Your body is more spiritual than you think.
How can we preach a gospel of peace, yet still find our bodies wracked by anxiety? How do we call our bodies temples of the Holy Spirit, yet regard eating, exercise, or sleep as inherently "unspiritual" activities? How is it that modern Christians who claim God made their bodies have come to care so little about them?
Justin Whitmel Earley—bestselling author of
The Common Rule
and
Habits of the Household
—is intimately familiar with the consequences of ignoring the body. As a young lawyer, Earley collapsed into anxiety and insomnia that nearly ruined his life. In his journey back to mental and spiritual health, he realized that the healthy and unhealthy habits shaping his life weren't physical
or
spiritual; they were physical
spiritual.
The Body Teaches the Soul
is a practical guide to the union of body and spirit in our overall health. With his characteristic vulnerability and story-driven approach, Earley shares personal failures, fascinating research, and biblical wisdom to reveal ten simple habits that will improve your health
deepen your relationship with God. In these pages, you will:
Connect deeply and positively with your body as the image of God while avoiding the mistakes of ignoring or idolizing the body
Explore how daily patterns of healthy eating can be as spiritual as fasting
how rhythms of feasting can become guilt-free celebrations of the world God made
Recover your mental health through upper-brain spiritual truths that work together with lower-brain physical practices to reshape thought patterns
Develop a sleep routine that honors your body's need for rest
your soul's need for sabbath
Discover how to lament sickness and injury while still praying with hope for the miracle of healing
Learn how exercise can create a humble lifestyle of loving others with your body instead of becoming a vain search for body image
Earley is not a health guru telling you how to get in shape; he is the ordinary Christian's guide to rediscovering the extraordinary gift of the body and the spiritual life that flows from it. Join this journey of wonder and well-being to reconnect with your whole self and repattern your whole life in the image of the God who made you and loves you as you are—body and soul.