Years ago I read a quote that was from Sarah Bessey’s book “Jesus Feminist” that took hold of me and felt as familiar as my own skin. I pasted that quote everywhere. It was even my Facebook profile cover photo.

Later, I would go on to read the whole book, and every other book Bessey has written. Her books have become companions in my wilderness. Like the others, Field Notes, immediately felt like knocking on Sarah’s door to continue a conversation. It has the same warmth, wisdom, and curiosity that the other books have. Sarah Bessey feels like the most gentle, but honest, field guide a new or seasoned wilderness explorer could have. I recommend her writings to everyone. The fact that there is an additional journal and guide for this book, really deepens the journey and makes it personal. This book and guide would be excellent in a group setting or as a personal and private journey. I highly recommend both the guide and the book. Field Notes is sure to become tattered, often loaned and well loved.

Oh my. Where to begin…
Let me start off with the positives: I like that she promotes questions and curiosity because that really creates a further dependency on God. I like that she mentioned how God is near even when we don’t feel His presence. Those are very important points.
With that said, I would feel morally and spiritually irresponsible if I did not mention the heresy that begins with looking at scripture through an eisegetical lens. I did not do my research on the author ahead of time, and after reading this, I had a slight idea of where she stood concerning certain topics. Her stances, though she can use all the scripture in the world to back up, are not biblical because she is not using scripture within context.
I, myself, belong to a specific denomination, but I usually enjoy books of other Christians who belong to a wide range of denominations. I only state that to say this: this isn’t a denominational issue, this is a Biblical one; therefore, I cannot recommend this book.

I’m a Sarah Bessey fan so I was so excited to read this book. Unfortunately I don’t think this book was for me. It took me a long time to read it because I just couldn’t get into it. I think this book will resonate with a lot of people, but for a specific group of people that I don’t fall in. Thanks for the ARC NetGalley!

Sarah Bessey has accomplished exactly what she set out to do! This is a beautiful companion to anyone in the Spiritual wilderness - the place where your faith is evolving or you’ve felt like you don’t belong. This book is a unique guide; she does not offer a step-by-step process to deconstruction. Rather, she attests to her own evolving faith and invites the reader to discern and embody the practices that have guided her. Re-imagine the wilderness, go slowly, see it all as sacramental, find good teachers and companions, reclaim what’s been twisted, tell the truth, know that the wilderness does not negate belonging, and you cannot escape God's love: these are just a few of the rich and hopeful words Bessey offers.

What a gift this book is. Sarah Bessey offers her readers a place to rest, a warm cup of tea, and the kind gentle wisdom of someone a little further along the road. She's not prescriptive or insistent on anything besides the belatedness and belonging of everyone who picks up this book. She generously offers her own experiences, the lessons learned the hard way, the practices that have helped her as she's navigated through the wilderness, explicitly stating that everyone's journey is different and the reader is free to keep what they find helpful and meaningful and discard the rest. She is a friend coming alongside, an encourager. I've already thought of a few people I'll be buying copies oof this book for and I'll be recommending it to even more folks.

It took me a bit to get into this book but once I did, I loved it. The structure of field notes was really pleasurable and appropriate for this type of information. It was a nice blend of Bessey's experience along with the thoughts of others from her extensive reading and experience. As a subscriber to her Field Notes newsletter I also found this content to be different enough from her existing writing to be of interest and value.

As someone who walks along the line between being in the wilderness and being "in the city" of church, I found much of the advice and thoughts in the book to be good reminders of how to preserve my beliefs while also trying to navigate traditional church.

This is definitely re-read worty.

I always appreciate the grace filled way that Sarah Bessey approaches nearly any topic. Initially upon beginning this book I wondered if this wasn't the book I wished that I had been given several years ago - perhaps not entirely startling considering I've walked with Sarah Bessey through much of a similar journey to hers online - but as I continued through it I found ideas that expanded my own, some suggestions to rumble with, and several teary moments.

This is a book for people who are feeling ill at ease with established religious spaces. It might even be a book for people who this is the second or third time you've felt ill at ease here. It is a book for remembering that you belong, even in the wilderness, and that beauty can be found in those spaces. If you're just beginning this journey, this might even be a five star book for you. But even if you've been wandering around the wilderness for a while and you just need a reminder that you're not alone? This book is a solid four stars with plenty of grace, hope, and joy to go around and you'll probably pick up some new ideas along the way.

Not at all what I expected and that resulted in a DNF for me. This book is much more Christian then the promotion would leave one to believe, and makes frequent use of biblical passages. I came for the wilderness, left due to dogma.

I love how Sarah Bessey is always so real. She makes no pretense of perfection, or of knowing it all. She provides great insight into life and spirituality, and the struggles of both. Being one of her books, it feels like you could sit down and have a chat with her at any moment, and feel like you've known her forever. This book is a great guide for those seeking spiritual direction.

I didn't realize I needed this book until I started reading this book!
I highlighted so much, and have been telling so many of my friends about this book.
As someone born and raised in a Southern evangelical household that I held on to for a million years, through moving and grief I have now been rethinking what exactly I believe.
I love that Sarah opens the door for people like me to freely think, and not shove the EXvangelical part down our throat, but introduces "evolving faith" instead.
I still am not to her level of calling God "Mother God", but I loved this book and read it so fast.

A breath of fresh air for anyone who feels alone in their discontent of the American evangelical church while simultaneously wanting to follow Jesus. I would definitely recommend this book!

A gentle but thoughtful book for those of us wanting a truer faith, questioning what we believe and why, and unsure how to wrestle with what we know to be true with what we see in the world. This was excellent. I can’t stop thinking about it.

A thought provoking book filled with wisdom and empathy. There are parts I agreed with and others I didn’t but they all made me think and reflect. I enjoyed all the beautiful stories the author shares. Throughout the book I felt I had finally found a companion to wander in the wilderness with.

Sarah Bessey shared her own experiences of wandering through the spiritual wilderness and offers wisdom and lessons learned along the way.

I found it encouraging to see my experiences are not unique and that there are benefits to the wilderness and rethinking one’s faith. Highly recommend to everyone struggling with the things they’ve been taught or told to believe as a Christian.

this is the kinda book that’s healing to my soul. Sarah has a voice that is uniquely her, but so easily relatable.

Sarah Bessey says this book is about “practices for an evolving faith” - and it is - but for me, even more importantly, it is also a series of love letters to all of us who have been hurt and broken by the church that we keep trying to love. I read only a chapter or 2 at a time, savouring this book and I cried often as I read it, because it felt like Sarah was speaking to my soul. So, yes, read this if you are ready to move forward, bravely, into the wilderness. But also read it if you still just need to sit by a tree with your blanket in the wilderness hoping someday maybe you will be able to get up again. I’m still the second one and I’ll be buying this book when it comes out to reread for that me but also with hope that someday I’ll be the me who is ready to move forward, bravely.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!

My oh my, reading Sarah Bessey's writing is always like having coffee with a friend and getting a great, comforting Canadian bear hug. I imagine that she is the kind of lady that is just so kind, warm, inclusive, and validating, because that is exactly how she writes. This short book is hopeful, and will encourage you on your faith journey regardless of where you are heading or the path you are on. I don't always see eye-to-eye with Bessey on some things, but that's perfectly okay. I still recommend this book if you feel like you are wandering in the wilderness, and you'll find me continuing to read her writing in the future all the same.

This book will help you mature in your faith. Like Sarah Bessey, the circumstances of my life have led me to reevaluate many things related to Christianity.

What Bessey excels at is getting you to ask questions you had formerly dismissed: maybe it's not a bad thing to doubt, or to pray, or to desire justice. Maybe a Christian can also be a feminist. Maybe the goodness we've sensed in Jesus is even calling us to some of these reconsiderations.

I highly recommend this, especially to someone who (unlike myself, actually) feels locked into Western conservative evangelicalism but senses more to Christianity than that.

Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith is a collection of tenderly written letters offering encouragement and companionship for those in “the wilderness” of an “evolving faith”. Sarah valiantly embraces curiosity and gives permission to address doubts with openness and honesty. While I recognize not all will not come to the same theological conclusions as Sarah, I think her book’s overarching themes of hope, compassion, and belonging can be appreciated by many. Thank you NetGalley and Convergent Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Dear Wanderer; Dear Scrappy One;
Dear Companion. It’s words like these that address the reader to begin each chapter. Although much of what Bessey writes is typical, non-fiction prose, I couldn’t help but feel that she was writing a personal letter to me, a fellow wanderer.

If you’ve read any of Sarah Bessey’s other books, know that you’ll be getting a similar kind of experience with this most recent work. When her first book Jesus Feminist came out, my wife bought it and encouraged me to read it as well. Admittedly, her conversational style of writing didn’t really appeal to me. After a few chapters, it ended up back on the shelf. Although written in the same style, her next book, Out of Sorts, really did it for me. That probably had more to do with where I was in my own journey of faith at the time, than anything else. With her latest, Fieldnotes for the Wilderness, it felt like I was having a similar experience - not necessarily loving her writing style, but nodding my head to so much of what she had to say. It really resonated with me, and I think it will do the same for others who have an openness to hear what is being said.

I really appreciated Sarah’s wisdom and humility that came through quite glaringly. She shares so many beautiful stories and speaks with a strong level of conviction, yet prefaces and ends her book with these kinds of words: “I’m not under the illusion that what worked or works for me will always work for you, but it’s been an honour to spend these pages with you, offering up the practices and learnings that have served me well out here in the wilderness.”

Sarah is wise, compassionate, and a voice that needs to be heard, especially by those who find themselves wandering away from familiar structures and systems; those who are looking for new practices and ways of being in the world.

I give it a 4 out of 5. I enjoyed the read, no doubt, but it wasn’t a book that I couldn’t put down.