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Sundays in America: A Yearlong Road Trip in Search of Christian Faith
When Pope John Paul II died, Suzanne Strempek Shea, who had not been an active member of a church community for some years, recognized in his mourners a faith-filled passion that she longed to recapture in her own life. Shea, never one to do things in a conventional manner or by halves, set out on a pilgrimage to visit a different church every Sunday for a year-a journey that would take her through the broad spectrum of contemporary protestant Christianity practiced in this country.
She began with a rousing Baptist Easter service in Harlem, traveled to Colorado's Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame for a sing-along service at the Cowboy Church, and flew to Houston for a multimedia experience at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church, the largest church in the country. She sat with the Shakers, and-in silence-with the Quakers; she sang often, danced, and even drew on one memorable occasion. Shea approached each congregation with the curiosity of a newcomer and with respect for each unique expression of faith, whether the sanctuary was a multimillion-dollar extravaganza, a centuries-old edifice, an abandoned building, or even an airport chapel.
In her tour of more than thirty states, including Hawaii, * Knocked knees with President Jimmy Carter at his Plains, Georgia, Baptist church on Independence Day. * Joined the band at a San Francisco African Orthodox church that considers jazz legend John Coltrane a bona fide saint. * Got a wake-up call from Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham's preacher daughter, at a sprawling conservative church in South Carolina. * Followed the signs for a hot tub dealership that, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, has become a new Presbyterian church in Mississippi. * Collected tips on The Purpose Driven Life from Rick Warren at his famed Saddleback Church complex. * Knocked on the door of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Portland, Oregon. * Shared a pew with Milwaukee Bucks star Michael Redd at the Columbus, Ohio, church he purchased for his dad. * Had her feet washed by a Seventh-Day Adventist at a church in Connecticut. * Attended a three-hour service featuring speaking in tongues, faith healing, and dancing in the aisle at a Foursquare Gospel church. * Toured Joseph Smith's birthplace in Vermont and worshipped with his Mormon followers.
Sundays in America is an essential guide for those seeking a new house for their worship as well as a colorful road trip for the armchair explorer, providing a vivid perspective on the practice and meaning of Christian faith as it is practiced throughout our land.
She began with a rousing Baptist Easter service in Harlem, traveled to Colorado's Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame for a sing-along service at the Cowboy Church, and flew to Houston for a multimedia experience at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church, the largest church in the country. She sat with the Shakers, and-in silence-with the Quakers; she sang often, danced, and even drew on one memorable occasion. Shea approached each congregation with the curiosity of a newcomer and with respect for each unique expression of faith, whether the sanctuary was a multimillion-dollar extravaganza, a centuries-old edifice, an abandoned building, or even an airport chapel.
In her tour of more than thirty states, including Hawaii, * Knocked knees with President Jimmy Carter at his Plains, Georgia, Baptist church on Independence Day. * Joined the band at a San Francisco African Orthodox church that considers jazz legend John Coltrane a bona fide saint. * Got a wake-up call from Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham's preacher daughter, at a sprawling conservative church in South Carolina. * Followed the signs for a hot tub dealership that, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, has become a new Presbyterian church in Mississippi. * Collected tips on The Purpose Driven Life from Rick Warren at his famed Saddleback Church complex. * Knocked on the door of the Jehovah's Witnesses in Portland, Oregon. * Shared a pew with Milwaukee Bucks star Michael Redd at the Columbus, Ohio, church he purchased for his dad. * Had her feet washed by a Seventh-Day Adventist at a church in Connecticut. * Attended a three-hour service featuring speaking in tongues, faith healing, and dancing in the aisle at a Foursquare Gospel church. * Toured Joseph Smith's birthplace in Vermont and worshipped with his Mormon followers.
Sundays in America is an essential guide for those seeking a new house for their worship as well as a colorful road trip for the armchair explorer, providing a vivid perspective on the practice and meaning of Christian faith as it is practiced throughout our land.
324 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2008
About the author
Suzanne Strempek Shea
23 books72 followersSuzanne Strempek Shea is the author of five novels: Selling the Lite of Heaven, Hoopi Shoopi Donna, Lily of the Valley, Around Again, and Becoming Finola, published by Washington Square Press. She has also written three memoirs, Songs From a Lead-lined Room: Notes - High and Low - From My Journey Through Breast Cancer and Radiation; Shelf Life: Romance, Mystery, Drama and Other Page-Turning Adventures From a Year in a Bookstore; and Sundays in America: A Yearlong Road Trip in Search of Christian Faith, all published by Beacon Press.
She co-wrote 140 Years of Providential Care: The Sisters of Providence of Holyoke, Massachusetts with her husband, Tom Shea, and with author/historian Michele P. Barker. This is Paradise, a book about Mags Riordan, founder of the Billy Riordan Memorial Clinic in the African nation of Malawi, was published in April by PFP Publishing.
Her sixth novel, Make a Wish But Not for Money, about a palm reader in a dead mall, will be published by PFP Publishing on Oct. 5, 2014.
Suzanne’s essay Crafty Critters, about her lifelong love of knitting, a craft she learned in the “Crafty Critters” 4-H club of Palmer, Mass., back in childhood, is included in the recently released anthology Knitting Yarns, Writers on Knitting, edited by Ann Hood.
Winner of the 2000 New England Book Award, which recognizes a literary body of work's contribution to the region, Suzanne began writing fiction in her spare time while working as reporter for the Springfield (Massachusetts) Newspapers and The Providence (Rhode Island) Journal.
Her freelance journalism and fiction has appeared in magazines and newspapers including Yankee, The Bark, Golf World, The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Organic Style and ESPN the Magazine. She was a regular contributor to Obit magazine.
Suzanne is a member of the faculty at the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast MFA program in creative writing and is writer-in-residence and director of the creative writing program at Bay Path College in Longmeadow, Mass. She has taught in the MFA program at Emerson College and in the creative writing program at the University of South Florida. She also has taught in Ireland, at the Curlew Writers Conferences in Howth and Dingle, and in Dingle via the Stonecoast Ireland residency.
She lives in Bondsville, Mass., with Tommy Shea, most recently the senior foreign editor at The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi, and their dogs Tiny and Bisquick
She co-wrote 140 Years of Providential Care: The Sisters of Providence of Holyoke, Massachusetts with her husband, Tom Shea, and with author/historian Michele P. Barker. This is Paradise, a book about Mags Riordan, founder of the Billy Riordan Memorial Clinic in the African nation of Malawi, was published in April by PFP Publishing.
Her sixth novel, Make a Wish But Not for Money, about a palm reader in a dead mall, will be published by PFP Publishing on Oct. 5, 2014.
Suzanne’s essay Crafty Critters, about her lifelong love of knitting, a craft she learned in the “Crafty Critters” 4-H club of Palmer, Mass., back in childhood, is included in the recently released anthology Knitting Yarns, Writers on Knitting, edited by Ann Hood.
Winner of the 2000 New England Book Award, which recognizes a literary body of work's contribution to the region, Suzanne began writing fiction in her spare time while working as reporter for the Springfield (Massachusetts) Newspapers and The Providence (Rhode Island) Journal.
Her freelance journalism and fiction has appeared in magazines and newspapers including Yankee, The Bark, Golf World, The Boston Globe, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Organic Style and ESPN the Magazine. She was a regular contributor to Obit magazine.
Suzanne is a member of the faculty at the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast MFA program in creative writing and is writer-in-residence and director of the creative writing program at Bay Path College in Longmeadow, Mass. She has taught in the MFA program at Emerson College and in the creative writing program at the University of South Florida. She also has taught in Ireland, at the Curlew Writers Conferences in Howth and Dingle, and in Dingle via the Stonecoast Ireland residency.
She lives in Bondsville, Mass., with Tommy Shea, most recently the senior foreign editor at The National newspaper in Abu Dhabi, and their dogs Tiny and Bisquick
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
May 25, 2012
What a disappointment. Shea attended Christian churches across the US for a year and described their decorations, congregations, worship styles, etc. Surprisingly, what was woefully missing was Jesus: His teachings, His mission, His atoning work on the cross for our sins, His invitation to relationship. I doubt that the churches somehow all failed to mention salvation through Christ alone, the Roman's Road, or the need for repentance and submission to his Lordship. No, Shea just doesn't talk about any of this AT ALL. The one nod to accepting Jesus as personal savior she gives is at the first church she visited. When the pastor gives an altar call, she writes, "This has to be the 'born again' moment recognized by evangelical Protestants but not an issue in the Catholic World, where you're baptized as an infant and that'll do you." In fact, in her parochial school she was strongly warned against even entering a non-Catholic church because the ceiling would fall in. This is not tongue-in-cheek. Her mother still believes it and drove with her all the way to the parking lot of a Shaker church. She refuses to get out of the car and Shea calls her conviction "enviable". Shea does not label her mother and her church "damning" or "exclusive", but that's what she calls any church that believes homosexuality to be a sin. She doesn't ask where that belief comes from, nor whether it is Biblical or doctrinal. Nope, in her mind this is wrong and she wants nothing to do with churches that wouldn't include gay people. (Of course, in most churches the people themselves would be allowed. No one would be asking at the door. The sin, like all sins, would be discouraged.) In fact, she writes almost nothing about the Bible and doctrine. Heck, she writes very little about God. She is all about experience: she loved the music at black churches because it was fun. She loved how she felt after meditating silently at a Quaker meetinghouse. (She called it praying for peace, but by merely repeating the word peace over and over in her head, she wasn't actually praying TO anyone.) When a someone sings a song about how wonderful God is (which is from the Psalms, but she doesn't note this), she wonders why they aren't singing about how great humans are and how much good they can do. She identifies herself as a vegetarian, pro-abortion, pro-gay, anti-war liberal. I would add that she is a secular humanist. In the last chapter, she lists the qualities her perfect church would have to have and states that none of those she visited had everything on her list. It is telling that her list includes community, social action, etc, but has no mention of Jesus.
September 28, 2014
Despite my Catholic and Episcopal upbringing and two grandfathers who were ministers, I am not a religious person. Spiritual, like most sailors with regard to the natural world - wind, waves, tide and sun, but not too comfortable with the world of formal religion. And, face it, if most people were to grow to adulthood with no exposure to religion, a blank slate if you will, were they then approached by someone who laid out the story of Christianity, they would probably be looking at this informer as if they were "half a bubble off of plumb", possibly call the folks in white coats, at the least, mumble have a nice day and scuttle off to get away from them. Faith requires a willing suspension of critical thinking and that seems to be a hurdle it is not possible for me to overcome.
Still, I know some very intelligent folks who are quite religious and they take from their churches not only a sense of community, a willingness to do good works, a firm base of moral guidance, but a tremendous resource in helping them deal with life's difficulties. And I do have a bit of a fascination with religion - how it developed, how so many folks can take such varying ideas from the same book and reach so many different conclusions.
That is what makes this book so interesting. Visit a Christian church a week, varying denominations, coast to coast locations and church sizes, new religions and long established and see the differences. Ranges from the famous - rubbing knees with President Carter during his Sunday school to the unusual - the church based on Jazz Musician John Coltrane and mixing with the "Shakers", the few that are left.
Since the author is a reporter and a novelist, one would expect the book to be well written and it is. I think the history behind the development of many branches of Christianity and the stories of their development is a major attraction to this book. Not my usual fare but the book, like the topic, opens up a wide world of alternatives. Interesting that so many folks who all want to end up in the same place have found so many roads to get there.
Still, I know some very intelligent folks who are quite religious and they take from their churches not only a sense of community, a willingness to do good works, a firm base of moral guidance, but a tremendous resource in helping them deal with life's difficulties. And I do have a bit of a fascination with religion - how it developed, how so many folks can take such varying ideas from the same book and reach so many different conclusions.
That is what makes this book so interesting. Visit a Christian church a week, varying denominations, coast to coast locations and church sizes, new religions and long established and see the differences. Ranges from the famous - rubbing knees with President Carter during his Sunday school to the unusual - the church based on Jazz Musician John Coltrane and mixing with the "Shakers", the few that are left.
Since the author is a reporter and a novelist, one would expect the book to be well written and it is. I think the history behind the development of many branches of Christianity and the stories of their development is a major attraction to this book. Not my usual fare but the book, like the topic, opens up a wide world of alternatives. Interesting that so many folks who all want to end up in the same place have found so many roads to get there.
April 27, 2011
It has been a long time since I have disliked a book this heartily.
I was really put off by the author's attitude towards the churches she visited. I found her tone to be really judgmental as she goes through people's houses of worship. It bugs me. I don't like how she takes a one-moment-in-time snapshot and seems to extend it to represent the whole of that form of worship, based on how it either pleases her or doesn't.
I think I would like it more if she treated it as a gift to be allowed a window into what is precious to people, even if it doesn't live up to whatever standard she is expecting.
If she were really trying to find what speaks to her heart (and not just gather material for this latest book :) ), does she really think that she can find a true reflection of that in a drive-by church sitting? IT kind of makes me think of someone sitting in front of the TV flipping channels - "boring"...."not well-produced"...."didn't mention dead soldiers on Memorial Day"...."no one greeted me"... I guess what I'm saying is if she's really just doing a superficial drive-by with each faith, it would come across better to me if she were more respectful and less quick to pass judgment on things she experienced for maybe sixty minutes.
As a former seeker-now-"home" in a place that is frequently maligned, I'm bothered by her somewhat glib approach. I think it largely comes down to the impression that I get of people not necessarily looking for a spiritual home but rather the most entertainment value for their investment of an hour-or-less.
If someone came into my home for a day, she might walk away saying, "Wow, she's a slob who yells at her kids" if she hadn't taken the time to find out that my son was on a manic rant for two days and I'd been sick for a week - and I'd be feeling pretty mad about someone telling the world at large that that was my "reality" overall.
I was really put off by the author's attitude towards the churches she visited. I found her tone to be really judgmental as she goes through people's houses of worship. It bugs me. I don't like how she takes a one-moment-in-time snapshot and seems to extend it to represent the whole of that form of worship, based on how it either pleases her or doesn't.
I think I would like it more if she treated it as a gift to be allowed a window into what is precious to people, even if it doesn't live up to whatever standard she is expecting.
If she were really trying to find what speaks to her heart (and not just gather material for this latest book :) ), does she really think that she can find a true reflection of that in a drive-by church sitting? IT kind of makes me think of someone sitting in front of the TV flipping channels - "boring"...."not well-produced"...."didn't mention dead soldiers on Memorial Day"...."no one greeted me"... I guess what I'm saying is if she's really just doing a superficial drive-by with each faith, it would come across better to me if she were more respectful and less quick to pass judgment on things she experienced for maybe sixty minutes.
As a former seeker-now-"home" in a place that is frequently maligned, I'm bothered by her somewhat glib approach. I think it largely comes down to the impression that I get of people not necessarily looking for a spiritual home but rather the most entertainment value for their investment of an hour-or-less.
If someone came into my home for a day, she might walk away saying, "Wow, she's a slob who yells at her kids" if she hadn't taken the time to find out that my son was on a manic rant for two days and I'd been sick for a week - and I'd be feeling pretty mad about someone telling the world at large that that was my "reality" overall.
July 7, 2012
A Quaker friend recommended this book to me four years ago, and I just got around to reading it. I'm glad I took the trip.
I have nothing original to say in reviewing this book. I fought with myself again and again about whether I really liked this book or really didn't. In the end, I think that's the mark of a good read--one which is gripping and provocative enough to engage the reader when the book's set down.
Likes: I think it's a clever concept (52 churches in 52 weeks). Seeing churches through the eyes of a newcomer was revealing. I learned a lot about churches and denominations I didn't know or had only vaguely heard of. The author's candor and integration of her personal life into her visit stories made them richer. I enjoyed the ride and the author's voice throughout. I loved Shea's openness to new experiences and last minute changed plans...her general "game-ness" and good humor along the way.
Dislikes: there are limitations to the concept. The pace of the project meant that there were only superficial, one-time reads on a particular church that were used to make huge generalizations about the nature of a church or denomination. The author loses her objectivity and curiosity when she believes a church has a conservative stance regarding homosexuality. The book would've been strengthened, in my view, with a deeper, more searching treatment of this topic. Similarly with large churches. There were some very interesting non-Christian churches included, which was fine by me but seemed inconsistent with the rules Shea set down for herself.I would've enjoyed a postscript indicating how this year changed where and how the author worships on a weekly basis.
I could list other niggling bits about the book, but the beautiful thing is that thus is Suzanne's spiritual journey, not mine, and it's hers to structure and share as she wishes. As said in so many churches she visited, peace be with you.
I have nothing original to say in reviewing this book. I fought with myself again and again about whether I really liked this book or really didn't. In the end, I think that's the mark of a good read--one which is gripping and provocative enough to engage the reader when the book's set down.
Likes: I think it's a clever concept (52 churches in 52 weeks). Seeing churches through the eyes of a newcomer was revealing. I learned a lot about churches and denominations I didn't know or had only vaguely heard of. The author's candor and integration of her personal life into her visit stories made them richer. I enjoyed the ride and the author's voice throughout. I loved Shea's openness to new experiences and last minute changed plans...her general "game-ness" and good humor along the way.
Dislikes: there are limitations to the concept. The pace of the project meant that there were only superficial, one-time reads on a particular church that were used to make huge generalizations about the nature of a church or denomination. The author loses her objectivity and curiosity when she believes a church has a conservative stance regarding homosexuality. The book would've been strengthened, in my view, with a deeper, more searching treatment of this topic. Similarly with large churches. There were some very interesting non-Christian churches included, which was fine by me but seemed inconsistent with the rules Shea set down for herself.I would've enjoyed a postscript indicating how this year changed where and how the author worships on a weekly basis.
I could list other niggling bits about the book, but the beautiful thing is that thus is Suzanne's spiritual journey, not mine, and it's hers to structure and share as she wishes. As said in so many churches she visited, peace be with you.
May 17, 2009
My mother, who owns an independent bookstore, thought I might like this book. She knows I enjoy visiting various religious services and figured this book would be right up my alley. I thought so too. Unfortunately, I've been disappointed with the book thus far and likely will read only a few more entries before returning it to the library.
I do not consider the author a strong writer, and her insights appear much more superficial than I had been expecting. I disagree with the blurb on the front cover that says, regarding the author, "her devotion is memorable, her insights illuminating, her writing—as always—a gift." I was hoping that would be true. I did not find it to be and figure it was a friend who made the statement.
With so many good reads out there and so little time, I can't recommend this book for myself or anyone else. If you have the time to read this one, you'd be better off skipping the book and instead visiting a place of worship that's new to you and participating in the services there.
I do not consider the author a strong writer, and her insights appear much more superficial than I had been expecting. I disagree with the blurb on the front cover that says, regarding the author, "her devotion is memorable, her insights illuminating, her writing—as always—a gift." I was hoping that would be true. I did not find it to be and figure it was a friend who made the statement.
With so many good reads out there and so little time, I can't recommend this book for myself or anyone else. If you have the time to read this one, you'd be better off skipping the book and instead visiting a place of worship that's new to you and participating in the services there.
July 25, 2009
No matter how many times I go, I have never joined my church. Things bother me, just enough things to think I shouldn’t join, things like women not being allowed to be ministers or deacons, the literal meaning applied to so many passages in the Bible. The wonderful hugs keep me coming back each week, somehow.
So it was nice to travel with Shea this week to fifty plus churches across the USA. Catholic, Pentecostal, Methodist, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Episcopal, churches with celebrity pastors, churches with celebrity members, enormous churches, and tiny churches…Shea tries them all.
I loved this book. It made me want to go on a yearlong quest of my own. I might do it. I just might do it.
So it was nice to travel with Shea this week to fifty plus churches across the USA. Catholic, Pentecostal, Methodist, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Episcopal, churches with celebrity pastors, churches with celebrity members, enormous churches, and tiny churches…Shea tries them all.
I loved this book. It made me want to go on a yearlong quest of my own. I might do it. I just might do it.
October 19, 2009
So, I loved her other books and I was excited to read this, as I am quite interested in other religions. There were parts of this that were very interesting; however, overall it was much more telling about the author than about the churches she visited. For whomever is interested she visited an LDS church outside Sharon VT on Father's day (as her view was the Mormons are a very male dominated church) and experienced a typical sacrament meeting on Father's Day. Her conclusion...a lot of hype (by others) for something that was essentially boring. All things considered, not necessarily a bad thing. By the end she concluded that religion/spirituality/church etc. could be wherever you are etc. etc.
July 12, 2008
Short chapters, each of which describes a Sunday morning visit to a different Protestant church somewhere in America -- everything from gatherings of a handful of people to a couple of mega churches with famous preachers.
Really interesting; I almost felt like I had visited the churches myself. And came away with mini-sermons (or at least a little something to think about) from several of them.
It also seemed like my views are similar enough to the author's that I would have appreciated the same things she did and disliked the things that turned her off.
All in all, a good read.
Really interesting; I almost felt like I had visited the churches myself. And came away with mini-sermons (or at least a little something to think about) from several of them.
It also seemed like my views are similar enough to the author's that I would have appreciated the same things she did and disliked the things that turned her off.
All in all, a good read.
September 1, 2008
I read this book in preparation for hearing the author speak. It was a very fast read, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I appreciated Shea's ability to find positives in each and every church she visited, even if the experience overall did not speak to her (and in some instances, really put her off). I highly recommend this book to anyone who is (or ever has been) on a spiritual journey.
September 12, 2008
A woman's search for a new religion after becoming disgruntled with Catholic leaders and their predilection for young boys. Interesting tidbits about different religions and their origins are included, which made it worth the time to finish it. By the end I realized that the author wasn't looking so much for relgious truth as acceptance and warm fuzzies. It was an easy read and opened my eyes to the many Christian faiths out there.
May 16, 2025
From a journal entry, May 10, 2008:
"... a library book on Christian churches in America, which I've been reading for 1 1/2 weeks now ... The author visited Sunday services at a wide range of Christian churches over the course of a year & writes about each, including a description of the sanctuary, attendees, sermons / messages, music, etc. This is a very superficial way to be exposed to churches, although I must admit it's more practical (& easier) than studying the religions in depth. One fairly consistent feature is that attendees tend to be mostly (at least 2/3) female & mostly over 40--or, in some congregations, over 6o. I find this last fact very disturbing. There seems to be a large amount of disinterest in (& resulting ignorance of) organized religion among those under 40, & one consequence is that all their children are growing up unchurched. I think regular exposure to any church is better than none at all. Converts to / investigators of Mormonism often are woefully uneducated re religion & scriptures, & also aren't used to making commitments & covenants--that puts them at a serious detriment, in my opinion, & makes it less likely that they'll follow through & remain steadfast. Many people flit from church to church depending on their mood, life circumstances, & how 'congenial' they are or how well a 'fit' they are. (Or, in some cases, how much they benefit.) ... (Later--I read an interview with Shea which questioned her methodology, & she pointed out that 1st impressions are important & we never know, on any given day, who's new at our church services, why they're there, & what reaction they're having--which is also a valid point & one reason we should always be on our best behavior!)"
"... a library book on Christian churches in America, which I've been reading for 1 1/2 weeks now ... The author visited Sunday services at a wide range of Christian churches over the course of a year & writes about each, including a description of the sanctuary, attendees, sermons / messages, music, etc. This is a very superficial way to be exposed to churches, although I must admit it's more practical (& easier) than studying the religions in depth. One fairly consistent feature is that attendees tend to be mostly (at least 2/3) female & mostly over 40--or, in some congregations, over 6o. I find this last fact very disturbing. There seems to be a large amount of disinterest in (& resulting ignorance of) organized religion among those under 40, & one consequence is that all their children are growing up unchurched. I think regular exposure to any church is better than none at all. Converts to / investigators of Mormonism often are woefully uneducated re religion & scriptures, & also aren't used to making commitments & covenants--that puts them at a serious detriment, in my opinion, & makes it less likely that they'll follow through & remain steadfast. Many people flit from church to church depending on their mood, life circumstances, & how 'congenial' they are or how well a 'fit' they are. (Or, in some cases, how much they benefit.) ... (Later--I read an interview with Shea which questioned her methodology, & she pointed out that 1st impressions are important & we never know, on any given day, who's new at our church services, why they're there, & what reaction they're having--which is also a valid point & one reason we should always be on our best behavior!)"
November 8, 2016
This book was an interesting look at a large variety of non-Catholic Christian religions (52 of them) by the author, but was as much about her expectations of religion and of religious people as about the religions themselves. She was raised Polish Catholic and was moved to explore other possibilities by the death of Pope John Paul II not long after she concluded treatment for breast cancer.
The book served to teach me about many denominations I was not familiar with (sadly, she didn't make it to the one I was curious about -- a snake handling church she was scheduled to attend but an emergency came up) and some I knew a bit about, including my own. I found some of the take-aways she got from the various services quite interesting, and a few of them inspiring. I thought it was interesting that she chose 3 churches because of famous people associated with them and was disappointed with the one where the person was in attendance (Jimmy Carter) but ended up relatively pleased with the ones where the person was not (Barack Obama, then a Senator, and Al Green).
The book served to teach me about many denominations I was not familiar with (sadly, she didn't make it to the one I was curious about -- a snake handling church she was scheduled to attend but an emergency came up) and some I knew a bit about, including my own. I found some of the take-aways she got from the various services quite interesting, and a few of them inspiring. I thought it was interesting that she chose 3 churches because of famous people associated with them and was disappointed with the one where the person was in attendance (Jimmy Carter) but ended up relatively pleased with the ones where the person was not (Barack Obama, then a Senator, and Al Green).
March 21, 2017
Unsatisfying.
On one hand, the entire premise is simply a superficial review of the varieties of Christian worship (just attending one worship service, though the author clearly also did some research about the religions; the one I know best, my own, she fairly represented, so I'm assuming it was the same for the others). Expecting depth when it isn't built into the premise is unfair.
On the other hand, it made it seem like each denomination, even Christianity in general, is a part of a shallow religion. Maybe some of the churches she visited really are as shallow as she portrayed them, maybe they really don't actually understand the message and point of Christianity, but I highly doubt nearly all of them do. The author inserts her own issues into the book (basing her reviews of each church on how well they support her politics), so we know that, though she was raised Catholic, she remains only nominally religious. I think her lack of understanding of the faith greatly affects her superficial understanding of each church she visits. I suspect a fuller understanding of her own flavor of Christianity (regardless of whichever one she wanted to claim) would have led to a deeper appreciation for and understanding of other flavors of Christianity.
But if you just want to know what to expect if you visit one of the churches she visited, this is your book.
On one hand, the entire premise is simply a superficial review of the varieties of Christian worship (just attending one worship service, though the author clearly also did some research about the religions; the one I know best, my own, she fairly represented, so I'm assuming it was the same for the others). Expecting depth when it isn't built into the premise is unfair.
On the other hand, it made it seem like each denomination, even Christianity in general, is a part of a shallow religion. Maybe some of the churches she visited really are as shallow as she portrayed them, maybe they really don't actually understand the message and point of Christianity, but I highly doubt nearly all of them do. The author inserts her own issues into the book (basing her reviews of each church on how well they support her politics), so we know that, though she was raised Catholic, she remains only nominally religious. I think her lack of understanding of the faith greatly affects her superficial understanding of each church she visits. I suspect a fuller understanding of her own flavor of Christianity (regardless of whichever one she wanted to claim) would have led to a deeper appreciation for and understanding of other flavors of Christianity.
But if you just want to know what to expect if you visit one of the churches she visited, this is your book.
July 17, 2019
Having been charmed by her novels, and interested in religious practices, I was interested to read this one. I occasionally find frank expressions of faith in my authors to be off-putting, but I agreed with Shea's appraisals of the various flavors and personalities of American Christendom so often that I didn't mind. Every once in a while, it's nice to have someone not be afraid to be earnest. In my cynical world.
December 24, 2022
8.5 stars
September 4, 2025
Decided not to finish reading it
June 21, 2013
The outpouring of devotion that followed Pope John Paul II's death stirred Suzanne Shea: why hadn't she felt like that in a long, long time? And how -- where -- could she experience such an intensity of religious feeling again? And so, armed with a seeker's desire to find That Something Out There, as well as impressive traveling budget, she spent a year visiting American churches, one each Sunday (and some few on Saturdays, the 'traditional' Sabbath), touring communities both close to home in New York, and as far as Hawaii. The churches ranged from the huge to the humble, and spanned every denomination you've heard of and some you couldn't have possibly imagined, Taking notes, Sundays in America is her chronicle of that year of church-shopping, one which allows readers to play voyeur, experiencing the services and beliefs of churches they're curious about, but would never go into -- and one which might provoke thoughts to what they're looking for at church.
I've read a work like this before, in Hemant Mehta's I Sold my Soul on eBay. A Jain-turned-atheist, Mehta wanted to explore Christianity, but figured...why do it for free? He offered his church attendance for sale on eBay, and the winner -- interested in reaching out to nonbelievers -- asked him to visit fifty Christian churches of all kinds and critique them so that Christians could learn what they might do better. Mehta liked energetic services with easily understood messages, exemplified in Joel Osteen's megachurch, and panned both high-church liturgical services and low-church bible-thumping. Shea approaches churches from a different angle, however, as someone who believes the faith, yearns to feel it more fully, but has never ventured to do so before because the nuns who raised her threatened her with hellfire for even visiting another church. Here, she visits an astonishing variety of churches, from the standard American faiths (Episcopalian, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist) to quirky up-and-comers (Mormons) to the bizarre (a church which worshiped God and John Coltrane). *A handful of niche churches, like the chapel at West Point, are included as well. The author took care on some Sundays to choose an appropriate church: she visits the West Point chapel on Memorial Day, for instance, and a kooky Christian Spiritualist community on All Saints' Day.
Shea's account quickly revealed her personal tastes to be simple, but refined: she recoils from huge productions like Joel Osteen's megachurch, stares glumly at the unadorned walls and unfrocked preachers in Protestant churches, and finds the focus of some congregations on spiritual warfare (fighting actual...demons?) and hate-campaigning to be flabbergastingly strange and distasteful. More to her style are the meditative services of the Quakers, or those of Catholic-like denominations, with formal liturgies and generous decor. But she appreciates some of the novelties, as well: the intense emotional energy of places like New Mount Zion Baptist church and their enthusiastic inclusion of the congregants in the service as doing more than repeating lines appeals to her. For Shea, a this-world spiritual approach is paramount: she delights in churches with social programs like food pantries, and scorns those that only focus on helping their attendees avoid God's Imminent Wrath.
I found Sundays in America quite engaging, as the author and I seem to look for many of the same things in a faith community, in regards to the emphasis on helping others and the abscence of hate politics. Her story allowed me to find out a bit more about a few denominations, amused me with some of its bizaare visits, made me appreciate having escaped my childhood Pentecostal background by forcing me to revisit it, and stirred me with her accounts of visiting the Quakers and a few other groups whose emphasis on simplicity and mindfulness I greatly appreciate.
For those curious about the varieties of Christian religious experiences, this could prove very much worth your while.
* I used to say I went to the First Church of Frank (Sinatra), joking that we sang the Voice's standards and read devotions from The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Living. Finding out that a church existed that actually did that, with another artist, was startling to say the least...
July 28, 2008
Suzanne Strempek Shea grew up in a Polish Roman Catholic family and church in Western Massachusetts, married an Irish Catholic, and continued attending the Catholic Church until about age 40. At that time, her husband, a newspaper reporter, broke one of the first stories of clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Her disgust at the hierarchy's continual cover-ups of the scandal led her to abandon the church and stay away even through a bout with breast cancer (which she's also written about). But, nearing 50, she began to feel a pull towards spirituality again and a desire for a faith. She decided to spend a year visiting a different church each week, all across America. This book is her report on that year.
Having been taught by nuns that the roof would fall in and she'd go to Hell if she entered a non-Catholic church, it is with some trepidation -- seemingly only partly ironic -- that she sets out. She's also a little shaky on what exactly "Protestant" means -- after saying she's going to visit Protestant churches, she attends a Greek Orthodox service, a couple of Catholic but non-Papal churches, a Mormon ward meeting and a Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall. Over the course of the year, she covers all the mainline denominations, a couple of megachurches, at least one "emergent" church, Pentecostals, Quakers, Shakers, and Unitarians. What impressed me the most was that she truly attempted to take something positive from each worship service, even when some of the things said from the pulpit were highly disturbing to her (as they would be to me.) Although she doesn't succeed every time, she probably does so more often than I would, probably because she really does come with almost no preconceptions of what church should be like -- she expects these services to be different. She is touchingly pleased at the relatively few liturgical or "high church" services she attends, that are more like the Catholic Mass.
One thing I did find a bit annoying was that the author commented on the presence or absence of people of color in each church she attended. This made sense when she was visiting Riverside Church in New York City or a megachurch in a large urban area, but really -- in a small congregation in Enfield, Connecticut, what did she expect to find? The absence of minorities there said more about the census tract than the congregation.
At the end of the year, Suzanne Strempek Shea has been all over the map, both literally (even visiting Hawaii) and in denominational terms. She has found some spiritual solace and some churches -- far from where she lives -- that she could see being a member of. But the one unsatisfying part of this book is that it is still not clear at the end whether she is any closer to a church home.
Having been taught by nuns that the roof would fall in and she'd go to Hell if she entered a non-Catholic church, it is with some trepidation -- seemingly only partly ironic -- that she sets out. She's also a little shaky on what exactly "Protestant" means -- after saying she's going to visit Protestant churches, she attends a Greek Orthodox service, a couple of Catholic but non-Papal churches, a Mormon ward meeting and a Jehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall. Over the course of the year, she covers all the mainline denominations, a couple of megachurches, at least one "emergent" church, Pentecostals, Quakers, Shakers, and Unitarians. What impressed me the most was that she truly attempted to take something positive from each worship service, even when some of the things said from the pulpit were highly disturbing to her (as they would be to me.) Although she doesn't succeed every time, she probably does so more often than I would, probably because she really does come with almost no preconceptions of what church should be like -- she expects these services to be different. She is touchingly pleased at the relatively few liturgical or "high church" services she attends, that are more like the Catholic Mass.
One thing I did find a bit annoying was that the author commented on the presence or absence of people of color in each church she attended. This made sense when she was visiting Riverside Church in New York City or a megachurch in a large urban area, but really -- in a small congregation in Enfield, Connecticut, what did she expect to find? The absence of minorities there said more about the census tract than the congregation.
At the end of the year, Suzanne Strempek Shea has been all over the map, both literally (even visiting Hawaii) and in denominational terms. She has found some spiritual solace and some churches -- far from where she lives -- that she could see being a member of. But the one unsatisfying part of this book is that it is still not clear at the end whether she is any closer to a church home.
September 20, 2008
After reexamining her Catholic faith after the sex scandel, the author spent a year of Sundays visiting different churches across the country. She visited a variety of churches of different denominations and sizes. I found the book entirely fascinating. Because she is covering 52 different churches in about 300 pages the entry on each church is fairly short, but they all provided a good glimpse of her experience at the church as well as background on either the denomination, the church itself, or both. Her basic conclusion was that faith and its practice is a very personal thing and a church that appeals to one person may not appeal to another. I found myself pretty much agreeing with her opinions on various churches based on her descriptions of their services and literature.
She sums up her experience by saying this:
"I don't know what the others are finding in their travels, but the past year has distilled for me the qualities I'd need in a new church home: a community that welcomed me warmly, didn't give a whit about my politics or lifestyle, gave tons of whits about the social justice needs locally and beyond, contained little-to-no hierarchy, allowed congregants a say in decisions large and small, offered a spiritual message inspired by love rather than by fear, and did all this in an art-filled space that range with awesome music."
She says that says that no church is perfect and none of the ones she visited met all her criteria but some met the most important ones. If you've read my blog at all in the past you should be able to tell that her ideal church comes pretty close to mine. As she says no church is perfect, and I don't think mine is either but it comes pretty close to meeting all my ideals for a church. Definitely a recommended read for anyone interested in seeing how people practicing the same religion of Christianity can do it completely different ways.
She sums up her experience by saying this:
"I don't know what the others are finding in their travels, but the past year has distilled for me the qualities I'd need in a new church home: a community that welcomed me warmly, didn't give a whit about my politics or lifestyle, gave tons of whits about the social justice needs locally and beyond, contained little-to-no hierarchy, allowed congregants a say in decisions large and small, offered a spiritual message inspired by love rather than by fear, and did all this in an art-filled space that range with awesome music."
She says that says that no church is perfect and none of the ones she visited met all her criteria but some met the most important ones. If you've read my blog at all in the past you should be able to tell that her ideal church comes pretty close to mine. As she says no church is perfect, and I don't think mine is either but it comes pretty close to meeting all my ideals for a church. Definitely a recommended read for anyone interested in seeing how people practicing the same religion of Christianity can do it completely different ways.
January 16, 2010
This Massachusetts author, a lapsed Roman Catholic with Polish heritage, decided to attend a different Christian church every weekend for a year and write about each visit. That’s the book, in a nutshell. She’s a good observer and writer, and puts a bit of herself into her descriptions.
I started out sort of dutifully reading, absorbing the offered bit of history and detail on each church along with the author's experience there, but soon found myself engaged and eager to see what the next church would be like. There were many denominations I’d never heard of: like the Metropolitan Community Church (liberal and mostly gay), though there are about three hundred in this country; the Coltrane African Orthodox church, which bases most of its service on Coltrane’s jazz; and the Polish National Catholic Church, which doesn’t recognize the pope, lets priests marry, welcomes gays, and allows parishioners to own the church property. Some churches, like the mega church Saddleback, I’d heard of but appreciated the closer look.
I ended up being quite surprised by, and having a better grasp of, the sheer number and variety of Christian denominations there are in just the US. It left me thinking somewhere out there there's probably a related book(s)I would like to read by an author who sampled non-Christian faith groups.
I started out sort of dutifully reading, absorbing the offered bit of history and detail on each church along with the author's experience there, but soon found myself engaged and eager to see what the next church would be like. There were many denominations I’d never heard of: like the Metropolitan Community Church (liberal and mostly gay), though there are about three hundred in this country; the Coltrane African Orthodox church, which bases most of its service on Coltrane’s jazz; and the Polish National Catholic Church, which doesn’t recognize the pope, lets priests marry, welcomes gays, and allows parishioners to own the church property. Some churches, like the mega church Saddleback, I’d heard of but appreciated the closer look.
I ended up being quite surprised by, and having a better grasp of, the sheer number and variety of Christian denominations there are in just the US. It left me thinking somewhere out there there's probably a related book(s)I would like to read by an author who sampled non-Christian faith groups.
September 29, 2015
My mom recommended this book, so I checked it out of the library and started reading. Definitely worth the time, although it required reading in smaller bits. Because every few pages was a new church visit, they all started to blur together unless you only read a couple at a time. I really appreciated the variety of churches that Shea visited - some of which belonged to denominations I hadn't even heard of! It was neat to get to see inside different services all from the same perspective, especially since it's unlikely I'll ever sit in many of them. Beyond that, it's hard to say much about the book, since faith journeys are very personal. One of the things I'm definitely learning is how different people are looking for different things...and no matter what people may say about what is required or necessary, that's not the same for everyone! I liked that Shea maintained a respect for all the places that she went, even the ones that she disagreed with, and that she always managed to find people that she could identify with in one way or another. All in all, an intriguing and satisfying read.
May 7, 2012
Suzanne Strempek Shea is one of my favorite novelists, so when I saw this book on a library shelf, I picked it up. Shea, a lapsed Roman Catholic, decided to visit a different non-Catholic Christian church each Sunday for a year. She visited Shakers, Mennonites, Mormons, Lutherans, Baptists of several types, fundamentalists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists, huge mega-churches and tiny start-ups with just two or three congregants.
I found her descriptions of the churches and the congregations interesting, and the diversity of worship services amazing. ( I certainly never imagined that there was a church named after & honoring John Coltrane!) However, I was disappointed in her quick judgements -- really, why not just say what you saw without judging based on one brief service? I appreciated that she candidly described what she felt in each church, but, again, I felt that some of the congregations were probably misrepresented because of one particular sermon or prayer.
An eye-opening and fascinating but somewhat disappointing book. 2 1/2 stars.
I found her descriptions of the churches and the congregations interesting, and the diversity of worship services amazing. ( I certainly never imagined that there was a church named after & honoring John Coltrane!) However, I was disappointed in her quick judgements -- really, why not just say what you saw without judging based on one brief service? I appreciated that she candidly described what she felt in each church, but, again, I felt that some of the congregations were probably misrepresented because of one particular sermon or prayer.
An eye-opening and fascinating but somewhat disappointing book. 2 1/2 stars.
May 15, 2013
In this book Shea takes a year from her home church and her Catholic upbringing to take an insightful look at different Protestant denominations throughout the United States. Having grown up Catholic she never set foot in a Protestant church before her year began, stating she was afraid that the roof would cave in as the nuns had warned her. However, as she travels she has a chance to check out everything from Jehovah's Witnesses to Quakers, to Evangelical Baptists. Her insights as a non attendee at each church give a great view of what kind of impression our churches are giving to visitors, and bring some thought provoking moments.
She faithfully documents each sermon from her year long journey and most of the sermons provide some great reflective moments for the reader. While she, and I, may not agree with everyone's theology the theme of Christ's love and grace is delicately interwoven throughout the book. Her story even has a few heroes in the forms of pastors, and church members who reach out to Shea and show Christ's love to her.
She faithfully documents each sermon from her year long journey and most of the sermons provide some great reflective moments for the reader. While she, and I, may not agree with everyone's theology the theme of Christ's love and grace is delicately interwoven throughout the book. Her story even has a few heroes in the forms of pastors, and church members who reach out to Shea and show Christ's love to her.
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June 10, 2012I thought Along the Way would be more about the making of the movie “The Way” which I watched twice, but the chapters relating to the making of the movie provided the framework for the stories of Martin Sheen and his son Emilio Estevez. The reader gets to know these two men as they share their family history and their personal journeys and the making of the film together in Spain. I found the book very interesting and one that I couldn’t put down. I knew a bit about Martin Sheen and his commitment to social justice. I learned of his return to Catholicism and his long marriage. Emilio is quite an unusual man…possessing talent and creativity, but that should be no surprise. He has two grown children and now writes, directs, acts in movies, but also tends a vineyard in California. Their family life is portrayed honestly. I would like to see more of the movies each one has made.
October 20, 2008
A wonderful and gentle look at churches in the USA from little store front churches in the author's neighborhood to mega-churches in Texas and California.
Shea is coming from an ethnic Roman Catholic background.
My background is a Native American Episcopal one, but as she frames her views is translates to my experience.
I have spent a significant number of Sundays in Baptist, Unitarian, Assembly of God and Roman Catholic curches though I idendtify with ECUSA and ECLA Lutheran. I think I get it.
Currently, my job requires and allows me to speak at a different church each Sunday. I have most of the same perceptions as the Shea.
Shea is coming from an ethnic Roman Catholic background.
My background is a Native American Episcopal one, but as she frames her views is translates to my experience.
I have spent a significant number of Sundays in Baptist, Unitarian, Assembly of God and Roman Catholic curches though I idendtify with ECUSA and ECLA Lutheran. I think I get it.
Currently, my job requires and allows me to speak at a different church each Sunday. I have most of the same perceptions as the Shea.
July 26, 2011
I found this book fascinating. Ms. Shea's trek through churches across America is something I could never do, though I would like to. She takes criticism from other reviewers for judging the churches she visits, but this book never professes to be an unbiased view of churches. It is a personal journey to try a variety of churches in search of something she didn't find in her own. From my own searches, I agree with her rejection of churches that emphasize fear and damnation over God's message's message of love. I also share the author's trouble with churches that practice are not welcoming to all, as Jesus welcomed everyone, even women of the night.
September 19, 2009
I cherry-picked my way around the book, reading the entries that caught my interest. Many I skipped entirely. Shea is a good writer, and her descriptions of the churches are insightful and entertaining. She makes no apologies for her very liberal biases, but still manages to find value and even accord in some of the more conservative messages. Readers should take this for what it is: a very random sampling of Christian services across the country, and not in any way an attempt to characterize the worship of particular denominations.
July 13, 2012
Shea spent a year visiting a different church each week and shares in detail what she saw and experienced. She visited churches from different denominations, in different parts of the country, with different styles of worship, with different socio-economic and ethnic makeups, and all along the conservative-liberal spectrum. Perhaps the most entertaining was her visit to Joel Osteen’s church in Houston (hint: she was not impressed). A great book full of captivating and, at times, inspiring stories from her yearlong journey.
June 2, 2010
Augh! I wanted the rest of the book!
Shea visits one church a week, all over the US, for one full year. She's learning about alternatives to the Catholicism that she grew up with. Each visit gets a summary of about 2 pages, and that's the beginning of my frustration. This is an interesting idea, but just scratches the surface of each tradition. Also, I'd love to know how the whole experiment affected Shea's personal spiritual life.
Shea visits one church a week, all over the US, for one full year. She's learning about alternatives to the Catholicism that she grew up with. Each visit gets a summary of about 2 pages, and that's the beginning of my frustration. This is an interesting idea, but just scratches the surface of each tradition. Also, I'd love to know how the whole experiment affected Shea's personal spiritual life.
July 29, 2009
I really enjoyed this. I know the basics of some Protestant denominations, but it was interesting to get a better glimpse. I felt that part of the reason I enjoyed the book so much was that I believe many of the same things as the author (for gay marriage, for example). If you are a conservative Christian you might not appreciate the author's perspective in the same way.
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