SACRED SENDOFFS: An Animal Chaplain's Advice for Surviving Animal Loss, Making Life Meaningful, & Healing the Planet
Combining humorous anecdotes and thought-provoking research, Sacred Sendoffs explores human relationships with beloved pets, wild creatures, animal astronauts, marine life, farmed animals, and other sentient beings. Along the way, animal chaplain Sarah Bowen shares insights for sustaining lives, honoring deaths, and managing the emotions that arise when we lose an animal we love. While many books focus exclusively on pet loss, environmental issues, or animal welfare, Sacred Sendoffs takes on all three, revealing their unavoidable entanglement. Bowen’s ever curious and playful style tackles tough topics―recovering from personal grief, deconstructing human biases, and acknowledging planetary challenges. Sacred Sendoffs helps animal lovers uncover practical actions and everyday opportunities for helping the more-than-human world not only survive but thrive.
PRAISE
"If there is one book you choose to read about how to enjoy and improve your relationships with animals and fully appreciate who they truly are, this is the one." ― Marc Beckoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and other books; professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder
“In Sacred Sendoffs, Sarah Bowen guides us gently through the loss of our companion animals, while also nudging us to examine our conceptions about other-than-human beings in general. After reading it, I find myself living in a more amazing world, populated by a diverse array of unique individuals, each deserving of respect and care.” ― Victoria Moran, author of Creating a Charmed Life and The Good Karma Diet
“Sarah Bowen’s magnificent manifesto Sacred Sendoffs is a call to acknowledge the divine Aliveness manifesting as our animal companions. If you befriend animals, read this book. If you don’t, read this book anyway and you will.” ― Rabbi Rami Shapiro, author of Perennial Wisdom for the Spiritually Independent
"Our respect for a being's life is intimately tied to our capacity to grieve that being's death. Sacred Sendoffs is an ardent invitation to multispecies mourning for our more-than-human companions, from our beloved pets, to the deer on the side of the road, to the rapidly increasing extinction of species on our shared planet. Bowen helps us explore our relationships with more-than-human animals, unveils multiple layers of animal death all around us that often escapes our notice, and guides us in recognizing and ritualizing our grief when animals die. Within this sacred grief work is bound up a respect, a reverence, a love for all life on earth. This book is a gift to all human animals seeking to live more reverently and lovingly within the larger web of life." ― Cody J. Sanders, Chaplain at Harvard University & Advisor in the Office of Religious, Spiritual, & Ethical Life, MIT
“Gandhi once said that ‘the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.’ He called us to practice total nonviolence―nonviolence to ourselves, all people, all creatures and Mother Earth. We all need to deepen our practice of nonviolence and help build the global grassroots movement for a new culture of nonviolence. Sarah Bowen's beautiful book focuses that call of nonviolence toward animals. If we heed her teachings, perhaps animals will help us become more nonviolent toward one another―and teach us how to be human.” ― Rev. John Dear, author of The Nonviolent Life, Living Peace, and other books, and executive director of www.beatitudescenter.org
“Sarah Bowen is back, and with the characteristic humor and intelligence that marked Spiritual Rebel, she asks us to consider the “more-than-human” world. In crisp, clever language, she presents an elegant manifesto for improving life―and death―for all beings on sacred Mother Earth. You can almost hear her cheering, We can do this, people! Indeed, we can.”
― Barbara Becker, author of Heartwood: The Art of Living with the End in Mind
“Sacred Sendoffs articulates the case for extending to all living beings―at all stages of life and beyond―the compassion, empathy, and reverence that resides at the core of all religions and wisdom traditions. Bowen achieves balance between the need for compassion, for understanding, and for justice―from the perspectives of both human and other-than-human animals. Her approach is not to preach, scold, or admonish, but instead to pose questions that inspire thoughtful and honest answers. The many internal reflections and practices offer readers an opportunity to search deeply within their souls and examine their own beliefs and practices as relating to the ‘nonhuman’ world. I am certain that the reader, and the world, will be in a better place from these inquiries.” ― William Melton, Co-Founder of the Compassion Consortium
Combining humorous anecdotes and thought-provoking research, Sacred Sendoffs explores human relationships with beloved pets, wild creatures, animal astronauts, marine life, farmed animals, and other sentient beings. Along the way, animal chaplain Sarah Bowen shares insights for sustaining lives, honoring deaths, and managing the emotions that arise when we lose an animal we love. While many books focus exclusively on pet loss, environmental issues, or animal welfare, Sacred Sendoffs takes on all three, revealing their unavoidable entanglement. Bowen’s ever curious and playful style tackles tough topics―recovering from personal grief, deconstructing human biases, and acknowledging planetary challenges. Sacred Sendoffs helps animal lovers uncover practical actions and everyday opportunities for helping the more-than-human world not only survive but thrive.
PRAISE
"If there is one book you choose to read about how to enjoy and improve your relationships with animals and fully appreciate who they truly are, this is the one." ― Marc Beckoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and other books; professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder
“In Sacred Sendoffs, Sarah Bowen guides us gently through the loss of our companion animals, while also nudging us to examine our conceptions about other-than-human beings in general. After reading it, I find myself living in a more amazing world, populated by a diverse array of unique individuals, each deserving of respect and care.” ― Victoria Moran, author of Creating a Charmed Life and The Good Karma Diet
“Sarah Bowen’s magnificent manifesto Sacred Sendoffs is a call to acknowledge the divine Aliveness manifesting as our animal companions. If you befriend animals, read this book. If you don’t, read this book anyway and you will.” ― Rabbi Rami Shapiro, author of Perennial Wisdom for the Spiritually Independent
"Our respect for a being's life is intimately tied to our capacity to grieve that being's death. Sacred Sendoffs is an ardent invitation to multispecies mourning for our more-than-human companions, from our beloved pets, to the deer on the side of the road, to the rapidly increasing extinction of species on our shared planet. Bowen helps us explore our relationships with more-than-human animals, unveils multiple layers of animal death all around us that often escapes our notice, and guides us in recognizing and ritualizing our grief when animals die. Within this sacred grief work is bound up a respect, a reverence, a love for all life on earth. This book is a gift to all human animals seeking to live more reverently and lovingly within the larger web of life." ― Cody J. Sanders, Chaplain at Harvard University & Advisor in the Office of Religious, Spiritual, & Ethical Life, MIT
“Gandhi once said that ‘the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.’ He called us to practice total nonviolence―nonviolence to ourselves, all people, all creatures and Mother Earth. We all need to deepen our practice of nonviolence and help build the global grassroots movement for a new culture of nonviolence. Sarah Bowen's beautiful book focuses that call of nonviolence toward animals. If we heed her teachings, perhaps animals will help us become more nonviolent toward one another―and teach us how to be human.” ― Rev. John Dear, author of The Nonviolent Life, Living Peace, and other books, and executive director of www.beatitudescenter.org
“Sarah Bowen is back, and with the characteristic humor and intelligence that marked Spiritual Rebel, she asks us to consider the “more-than-human” world. In crisp, clever language, she presents an elegant manifesto for improving life―and death―for all beings on sacred Mother Earth. You can almost hear her cheering, We can do this, people! Indeed, we can.”
― Barbara Becker, author of Heartwood: The Art of Living with the End in Mind
“Sacred Sendoffs articulates the case for extending to all living beings―at all stages of life and beyond―the compassion, empathy, and reverence that resides at the core of all religions and wisdom traditions. Bowen achieves balance between the need for compassion, for understanding, and for justice―from the perspectives of both human and other-than-human animals. Her approach is not to preach, scold, or admonish, but instead to pose questions that inspire thoughtful and honest answers. The many internal reflections and practices offer readers an opportunity to search deeply within their souls and examine their own beliefs and practices as relating to the ‘nonhuman’ world. I am certain that the reader, and the world, will be in a better place from these inquiries.” ― William Melton, Co-Founder of the Compassion Consortium
SPIRITUAL REBEL: A POSITIVELY ADDICTIVE GUIDE TO FINDING DEEPER PERSPECTIVE & HIGHER PURPOSE
An indispensable guide for seekers, those newly embarking on a spiritual journey, or members of spiritual communities, Spiritual Rebel is for anyone who desires meaningful spiritual experiences without having to commit exclusively to one path or having to fear they might be “doing it wrong.” May this diverse collection of practices and resources inspire the Force within you, by whatever name you call it!
A Spirituality & Health Magazine "100 Books We Love" pick
Winner: 2019 Nautilus Book Award, Foreword INDIES, and IBPA Book Award
Bringing together insights from a wide range of traditions―from Taoism to Jediism to Yoga to Science―Spiritual Rebel unveils three weeks of unconventional practices—including forest bathing, hiking, cat-gazing, mindfulness, and sacred crashing to name just a few. Combining pop culture with ancient wisdom, this book helps not only spiritual seekers—but also agnostics, atheists, the spiritual-but-not-religious, and the (joyfully) spiritually confused—curate meaningful spiritual moments throughout the day.
Inspired by her childhood fascination with Star Wars, Sarah Bowen transforms into a bookworm who can’t stop reading, an unrelenting researcher, and an inspiring spiritual tour guide who approaches spirituality from an edgy, vivid, and interspiritual perspective. Mining the world’s philosophical, scientific, and religious traditions for juicy tidbits, Sarah draws on the wisdom of Wayne Teasdale, Dr. Andrew Newberg, Lindsay Mack, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Neil deGrasse Tyson, John Muir, Diane Berke, Dr. Qing Li, Deepak Chopra, Ram Dass, Thich Nhat Hanh, Madeleine L'Engle, Krishna Das, Francesco Mastalia, Steven D. Farmer, Joshua Coombes, Belden C. Lane, and many others (including Princess Leia and Yoda). As a result, Spiritual Rebel contains a diverse collection of practices and resources to inspire the Force within you, by whatever name you call it.
Whether you are at the beginning of your spiritual journey or are a spiritual all-star, you will find new ways to connect with something bigger than yourself to seek your true calling.
Hang on, it’s going to be quite a ride.
An indispensable guide for seekers, those newly embarking on a spiritual journey, or members of spiritual communities, Spiritual Rebel is for anyone who desires meaningful spiritual experiences without having to commit exclusively to one path or having to fear they might be “doing it wrong.” May this diverse collection of practices and resources inspire the Force within you, by whatever name you call it!
A Spirituality & Health Magazine "100 Books We Love" pick
Winner: 2019 Nautilus Book Award, Foreword INDIES, and IBPA Book Award
Bringing together insights from a wide range of traditions―from Taoism to Jediism to Yoga to Science―Spiritual Rebel unveils three weeks of unconventional practices—including forest bathing, hiking, cat-gazing, mindfulness, and sacred crashing to name just a few. Combining pop culture with ancient wisdom, this book helps not only spiritual seekers—but also agnostics, atheists, the spiritual-but-not-religious, and the (joyfully) spiritually confused—curate meaningful spiritual moments throughout the day.
Inspired by her childhood fascination with Star Wars, Sarah Bowen transforms into a bookworm who can’t stop reading, an unrelenting researcher, and an inspiring spiritual tour guide who approaches spirituality from an edgy, vivid, and interspiritual perspective. Mining the world’s philosophical, scientific, and religious traditions for juicy tidbits, Sarah draws on the wisdom of Wayne Teasdale, Dr. Andrew Newberg, Lindsay Mack, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Neil deGrasse Tyson, John Muir, Diane Berke, Dr. Qing Li, Deepak Chopra, Ram Dass, Thich Nhat Hanh, Madeleine L'Engle, Krishna Das, Francesco Mastalia, Steven D. Farmer, Joshua Coombes, Belden C. Lane, and many others (including Princess Leia and Yoda). As a result, Spiritual Rebel contains a diverse collection of practices and resources to inspire the Force within you, by whatever name you call it.
Whether you are at the beginning of your spiritual journey or are a spiritual all-star, you will find new ways to connect with something bigger than yourself to seek your true calling.
Hang on, it’s going to be quite a ride.
VOID IF DETACHED: SEEKING MODERN SPIRITUALITY THROUGH MY FATHER'S OLD SERMONS
This is the story of a religion-phobic Gen Xer who felt a void because she had become detached from her faith. In fact, she wasn't sure what her faith was or if she actually had any faith at all. Raised as a preacher's kid, she had an astonishingly long list of why religion didn't work for her—until five years after her father's death, she began reading his sermons.
Follow her journey through history and theology as she sometimes seriously—and often irreverently—learns to fill the void with something greater than herself.
WINNER 2018 Nautilus Book Award
WINNER 2018 Illumination Book Award
WINNER 2018 Mind Body Spirit Award
FINALIST 2017 Nautilus Book Award
WINNER 2017 Gold IPPY Award
WINNER 2017 Indie Reader Discovery Award
FINALIST 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Award
This is the story of a religion-phobic Gen Xer who felt a void because she had become detached from her faith. In fact, she wasn't sure what her faith was or if she actually had any faith at all. Raised as a preacher's kid, she had an astonishingly long list of why religion didn't work for her—until five years after her father's death, she began reading his sermons.
Follow her journey through history and theology as she sometimes seriously—and often irreverently—learns to fill the void with something greater than herself.
WINNER 2018 Nautilus Book Award
WINNER 2018 Illumination Book Award
WINNER 2018 Mind Body Spirit Award
FINALIST 2017 Nautilus Book Award
WINNER 2017 Gold IPPY Award
WINNER 2017 Indie Reader Discovery Award
FINALIST 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Award