Book Review: Finding Holy in the Suburbs by Ashley Hales

Has a book ever taught you something about yourself? Have you ever been reading along (or listening along) to something and suddenly had an epiphany about your own view of the world? Like, “Whoa! I didn’t even know I felt that way!” Or, perhaps, reading a book has put into words something that you’ve always thought, but never knew how to express.

Ashley Hales’ Finding Holy in the Suburbs

That’s exactly what happened to me this past week as I was reading Ashley Hales’ book, Finding Holy in the Suburbs. I am a pastor’s wife who does urban ministry. I love living in the city; my husband and I love doing ministry in the city. We get city life. We love the hustle and bustle, the engagement with real people, and the tangible ways that we can help, connect and serve with people who are hurting, vulnerable and lost on a daily basis.

In many ways, it feels like living out the gospel in the city is easy. There is always something that you can do, somewhere you can go, someone that you can talk to.

But the suburbs?

I didn’t even realize I had such critical feelings about the suburbs until I read Hales’ book. She talks about the stereotypes that people have of the suburbs, like it’s superficiality, its bent toward materialism and consumerism, it’s narcissism and it’s lack of awareness to real world problems, and I had that epiphany I told you about, where I realized, “Wow. I think all those things about the suburbs!”

Anyone feel the same way?

Thankfully, Ashely Hales’ book is not about just criticizing the faults of the suburbs. It’s about redeeming it.

Review From the Publisher

Here’s what her publisher (Intervarsity Press) has to say about the book:

Suburban life—including tract homes, strip malls, commuter culture—shapes our desires.

More than half of Americans live in the suburbs. Ashley Hales writes that for many Christians, however: “The suburbs are ignored (‘Your place doesn’t matter, we’re all going to heaven anyway’), denigrated and demeaned (‘You’re selfish if you live in a suburb; you only care about your own safety and advancement’), or seen as a cop-out from a faithful Christian life (‘If you really loved God, you’d move to Africa or work in an impoverished area’). In everything from books to Hollywood jokes, the suburbs aren’t supposed to be good for our souls.”

What does it look like to live a full Christian life in the suburbs? Suburbs reflect our good, God-given desire for a
place to call home. And suburbs also reflect our own brokenness. This book is an invitation to look deeply into your soul as a suburbanite and discover what it means to live holy there.

Re-Thinking The Suburbs

These were good words for me to hear.

As I read chapter after chapter of Finding Holy in the Suburbs, I saw more and more of the goodness of the suburbs. Hales challenged me to see how God is working there, the joys and stabilities that the suburbs can bring, and why we should celebrate this.

This book is encouraging, challenging and refreshing for my critical, suburban-weary soul. I loved reading it, and I think you will love it too.

Ashley Hales’ book, Finding Holy in the Suburbs, comes out October 23, 2018. But you can preorder it today! Check out the links below for more information.