Clyde Edgerton
— University of North Carolina Wilmington, author of Night Train
"I can think of only two reasons to buy this book:
1. You are not going to the Holy Land.
2. You are going to the Holy Land.
In these pages Ruth Everhart writes eloquently about her trip into the dust and beauty of Christianity's cradle — about her wrestling with her beliefs, her faith, and her past. If all pilgrims were as curious, insightful, introspective, firm, and openhearted as Ruth Everhart, our old world would roll more happily and safely through the universe. In her story you'll find bloodshed, humor, and — most importantly — love."
Rachel G. Hackenberg
— author of Writing to God
"Like George Gershwin's American in Paris, Ruth Everhart's memoir of an American Protestant in the Holy Land trips through a whirlwind of sights, sounds, conversations, questions, and revelations. The pace and first-person perspective effectively convey the disorienting (and holy) mess that results from putting our sanitized faith into tangible context — where dust and dispute, pomegranates and politics, armed soldiers and traveling pilgrims coexist. Everhart lays bare her struggles and assumptions so that we have room to examine our own, and offers us her journey so that we might witness the mobility of Holiness as it contrasts with our desire for a locatable Jesus. Ultimately, Chasing the Divine in the Holy Land teaches us again the value of seeking, losing, and rediscovering the Divine every day."
Carol Howard Merritt
— author of Tribal Church and Reframing Hope
"I cannot imagine a better guide into the Holy Land than Ruth Everhart. Every page of Chasing the Divine conjures Everhart's fierce intellect and sacred passion. With each step she takes, her engrossing descriptions point us beyond Sunday school sentimentality and challenge us to grapple with the blood and violence that pulse through the dust. More than just touring the land, Everhart teaches us to become pilgrims."
The Bible Today
"In this travelogue Everhart shared with us many of the sights, sounds, and smells of her trip to the Holy Land. . . . Illustrates the commonness of biblical faith — ordinary people in ordinary places have extraordinary experiences of God. This is a fast and delightful read."
Presbyterian Outlook
"Chronicles Everhart's outward journey and her inward spiritual journey. . . . Poignant prayers throughout and thoughtful questions for Bible study and reflection add to the book's riches, making it an inspiring resource for ministry. But most of all, read alone or together in a group, this beautiful book will help seekers to `move from one place with God to another place with God,' which is what a pilgrimage is."
Catholic Library World
"A fun, well-written book."
Cistercian Studies Quarterly
"Engagingly written. . . . When I laughed, it was with delight. I am glad she released her words. You will be, too, when you accompany her pilgrimage by reading her book."