal for a wholesome embodiment helps make the missional conversation practical and local.”

Darren Cronshaw, Associate Professor of Missiology, Australian College of Ministries and Editor-in-Chief, UNOH Publications.

"In a world of long commutes, affordable travel, global internet connections, and a host of cultural practices tending to distance us from the truth of our locatedness, No Home Like Place invites us to take root again. It dares us to embrace the gift of a human-scaled life. Hjalmarson integrates fresh theological reflection with thoughtful practices for inhabiting place; a magnificent and liberating practical theology of place."

Dwight J. Friesen, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology.

“With all the attention paid to issues of church and mission in recent years, surprisingly little has been written to reframe the biblical themes of creation and human identity in light of the missio Dei. Hjalmarson addresses this lacunae by pursuing an ambitious missiological agenda, arguing that even though God's mission draws his people into an often surprising journey or pilgrimage, the particularities and textures of the places along the way shape our formation and participation in the gospel of the Kingdom of God. This book provides an important contribution to a vital conversation.”

Scott Hagley, PhD., Director of Education, FORGE Canada

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Christian theology of place using scripture, Eliade, Brueggeman, Augustine, and Weil, among others, but pretty terrible copyediting. Useful if you're interested in this topic, with a wide variety of theologians, political issues, poems, and even song lyrics referenced, but an awkward text. (Goodreads won't let me say that I read it in paperback, but I have it right here in my hand, so there you go.)

[George · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think Hjalmarson does a good job identifying place as being an important part of biblical theology as well as in the theology of the believer. That isn't hard to argue. How one responds to that is the rub though, and I didn't find his solutions at the end particularly helpful. To me it smacked of the ways that upper or middle-upper class people think community should be. I'm not saying that biking, gardening and baking can't be helpful, but is that also how one ingratiates themselves into a community especially when one takes a tone of looking down on the common ways that people enjoy life.

The biblical arguments were the most helpful, and I really loved the distinction between tourist and pilgrim. This book could be a three start, but Hjalmarson attacks McDonald's and fast food and never, and I mean never, talk badly about McDonald's in my presence ever again.

[Al Doyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strong, but not definitive, examination of the Theology of Place. It is important to know that God loves and works in all places and wants us to Join Her. This means absorbing the messages sent by the culture of your neighborhood, town, vicinity. They deciphering that culture to touch points where a faith community can become more relevant. This book is recommended for its view point and accessibility. Probably a good warm up (or substitute) for all those Doctoral Theses we should all be devouring. Right?

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book with insightful theological reflection. My only complaint is poor editing, especially with footnoting - Urban Loft Publishers Edition.

[Bethany]

DNF at 21%

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book that will give you a good biblical framework for a theology of place through cultural and biblical lenses.

I'll post a review soon that is waiting to be published.