Holy Runaways

Rediscovering Faith After Being Burned by Religion

By: Matthias Roberts, Jen Hatmaker - foreword

Narrated by: Matthias Roberts

In the past decade, church attendance among US adults has decreased by more than 25 percent. Americans report leaving religious communities because of the institutions' hypocrisy and resistance to change or because of trauma they have experienced in those spaces. Instead of safe havens for people of faith, many churches have become sites of harm—places people feel the need to escape at all costs.

In Holy Runaways, psychotherapist Matthias Roberts reaches out to those who, like him, want to understand the religion they've run from and erect a new faith on firmer foundations. He concludes that the best blueprint for a new spiritual home requires reimagining ourselves, God, and our very definition of faith.

Roberts blends deeply personal stories, new interpretations of familiar Christian parables, and recent scholarship about the dynamics of trauma to offer a way forward—and a warm, helpful companion—for listeners on their own journeys. He calls out people who perpetuate systems of violence and oppression and suggests ways we can all contribute to a new system built on love—and a new home we can inhabit together.

©2023 Matthias Roberts (P)2023 eChristian

Beautiful. Gritty. Real.

This book is written with such grace and generosity. I can feel his pain, his joy, his love. Remarkable, as he is one who found so little of those things in the Church or in his Christian College…even in his family. Yet, in his retelling of each, he is understanding and empathetic. He leaves room for growth…his own as well as theirs.

I found this book to be hopeful. And if he, as a gay, Jesus follower can have hope…not just for himself and his faith, but for the Church and ultimately the world? Who am I to believe it not possible?!

I always love it when the author reads their own work. It really “sells me” on the truth and conviction of their work. An excellent, inspiring story for those of us trying to hang into our faith in a world gone utterly mad. Highly recommend.

Truth, a powerful story, food for thought

Absolutely engaging and wise. I loved how much epistemological humility the author has. And a reverence for spiritual growth. The performance was great, although I did find it distracting that i could hear breaths and swallows. That’s not really a performance note, more of a production note. I highly recommend this book.

Heart-gripping

This is a book I’ve needed for so long and I am so grateful for someone farther along in their journey to have put it to words so masterfully. This has been heart and life changing.

Deeply healing

This is brilliant and vulnerable! I found myself laughing, weeping and healing as I listened to this marvelous memoir. Thank you

Healing and Real

This book put words to my faith journey that I hadn't yet found! I've read other similar titles, but none that were so spot on to my own experience. I especially appreciate that Matthias Roberts challenges the reader to go further than just saying "my God is not like their God." He helps paint ideas about how we can begin shifting our thinking into a healthier wider theology.