Dive into the heart of a riveting spiritual journey with John Hamilton and Honest to God, an exploration of faith, excess, success, and the search for meaning. This book takes the reader on a raucous ride from the splintered stages of overflowing, firetrap rock clubs where liquor flowed freely and cocaine was ever-present, to the boardrooms of multi-national corporations where millions of dollars rested on creative ideas, to the ivy-covered campus of the oldest seminary in the country, and finally to a suburban parish. Honest to God brings the reader into the daily life of a pastor who wrestled in secret ― pastoral duties intertwined with the lure of success while having to serve up a watered-down theology. As the author began to reflect on his own journey, cognitive dissonance emerged from the God fan club he unwittingly created. In the midst of spiritual turmoil, Honest to God confronts the parallels between despair and atheism, questioning the nature of God in the face of personal and existential struggles. Readers are left to ponder: Can we even know God?
About the Author :
John Hamilton was born into a spirited Irish-American family of singers and storytellers. Breaking with his strict Catholic upbringing, he embarked on a career in music that immersed him in the colorful but dangerous world of drugs, alcohol, and rock clubs. A debilitating onset of panic disorder abruptly halted his musical pursuits, propelling him into the business world where he thrived as a creative director in advertising. Despite professional success, Hamilton's persistent quest for the transcendent led him to seminary and, eventually, to two decades of parish work as a pastor. In Honest To God he eloquently chronicles the collapse of mainstream Christianity, his loss of connection to the transcendent and his walk into the wilderness to search for it again.
Review :
"A snapshot of the author's journey not only as he aspires to the glitter, gold, and platinum at the top of the charts, but as he listens to a "still small voice" deep within. This is a riveting, inspiring, and unique story; I couldn't put it down."
-Tim Collins, Former Manager of Aerosmith
"In this fast-paced and skillfully woven story, what began as a struggle against frightening and debilitating panic attacks evolved into a spiritual quest. Instead of finding God on high, John Hamilton found godliness and kindness and human compassion that guided his daily interactions with people. This powerful story is a personal testament to a growing realization among humanity that being human only makes sense in the context of community."
-Joanna Rush, author of Kick: It's Not How High It's How Strong
"John Hamilton has written the pastoral memoir we have been waiting for, a noir primer to religious leadership. He gives us eloquent profanities about the only kind of piety worth talking about, tentative faith. Though Hamilton is smart enough to know he will never comprehend the Truth, he remains faithful to both his calling and his book's title. Honest to God; that's our boyo, and like the biblical Job (Job 13:7)-he refuses to lie for the Almighty." -Gregory Mobley, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Congregational Studies at Yale Divinity School and author of The Return of the Chaos Monsters
"A wistful elegy to sacred calling through a wildly varied human life. With prose both raw and luxurious, Hamilton limns how God can panic us, pluck us out of places of both comfort and acclaim, and send us tumbling ever forward into the mystery-including into a life beyond conventional Christian faith, but a life still faithful."
-Molly Phinney Baskette, author of How to Begin When Your World Is Ending
"John Hamilton is a warm, kind, funny, thoughtful writer, and everything he writes is worth reading. Don't miss this one!"
-Catherine Baab-Muguira, author of Poe for Your Problems
"This book showcases John Hamilton's erudition, humility, and knack for writing taut and propulsive prose-he isn't afraid to ask the big questions, about faith and God and the righteous path, and he refuses to accept easy answers, choosing instead a hard-won wisdom born of wrong turns and self-reflection."
-Justin St. Germain, author of Son of a Gun
"Guided by a faithful restlessness, John Hamilton offers an eloquent testimony to the search for that which eludes words. This is a story that braids the seasons of a life, the light and the dark, on the trail of a hope beyond hope." -Dougald Hine, author of At Work in the Ruins
"A stirring and deeply important reckoning with faith, loss, and one man's search for meaning. This book spoke to my soul and will stay with me." -Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, author of The Fact of a Body
"Years ago, when I first read Thomas Merton's Seven Story Mountain, I realized my deep appreciation for the spiritual memoir genre. It encourages us to embrace our own unique and valid spiritual journeys, and to live them authentically with courage, intention, and joy. John Hamilton's Honest To God is valuable contribution to this category." -David Hayward, aka NakedPastor, author of Flip It Like This
"A marvelous and thought-provoking read on so many levels. John Hamilton has beautifully woven his memoir in the tradition of the finest Irish storytellers." -Kevin O'Hara, author of Last of the Donkey Pilgrims
