Naked spirituality (by Brian McLaren)

(Amazon UK link)

I have appreciated the thoughtful - if sometimes blunt - writing by Brian McLaren for  nearly fifteen years now. He’s an American Christian leader - formerly a pastor - who thinks outside the box. He expresses things in unusual ways, sometimes, and is eager that believers learn to know and trust God fully, rather than just following rituals or perceived rules.

In this book, ‘Naked spirituality’, which I last read in 2014, McLaren proposes twelve ‘words’ which, he claims, can help us move closer to God. The title refers to stripping away the practises of organised religion - not necessarily to opt out altogether, but to see beyond or inside symbols, concentrating instead on our soul and its communion with God in solitude.

As an introvert myself, I could resonate with quite a bit of the content of this book. Probably everyone could benefit from some of it, but I think it might be more difficult for extraverts who draw their energy from people around them. Still, we all need private space as well as time with people, and prayer often begins when we (metaphorically, if not literally) close our doors and pray silently, as Jesus instructed us. 

Brian McLaren talks about different ‘seasons’ of spiritual experience. I could see what he meant, although I didn’t entirely relate to any of them. In the ‘spring’  - the season of spiritual awakening, which he also calls simplicity, he uses the words, ‘here, thanks and O!’ 

The first is a basic acknowledgement of who we are, whatever we think of God - and our understanding is never going to be perfect or even close to the reality anyway. The author says that what we need to do is calm our thoughts, sit comfortably, and let God know that we’re here and ready to listen. It’s that simple. There are a couple of chapters expounding on this, with examples, and I thought it interesting and probably a good way to start any devotional time.

The second word opens us up to be thankful - always a good thing to do - for what we have, whether big things like health and shelter, or small gifts or experiences. Many writers about prayer express that gratitude should be expressed regularly, if only to help us get problems into perspective and to see just how much we have to be thankful for.

The third word, used at the start of a lot of hymns, is more about what’s traditionally called ‘adoration’ - praising God for who he is, for wider aspects of life such as nature, the way the earth spins on its axis, the weather cycle, and more. It’s broader than the more self-oriented ‘thanks’. 

The other words in subsequent seasons - which the author calls, respectively, ‘complexity’, ‘perplexity’ and ‘harmony’ - work similarly, and are of particular use to people in these periods of life or faith. Simplicity is good when we’re new to Christianity, or when we’re young and things are going well. It may be all we need. 

In ‘complexity’ we start being aware of what we’ve done wrong (‘sorry’ is the fourth word), and the need for God’s grace and help, both for our own concerns and for those around us. In ‘perplexity’ we start questioning what is happening - something necessary for our sanity, sometimes, essential for teenagers and others realising that life is not straightforward, and that faith does not always work as we expect. 

These four seasons of life, the author tells us, are likely to apply to all of us at some point, though not with the regularity of the natural seasons. The words themselves are not essential - indeed, he gives alternatives to most of them, and one of them isn’t a word at all; what matters is the understanding behind them. If we practise the principles regularly, we are able to cling to God even when things are falling apart, or when we can’t begin to understand what is going on, or why. 

It’s quite a thought-provoking book, one that I had to take quite slowly. I mostly read just one chapter at a time - around 10 pages per day. The writing is clear, with scriptural backing and examples, and some anecdotes too from the author’s life.  

So on the whole I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a deeper or more honest relationship with God. At the back are suggestions for movements or poses for kinaesthetic learners to pray these words, also some prayers to be used, and some ideas for use in groups. 

Review copyright 2026 Sue's Book Reviews