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I had seen the book Theology of Home * all over my instagram feed for months and was drawn to it for several reasons. First of all, the photography for the book is beautiful. Second, especially since having a house of my own and having children, I’ve been looking for ways to build the domestic church. Now during this extended time of quarantine (our county has been locked down since March 16th), my home is more than ever our family’s church. I want to make sure that my home and its physical space lead my family closer to Jesus every day. When a student gave the book to me as a gift, I was thrilled!
The book is set up as a series of essays by several Catholic women: Carrie Gress, Noelle Mering, and Megan Schrieber. The photography is the work of Kim Baile. The essays are collected into 12 chapters: Entering, Remembering, Building, Light, Nourishment, Safety, Order, Comfort, Hospitality, Balance, Leaving, and Mary, the Homemaker. The photos of these women’s houses are incredibly aspirational. Even though I knew that no family with four to six children keeps a house that clean and that they were definitely staged for photos, I struggled a little with the perfection in these pages. None of the essays dealt with my piles of laundry in the living room or inability to keep our table clear of all sorts of junk.
If you love decorating magazines, this is a good book for you. It’s beautiful and uplifting, but it didn’t hold the practical ideas that I had hoped it would. I am a huge fan of self-help, and for some reason I thought this might be a little more like Catholic self help for the home. That being said, I want to reread the essays with a notebook and keep track of the ideas or decorating that I want to try in my own home. The first time I just read the book straight through.
I think this book would make a great gift for newly weds or friends who have just bought a house. I would hesitate to give it to a brand new mom because those first months and years are so hard and this book makes it look a little easy.
Popcorn rating: 5. This book is easy and relaxing to read. It will inspire you to clean your house and hang some art. My three year old even liked reading it with me.
Stars: 4. I wanted things to be more specific and practical for my reality, which I realize was not the purpose of the book, but it was my hope for the book. However, it is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in a while, and I think that counts for a few stars of its own.
*this is an affiliate link. This means that if you purchase the book using my link, I receive a small commission at no cost to you.
