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Without Oars: Casting Off into a Life of Pilgrimage
The way of the pilgrim begins with what we leave behind--not so much a journey to a holy place, but a holy practice of leaving the comforts of the familiar for a radical vulnerability, letting the very breath of God direct us on the unknown, stripped-down path of trust. In Without Oars, Wesley Granberg-Michaelson blends history, storytelling, biblical insights, personal reflections, and spiritual formation in an inviting call to discover pilgrimage as a way of life. This book offers a unique perspective on the faith journey as an embodied practice of heading into the unknown and unknowable--with all the excitement, risk, and rewards that come with letting go.
194 pages, Paperback
Published November 17, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 6, 2025
Without Oars: Casting Off into a Life of Pilgrimage is a deeply reflective work that invites readers to reconsider the Christian life as an ongoing pilgrimage rather than a fixed destination or a set of doctrinal certainties. The book is both a spiritual memoir and a theological meditation, drawing from Granberg-Michaelson’s personal experiences, biblical insights, and a rich ecumenical tradition to explore what it means to live a life of faith that embraces uncertainty, vulnerability, and trust in God’s guidance.
At the heart of the book is the metaphor of setting off in a boat without oars-a vivid image that encapsulates the essence of pilgrimage as a journey without the usual means of control or direction. This metaphor challenges the modern impulse to control one’s spiritual path or to cling to rigid beliefs for security. Instead, Granberg-Michaelson urges readers to embrace a posture of detachment from false securities and to allow themselves to be carried by the currents of divine love and providence. This act of “casting off” is not a reckless abandonment but a deliberate spiritual surrender, a willingness to let go of the illusion that we can steer our lives entirely by our own power.
Throughout the book, Granberg-Michaelson explores three key movements that characterise the pilgrimage of faith: detachment, attention, and connection. Detachment involves releasing attachments to superficial identities, preconceived notions, and the desire for certainty. It is a painful but necessary process that opens the way for deeper spiritual growth. Attention follows, inviting the pilgrim to cultivate a heightened awareness of God’s presence in the ordinary and the everyday, to listen attentively to the world and to one’s own inner life. Finally, connection emerges as the pilgrim discovers a profound relationality-not only with God but also with oneself and with others-rooted in love and mutual vulnerability.
What makes Without Oars particularly compelling is Granberg-Michaelson’s refusal to reduce faith to intellectual assent or abstract doctrine. Instead, he emphasises faith as an embodied, lived experience. His own pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago serves as a powerful narrative thread, illustrating how physical journeying can mirror and deepen spiritual transformation. The book is rich with personal anecdotes, biblical reflections, and references to Christian mystics and traditions, all woven together in a style that is both accessible and deeply poetic.
Granberg-Michaelson’s tone throughout the book is one of humility and invitation rather than dogmatism. He acknowledges the fears and doubts that accompany the pilgrimage, recognising that embracing the unknown can be unsettling. Yet, he also offers hope by portraying this journey as one of liberation-freedom from the constraints of control, certainty, and self-centeredness. The pilgrimage becomes a way of living that fosters openness, compassion, and a deeper trust in God’s unfolding purposes.
The book challenges readers to cast off their oars-metaphorically speaking-and to trust in the currents of God’s love, embarking on a journey that is as much about transformation and discovery as it is about destination. The book invites a profound reimagining of faith as a lived, embodied adventure into the unknown, encouraging a spirituality that is both deeply personal and communally rooted.
At the heart of the book is the metaphor of setting off in a boat without oars-a vivid image that encapsulates the essence of pilgrimage as a journey without the usual means of control or direction. This metaphor challenges the modern impulse to control one’s spiritual path or to cling to rigid beliefs for security. Instead, Granberg-Michaelson urges readers to embrace a posture of detachment from false securities and to allow themselves to be carried by the currents of divine love and providence. This act of “casting off” is not a reckless abandonment but a deliberate spiritual surrender, a willingness to let go of the illusion that we can steer our lives entirely by our own power.
Throughout the book, Granberg-Michaelson explores three key movements that characterise the pilgrimage of faith: detachment, attention, and connection. Detachment involves releasing attachments to superficial identities, preconceived notions, and the desire for certainty. It is a painful but necessary process that opens the way for deeper spiritual growth. Attention follows, inviting the pilgrim to cultivate a heightened awareness of God’s presence in the ordinary and the everyday, to listen attentively to the world and to one’s own inner life. Finally, connection emerges as the pilgrim discovers a profound relationality-not only with God but also with oneself and with others-rooted in love and mutual vulnerability.
What makes Without Oars particularly compelling is Granberg-Michaelson’s refusal to reduce faith to intellectual assent or abstract doctrine. Instead, he emphasises faith as an embodied, lived experience. His own pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago serves as a powerful narrative thread, illustrating how physical journeying can mirror and deepen spiritual transformation. The book is rich with personal anecdotes, biblical reflections, and references to Christian mystics and traditions, all woven together in a style that is both accessible and deeply poetic.
Granberg-Michaelson’s tone throughout the book is one of humility and invitation rather than dogmatism. He acknowledges the fears and doubts that accompany the pilgrimage, recognising that embracing the unknown can be unsettling. Yet, he also offers hope by portraying this journey as one of liberation-freedom from the constraints of control, certainty, and self-centeredness. The pilgrimage becomes a way of living that fosters openness, compassion, and a deeper trust in God’s unfolding purposes.
The book challenges readers to cast off their oars-metaphorically speaking-and to trust in the currents of God’s love, embarking on a journey that is as much about transformation and discovery as it is about destination. The book invites a profound reimagining of faith as a lived, embodied adventure into the unknown, encouraging a spirituality that is both deeply personal and communally rooted.
August 1, 2024
This was a beautiful and illuminating description of what a pilgrimage is and how one can change your life. I went on one recently to Iona, Scotland and found so much to be true for me, even though the author was walking the Camino (different than my pilgrimage). This is a book to be treasured and read slowly.
May 15, 2021
Read in preparation for a Visiting Scholar weekend with the author.
December 5, 2021
Great stretching of spiritual boundaries- especially with our small group. I love to hike/explore new locations, made me add a few places to my list.
May 30, 2024
Read in preparation for a pilgrimage to Scotland. Author was a good storyteller. It was a quick read. Short chapters. The last two chapters felt a little more disjointed than the rest of the book.
February 24, 2022
Life as pilgrimage
Good presentation of his ideas, using his experiences of various pilgrimages such as El Camino & Lourdes, to talk about faith, life, & letting go of any idea that we are in control. He explains concepts well. I recommend it for anyone wondering how their faith directs everyday life.
Good presentation of his ideas, using his experiences of various pilgrimages such as El Camino & Lourdes, to talk about faith, life, & letting go of any idea that we are in control. He explains concepts well. I recommend it for anyone wondering how their faith directs everyday life.
September 22, 2021
Wesley Granberg-Michaelson has given me and urge to walk the Camino de Santiago trail. The main concept though is to see life as a pilgrimage in letting go and trusing in God. I really loved the book/
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews