The Sacred Journey by Charles Foster

Can pilgrimage add depth to one's spiritual life?  That is the question I had when I picked up this book for review.  By the time I finished reading, I agree with Charles Foster that there is a spiritual meaning in pilgrimage.  Foster has done a wonderful job in articulating the theology of pilgrimage.  He traced the theme of pilgrimage from the Old Testament with the story of Abraham as the desert nomad to the New Testament with the life example of Jesus as he traveled from city to city to proclaim the gospel.

While I find that Foster has a compelling argument, I also wonder whether he approaches the Scripture with the bias against settlers.  For Foster, Cain should not have built a civilization in the land of Nod. Doing so he missed God's redemptive plan. Is it so? I will argue that it is the grace of God that permits Cain to cultivate the land of Nod so that it becomes a fruitful civilization.

Regardless one's opinion of Foster's theology of pilgrimage, readers will agree that there are spiritual benefits from pilgrimage.  I agree with Foster that Christian pilgrimage is a walk with Jesus. In pilgrimage, we can experience hardships, loneliness, and isolation.  This crisis will create in us a spirit of humility.  This is the reason why pilgrimage can deepen one's faith.

Foster did an outstanding job in articulating the spiritual richness of pilgrimage. I will rate The Sacred Journey five stars.  Foster has compelled me to seriously consider pilgrimage as the spiritual exercise for my faith building.