Coming Soon
View from an Adirondack
Inspired by a three-week hospital stay in the spring of 2020, this book is a deeply personal meditation on faith, loss, and renewal set against one of the most disorienting moments in modern history. Drawing on the spiritual journey from Purim to Passover to Easter, the author weaves theology, lived experience, and cultural reflection into a narrative shaped by grief, survival, and resilience.
Moving fluidly between personal memory and collective upheaval, the book invites readers into a shared journey of reflection—one that confronts suffering honestly while pointing toward forgiveness, renewal, and new life.
Advance Praise for View from an Adirondack
“This is a book about paths and journeys, unsparing in its honesty but also filled with compassion. It’s about the author’s “meandering” path to the Ministry, “predestined” now, in retrospect; and into a life of Service, at home and on an international scale.
It’s about his own journey through the Valley of the Shadow of grief and loss; about Faith and the testing of Faith. View From an Adirondack Chair might sound leisurely and comfortable, but this book confronts the some of the hardest questions human beings face: questions about God and His (or Her) whereabouts in times of pain and doubt; about the nature of forgiveness—and of sin; about the will to dominate Nature and where that inclination comes from, and about the real and ever-present possibility of finding joy in the midst of suffering.
Finally, this is a book about the search for meaning; of words like Prayer, Hope, Remembrance, Gratitude, Resilience and Renewal, Resurrection, and discovering God’s grace in unlikely places. In the end, this is a book about human connections; in the end it’s a book about Love.”
—David Bearinger
Co-author, Dreams and Shadows: An Immigrant’s Journey; editor, The Bill of Rights, The Courts, and The Law
Jonathan Miller Barton’s View from an Adirondack Chair is a deeply reflective memoir that blends personal history, spiritual exploration, and social commentary into a cohesive narrative about what it means to live a thoughtful, examined life. What ultimately makes the book compelling is Barton’s tone. He writes with humility, humor, and a palpable love for humanity, even in its contradictions. His stories of ministry, advocacy, and cross‑cultural encounters reveal a man committed to bridge‑building in a fractured world. One of the book’s strengths is its ability to move fluidly between personal stories and broader cultural critique.
These reflections invite the reader into a shared process of questioning and discovery. Barton invites you to slow down, breathe, and consider your own journey. Like the chair in its title, the book offers a place to rest, reflect, and reorient. It is a generous, thoughtful contribution from a man who has spent a lifetime seeking balance between faith, reason, and compassion.
— Rev. Marilyn Mecham - Executive Direction, Mentor Foundation
“Written from the stillness of an ICU bed during a world in crisis, this memoir is a searching meditation on love, loss, and the long work of becoming whole, and living as a flawed human being. Moving fluidly between personal grief, spiritual questioning, and a life devoted to religion, justice, and service, the author invites readers into an unflinching yet tender reckoning with suffering and grace.
Anchored by the devastating loss of a beloved daughter and the courage required to keep living, these reflections ask what it means to forgive, to belong, and to remain open to love after heartbreak. This is not a story of easy answers, but of resilience born through vulnerability—and a faith reshaped by compassion, doubt, and hope.”
—Tracy Robertson
“Beautifully written and deeply moving, it is more than a memoir is a roadmap from grief to gratitude. Barton weaves personal tragedy and global upheaval into a powerful testament to the human spirit. As a former colleague in international humanitarian aid, I know his words are rooted in a lifetime of genuine leadership. This is a masterful guide for anyone seeking hope in uncertain times.”
—Joyce Turner, Former NGO Colleague
View from an Adirondack Chair is an extraordinary memoir. My friend, Jon Barton, shares his journey through joy, immense loss, and journeys to places of hunger and war and great hospitality by exploring his mind, heart, and soul. His profound book invites us to join in reflection on our lives! Enjoy the journey.
—Patrick Burns, Church World Service Colleague
“View from an Adirondack Chair challenges readers to move beyond binary thinking into a deeper, more faithful understanding of life and faith. It blends theology, philosophy, and personal testimony that allows the author to transform illness, death, and survival into powerful spiritual reflections. Water, Justice, and Servanthood all call for humility, systemic compassion, and embodied care for others. This exploration of a well lived life results in forgiveness, deeper humanity, and an authentic faith.”
—Rev Warren Lesane Jr,
Retired Presbyterian Synod Mid-Atlantic Executive Retired Chaplain LTC, United States Air Force.
About
REV. Dr. Jonathan M. Barton
Jonathan Barton is an ordained minister, theologian, and longtime church leader with decades of experience in faith-based service, public policy, and global humanitarian work.
He has served in senior leadership roles with Church World Service and the Virginia Council of Churches, traveled internationally on behalf of the Church, and testified before Congress on issues of justice, hunger, and peace. His life and work reflect a deep commitment to service, advocacy, and spiritual leadership.