Leisure and Spirituality

“A comprehensive, freeing look at an oft-ignored topic. . . . This is wholly an academic book, filled with deep research, pages of notes, and an intelligent tone. . . . While Heintzman’s work is thorough and academic, it is far from verbose or pedantic. The book is well paced, delving into each idea but bringing the ideas solidly back to the surface, where they have practical impact on everyday life. This book will be transformative for Christians exhausted by extremes of the so-called Christian work ethic. The wisdom and research of this book empowers ministers, church leaders, and spiritual directors to bring rest and refreshment to those they serve.”—Foreword Reviews

“For the past quarter of a century, Paul Heintzman has been a leader in the field of Christian leisure theory. Leisure and Spirituality is the fruit of Heintzman’s long career. And the most notable feature of the book is its thoroughness: all of the important topics are covered and the survey of scholarship is breathtaking. The book is a triumph of scholarship and a helpful guide to thinking Christianly about leisure.”—Leland Ryken, emeritus professor of English, Wheaton College; author of Redeeming the Time: A Christian Approach to Work and Leisure

“This is, quite simply, the most thorough and thoughtful book about the relationship between leisure and spirituality. It covers biblical, historical, theological, cultural, and practical terrain. I encourage you to read it in a leisurely and therefore more spiritual way. If you follow this book’s suggestions you will be the better for it, as will your relationships, activities, and world.”—Robert Banks, Centre for the History of Christian Thought and Experience, Macquarie University, Sydney

“The things closest to us are often the hardest to see, understand, and talk about. In his Leisure and Spirituality Paul Heintzman does a masterful job of casting light on many of those crucial closest things: work, rest, leisure, time, body, and soul. The book itself is ‘leisurely’: the author does not hurry us through these hard topics, but becomes a thoughtful guide: through the confusions of our own time, the long history of different views of work and leisure, and—most important—the deep biblical sources for a life which lets us both be and do as thankful recipients of the gift of being. For scholars in leisure studies, this study is likely to become the most helpful and comprehensive resource for a long time to come.”—Loren Wilkinson, professor of interdisciplinary studies and philosophy, Regent College, Vancouver

“What do you get when a social scientist turns his attention to leisure while retaining a framework of Christian conviction? Paul Heintzman’s Leisure and Spirituality, which is now the most comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of Christianity and leisure. This exhaustively researched volume is also a significant and welcome contribution to the field of leisure studies more broadly.”—Karl E. Johnson, executive director, Chesterton House: A Center for Christian Studies, Cornell University

“I expected and enjoyed a well-researched, biblically sound treatise examining the history of leisure and spirituality coupled with challenging questions for Christians seeking to define leisure and its impact in their lives. Unexpected and appreciated was the deeply personal application of these concepts in Paul Heintzman’s life, helping us see the blending of the personal, spiritual, and scholarly dimensions of his journey, inspiring readers to pursue such harmony.”—W. Dale Connally, CPRP, professor of health, human performance, and recreation, Baylor University

“This book provides a significant contribution to academics and lay persons who seek a holistic understanding of leisure from a Christian perspective. The author systematically critiques biblical, historical, and contemporary concepts of leisure and effectively leads the reader to his thesis that, ‘leisure reaches its fullest potential when our lives are lived in relationship with God.’ With this book Dr. Heintzman has given the Christian community a wonderful gift that will transform our perspective on common elements of our daily lives: work, rest, and play.”—Glen Van Andel, professor emeritus, Calvin College

“Paul Heintzman has once again demonstrated why he is the quintessential Christian scholar in the study of leisure and spirituality. Heintzman masterfully integrates the biblical, historical, and modern perspectives on leisure and spirituality into a well-organized and thorough volume that can be utilized across disciplines. What Leisure and Spirituality unveils is Heintzman’s faithfulness to his Christian heritage and his longstanding commitment to this specialized strand of leisure studies.”—Steven N. Waller, associate professor of recreation and sport management, The University of Tennessee-Knoxville