Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace

by Julianne Stanz

2023 Illumination Book Awards Gold Medalist, Spirituality
2023 Independent Press Awards Winner, Spirituality
2023 Association of Catholic Pubishers Excellence in Publishing Awards, First Place, Spirituality 
2023 Catholic Media Association Book Awards, Second Place, Healing & Self Help

A “thin place” is where God’s grace is waiting to happen.
 
Your thin place might be an important threshold, a soul friendship, a fresh chapter in your own life story, a painful secret or fear, or a time of hardship. Whatever the circumstance, a thin place is where God and humanity meet in a mysterious way. These moments open us to places of rawness and beauty. When we enter into a thin place, something seems to break open inside us, and words are inadequate to describe what we are experiencing. In these moments, we feel a sense of breakthrough as we break free of the ordinary and experience the extraordinary amid our daily lives.
 
Drawing on her Irish-Celtic heritage, Julianne Stanz helps us explore those times and holy places of transformation. Inspired by faith and guided by spiritual practices, we can experience each thin place as a point of departure on a sacred journey to a truer understanding of who we are meant to be.
 

Genres: Christian, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Irish Literature, Ireland, Theology

160 pages, Paperback

Published January 7, 2022

Reviews

[Linda Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an enlightening and interesting look at Irish spirituality as explained by a woman who was raised in Ireland but has since immigrated to the USA. She mixes her knowledge of Irish legends and customs with Christian philosophy.

I found the book to be of great benefit to me. I was interested especially since a lot of my ancestors were natives of Ireland. I appreciated that she started each chapter with an Irish saying and included the Irish Gaelic words. I have tried to study Gaelic but find it very confusing as the letters are often used for different sounds than we use them for in English. However I have a hunger for hearing the language of my ancestors so I'm glad she included that.

Each chapter ends with a series of thought provoking questions and suggestions for personal actions or research. The questions could be used for journaling prompts.

When I started the book I had no idea what a "thin place" is or how they relate to our journey as Christians. Gradually this concept became clear to me and I now understand why we must all have thin places and how they are bringing us closer to God.

I learned many things about Irish culture from this book. I've never read a better book for learning about Ireland, the people and their customs. I'm grateful to NetGalley and Loyola Press for sharing this beautiful book with me. I was not told what to write in my review - all these thoughts are my own, sincerely given, based on what I read in the book.

[Cara Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Laraine for the loan of this book! So many things to love about it. A few treasures: “ Home is less a physical place and more a place in your heart and memory. It doesn’t matter where or who we call home, but each of us ought to spend time thinking about how our understanding of home has affected us and will continue to affect us throughout life.”
Creating a space for GRACE
G - Grow in gratitude
R - Release regrets to rest and reset
A- Authentic availability & acceptance
C- Cultivate radical hospitality
E- Embrace simplicity

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of, Braving the Thin Places by, Julianne Stanz. I was so looking forward to reading this book, but I could not get to into the book because, the words Not Final was emblazoned on every page. It was way to distracting for me.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace by Julianne Stanz
4 bright stars
“Thin spaces are wild, messy places where God is at work.”

“Thin spaces do displace us – from our comfort zones, from the way we think life should be - and they invite us to consider what to do with our pain and our longings.” I like that Ms. Stanz is grounded in faith and that the book, like life, is not all beautiful transcendent experiences. “Light and darkness are at the heart of life just as they have been for all cultures and many ancient civilizations such as the Celtic people.”

The author has a broad accepting, yet biblical view of God. Stanz’s writing is clear, descriptive, and welcoming. “You do not need to have any background in these traditions to draw from their strength and wisdom. Instead, we will journey together as pilgrims who dip into a sacred well and drink from all these practices that will strengthen, comfort, and restore.

A few tidbits of wisdom: “Soul, then, is the spark of God’s immortal love within you.” “Striving to understand who we are is not selfish but an act of courage and love.” “Prayer is cultivating a friendship with God.” “Prayer changes us, not God, for we are the ones in need of change.”

The author poses thoughtful questions for reflection. The writing flows serenely, like poetry. “The pubs and hearths of Ireland are fertile ground for music, mischief, and the magic of storytelling.” “Healing words are like droplets of water that come together as a river of story for those who listen to its music.”

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read in a long time!! Interesting, Inspiring, and introduced to me a completely new perspective and amazing traditions. Highly recommend!

[Meri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this beautiful little book. It is full of Irish/Celtic wisdom tied in with the richness of Catholic and Classical traditions.

[Nathan Ezzell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well written, just not what I expected. More of a self-help with light Celtic Christianity here and there. Would recommend if that is what you're looking for.
[1 Star = Not For Me]

[Carrie Steller McKneight · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left many images that remind me to find light overcomes darkness and there are broken pieces in life but the restoration times bring great joy and insight. I can’t really review adequately but it is a book worth owning and revisiting. A very lovely book.

[Justin Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want a good read about the paradox of doubt and faith, Celtic thin places, grace, Irish bardic storytelling, anam cara's (soul friends), and the agape love of Christ, I highly recommend Julianne Stanz 's Braving the Thin Places Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace.
I found it incredibly inspiring and spiritually nourishing. It was one of the best books I read during the Summer.

[hendersweet · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn’t quite what I’d hoped it would be. Sadly, I actually don’t think the idea of “thin places” was explored well.

I found one good “nugget” in here to make me think and act. The rest felt slow and a tad disjointed —kind of like different essays that didn’t quite fit into a cohesive theme.

[Andres Chavez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, you'll have to read it to learn alot about yourself.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace
Author: Julianne Stanz
Narrated by: Remie Michelle Clarke
Publisher: Loyola Press
Length: Approximately 4 hours and 57 minutes
Source: Purchased from Amazon.com.

Do you have any local authors that you like to read? I was surprised and happy to learn that an acquaintance was also an author. I felt called to put together a children’s liturgy program at my church and I taught it for thirteen years. Author Julianne Stanz’s children were active participants in the program, and I was always happy to see them. Luckily I didn’t know Stanz’s position in the church or that she was a renowned speaker and writer at the time. That would have made me nervous!

Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace seemed like a perfect read for both St. Patrick’s Day and the Lenten season. Braving the Thin Spaces is a beautiful book that really spoke to me. It discusses our moments of being in a thin place. What is a thin place? “Have you ever held a loved one’s hand as they slipped from this life and into the next? Birthed a child and felt the thin edges of God’s presence inside your being? Beheld such beauty that it took your breath away? Or been moved to tears by an image or a piece of music? If so, you have stood at the edge of a thin place, a place where God and humanity meet in a mysterious way. These moments open us to places of rawness and beauty. Something seems to break open inside us, and words are inadequate to describe what we are experiencing. We feel a sense of breakthrough as we break free of the ordinary and into the extraordinary.” I think we all have had our moments of being in a thin place.

My thoughts:

• This book had the perfect mix of Celtic tradition and wisdom, personal experience, and Christian philosophy.

• I would end my reading really thinking about the chapter I had just read and pair it with my personal experiences.

• Each chapter ended with a thoughtful page that helped you to put your thoughts together and reflect with a breaking open, breaking through, and breaking free discussion and reflection questions. Breaking free usually also contained a Bible verse.

• My Great Grandma was Irish, and I enjoyed the tidbits about Stanz’s native Ireland and her descriptions of Celtic traditions.

• As I have been doing lately, I read this as both a physical book and as an audiobook. I listened to the audiobook while driving, but I also liked reviewing the chapter and favorite sections in the physical book.

• It was fun when tidbits about Northeast Wisconsin were in the book as well.

• I enjoyed the chapter on your “soul friend.” I think everyone is a lucky person when you are able to find a “soul friend” in life.

• I also in particular enjoyed the thoughtful chapter on prayer “Prayers change us, not God, for we are the ones in need of change.”

I feel like I am not doing this book justice, but it touched me deeply. It also gave me a lot to reflect on and had great words of wisdom. This will be a book that I will reread and take something new away each time. It was the perfect book to read during the Lenten season.

This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2024...

[Suzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book. I loved the book and will be purchasing it for friends and family. This book touched my soul in a way that is hard for me to explain in simple words but I will try. Before I start I do have to say the ARC copy I received had the words "NOT FINAL" stuck everywhere and in random places (middle of sentences, Not in one place, and a few words later final). I found this so distracting and frustrating that I almost didn't finish the book. Yet the book itself is so overwhelmingly good and as I said spoke to my soul that I pushed on and finished and I am so glad I did. My review only reflects the wonderful story, not the crazy format as I am sure it will not be in the final addition.
Julianne Stanz describes "Thin Places" as the place where the worlds of heaven and earth seem to meet, those moments where you can see and feel God. This can be achieved through a life-changing event, giving birth, or being with someone when they die. She also talks about Soul friendships as being a time we can experience Thin Places. I loved how she described a Soul friendship and I agree that for the most part people think this is a romantic relationship but she describes a true Soul friendship and does a beautiful job of it. I have experienced Soul friendships and they may come at a time when we truly need someone physically with us. Some think of them as Angels sent from Heaven to help us. She does a beautiful job of describing Celtic spirituality and how this ancient belief is relevant today. I loved the Celtic sayings in Gaelic and then translated them into English at the start of every chapter. This book is such a gift and a recharger for the soul. This is my own opinion. Thank you to NetGalley and Loyola Press for an ARC copy,

[D.J. Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, those "Dates Read" are correct. Nearly 3 months to read this thin book (and I'm very fond of thin books) on thin places. I came into this book with the wrong mindset. I had in mind thin place geographically and this was thin places throughout our lives, our actual being. This is an interesting idea; I just wasn't prepared for that. Much of what I read in the other reviews fit what I came to think of the book. (Whew! It wasn't just me.) The chapters are uneven -- a lot of chapters I would rate a 3, followed by a few 2s that I slugged through. Then, a chapter that struck me as a 4 would keep me going. I ended up liking the idea of what Stanz was doing more than the actual writing. I liked the "Thin Places" practices at the end of each chapter. I liked the Irish old words and the translations at the beginnings of each chapter. I don't know how to quite explain why I didn't love the book. Maybe that the writing was stiff? I once had a student whose written papers were academically correct in every way, but it was like the words didn't live. I hate to write that Stanz's words don't live because maybe this is the way she talks to her friends and loved ones. Stanz's most poignant chapter is chapter 9 "From Dying to Rising" when she writes about her mom. If only she could have brought that inner depth to each of her chapters. Here's the thing I always fall back on: Stanz put herself out there; I did not / have not. I commend her for writing something that I haven't seen in writing before. I'm glad I read the book.

[Amber (or CJ Lynch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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An excellent book for people that are looking to connect to Irish culture, while helping them learn more about themselves and how they can cope with the world around them. I will note that it does get religious, so if that is not your thing I would at the very least be mindful of it as you read. I, personally, am not religious - but I am spiritual and still found the book worthwhile. The writing is very sincere and heartfelt and is likely to pull you in if you are looking for a sort of spiritual kinship in hard times. The Celtic translations and sayings added such a lovely layer to the spirituality as well. Overall, a worthwhile read if you are looking for a deeper connection to Celtic spirituality - especially if your brand of spirituality involves Christianity and that god.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. (less)

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author of this title describes the thin place as the space where one feels a breakthrough from the ordinary into the extraordinary. This space may be found in major life events such as birth or death when one is deeply moved, but may also be present when one is deeply touched, as by a piece of music.

The author views the thin place as a religious one where there is a “discernible sense of sacredness.” She notes that this concept began within Celtic tradition many years past and is still useful today. Ms. Stanz observes that these spaces are important because they allow us to slow down and find what is most important. Some of these places are very real, as for example Glendalough in Ireland, while others may be found within.

This title is both spiritual and religious. Those to whom it speaks will feel that is is something special. Here is room for thought and reflection.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Loyola Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I understand that this book is a 'popular' book for spirituality, in that it is written for a popular or lay audience, I think I've gotten used to academics writing for lay audiences, which is more to my taste. Authors like Amy-Jill Levine who speak from a place of knowledge and authority while heavily citing the source, even if it's only in text citations. I just read "Jesus Through Medieval Eyes," which is another book by a scholar written for a lay audience. It's accessible, but footnoted with sources and further reading. Stanz, on the other hand, is described as a "story teller [and] encourager," so there is no basic authority over Christian History or Irish History. Many of her takes feel like they are dropped in, not fleshed out, and undeveloped. Specifically, I feel like she never explains Celtic Spirituality or really explains Celtic wisdom. There are instances where I feel she strongly misconstrues the facts (even if they aren't important ones, I concede).

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this short but powerful gem of a book Julianne Stanz explains Celtic spirituality and practices from her own experiences. The focus here is on what the Celts call the thin places - when the the worlds of heaven and earth seem quite close, those moments where you can see and feel God at work.

The author shares practices we can follow to be more aware of and open to these extraordinary moments.

A very interesting and enlightening read!

My thanks to Loyola Press for permitting me access to an e-copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

[HLL · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely beautiful and moving read. Julianne is a masterful writer, guiding the reader in a journey through introspection and our relationships to our surroundings and with others. I highly recommend this book—and would recommend also that you read with a small group—reading and discussing with others reverently allowed the book and its words to come alive in me in a mystical way that I am so very grateful for. However, reading alone will most assuredly be impactful. I would venture to say that you will be hard pressed not to share bits and pieces from the book with others as you read it.

[Kristen Cook - A Book Ninja · Rating 4 out of 5]

The synopsis of Braving the Thin Places was intriguing to me. I was drawn to the idea of a thin place. So often we want to glide over the hard stuff in life; only absorbing the good. Stanz repeatedly shows how beautiful things can be found if we are brave enough to walk through the thin places.

Braving the Thin Places was a book that I found myself absorbing slowly. It was a book that I didn't want to rush through or miss anything.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Echo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hit such an interesting variety of very specific niche interests for me: Christianity, Irish culture, a smattering of Irish language phrases, and even a feeling of home. (Home, for me, is Oklahoma and not Ireland, but so much of what she wrote about Irish culture -- especially the parts about radical hospitality -- reminded me very much of the farming community where I grew up.)

It's really just a very lovely book, with some gentle, quiet advice that just felt really soul soothing and helpful. I don't really know how else to describe it.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was promising at the start. I loved the introduction and the idea that the times we live in are a thin space. But things faltered from there. I didn’t find a lot of new information and the author’s storytelling style was lacking. (Why not just lay out that you’re using Plato and the myth of Echo? Why act like it’s your story and then say “of course” this is an ancient story I’ve appropriated to make my point?)

If you’ve never heard the term “thin place” this book would be a good place to start. Otherwise, I’d look for something with more depth.

[Pip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Faith imbued with Celtic spirituality, Ms. Stanz invites us in to the "thin places" - places where we can hear our heart beat, feel the shifting of life, experience the liminality of being - and she begs us to dive deeper into how these places reflect and expose our relationship with ourselves, with God and with others.

Some books find you exactly when you need them to. I am lucky to have found this book, as an advance copy. The opinions are my own and freely given. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

[Louise Foerster · Rating 5 out of 5]

With BRAVING THE THIN PLACES, Julianne Stanz offers a totally different perspective on living a good life. Her lyrical, heartfelt prose took my breath away even as she addressed directly the schisms and disconnects of our modern world and offers a broader, deeper view into being present and enjoying a full, rich experience. This is a beautiful book that I will return to for a breath of peace, calm, and joy. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

[Kayla Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving and thought provoking

Stanz does a fantastic job drawing the reader in and connecting with the every day, basic facets of our lives, and then pointing in the direction of spirituality and our relationship with God.
Well written, easy read. And the prompts at the end of the chapter bring it home for each reader, if you dare dive into the material. It is a beautiful and emotional experience to engage in this piece of work.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The idea of a “thin place” was a new one to me. I enjoyed Julianne’s honest and thoughtful exploration of this concept. She weaves stories and traditions from the Celtic tradition with truths from the Catholic Faith. I liked the way she expounds on the Irish “old words” in each chapter and helps the reader to reflect on their own thin places, or vulnerable times and experiences “where God and humanity meet in a mysterious way,” it was a beautiful book!

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

The challenge of reading spiritual books is responses to them are so personal. I've been greatly impacted by Celtic Christian traditions in the past, but for some reason, I struggled to get through this book. Stanz' personal stories didn't speak to where I am in life. Stylistically, it felt more like a self-help book than a spiritual one. There's nothing wrong with the book. It will touch the right reader; that reader just wasn't me.

[Debra Josiger-holzem · Rating 5 out of 5]

I preordered this book when my parents were both sick in the hospital with Covid. I began reading it after my mom died. I found it comforting and informative and now would love to visit Ireland on spiritual pilgrimage. I loved the Celtic sayings and translations in every chapter and Julianne’s personal stories.

[Lucky Librarian 13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC digital copy. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 out of respect for the author.

Did not finish. Just could not get into this one and the task was made more difficult by the large “NOT FINAL” that too often broke up text in random places.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful and gentle read. I am not Catholic or Irish, but it doesn't matter as Stanz writes to all, providing insight into life that is rooted in ancient Celtic practices. She intertwines her own experience with wisdom and cultural teaching. Though sometimes parts got a bit too life coach-y for me, I found this book calming and wonderful.