Sawdust and Soul

An American ethicist and a South African theologian reflect on their work with wood and how it has helped them find creativity and meaning in experiences of both loss and transformation. Through their friendship, correspondence, and work together they have developed a rich narrative about the way this craftwork has shaped their relationships with family, friends, and their natural environment. Their conversation invites both craftspeople and religious seekers to join them on a spiritual journey toward fresh insight and inspiration.

""The title and subtitle are exactly right. This is 'A Conversation about Woodworking and Spirituality' in which 'sawdust flies in all directions, but the soul also takes wings.' So, reader, prepare to pause often to reflect on your own life journey as you listen to Everett's and de Gruchy's. This is wisdom beautifully communicated. The added poetry, illustrations, and photos only enhance it.""
--Larry Rasmussen, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics, Union Theological Seminary, New York City, NY

""This absorbing and often moving conversation about friendship, faith, and the woodworker's craft invites us to explore the inner journeys that accompany the working and shaping of wood. The obvious joy of the authors in their soul-deepening craft will strike an immediate chord with fellow woodworkers--and invite some who have not yet felt the warm texture of newly planed wood grain under their fingers to go out and buy their first tools.""
--Peter Storey, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Practice of Christian Ministry, Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC

""In Sawdust and Soul, I felt like I was standing across a workbench from two friends reminiscing, philosophizing, and reflecting about woodworking--the influence it has on their lives and their relationship. The journey I experienced with Bill and John resonates with my own.""
--Gregory Paolini, Director of Operations, Gregory Paolini Design LLC, World Class Woodworking, Canton, NC


William J. Everett taught Christian ethics in graduate schools for over thirty years before turning to woodworking. In addition to his academic books and articles, he is the author of Red Clay, Blood River, an eco-historical novel, as well as Turnings, a collection of his poetry. He lives in the hardwood forest of western North Carolina with his wife, Sylvia, a liturgical artist in many media.

One of South Africa's most celebrated theologians, John W. de Gruchy is also a woodworker, with pieces in many churches, schools, and homes throughout the country and abroad. Among his recent books are Confessions of a Christian Humanist and Led into Mystery. He and his wife, Isobel, are members of the Volmoed Christian Community near Hermanus, South Africa, where he writes, gives seminars, and does woodworking, while Isobel paints and writes poetry.