Reviews
As an elder with decades of teaching experience, I was deeply moved by this candid and thoughtful spiritual memoir. Lauren de Boer’s journey resonates with my own roots in the Midwest and respect for the natural world. His honest portrayal of overcoming personal trauma and transitioning from a fall/redemption religious tradition to a creation-centered spirituality grounded in the sacred Earth is vibrant, meaningful, and well-crafted. This book is a valuable resource for the ongoing creation spirituality movement, highlighting the healing power of creativity, art, and meditation. I am honored that my teachings have been woven so beautifully into Lauren’s worldview. I highly recommend this book as a powerful testament to the transformative potential of a life-enhancing cosmology.
—Matthew Fox spiritual theologian, and author of 37 books, among them Original Blessing, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, and The Reinvention of Work
”This is a fabulous book, and a creative and original development of the new cosmology. The focus on trauma puts it at the very center of the spiritual concerns of our contemporary society. The power of the narrative and the force of its reflections on the deep issues kept me going right through from the first to the last page. Lauren has given birth to a work that will heal so many struggling souls. A beautiful achievement!”
— Brian Thomas Swimme, evolutionary philosopher and author of Cosmogenesis, The Universe Story, Hidden Heart of the Cosmos, and The Journey of the Universe (also an award-winning documentary), and other books.
“The trauma as well as the joy and wonder of the author’s life journey pour open-heartedly onto the pages of this beautifully-written new book. In prose and in poetry, Lauren weaves a compelling tapestry of his personal journey with that of our society’s, keeping readers immersed throughout in both the individual (the microcosm) and the collective (the macrocosm) story. Sacred Earth Rising Within is the expanded perspective we sorely need in our times.”
— Betty-Ann Kissilove, educator and author of Great Ball of Fire: A Poetic Telling of the Universe Story
“De Boer, drawing on his own life experience, has written an American odyssey. A child of the American Midwest, (Iowa), he discovers that his Dutch ancestor was named Boer, meaning “farmer.” In an attempt to reconnect to the land, he reclaims his ancestral name of de Boer (Lauren the Farmer). His resonance with the land is evident throughout as he recounts in detail the names of plants, animals, geographies, and histories of the natures he inhabits throughout his life. So too, as a preacher’s kid, Lauren tells the story of his Calvinist upbringing. This story of special election and protection was shattered by the abduction and rape of his nine-year-old sister when he was seven (the full details of which he would not learn until forty years later). Here begins his lifelong quest to heal from trauma—his family’s trauma, the trauma of American history, and the trauma of the separation of humans and nature, especially in Western modernity. As Odysseus did, de Boer wanders through many landscapes, often blocked from returning home, only to find his home and his wholeness in the creative, evolutionary cosmos through the New Story of the Universe as told by Teilhard de Chardin, Thomas Berry, Brian Thomas Swimme, and others. His story, as told in Sacred Earth Rising Within, is the great journey of our time.”
— Herman Greene, President, Center for Ecozoic Studies; Thomas Berry Scholar-in-Residence, Earth Law Center.
“This book is filled with heartbreak and with longing for a world in which we know ourselves as part of a sentient Earth and Universe, and in which healing and meaning can be found in the very nature of existence. I loved this book, for its gorgeous language, landscape descriptions, and poetry—and above all for its potent and timely message: to heal on both a personal and planetary level, we must reclaim our place in the rousing chorus of life.”
— Mary Reynolds Thompson, author of Reclaiming the Wild Soul and The Way of the Wild Soul Woman
“In Sacred Earth Rising Within Lauren weaves memoir with a lifelong growing awareness of the relationship between inner life and life as an integral part of Earth and Cosmos. This is a book that is written with texture and passion. The texture threads together a life of exploring the author’s inner and outer world — personal grief and grief for the Earth. The passion is for healing self and self-in-relationship to Earth’s beauty and sustainability — all through the lens of cosmogenesis and humanity’s role as integral to life. It is an absolutely wonderful read with its poetic language and deep insights.”
— Philip Snow Gang, dean of The Institute for Educational Studies (TIES) and author of Reinventing Education and Education for Right-Action and Love.
“What a wonderful book Lauren de Boer has gifted us with! Sacred Earth Rising Within is so beautifully and soulfully written, both poetic and profound. The interweaving of personal trauma and tragedy and the universal healing available to us in our relationship with Nature is deeply moving. As we find ourselves confronted with more and more challenging times on our home planet, it’s increasingly important for many of us—especially those favoring spirituality over traditional religious paths—to find a deep, Earth-embedded spirituality to inspire and support us going forward. Lauren de Boer, former editor of the pioneering EarthLight Magazine, is the guide we need.
“Highly recommended!”
— Linda Buzzell, LMFT, co-editor, Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind; Admin, “Ecopsychology” Facebook group; Adjunct Faculty, Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, California.