Giving Up God

"What stands out the most . . . is [Sarah's] courage to put everything at risk and ask the hard questions." David Hayward, NakedPastor

Many of us are taught to believe that our only hope is in a supernatural, all-powerful, Christian God. Yet we wonder, is God really real? If we pursue our questions, what might we find?

While the American church seems to be shutting out those who have questions, Sarah Henn Hayward shows us how to discover who we are beyond religion and find a new path forward. After three decades of embarking on mission trips, leading Bible studies, and participating in church leadership teams, Hayward's spiritual identity was overturned when lived experience conflicted directly with her handed-down religion.

From traveling the world and meeting people of different faiths and backgrounds, making friends with amazing people who happened to be queer, to reading widely from books about science, psychology, and social justice, the veil created by concepts like hell, evolution, and Christian exclusivity was lifted in favor of an exploration of a stronger sense of self and a more expansive worldview.

The journey of faith deconstruction is not without grief, but with profound wisdom, Hayward holds fast to a forthright, inspirational honesty that shines on every page. Giving Up God offers a narrative that gives us permission to let go of the past and our fear about the future, and instead train our attention on love and wonder in our present life and resurrect a peace deeper than we ever thought possible.