Death by Suburb: How to Keep the Suburbs from Killing Your Soul

Dave L. Goetz

oct 2009 · Harper Collins

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A “funny and self-revealing” meditation on keeping your faith alive and vibrant in a world of strip malls, SUVs, and soccer games (Denver Post).

Many seekers find themselves adrift in the seemingly unreal world of the suburbs. They read spirituality books, but struggle to stay connected to God while doing carpool duty or coaching soccer. In this book, Dave Goetz, a former pastor, shows that the suburbs are indeed a real world—but a spiritually corrosive one that can truly be toxic to the soul.

Suburbanites need to understand how this comfortable, predictable environment affects them and what spiritual disciplines are needed for their faith to survive and thrive. Goetz identifies eight toxins in the suburban life, such as hyper-competition and the “transactional” friendship, and suggests eight corresponding disciplines to keep the spiritual life authentic. Goetz weaves sociology studies, his own experiences, current events, wisdom of the spiritual masters, and a little humor to equip spiritual suburbanites for relating to God amid Starbucks, strip malls, and perfect lawns.

“Goetz’s witty new book deals with desperate housewives, clueless husbands, and stressed children—and the spirit-deadening alienation sometimes found in their housing tracts and cul-de-sacs.” —Orlando Sentinel

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David L. Goetz is a former editor for Leadership Journal, the leading periodical for pastors, and a former pastor. He writes for Christianity Today and was the general editor of The Pastor's Soul series, which was nominated for the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association's Gold Medallion Book Award in 2000. He is president of CZ Marketing, a brand and strategy firm serving the nonprofit sector. Goetz lives with his family in Wheaton, Illinois.