The Way Is Made by Walking: A Pilgrimage Along the Camino de Santiago

by Arthur Paul Boers, Eugene H. Peterson (Foreword)

The Word Guild 2008 Canadian Christian Writing Awards finalist! Pilgrimage is a spiritual discipline not many consider. Aren't the destinations far? Don't they involve a lot of time and walking? Just a few years ago, Arthur Paul Boers wasn't thinking about pilgrimage either. But he began to sense a deep call from God to walk the five-hundred-mile pilgrimage route known as Camino de Santiago, ending in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, at a cathedral that is said to hold the relics of the apostle James. In these pages he opens to us his incredible story of renewed spirituality springing from an old, old path walked by millions before him. It's a story of learning to pray in new ways, embracing simplicity, forming community, living each day centered and focused, depending on God to provide. Joined by hundreds of others from all over the world, Boers points the way to deeper intimacy with God--a way made by walking in faith.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Memoir, Religion, Spirituality, Walking, Spain

219 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2007

About the author

Arthur Paul Boers is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana. He is an ordained Mennonite minister and Benedictine oblate. He served for over sixteen years as a pastor in rural, urban, and church-planting settings in the USA and Canada.

Boers is an author. His newest book is The Way is Made by Walking: A Pilgrimage Along the Camino de Santiago (InterVarsity, 2007). His other books are:
--The Rhythm of Gods Grace (Paraclete, 2003);
--Never Call Them Jerks: Healthy Responses to Difficult Behavior (Alban, 1999);
--Lord, Teach Us to Pray: A New Look at the Lord's Prayer (Herald, 1992);
--Justice that Heals: A Biblical Vision for Victims and Offenders (Faith and Life, 1992);
--On Earth as in Heaven: Justice Rooted in Spirituality (Herald, 1991.
He is co-editor of Take Our Moments and Our Days: An Anabaptist Prayer Book (Herald, 2007).

Boers earned the following degrees: D. Min. with distinction in worship and spirituality (Northern Baptist Theological Seminary), M. Th. in Pastoral Counseling (Waterloo Lutheran Seminary), M. Div. (McCormick Theological Seminary), M.A. in Peace Studies (Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary), B.A. (University of Western Ontario). He is Book Review Editor for Conrad Grebel Review. For many years he served as columnist and editorial advisor for Christian Ministry, The Builder and as contributing editor to The Other Side. His articles and reviews have been published in Biblical Preaching Journal, Catholic New Times, Christian Century, Christianity Today, Congregations, Leadership, St. Anthony Messenger, and Sojourners.

Hobbies include hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and windsurfing. In 2005, he walked the 500 mile pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago in Spain, the experience which formed the basis for his newest book. Boers is a Canadian, the oldest son of Dutch immigrants. He is married to Lorna McDougall, an operating room nurse. They are the parents of two young adult children, both in college."

Reviews

[Fergus, Weaver of Autistic Webs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Way is always New. And it is always New because no one gets to walk it for too long without losing the way. There are always just Too Many Distractions!

Get set to take a mythical path to self-renunciation and thence to spiritual renewal - and in this book it’s a surprisingly friendly and gregarious path.

Prepare, along with your guide Arthur Boers, to walk the way of countless Medieval pilgrims - the ancient Camino de Santiago. The Way is made by Walking. And NOT by choosing to sit out the Dance of Life...

Whether we walk or run joyously through life, the path is our duty and our delight.

If we’re sidelined for a spell, we must learn to cut our losses, regain our strength through friends and favourite pastimes, and eventually get back on our feet.

Just so, the Camino is our life in microcosm. Father Murray Bodo writes (in The Road to Mount Subasio): “there are allegories written about the pilgrimage to St James of Compostella that liken crossing the Plain of Leon to the Dark Night of the Soul...

“Our essential pilgrimage is that of the soul, and the external, geographical pilgrimage is a metaphor - an acting out of the yearning and journey of the soul.”

For the Pilgrimage, as well as the final destination - the Kingdom - is WITHIN You.

When I first retired, I was broken by the massive crunch of extricating myself from a career which had become my life. I was like Nedda in the troubled recent sci-fi novel Light from Other Stars.

I was trapped in a baleful bog. John Bunyan called it his Slough of Despond; our doctors call it Depression; I was Badly Burned Out.

But the Path is made by Walking. When, after six static months of suffering with Solzhenitsyn - in his First Circle - I developed acute sciatica, it was time.

Time to Walk again.

That - with books ‘n Bach - is how I was healed.

But it was slow and arduous - like Boers’ path to the Compostella.

But, as for Boers, Joy awaited me at my destination.

If you follow us, your feet will bleed and become of much less use than normal. But, says Boers, you've GOT to be empty of self to be full of joy.

Heard of Purgatory?

This is it.

Anyway, it's said that the mortal remains of the Apostle Saint James were shipped by the other apostles away from the chaotic Holy Land of the Christian Persecution to this holy place in Spain.

Legend has it that the boat was shipwrecked and the body lost at sea - but later miraculously washed to shore.

Then, in the eighth century AD, the holy remains were recovered.

With the Moorish Occupation of Spain fully entrenched, the bones of St James became a rallying point for the Christian resistance...

And by the time of the Crusades, St James had become a sort of poster boy for the European establishment - a Medieval Uncle Sam - portrayed as the wunderkind of the Knights Templar, brandishing a sword on horseback.

The bones of Saint James were laid to rest in the towering Cathedral de Compostella...

And the pilgrimages began in earnest!

We can imagine many a prematurely aged, battleweary ancient Knight walking the Camino barefoot, trudging to the faraway beckoning cathedral - in expiation of his heavy sins in combat - thereby seeking peace and rest for his own scarred remains until Judgment Day.

And the Camino became a de rigueur via dolorosa - necessary penance for fallen believers of the Middle Ages.

But Boers’ book, for all its lapidary thoughts, is a fairly breezy read.

You’ll chat with starry eyed turistas amicably, walk wearily - parched and achy under the baking Spanish sun - and learn from cognoscenti how best to tend to your burning blisters.

And for dreamy armchair travellers it's a godsend!

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Endlessly entertaining and, with a real lesson for us all. So NEVER call it quits...

Just KEEP ON WALKING!

[Emmkay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested in reading a book about the Camino de Santiago, and hadn't realized this one was written by an evangelical pastor - not my usual reading material, but I enjoyed immersing myself in a different perspective. Rather than a front-to-back of the journey, he provides glimpses of his path along the way, with reflections on the nature of pilgrimage and prayer.

While undoubtedly set within his own belief system, the author had a lovely openness to others and to new experiences that shone through (and took him through staying at hostel after hostel, which I'm not sure I could handle!). I particularly appreciated his reflections on what walking does for us that other means of moving around don't, and on how we can foreground 'focal concerns' in life. And the appendices full of suggested readings and other potential pilgrimage sites were fun to browse.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Arthur's voice in this book, and the honest with which he was able to describe some of his struggles along the way. I've recently read in the NYT that the Camino has been hijacked by tourists. It seems that the walk Arthur described might not be so easy to make anymore. I'd hate the hostels and the forced intimacy of the walk myself. But I don't feel like I've missed it, or need to go, because this book put me there.

[Lindsay Mast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to my own walk on the Camino in August!

[Jeremy Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful read, not only about the challenges and blessings of walking the Camino, but also an insightful examination of the spiritual journey of life itself. The author is a Protestant evangelical, and so brings that perspective to a traditional Catholic experience. He peppers the text with solid biblical references as well as examples from church history and his own life. I learned much and I am eager to go on my own pilgrimage some day, blisters and all! My only criticism is the choice the author made in presenting his journey out of chronological order. There was merit to his thematic approach, but I would have enjoyed it more if he embedded the themes more chronologically.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Camino de Santiago is a 500 mile trek from the French/Spanish border to the town of Santiago de Compostela, Spain (NW Spain). It is a centuries-old pilgrimage route nowadays taken by Christians and non-believers. The author, a Mennonite theologian, took this "walk" in 31 days.

This is not a how-to book or a travel guide but the renewed spirituality of the author as he takes on this discipline of pilgrimage. He relates how this practice of walking can be used in our everyday life. He mentions walking to church every Sunday. Okay, this may not be practical for some people.

Life on the Camino usually ends each day at a refugio (hostel) with dinner with other pilgrims. He notes that "a shared meal is the activity most closely tied to the reality of God's Kingdom". Good because I like to eat. And, "if you can read the Gospels without getting hungry, you're not paying attention".

Even though this is an ancient religious route, there were many non-believers or non-church-going people taking this pilgrimage. Why? Some wanted the physical activity while others were looking for the meaning of life. Yet, the latter went to Camino instead of to a church. The author believes the church(es) could use lessons learned from this pilgrimage to reach these people. "If the church focused less on institutional power, protection and self-interest, and more on prayer, mysticism and the spiritual life, we might still have an opportunity to be heard."

Thought provoking. I may have to add the Camino to my bucket list.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Way is Made by Walking mixes discussion of spiritual discipline with memoir as Boers reflects on his pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago. It is certainly not a guidebook - but its lessons, on prayer, trust, simplicity, hospitality, focal practices, and walking are simple and beautiful. Boers is steeped in Scripture and the Christian tradition, he is a Mennonite seminary professor, but was also a careful listener to the concerns of his much less orthodox fellow pilgrims. A joyous and deliberate book that I raced through too quickly - need to settle back into it again at a more Camino-like pace. He includes some good appendixes with resources on pilgrimage in general and the Camino in particular.

[D.J. Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I was disappointed that I had bought the book, but it wasn't available through our library system. In the long run, I did learn about pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago, and it was worthwhile. The writing is a bit uneven, but...to the author, if he reads this: "At least you took action and wrote this all down, so you are to be commended for that and for all that you learned along the way." Also, I have sympathy for any author I read after reading some extraordinary writers. And, I have a feeling that my husband and a number of my students would appreciate the concrete style of Boers.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arthur Boers walked the Camino de Santigo in the mid-2000’s. This book is a series of reflections on his adventure. It is not a travel guide nor a series of meditations, but how the Camino affected him, particularly places which he has felt too comfortable in our world.

Boers has been a Mennonite pastor and is currently a professor at the Mennonite Seminary in Elkhart. He approached the Camino as a Christian who is Dutch from an Anabapist tradition. As such, some of the Catholicism of the Camino was a bit foreign to him, along with the language-he was sufficiently conversational in Dutch, French and Spanish to make himself understood. But during the Catholic services there was a lot which over his head.

This was a good book for me to read as I have a desire to walk the Camino myself. But there are question he asks: are you looking for this to be walked as I would hike in the Sierra or a pilgrimage. This book is helping to clarify my thoughts on it.

For more of my thoughts and notes on this book, please see my book blog.

[Christy Keeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

After having walked the Camino myself, I can assure readers that Boers' account is a perfect description of what it is like to be a pilgrim along the route of St. James. Boers describes the daily activities in accurate detail. Unlike many other books, his focus on Christian pilgrimage is helpful for those wishing to plan the walk as a religious (as opposed to spiritual) pilgrimage. Had I read this book before I left, it may have given me suggestions for planning a "more religious" experience. Having read it after my pilgrimage, however, I did not find it helpful.

For those wondering what it is like to Walk the Way from a religious perspective, this may be your book, but I feel the book "Hiking the Camino: 500 Miles with Jesus" by Dave Pivonka is a much better guide to prepare for a religious experience along the Camino. I felt Pivonka's lessons learned were more relevant.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arthur Boers is a pilgrim. He is also a Mennonite, a seminary professor and former pastor. In "The Way is Made By Walking" he shares his thoughts about walking the Camino de Santiago. Boer admits that writing about the Camino is almost a cliche. Certainly there is no shortage of "walking the Camino" books. But Boer makes his focus just a bit broader. He writes as a Christian about both the spiritual affect of this journey and about the place of pilgrimage as a spiritual discipline. In the appendix he has tips for further reading and other pilgrimage journeys. He writes with candor and honesty and without pretense. He is a wise guide along the way.

[Dawn Dishman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time to read this book and I enjoy how Boers intertwines his pilgrimage with his life. He gives a personal account of walking 500 miles and experiences along the way and life lessons he applied.

I am about to walk a portion of the Camino de Santiago with a group of friends next week. It will be my fifth time to lead people on this pilgrimage. It is a special experience which does differ for each person.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the way Boers shared about his pilgrimage experience! It wasn't merely a retelling of the 500 mile event. It was personal and spiritual reflections on the many aspects of the journey and the long term effects upon his life. Even without taking the pilgrimage myself, I learned a lot from Boers insights.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fortuitous find at the neighbourhood book share house. I am going on a pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago this May. This is a different route but the discussion of the spiritual aspects and gifts coming from the experience was inspirational.

[Terence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit that although I was eager to read this, I didn't think it had a chance of being very good. I was happily proven wrong.

Walking the camino is a pilgrimage, and the author does a good job of combining his experience with his faith. It is a very enjoyable read.

[Hannah Waldrep · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting exploration of the potential role pilgrimages could play in modern life. There are quite a few nuggets that could be helpful for those looking to increase intentionality in the everyday. I especially appreciated Boers' transparency about his efforts to infuse the daily hike with prayer and liturgy as a way to separate himself from consumer and materialist culture and join closer to God.

[Anne Nan · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Eh. It was okay. I was hoping to read more about the Camino itself rather than a religious persons insights, but some of it was still an interesting read.

[Lisa Corona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome read! Gave me an awesome insight on what to expect on my journey. Thank you!

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful

[Victoria Nunes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Necesita mejorar

[JoAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful read in preparation for my pilgrimage, walking in faith, on Camino de Santiago Frances

[Roger Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exceptionally well written, and brought back great memories of my time on the Camino. I love the spiritual perspective that the author puts on this life-changing pilgrimage.

[Kim Koi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this spiritual reflection on the Camino, and it perhaps appropriately scared and excited me about taking on the Camino myself.

[Robert Ellington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to walk the Camino de Santiago! Thank you, Arthur Paul Boers, for your wonderful book!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice reflection of the Camino.

[Reid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting account of one man's walk on the Camino de Santiago., kind of

[Tammy Ottenbreit · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is not much detail about the camino as I had hoped. It is a religious take on the walk. The author quotes scripture frequently and the result is a more religious rather than spiritual writing.

[Mark Grose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing journey, story to tell and witness for all that is spiritual.

[Yvonne Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several books on this subject. Each different. Each one has taught me something.

[Virginia Helmendach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was well-written and very interesting. Before reading this book, I was pretty unaware of the idea of a pilgrimage. I know have a much better understanding of what a pilgrimage is and why one might take one. Although the author took his pilgrimage for a religious purpose and to draw nearer to God, he was not judgmental in any way as he described encountering people who were on a pilgrimage for other reasons. His perspective is refreshing and writing is engaging - it was an easy book to read and understand. I would highly recommend this book.