Holy Runaways: Rediscovering Faith After Being Burned by Religion

Written by Matthias Roberts and Jen Hatmaker

Narrated by Matthias Roberts

In the past decade, church attendance among US adults has decreased by more than 25 percent. Americans report leaving religious communities because of the institutions' hypocrisy and resistance to change or because of trauma they have experienced in those spaces. Instead of safe havens for people of faith, many churches have become sites of harm-places people feel the need to escape at all costs.

In Holy Runaways, psychotherapist Matthias Roberts reaches out to those who, like him, want to understand the religion they've run from and erect a new faith on firmer foundations. He concludes that the best blueprint for a new spiritual home requires reimagining ourselves, God, and our very definition of faith.

Roberts blends deeply personal stories, new interpretations of familiar Christian parables, and recent scholarship about the dynamics of trauma to offer a way forward-and a warm, helpful companion-for listeners on their own journeys. He calls out people who perpetuate systems of violence and oppression and suggests ways we can all contribute to a new system built on love-and a new home we can inhabit together.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ChristianAudio.com
• Release date: Oct 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9781545924563

Matthias Roberts

Matthias Roberts is a licensed mental-health counselor associate in Seattle, Washington, and host of Queerology: A Podcast on Belief and Being. He holds two masters degrees, one in theology and culture and one in counseling psychology. In his psychotherapy practice, he specializes in helping LGBTQ+ teens and adults live confident and fulfilling lives. He writes and speaks nationwide about the intersections between gender, sexuality, mental health, and theology.

Reviews for Holy Runaways

[James Bix South · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The author speaks from the heart and overall I found myself resonating with his experiences and insights as shared from a place of genuine authenticity and vulnerability.  There were several nuggets throughout, as well as some "Aha" moments.