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The Body Teaches the Soul: Ten Essential Habits to Form a Healthy and Holy Life
Your body is more spiritual than you think.
How can we preach a gospel of peace, yet still find our bodies wracked by anxiety? How do we call our bodies temples of the Holy Spirit, yet regard eating, exercise, or sleep as inherently "unspiritual" activities? How is it that modern Christians who claim God made their bodies have come to care so little about them?
Justin Whitmel Earley--bestselling author of The Common Rule and Habits of the Household--is intimately familiar with the consequences of ignoring the body. As a young lawyer, Earley collapsed into anxiety and insomnia that nearly ruined his life. In his journey back to mental and spiritual health, he realized that the healthy and unhealthy habits shaping his life weren't physical or spiritual; they were physical and spiritual.
The Body Teaches the Soul is a practical guide to the union of body and spirit in our overall health. With his characteristic vulnerability and story-driven approach, Earley shares personal failures, fascinating research, and biblical wisdom to reveal ten simple habits that will improve your health and deepen your relationship with God. In these pages, you
Connect deeply and positively with your body as the image of God while avoiding the mistakes of ignoring or idolizing the bodyExplore how daily patterns of healthy eating can be as spiritual as fasting and how rhythms of feasting can become guilt-free celebrations of the world God madeRecover your mental health through upper-brain spiritual truths that work together with lower-brain physical practices to reshape thought patternsDevelop a sleep routine that honors your body's need for rest and your soul's need for sabbathDiscover how to lament sickness and injury while still praying with hope for the miracle of healingLearn how exercise can create a humble lifestyle of loving others with your body instead of becoming a vain search for body image
Earley is not a health guru telling you how to get in shape; he is the ordinary Christian's guide to rediscovering the extraordinary gift of the body and the spiritual life that flows from it. Join this journey of wonder and well-being to reconnect with your whole self and repattern your whole life in the image of the God who made you and loves you as you are--body and soul.
How can we preach a gospel of peace, yet still find our bodies wracked by anxiety? How do we call our bodies temples of the Holy Spirit, yet regard eating, exercise, or sleep as inherently "unspiritual" activities? How is it that modern Christians who claim God made their bodies have come to care so little about them?
Justin Whitmel Earley--bestselling author of The Common Rule and Habits of the Household--is intimately familiar with the consequences of ignoring the body. As a young lawyer, Earley collapsed into anxiety and insomnia that nearly ruined his life. In his journey back to mental and spiritual health, he realized that the healthy and unhealthy habits shaping his life weren't physical or spiritual; they were physical and spiritual.
The Body Teaches the Soul is a practical guide to the union of body and spirit in our overall health. With his characteristic vulnerability and story-driven approach, Earley shares personal failures, fascinating research, and biblical wisdom to reveal ten simple habits that will improve your health and deepen your relationship with God. In these pages, you
Connect deeply and positively with your body as the image of God while avoiding the mistakes of ignoring or idolizing the bodyExplore how daily patterns of healthy eating can be as spiritual as fasting and how rhythms of feasting can become guilt-free celebrations of the world God madeRecover your mental health through upper-brain spiritual truths that work together with lower-brain physical practices to reshape thought patternsDevelop a sleep routine that honors your body's need for rest and your soul's need for sabbathDiscover how to lament sickness and injury while still praying with hope for the miracle of healingLearn how exercise can create a humble lifestyle of loving others with your body instead of becoming a vain search for body image
Earley is not a health guru telling you how to get in shape; he is the ordinary Christian's guide to rediscovering the extraordinary gift of the body and the spiritual life that flows from it. Join this journey of wonder and well-being to reconnect with your whole self and repattern your whole life in the image of the God who made you and loves you as you are--body and soul.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2025
1030 people are currently reading
8296 people want to read
About the author
Justin Whitmel Earley
11 books642 followersJustin Whitmel Earley (JD, Georgetown University) is the creator of The Common Rule, a program of habits designed to form us in the love of God and neighbor. He is also a mergers and acquisitions lawyer in Richmond, Virginia. He previously spent several years in China as the founder and general editor of The Urbanity Project and as the director of Thought and Culture Shapers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the community through arts. He and his wife, Lauren, have four sons and live in Richmond, Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
January 25, 2026
Books about the human body (health in particular) are flying off the shelves these days. Many of these books have good things to offer in the way of overall fitness and include helpful principles that concern nutrition, exercise, longevity, and sleep.
Justin Whittle Earley’s book, The Body Teaches the Soul: Ten Essential Habits to Form a Healthy and Holy Life. Here, as the title suggests, we are confronted not only with the challenge to pursue a healthy life; we are called to a life of holiness. The combination of these themes makes Earley’s book stand out above the rest.
Christians have a nasty habit of pitting the secular against the sacred, thus buying into a sort of evangelical gnosticism, a theme that the author explores in some detail. The habits commended in this volume are:
Breathing
Thinking
Eating and Drinking
Sleeping
Sickness and Pain
Exercise
Sex
Technology
Worship
Death and Resurrection
Each chapter guides readers on a journey that should challenge them to a life of health and holiness. For my money, the chapter on worship is especially noteworthy. The author alerts readers to the importance of worship, reminding them that “our bodies are fine-tuned to worship.” Central to this chapter is a critical observation, namely - “Everything that is biological is also theological.” Highlighting this theme should be revolutionary for many, as they have been accustomed to emphasizing the spiritual over the physical, thus taking the gnostic bait once again. Chapter ten also emphasizes physical discipline and spiritual discipline, the sum total that equals holistic worship.
One critique of this volume, despite its many praiseworthy elements, is the author’s encouragement for readers to engage in Lectio Divina, the Latin term for “spiritual reading.” This novel approach to interpreting Scripture is highly subjective and is leading the unsuspecting down paths that are not biblical. This ancient practice that many contemporary Christians are utilizing is a dangerous departure from biblical hermeneutics and should be avoided. Or as David Helms implies, it leads us away from the right meaning and right application of a text instead of toward it.” See Tim Challies’ excellent article, A Danger of Lectio Divina for a more comprehensive critique.
Overall, though, The Body Teaches the Soul is a solid offering that I encourage readers to study and apply to their lives.
Justin Whittle Earley’s book, The Body Teaches the Soul: Ten Essential Habits to Form a Healthy and Holy Life. Here, as the title suggests, we are confronted not only with the challenge to pursue a healthy life; we are called to a life of holiness. The combination of these themes makes Earley’s book stand out above the rest.
Christians have a nasty habit of pitting the secular against the sacred, thus buying into a sort of evangelical gnosticism, a theme that the author explores in some detail. The habits commended in this volume are:
Breathing
Thinking
Eating and Drinking
Sleeping
Sickness and Pain
Exercise
Sex
Technology
Worship
Death and Resurrection
Each chapter guides readers on a journey that should challenge them to a life of health and holiness. For my money, the chapter on worship is especially noteworthy. The author alerts readers to the importance of worship, reminding them that “our bodies are fine-tuned to worship.” Central to this chapter is a critical observation, namely - “Everything that is biological is also theological.” Highlighting this theme should be revolutionary for many, as they have been accustomed to emphasizing the spiritual over the physical, thus taking the gnostic bait once again. Chapter ten also emphasizes physical discipline and spiritual discipline, the sum total that equals holistic worship.
One critique of this volume, despite its many praiseworthy elements, is the author’s encouragement for readers to engage in Lectio Divina, the Latin term for “spiritual reading.” This novel approach to interpreting Scripture is highly subjective and is leading the unsuspecting down paths that are not biblical. This ancient practice that many contemporary Christians are utilizing is a dangerous departure from biblical hermeneutics and should be avoided. Or as David Helms implies, it leads us away from the right meaning and right application of a text instead of toward it.” See Tim Challies’ excellent article, A Danger of Lectio Divina for a more comprehensive critique.
Overall, though, The Body Teaches the Soul is a solid offering that I encourage readers to study and apply to their lives.
October 28, 2025
A great and encouraging read!! Check this book out! Think theology of being embodied meets common rule practices for stewarding our embodiment.
January 22, 2026
An accessible primer on the integral role of spiritual disciplines for embodied, wholistic health.
December 22, 2025
This book offers practical steps to implement theological truth about our bodies—embracing both our limitations and our unique abilities in a way that images our Creator. This is a book I will keep referencing again and again.
January 13, 2026
This is not a bad book, but it's not the book I was hoping it would be. I think that's how I felt when I read The Common Rule from the same author.
In general, I was disappointed with how little of the Christian tradition each chapter interacted with. Willard shows up a couple times. Piper is quoted once, I think. Hauerwas is footnoted. In contrast, most chapters have an anchoring insight from a pop science/journalism source. For the topics in this book, it's just strange to me how little the Christian tradition explicitly informs the content. It's not as rich as I wish it were.
And hey, I'm a teacher. This is one of my academic interests. Maybe I'm expecting more than I should. As it is, this volume would probably be really helpful for a teen or young professional.
Even so, I wish it were introducing those audiences to the rich streams of the Christian tradition.
"Jason, it's no good bashing this book without giving examples of what would be richer."
Yeah, that's fair.
Across the board, if you work through the John Mark Comer free online course for Practicing the Way - with a group or as a church, if you can - you'll be farther ahead than if you read this book in each of the domains this book addresses, both in terms of theological development and life transformation.
I know it's trendy to hate on JMC for emphasizing *effort* towards growth too much or for drawing from too many theological traditions without naming the differences between them or explaining how he processes the disparities (... yeah, fair). Don't stop with JMC! But if you're at entry-level, you can do *so much* better than this book.
In general, I was disappointed with how little of the Christian tradition each chapter interacted with. Willard shows up a couple times. Piper is quoted once, I think. Hauerwas is footnoted. In contrast, most chapters have an anchoring insight from a pop science/journalism source. For the topics in this book, it's just strange to me how little the Christian tradition explicitly informs the content. It's not as rich as I wish it were.
And hey, I'm a teacher. This is one of my academic interests. Maybe I'm expecting more than I should. As it is, this volume would probably be really helpful for a teen or young professional.
Even so, I wish it were introducing those audiences to the rich streams of the Christian tradition.
"Jason, it's no good bashing this book without giving examples of what would be richer."
Yeah, that's fair.
Across the board, if you work through the John Mark Comer free online course for Practicing the Way - with a group or as a church, if you can - you'll be farther ahead than if you read this book in each of the domains this book addresses, both in terms of theological development and life transformation.
I know it's trendy to hate on JMC for emphasizing *effort* towards growth too much or for drawing from too many theological traditions without naming the differences between them or explaining how he processes the disparities (... yeah, fair). Don't stop with JMC! But if you're at entry-level, you can do *so much* better than this book.
January 6, 2026
Easy five stars and hands down my favorite book from this author so far. Lots to think about but I love the blend of simple truths, habits to try, and the reminder that God’s love for us shapes our habits, not the other way around.
November 5, 2025
I can’t think of another author that writes as succinctly and thoughtfully as Justin Whitmel Earley. Another honest, thoughtful, and provocative book. Particularly the chapters on exercise and food.
January 4, 2026
Whew! I needed this. Justin does it again. Sound theology and practical. The chapters on eating and drinking, exercise, and technology were especially helpful and convicting.
“Your habits of health won’t change God’s love for you, but God’s love for you should change your habits.”
“Your habits of health won’t change God’s love for you, but God’s love for you should change your habits.”
December 27, 2025
This is the last book I will finish in 2025, and I have read so many good books this year that I did not think it was possible to end on a high note...but it was. This was one of the best and the perfect book to end the year on.
I've read Justin's other book "Habits of the Household," and thought it was phenomenal. Even so, I thought this one was better.
It's not just the clarity with which he writes, or the practicality of the advice he gives (both of which are superb); it's the timeliness of this book. I live in a world where embodiment/the physical body is either worshiped or completely ignored, and in both circumstances abused/wrongfully utilized.
This book paints such a hopeful and helpful picture of how the Christian is to use their body (a powerful and essential part of themselves) to educate and form the soul. It felt like Justin found a missing piece of the puzzle and placed it perfectly into my life.
10/10 recommend, and will be reading again.
I've read Justin's other book "Habits of the Household," and thought it was phenomenal. Even so, I thought this one was better.
It's not just the clarity with which he writes, or the practicality of the advice he gives (both of which are superb); it's the timeliness of this book. I live in a world where embodiment/the physical body is either worshiped or completely ignored, and in both circumstances abused/wrongfully utilized.
This book paints such a hopeful and helpful picture of how the Christian is to use their body (a powerful and essential part of themselves) to educate and form the soul. It felt like Justin found a missing piece of the puzzle and placed it perfectly into my life.
10/10 recommend, and will be reading again.
January 12, 2026
Really loved this! As always, Earley does an incredible job of connecting gospel truth to our everyday lives in a tangible and hope filled way. I also appreciated hearing his wife’s perspective on several chapters! I listened to the audiobook but plan to purchase the physical copy to refer to, as it is rich with reminders and tips.
January 4, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed it. He goes deep enough to challenge and gives a great starting point with balanced ideas for honoring and pursuing God with our physical bodies. Highly recommend.
December 6, 2025
This is it - my standout, #1 nonfiction read of the year. Never would I have thought I’d find myself crying through chapters on exercise and the resurrection and the discipline of ordinary fare amidst feasting and fasting. This work is masterful- beautifully written and instantly practical. I will bring it up in every conversation for the foreseeable future and gift it to probably everyone I know.
“When our heads go one way and our habits go another, the heart follows the habit. This is the biblical wisdom of spiritual formation.”
“When our heads go one way and our habits go another, the heart follows the habit. This is the biblical wisdom of spiritual formation.”
December 17, 2025
This is the book I wish I had in college as an exercise science student. Really insightful. My favorite chapters were the ones on breathing, exercise, food, and death.
January 2, 2026
Really loved this one. Written in a very clear, concise, and engaging way.
January 24, 2026
So very helpful, encouraging, and beautiful.
January 13, 2026
The last chapter was the best part— a simplified version of NT Wright’s surprised by hope, which i think every Christian should know. Thankful for this more accessible explanation!
Some good nuggets in this one but felt a bit disconnected and scattered, where his other books follow a more solid theme. The idea is that this book is all about the body/soul, which is maybe just quite a broad topic to cover?
Some really good basic principles for discipleship and theology about the body. I wish he went a bit deeper into some of the chapters but at the same time maybe that wouldn’t fit well in the theme? (For example much more could be said on sickness and pain, for example disabilities weren’t mentioned much, etc)
This book is full of great recommendations to other books and feels a bit like it collects lots of ideas in an accessible way which makes it a great resource especially if you’re not a big reader.
Some good nuggets in this one but felt a bit disconnected and scattered, where his other books follow a more solid theme. The idea is that this book is all about the body/soul, which is maybe just quite a broad topic to cover?
Some really good basic principles for discipleship and theology about the body. I wish he went a bit deeper into some of the chapters but at the same time maybe that wouldn’t fit well in the theme? (For example much more could be said on sickness and pain, for example disabilities weren’t mentioned much, etc)
This book is full of great recommendations to other books and feels a bit like it collects lots of ideas in an accessible way which makes it a great resource especially if you’re not a big reader.
January 26, 2026
Earley argues that the habits of our body are not to be ignored or idolized, but gardened. Cultivated. The body is valuable to God, and our spiritual life is tied to it in a way that many modern Christians don’t appreciate.
This book is theologically rich, scientifically researched and easily applied. I especially enjoyed the chapters on Worship and Death (ironically) as I found those two to be the most theologically robust and beautifully written.
You would love this book if the title makes you skeptical. 🤨 The ancient heresy of Gnosticism has a sneaky presence in modern evangelicalism, and I believe Earley successfully puts it to rest (at least in word- it’s up to you to put it to rest in deed 😉).
I think this book has landed itself in my Top 5 favorite Christian non-fiction list.
This book is theologically rich, scientifically researched and easily applied. I especially enjoyed the chapters on Worship and Death (ironically) as I found those two to be the most theologically robust and beautifully written.
You would love this book if the title makes you skeptical. 🤨 The ancient heresy of Gnosticism has a sneaky presence in modern evangelicalism, and I believe Earley successfully puts it to rest (at least in word- it’s up to you to put it to rest in deed 😉).
I think this book has landed itself in my Top 5 favorite Christian non-fiction list.
January 23, 2026
This book was more about habits than I thought it was going to, but he did such a good job of explaining how the Lord is in every single detail of our life, and how we can glorify him truly with everything we are.
The 10 habits, he went into depth about are breathing, thinking, sleeping, eating and drinking, sickness and pain, sex, exercise, technology, worship, and finally death and resurrection.
Every single chapter was well written and thought out, I really enjoyed it! I read atomic habits a while ago, and did not like it, but this book is the better version of that
The 10 habits, he went into depth about are breathing, thinking, sleeping, eating and drinking, sickness and pain, sex, exercise, technology, worship, and finally death and resurrection.
Every single chapter was well written and thought out, I really enjoyed it! I read atomic habits a while ago, and did not like it, but this book is the better version of that
November 6, 2025
I found this to be such a rich and whole approach to what it means to be a Christian and what it means to be a being with a body. Justin does such a masterful job of weaving together a theology of health and wellness on so many levels, from technology to exercise to breathing and even to death. I will be revisiting this one in the future.
January 18, 2026
if I talked to you in the last 2 weeks, chances are I recommended this book. what a heavy hitter!!! insanely practical with a very countercultural premise that as Christians all the things we do with our bodies deeply matter for her health and development of our soul.
sorry to Aaron for wanting to adopt a million new habits
sorry to Aaron for wanting to adopt a million new habits
January 27, 2026
“To live with close attention to our body is to live with close attention to our Soul…”
Stellar. Been looking forward to reading this ever since I heard Justin mention the book on Instagram. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him narrate and the chapters on Death, Exercise and Eating especially stood out. Thoughtful, gospel centered wisdom…Thank you, Justin!
Stellar. Been looking forward to reading this ever since I heard Justin mention the book on Instagram. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him narrate and the chapters on Death, Exercise and Eating especially stood out. Thoughtful, gospel centered wisdom…Thank you, Justin!
November 12, 2025
This book was phenomenal. It’s a calling to learn to respect, understand and steward the body God designed for you. I love the Christian perspective and applaud Justin, an attorney, for tackling this book on the body and the soul. The closing words were everything. Highly recommend!
December 17, 2025
I have loved everything I’ve read by JWE and this may be my favorite. Thoughtful, helpful, and incorporates the good news of the Gospel in a way that’s practical and challenging. As a clinician, I especially appreciated how he addresses mental health & the need for communion. HIGHLY recommend.
December 30, 2025
Loved this book on physical practices that lead us to more fully grasp our embodied spiritual reality. Justin succinctly compares and contrasts the secular and christian worldview of our bodies and worship.
January 4, 2026
So good. Practical, simple to read, beautifully honest and well studied. And it ends with the most beautiful reminder of the hope of the resurrection that offers so much freedom and brought tears to my eyes and such a deep, deep hope to my aching body and soul. I would say it’s a must read.
January 6, 2026
Really enjoyed this. There were parts where it felt like “I just did a school project on this and now I’m writing a book on it” but altogether thought it was great. Filled with practical ways to try and honor God with how you live. Big fan of Justin
December 6, 2025
Outstanding. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time.
January 8, 2026
Fantastic!
January 15, 2026
So so good. If people recommended more spiritual books like this, I would have started teaching them long ago!!
January 23, 2026
A refreshing reminder that God has made our bodies for his glory, that we are meant to be an embodied people, and indeed will be for all eternity.
The author helpfully, biblically and practically applies this to many areas including sleep, exercise, technology, and food/drink.
This book counters the errors of Platonism on one side and stoicism on the other.
The author helpfully, biblically and practically applies this to many areas including sleep, exercise, technology, and food/drink.
This book counters the errors of Platonism on one side and stoicism on the other.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews