'A superb way of involving the reader emotionally and imaginatively. At the end of the novel, Borg is able to lead his readers to the crucial insight that religious commitment is more than belief.'
Karen Armstrong

This book provides an introduction to the historic beliefs that unite Anglicans and the forms these convictions take in different parts of the Anglican Communion. This work is an invitation to those newly exploring the faith, but also a resource for those who wish to get to the heart of a faith they have long held. Seeking to add welcome clarity to Anglicanism's characteristic breadth and generosity, this introduction is arranged in four parts:

• The Faith – outlines the central logic of Anglican belief
• The Sources of the Faith – considers how these central beliefs are grounded in the authority of Scripture, tradition and reason
• The Order of the Faith – explores how Anglican beliefs are embodied in worship, ministry and mission
• The Character of the Faith – describes the historical and contemporary challenges and opportunities of Anglican Churches in local contexts around the world.

Healing is one of the fundamental aspects of Christian ministry, reaching into every area of personal public life. This comprehensive book from a bishop and leading Christian ethicist offers a practical pastoral theology that embraces its different dimensions:

• the biblical notion of health and wholeness
• healing in relation to sickness and disease
• personal and environmental health
• health and social justice
• emotional health, pastoral care and counselling
• healing and the sacraments

The Desert Movement sheds significant new light on one of the most lasting and influential developments in the history of Christian spirituality — the desert movement of the Early Church in which the foundations of monastic life were laid.

Drawing on recent research and newly translated texts from the period, this engaging and groundbreaking book demonstrates that the spread of early Christian communities in the desert was far more extensive than is usually thought. Until recently, the communities of northern Egypt were the main focus of study, but here we meet more communities that were established further afield in southern Egypt, Judea, Gaza and Sinai.

This work explores the common features and the variations of the different early monastic movements and introduces the lives and writings of many new desert mothers and fathers, giving them a place among the established figures of desert spirituality — Antony, Cassian, Evagrius and many others.
from the Publisher

In the world of Scripture study, spirituality was often dismissed as subjective and pietistic, outside the realm of critical enquiry. Spirituality was seen as personal, private and external to critical analysis, beyond textual analysis, social-scientific understandings of the world behind the text, historical settings, and the ideologies that emerge from the text.

In more recent years, spirituality has asserted its own status within the world of scholarly study as a distinct discipline. While it may cross disciplines, spirituality possesses its own, distinctive identity, convincing us that the spiritualities of the Bible are also worthy of study and analysis.

This study explores the spirituality of one group of New testament writings — those associated with the name of 'John': the Fourth Gospel, the three Johannine Epistles, and the Book of Revelation. Largely focused on the Gospel, the book explores various Johannine themes that together form a distinct and unique spirituality: Jesus as the Word, the place of worship, the role of the Spirit, images of discipleship, the five senses, the place of love, the reality of absence. The book examines these and other themes through the symbols that dominate the Johannine text, articulating its spirituality vivid, concrete language.
from the Publisher

For two hundred years, scholars have been analysing one of the most important books ever written — the Bible — and overturning much of what we once thought we knew. Everyday Christians, however, are not privy to this deeper conversation. It is for these people that renowned bishop and author John Shelby Spong presents this book, designed to take readers into the contemporary academic debate about the Bible.

A definitive voice for progressive Christianity, Spong frees readers from a literal view of the Bible. He opens the possibility that some of the characters in the New Testament are imaginary composites or even literary creations — such as Joseph, the early father of Jesus; Judas Iscariot; Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman by the well; and Lazarus who was raised from the dead. He presents the Bible as an ever-changing and always growing story. He demonstrates that it is is possible to be both a deeply committed Christian and an informed twenty-first-century citizen.
from the Publisher

"The 'uneasy pieces' of this book are well-written, challenging and stimulating. They come from the pens of Australian biblical scholars within the Anglican communion, who are skilled in both exegesis and hermeneutical theory. Each essay addresses the question of homosexuality in the Bible, looking at passages in the Old Testament and New Testament which are often used as a basis for rejecting homosexuality in Christian ethics. Each essay argues, on the contrary, that there is no biblical warrant for condemning either a homosexual orientation or a faithful and committed homosexual relationship. The book, as a whole, makes it crystal clear that both sides of the debate take seriously the Bible as the inspired word of God, and both are seeking to discern the Scriptures in order to hear God's voice speaking to us today."
Dorothy A Lee, Dean of Trinity College Theological School, Melbourne

In the Prologue of his Rule, St Benedict maps out the road that leads to heaven; he lays the foundation for life in a community that seeks God. The themes that are present throughout the Rule — obedience, humility, prayer, fear of the Lord, eternal life — are grounded in this important Prologue.

By reflecting on the Prologue one verse at a time, Michael Casey, OCSO, delves into the richness of meaning that can be found in Benedict's words. These reflections, first given as talks made available on his community's web site, build a bridge between the sixth-century text and twenty-first century Christians.

In The Road to Eternal Life, Casey invites the readers to reflect on the Prologue in light of their own experiences, to seek "the road that leads to salvation."
from the Publisher

The Lectionary for 2012: readings for use with A Prayer Book for Australia.

The Lectionary for 2012: readings for use with An Australian Prayer Book.

Based on the ancient Christian tradition of meditating throughout the forty days before and after Christmas, this book follows the rhythm of the Advent/Christmas journey as it takes place in a monastery that is as tiny as Bethlehem itself.

A Monastery Journey to Christmas offers a meditation based on a liturgical, biblical, traditional, or literary text for the days leading up to and including Christmas and the post-Christmas feasts of the Epiphany, Theophany, and Candlemas. Like all journeys, your own Advent/Christmas pilgrimage will have its ups and downs, making the book's prayers valuable resources of enlightenment and support.
This is a small hardback, beautiful to hold and easy to carry around with you this Advent.
from the Publisher

Everyone wants to be happy. Many, however, wrongly believe that happiness comes from having enough money, fame, personal comfort, worldly success, or even dumb luck. Happiness just seems to be so elusive and arbitrary — something all too often just out of reach.

Joan Chittister sees happiness differently. To her it is not a by-product of wealth or success but, rather, a personal quality to be learned, mastered, and fearlessly wielded. Happiness, she says, "is an organ of the soul that is meant to be nourished." In these pages Chittister develops "an archaeology of happiness" as she conducts a happiness "dig" through sociology, biology, neurology, psychology, philosophy, history and world religions. Sifting through the wisdom of the ages, Chittister offers inspiring insights that will help seekers everywhere learn to cultivate true and lasting happiness within themselves.

"People don't get happiness simply by wanting it. Waiting for it doesn't guarantee it. Hoping for it won't produce it. We have to know what it is before we'll every know if we have it or not....At the end, we come to know that indeed happiness is no one event, no single achievement. The pursuit of happiness is a summons of the heart to pursue the greatness of the soul." from Chapter 1, Happiness is a Process.
from the Publisher

"Since the middle of the twentieth century," writes Elizabeth Johnson, "there has been a renaissance of new insights into God in the Christian tradition. On different continents, under pressure from historical events and social conditions, people of faith have glimpsed the living God in fresh ways. It is not that a wholly different God is discovered from the One believed in by previous generations. Christian faith does not believe in a new God but, finding itself in new situations, seeks the presence of God there. Aspects long-forgotten are brought into new relationships with current events, and the depths of divine compassion are appreciated in ways not previously imagined."

This book sets out the fruit of these discoveries. The first chapter describes Johnson's point of departure and the rules of engagements with each succeeding chapter distilling a discrete idea of God. Featured are transcendent, political, liberation, feminist, black, interreligious, and ecological theologies, ending with the particular Christian idea of the one God as Trinity.
from the Publisher

What is compassion and how does it emerge in the human heart? What moves one to compassion? Can we learn compassion as a way of life? Can we let go of our fears to love more deeply?

Compassion guides us through the life of Francis tracing his growth from a selfish, materialistic young man to the humble, holy saint beloved by missions. With this book as your guide, you can do simple things every day to discover a more compassionate, open, fearless, and loving life — just as St Francis did.

"The key to Francis' transformation into love, his secret of making wholes out of the scattered fragments of life, was compassion. He learned compassion as the art of healing broken hearts by collecting the tears of the forgotten, the frightened, and the lonely in his hands and holding the wounded as his kin. Francis entered the world of the stranger and made the stranger into a brother. He learned to love what was weak and fragile, and he learned to care for what the world discarded."
from the Introduction

Enigmatic — mysterious — intriguing: George Mackay Brown was a notoriously private man. He rarely left his native Orkney, and yet became one of the 20th century's finest poets and prose stylists. In his prolific writings, George Mackay Brown's spirituality and his love of the wind-scoured island landscape fused to give us some of the most beautiful poetry and prose in the English language. His work is shot through with glimpses of the divine.

Ron Ferguson, who was described by George Mackay Brown as a 'a true craftsman in literature', tracks with curiosity and passion, his friends' literary and spiritual journey, including his controversial move from Presbyterianism to Roman Catholicism. He explores the darker, more tormented, side of Orkney's Bard and uncovers the intense relationship between alcohol, suffering and creativity.

This is a riveting journey. Along the way, the author is forced to question some of his own assumptions. And the reader is swept along on a literary and spiritual voyage of discovery that compels to the very end. Weaving a brilliant, enriching narrative, the author draws extensively on the poet's writings, unpublished letters, conversations with the bard's friends and many well-known writers.
from the Publisher

The Domincans are to be found in every part of the world and engaged in every sort of activity, from fighting for justice and peace to painting and poetry. They live on many frontiers, of the Church and of the World, of the rich and of the poor, of the West and East, and these are places of growth and discovery. This book will communicate some of the inspiration and excitement to be found there by women and men who are both utterly committed to their faith but also to what is to be learned as well.
from the Publisher

Jim Cotter has a rare gift with words that enables him to write prayers that engage the heart and imagination as well as the mind. Here, the ancient and beautiful language of night prayer is infused with fresh and striking imagery about God that opens us to the mystery and depths of divine love — a mystery to which we are often more receptive at night or when we are facing our own dark places.

Praying the Dark Hours is a combination of two bestselling titles: Prayer at Night and Waymarks. This new, combined edition offers structured prayer for each night of the week, based on the traditional pattern of Compline, woven together with short readings from the Bible, variations for the seasons of the Christian year, together with a reflection for each night from January to December.

"When fear comes, speak the fear, feel the fear, breathe into the fear, move gently out of your rigidity, picture the ice round your heart melting in the sun, laugh....the Presence is very close, very loving."
from the Publisher

"In this insightful and challenging collection of essays Rowan Williams turns the powerful searchlight of his remarkable intellect on one of the leading Christian writers of the twentieth century uncovering Merton's seemingly endless insight into the human condition and our relationship with God and with one another. This little volume is a clarion call to readers to rediscover the breathtaking wisdom of Thomas Merton and his timely relevance for our own century."
Paul M Pearson, Director and Archivist, Thomas Merton Centrer, Bellarmine University

In this work Stephen Kuhrt challenges us to engage fully with Tom Wright's thought and grapple with its implications. His enlightening summary of Tom Wright's theology addresses in particular some of the weaknesses within the theology of contemporary evangelicalism, such as:

• the nature of Christian hope
• the significance of the resurrection of Jesus
• the lack of a convincing theological basis for holistic mission
• treatments of sin, evil and the atonement
• approaches to the Bible and attitudes toward biblical scholarship
• mbivalence towards 'the good things of creation', the sacraments and the Church

When we learn to identify our addiction, embrace our brokenness, and surrender to God, we begin to bring healing to ourselves and our world. In this book Rohr shows how the gospel priniciples in the Twelve Steps can free anyone from any addiction — from an obvious dependence on alcohol or drugs to the more common but less visible addiction that we all have to sin.
from the Publisher

What is Anglo-Catholicism?
What are its origins?
Are Anglo-Catholics real Anglicans?
What is their relationship with Roman Catholics?
Has Anglo-Catholicism betrayed Anglicanism's Protestant roots?
This work answers these and many other questions. Addressed to the general reader, it explores the history, practices, beliefs, and attitudes of Anglo-Catholicism.

While Anglo-Catholicism has deep roots in English Christianity, it attained its modern form through the nineteenth-century Catholic Revival — a movement that aroused strong passions among proponents and opponents alike. The revival, its proponents declared, reclaimed for the Anglican faith its heritage as an authentic branch of the "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church." Anglo-Catholicism gave Anglicans options to embrace ceremonial forms of worship, affirm the objective real presence and sacrificial nature of the Eucharist, venerate Mary the Mother of God, or join a monastery without abandoning their Anglican tradition.

With an extensive bibliography and numerous direct quotes, The Sacramental Church provides a valuable reference source as well as a very readable story of Anglo-Catholicism — the expression of sacramental Christianity with special relevance to the English-speaking people.
from the Publisher

With great economy and elegance one of the greatest spiritual writers of his generation writes practically, simply, briefly and beautifully about prayer. Prayer is not primarily something one does. Prayer is something that is. It is in God that we live and move and have our being. God is always in us, waiting to be released into expression.

All the different techniques and ways of prayer are reminders, alerting us that every moment of our life is lived in the presence of God. Prayer is a constant, it is like a marriage, not a flirtation carried out in a series of clandestine meetings.
Published from the Estate of Michael Mayne.
from the Publisher

The Celtic Christians beheld the world around them and perceived the divine life of God as upholding every aspect of the material universe. Their prayers and poems, their liturgies and theological interpretations give Christians a sense of faith that is confident in a merciful and infinitely creative, healing God.

In this introduction to Celtic Christian spirituality, Mary Earle presents primary texts from the Celtic Christian tradition — selections from the works of Pelagius, Eriugena and St Patrick, as well as prayers and poems from Wales, the Outer Hebrides and Ireland. These essential writings direct humanity to read the "book of creation" as well as the Bible, and call us to remember that "matter matters." Earle's engaging facing-page commentary explores how faithful Christians and spiritual seekers can take inspiration from this lively tradition's ways of embodying and living the gospel. Topics include: Creation, Daily life and work, Incarnation, Pilgrimage, Blessing, Social Justice and Prayer.
from the Publisher

Sydney Anglicans, always ultra-conservative in terms of liturgy, theology and personal morality, have increasingly modelled themselves on sixteenth century English Puritanism. Over the past few decades, they have added radical congregationalism to the mix. They have altered church services, challenged church order, and relentlessly opposed all attempts to ordain women as priests, let alone bishops. Under Archbishop Peter Jensen they are not just set apart from most other Australian Anglicans, but have become prominent in the leadership of the global movement that is threatening worldwide Anglican unity.

Murial Porter unpacks how Australia's largest and, until recently, richest diocese developed its ideological fervour, and explores the impact it is having both in Australia and the Anglican Communion.
from the Publisher

The reality of climate change, and the challenges it presents to sustainable living, is widely perceived to be the most serious problem facing humanity in the twenty-first century. It is a problem that raises profound questions for religion and politics, and the ways in which we respond — both religiously and politically — are already having a decisive impact on the future of our planet.

In this work a team of experts from a range of disciplines examines the root causes of climate change and assesses some of the motives and methods behind current attempts to deal with it. They explores the scientific and theological issues in ways that will help readers to appreciate fully the ethical demands of the growing ecological crisis. They also explore practical ways in which people of all religious persuasions can most helpfully respond to the issues and work together to build a sustainable future.

The contributors include leading theologians and ethicists: Rowan Williams, Jonathan Draper, Tim Gorringe, Mary Grey, Sebastian Kim, Michael Northcott and Clive Pearson.
from the Publisher

This work makes available Jane Williams' widely read and much enjoyed Church Times columns in one volume for the first time. Here, she offers reflections on all the Sunday readings in the Revised Common Lectionary. Each section gives the lectionary references and provides a thought-provoking starting point for exploring the readings, drawing out points of connection between them.

Intelligently written in an engaging and inspiring style, this volume will prove invaluable in preparation for Sunday worship or for regular Bible study throughout the year. It will be of use to both groups and individuals for opening up the Bible and applying its rich teaching and stories.
from the Publisher

In this simple and profound book, Sr Joan offers poignant and challenging reflections on twenty five psalms, each offering a spiritual oasis away from the stresses of a world that demands more than the human soul can sometimes bear. She believes that the psalms, all pieces of poetry and music, have rich meaning for people today. Her hope is that readers will find new meaning here and then make songs of their own.
from the Publisher

"What if humanity came together in the light and spirit poured out at Pentecost? Would it not be possible to become of one heart and mind and to discover a unity? Can we live together, and together touch the Divine?"

Writing in the ancient desert tradition of short meditations on a spiritual theme, Bishop Seraphim explores what community means and how unity among human beings is truly possible. With insight drawn from Fr Alexander Men and other theologians of the Orthodox tradition, as well as his own long-term involvement in supporting religious communities in Russia and America, he offers his readers a cultured and complex weave of Christian insight. A Life Together is a wonderful resource for reflection: a private retreat with an experienced spiritual father.
from the Publisher

In this book, Fr Thomas Keating guides the reader toward a profound understanding of the contemplative dimension of the Gospel and its extraordinary implications and applications for personal freedom and global peace. He explains that the inherent human quest for happiness is itself the greatest proof of God's existence.

The purpose of our lifetime is to provide us with the space for the upward journey of evolution into the mind, heart and whole being of God, of the Ultimate Reality. Fr Thomas calls this the journey of heartfulness.
from the Publisher

There have been countless depictions of the Christian saints by artists through the centuries. In this beautiful book Sister Wendy Beckett offers us a selection of saints: some well known, others far less so. The works of art she has chosen — dating from the fifteenth century to the present day — give us an insight into the lives of these holy men and women as seen by a wide variety of artists. Sister Wendy also leads us to reflect on the message they have for our own lives. Above all, she calls us to remember that "All of them take their meaning from the presence in their life of Jesus."

Saints depicted here include: St Therese of Lisieux, St Bernadette, St Agatha, St Serapion, St Thomas Aquinas, St Dorothy, St Catherine of Alexandria, St Jerome, St Cecilia, St John the Baptist, St Francis of Assis, St George and St Mary Magdalene.
from the Publisher

May the deep blessing of earth be with us.

May the fathomless soundings of seas surge in our soul.

May boundless stretches of the universe echo in our depths

to open us to wonder

to strengthen us for love

to humble us with gratitude

that we may find ourselves in one another

that we may lose ourselves in gladness

that we give ourselves to peace.

This is a time to pray for peace. Though we share the same spiritual descent, as Jews, Christians, and Muslims our painful divisions are at the centre of much of the world's conflict and war today. Praying with the Earth: A Prayerbook for Peace articulates the longings for peace that are closer to the heart of the world's spiritual traditions than our divisions.

For each morning and evening of the week on a daily basis, John Philip Newell provides strikingly beautiful and profound prayers that call us back to being people whom Jesus described as blessed: 'those who know their need', 'those who weep', 'the humble', 'the forgiving', 'those who hunger for earth's oneness', 'the clear in heart', and 'the peacemakers'.

For prayer alone or with others, these richly illustrated, simple liturgies invite us to live as those whose hearts yearn for peace.
from the Publisher

"The children's sermon in worship is a remarkable opportunity to help young believers grow in Christian faith in ways appropriate to their patterns of understanding. In this fine book, experienced children's sermon giver Janet Helme sets out a theological rationale for the children's sermon and urges readers to know their audience, craft the sermon creatively, and take account of how children learn."
Ronald J Allen, Christian Theological Seminary, US.

Christopher Howse, regular contributor to The Spectator and The Tablet, has spent more than two decades exploring Spain. For him, its centuries-old cathedrals, monasteries and shrines demand pilgrimage more than tourism. In a journey across the Castilian interior, he follows in the footsteps of El Cid and St Dominic, examines St Teresa's arm, samples the legacy of the Cardinal who invaded Africa, finds the spot where St John of the Cross escaped from prison, and discovers in a mountain shrine the world's largest remnant of the True Cross.

He comes across a slaughterhouse dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and a cock and hen living in a cathedral. He hears of uncivil war in Europe's most civilised square and enjoys the smells, heat, food, noise, prayers, tears, smoke, violence and slaughter of an ancient culture in its last years.

With an eye for the humourous and strange, he spends time in Soria and Silos, Yuste and Segovia, before turning from the pilgrim destination of Santiago de Compostela to the valleys of Exremaduar, where the Virgin of Guadalupe took the Spanish to an unknown world.
from the Publisher

The language of Christianity is in a state of crisis warns author, Bible scholar, and theologian, Marcus J Borg. Christian words and phrases have not only diminished in meaning, but they've become distorted and virtually stripped of their biblical and historic meanings. In this much needed Christiam primer, Borg teaches us how to read, hear and digest our Christian language without preconceived notions getting in the way. In Speaking Christian, Borg redeems the language of Christianity by restoring its power to illuminate us and transform the world.
from the Publisher

This work is the sequel to Laurence Freeman's book: Jesus: The Teacher Within.

In his latest book, Laurence Freeman shows that the basic experience of contemplation is the experience of faith, and that we all need to develop this in order to become fully human. We are all capable of it — indeed, we are designed for it.

This experience awakens us in every aspect of life and can be realised by those who live and work far outside the walls of the monastery. Indeed, through the practice of meditation, this experience transforms not only our lives but our communities and societies as well. His insight reveals faith as being much more than belief: it is a contemplative vision that changes us — first of all — from within.

Freeman re-defines faith for our secular age. He draws on his wide experience and travels in the modern world to show how a new sense of the spiritual dimension can transform the way we approach education, business, mental health, the environment, inter-religious dialogue, and our view of ourselves in society.

Moving from this new vision and fresh thinking, illustrated vividly from his own life experience, he leads to practice. Meditation, he shows, offers an accessible and attractive antidote to the current cult of speed and distraction. He does not deny that this needs discipline, but because it is radically simple, it is a path that we all can integrate.
from the Publisher

Hebrew Scriptures include many names and metaphors for God — Yahweh, Elohim, my rock, my shield, my salvation, creator, redeemer, helper, judge. Author Mary Donovan Turner explores nearly sixty terms, even as she grants that not all are of equal theological importance and that "understanding God as the loving parent has far more potential to be expanded and explored than God as a moth or dry rot." Reflection questions for each such metaphor invite readers to grapple with the age-old mystery of who God is.
from the Publisher

The Death of a Child is a collection of a dozen essays in which parents and siblings tell their own stories of losing a child, brother or sister, and of how they have coped with bereavement and grief.

Their experiences cover a range from the earliest loss — actress and author Carol Drinkwater's miscarriages, or Irish writer Catherine Dunnes's still-birth — right up to campaigner Augusto Odone losing his severely disabled son, Lorenzo, the day after his 30th birthday, or novelist Wendy Perriam coping with the death of her daughter, Pauline, when she was 43.

The essays reflect the different causes of bereavement — illness (brief and long-term), accident, and malice. And the collection ends with a reflection by the celebrated psychotherapist, Dorothy Rowe, on surviving the loss of a child.
from the Publisher

This work, written as poetry and divided into 6 sections concerning monastic living for everyone, is a powerful spiritual guide for all of us who are seeking a more purposeful life today. In this time of social upheaval and global transformations, it is written for seekers of any faith or none — individuals, couples, families, small groups — looking for true meaning while facing seemingly countless options, both spiritual and secular, and feeling overwhelmed by choices. It builds on the ancient Rule of Benedict to show us new ways of meaningful living in the very centre of our own world - without ever withdrawing from it. The Monastery of the Heart is anchored in the Rule, rooted in its values, but attempts to redefine it for seekers today. Fresh in form and focus, it invites us to become within ourselves monastics of the heart.
from the Publisher

In the first half of life, we are naturally and rightly preoccupied with establishing our identity — climbing, achieving, and performing. But those concerns will not serve us as we grow older and begin to embark on a further journey, one that involves challenges, mistakes, loss of control, broader horizons, and necessary suffering that actually shocks us out of our prior comfort zone. Eventually, we need to see ourselves in a different and more life-giving way. This message of "falling down" — that is in fact moving upward — is the most resisted and counterintuitive of messages in the world's religions, including and most especially Christianity.

In Falling Upward, Fr Richard Rohr — the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation — offers a new paradigm for understanding one of the most profound of life's mysteries: how our failings can be the foundation for our ongoing spiritual growth. Drawing on the wisdom from time-honored myths, heroic poems, great thinkers, and sacred religious texts, the author explores the two halves of life to show that those who have fallen, failed, or "gone down" are the only ones who understand "up". We grow spiritually more by doing it wrong that by doing it right.
from the Publisher

"What you hold in your hands is not merely a book; it is a path to hope, a guide to prayer, and a call to see in a new way. It is an invitation to go beyond the ego and to drop any addiction to worry. It is a call to breathe easily and become aware." from the Introduction

"I have been reading From Fear to Serenity with great relish and reward. I got to exercises on breathing and kept saying 'amen' as I read on; breathing exercises have been my salvation through some perilous periods of stress. The book is both so spiritual and so practical. I look forward to finishing it and to spreading the word about it.
Bill Moyers

The purpose of these reflections is to reveal 'the dearest freshness deep down things', to disclose the secret of turning your life around, and of living more freely and more abundantly. Unmasking God reveals the intimate and liberating presence of the divine heart in ours, already waiting and hoping to be discovered at every moment, and in every experience of each new day. But usually we have to dig persistently through the rubble of our lives before the beautiful gold surrenders itself. It is then that everything changes. We recover our lost happiness, our lost laughter. We begin to really live again. And so do those around us.
from the Publisher

This work draws on the riches of the Anglican tradition and includes prayers and collects, creeds and affirmations of faith, songs and responses from Common Worship and the Book of Common Prayer. Here we will discover new depths of meaning in words we say during the Eucharist, at a baptism, in morning and evening prayer.

This book explores the faith that lies behind some of the most familiar and loved words of worship. It aims to unlock more of their meaning, to make stronger connections between them and our daily experience of God's presence in our lives, and to help our prayer and discipleship. With questions for reflection throughout, this is ideal for devotional reading, group study, or confirmation courses. It will take all readers to new places of understanding via familiar, loved texts.
from the Publisher

This book is a series of meditations on the "walking stories" of Holy Scripture, beginning with the expulsion from Eden. Except for his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, mounted on a donkey, Jesus walked everywhere with his disciples. He was always arriving, on the way somewhere else, or departing. The disciples were sent out with practically nothing, permitted only a staff and sandals. Adam and Eve walked out of the garden, Abraham and Isaac walked up to Mt Moriah, the Israelites walked for forty years through the desert, the Prodigal Son walked home barefoot, and the disciples encountered the risen Christ as they walked to Emmaus.

If we take the walk of faith, our feet will get dirty, worn, and blistered. Boots and shoes, sandals and sneakers can protect and shield us. But the walk demands that we stand on solid ground, that we feel the earth beneath our feet, like Adam and Eve, when we go barefoot from the garden to begin our lifetime of walking.
from the Publisher

With a wealth of experience as a theologian, scholar, and popular speaker on spirituality, Rev Gerald O'Collins, SJ, engages the reader by using vivid images and practical ways to deepen one's personal prayer life. Five parts comprise these reflections:

• Prayer
• The Coming and Mission of Jesus
• The Suffering and Death of Jesus
• The Resurrecton and Risen Life of Jesus
• Our God

"This book is designed for those who face full programs at home and at work but still want to pause regularly to reflect upon the deeper realities of life. Even if their daily diaries allow only a few minutes for quietly pondering the real agenda of human existence, they know that prayerfully thinking of Jesus and God will bring into focus the things that really matter. Without such a frequent pause for thought, their life will lack spiritual depth."
from the Preface

Stories are connective tissue that sews the world together. In storytelling, the soul quickens and comes alive. In To Tell the Sacred Tale, Janet Ruffing describes the narrative process of spiritual direction in relationship to our contemporary contexts. She discusses the significance of narrative across cultures, and encourages spiritual directors to pay close attention to the actual stories directees tell and suggests helpful responses directors can make to these sacred tales based on theory and illustrated with rich case material.
from the Publisher

Seeing, understanding, and appreciating motherhood as a special life vocation in which women share and participate in God's works of creative and redemptive love is the focus of this book. Through prayerful reading and reflection upon scripture along with practical contemplative exercises, mothers are invited to a spiritual awakening of their unique calling in life as Christian mothers. This insightful reading resource offers an approach for a renewed understanding about Christian motherhood that may be used invidividually or in discussion groups.
from the Publisher

Trusting in the Lord and his benevolence is easy when life is going well — so easy when life seems difficult. Yet, walking through what the author calls "valleys of darkness" can bring us opportunities for insight and grace we might not experience when we are walking through good times.

Benedictine monk Fr Albert Holtz invites the reader to walk with him through five periods of pain and difficulty in his own life, including being diagnosed with cancer and dealing with the death of his brother. In a series of twenty-four meditations, the author shows how insights behind such New Testament words as courage, compassion, and trust became a source of practical help and spiritual strength for him during those difficult times. His down-to-earth reflections can do the same for anyone trying to understand how the mystery of Christ's passion, death and resurrection can help us to cope with and even profit from life's inevitable struggles and sufferings.
from the Publisher

Christians affirm that everything exists because of God — from subatomic quarks to black holes. Science often claims to explain nature without including God in the picture at all. Which do we choose?

The good news is that we do not have to decide. Science does not overthrow the Bible. Faith does not require rejecting science. World-renowned geneticist Francis Collins, author of The Language of God, along with fellow scientist Karl Giverson show how we can embrace both. Their fascinating treatment explains how God cares for and interacts with his creation while science offers a reliable way to understand the world he made.

Together they clearly answer dozens of the most common questions people ask about Darwin, evolution, the age of the earth, the Bible, the existence of God and our finely tuned universe. The authors disentangle the false conclusions of Christians and atheists alike about science and evolution from the actual results of research in astronomy, physics, geology and genetics. In its place they fine a story of the grandeur and beauty of a world made by a supremely creative God.
from the Publisher

In these essays, talks, and a stunning selection of his own photographs, Thomas Merton hauntingly evokes the spirituality of a uniquely American set. Largely remembered today for a legacy of extraordinary craftsmanship, the Shakers espoused a way of life, as Merton shows, with surprising relevance for today. In their approach to work as a form of worship, in their practice of community, their simplicity and rejection of violence, and their profound witness to the kingdom of God, Merton finds lessons for all Christians. In the Shakers' prophetic departure from the American myth of progress, efficiency, and individualism, he finds a message of enduring value for our time.
from the Publisher

Maureen Fielder conducts long impassioned interviews with women religious and spiritual leaders, scholars and activists, finding common threads in their efforts to ensure women's full participation in their areas of work, the world, worship and belief.

Interviewees include: Sr Joan Chittister OSB; Bp Katharine Jefferts Schori; Sr Helen Prejean, CSJ
from the Publisher

Believer, non-believer or undecided, every one of us is influenced by unconscious psychological projections that, in part, condition our instinctive conception of God and therefore our personal beliefs.

Demonstrating the valuable insight that can be gained from a fruitful encounter between psychology and theology, this book unmasks the major obstacles that can arise in the quest for meaning or on the way to a spiritual experience: doubts about the existence of a God of love in a broken world; hidden fears of God nourished by a real difficulty in believing that we are worthy to be loved; persistent images of a rather distant, exclusively masculine or frightening Divine Being; unhelpful contrasts between science and faith, psychology and theology, sexuality and spirituality...

By tackling these culturally conditioned barriers to belief and spirituality within Western Christianity, Br Emmanuel explores a new theology of love, both human and divine.
from the Publisher

Nourished by liturgy and lectio divina, this book offers a transforming theological vision based on prayer and spiritual insight. As a Benedictine monk the author contemplates the sacramental mysteries of Scripture, Baptism, the Eucharist, the icon, mystical prayer and the great feasts of the liturgical year, viewing them as privileged 'disclosure-zones' where the Holy Spirit reveals God's presence and invites us to be transformed into the likeness of Christ.

The author's aim is to encourage a contemporary mystical spirituality based on the great sources of Christian revelation. Much of the book consists of reflections on the mysteries of Christ as they are celebrated in the liturgy. It is grounded in theological research yet written in a style accessible to non-specialists; ecumenical in inspiration, it draws largely from Orthodox and other Eastern Christian sources. The work aims to recover some of the ancient spiritual resources of monastic tradition so as to encourage a new vision of Christ as we meet him in his mysteries.
from the Publisher

A compelling view of two competing religious visions — one of "creation" and the other of "empire" — that run throughout the Bible.

"Howard-Brook illuminates how ancient empires exercised control and manipulation of people not simply by political and military means, but also through the religion of empire. Throughout he makes clear that the core message of the God of creation is to call people out of empire, to refuse to cooperate with the forces of destruction and domination today."
Richard Horsley

"A remarkable offering for those who care about the interface of power and faith with all the threats and seductions that go with it... As I read, I felt overwhelmed both by the mass of data and by the cunning of interpretation. I could not put it down, and expect to continue to be instructed by it.
Walter Brueggemann

This work recalls us to the wonder of worship, reminding us that as the people of God when we assemble to break open the word and to break bread, we stand at the gate of heaven, handling holy things, and touching the eternal mystery. Worship should give our spirit wings to fly and if this is not our experience at least some of the time, something is seriously amiss. With his customary verve and wit, Richard Giles explores the characteristics and building blocks of the kind of worship that will change lives. In this joint enterprise with 'the Lord, the giver of life' we discover that anything is possible and our part is to make full and creative use of all that is at our disposal, however limited or restricted our resources.
from the Publisher

Creation is in crisis. Why then do we continue in activities that are manifestly harmful to ourselves and to others? Part of the answer is undoubtedly ignorance about what we are actually doing. But part is also that we do not want to face up to the fact that the material comforts we enjoy are bought at a cost to other people and the natural world.

This volume highlights the seriousness of environmental degradation and climate change, the root causes and possible solutions, and the contribution of Christian thinking to these issues. Both scientific and theological points of view are presented by the distinguished writers including Richard Bauckham, Richard C. Carter, Flavio Comim, Ellen F. Davis, Sir John Houghton, Michael Northcott, Robert S White, and Georges Wilkes.
from the Publisher

"We do not set out to become old. Far from it. We hardly intend even to become middle-aged. Instead we plan to live in some eternal now which will lead on to something better, something more complete than what we had before.... Sometime in our spiritual travels, as a complete surprise, we notice it has become winter.... This change has occurred, it seems, without preparation, without fair warning."

So Emilie Griffin begins, taking us on an exploration of the second half of life. It is a book filled with wonderful, rich story, wisdom from those who have gone before us and carefully crafted spiritual exercises. She explores relocation, vocational changes, losing her mother, and negotiating and renegotiating her relationships with her grown children.

The journey of our later years is a a wondrous voyage, though turbulent at points. But it is the journey we have been preparing for all along.
from the Publisher

Explore our connections — as human beings with each other, as one nation with all other nations, as the human species with the whole of our envirnonment — through the lens of faith. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, examines these connections as she looks at the intersections of faith with the major issues of our day:

• How does faith speak to poverty, climate change, the economy, health care, and what is the faith response?
• How can believers from may faith traditions find common ground while honoring the Divine, serving one another, and creating deeper community?
• How do we best use the resources of faith to come into the hearts of our neighbours and to the heart of God?

This fine collection of early Celtic Christian poetry arranged and discussed thematically, was originally published in 1996.

On the back of this latest edition, Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury writes:
"This is not only a treasury of material we should all be grateful for, it is also a personal testimony to how the resources of the Celtic tradition inform an acute and unsentimental (contemporary) mind. For once, we have something of the challenge and the toughness of the Celtic Christian world, not just a romantic glow; and the connections made with our own age and society give this book exceptional value."

In lectio divina, you open yourself to the working of God, almost becoming part of the sacred text for him to speak in the deepest part of your being, what scripture calls the heart. In this book the author, Sr Mary Margaret, will unfold to you the various levels of lectio divina. She uses the book of Jonah as an illustration of how to approach scripture, so that it becomes a real encounter with the living God. Not only does she give you an in-depth study of lectio, but, more important, some guidance on how to go about it.
from the forward by Fr Laurence O'Keefe, OSB

Derek Wilson guides us from the beginning (of the the "King James Bible") to the present day, telling first the story of the new vernacular version of the Bible in a language that modern English-speakers might just understand....[and] leads us further, explaining how this great cultural monument of seventeenth-century England took shape, and how its majestic official prose has sustained Christians across the world in very different circumstances over four centuries. The reader should enjoy the zest with which he tells the tale.
from the Publisher

This work explores the distinctive qualities that women bring to the exercise of leadership and oversight of today's church. It draws together different understandings, perspectives and practices from within the Anglican Communion — both geographically and theologically — to address the issues of vocation, authority, spirituality and theological formation, and to identify the challenges that arise as women take up positions of leadership in the church.

A rich variety of voices — evangelical and catholic, lay and ordained, episcopal, monastic, mainstream and from the margins &mdash join together in this engaging and imaginative volume.
from the Publisher

This engaging reconstruction of Jesus' life provides an up-to-date critical overview of the historical Jesus debate, covering the Jewishness of Jesus' teaching, the foundation of the earliest groups of his followers, and the location of Jesus within his wider context. Casey's masterful treatment of Aramaic sources draws us closer to the historical Jesus than ever before. This major contribution will be of interest to anyone studying the historical figure of Jesus and the roots of Christianity.
from the Publisher

This volume combines essays by internationally distinguished authorities on Franciscan history with reflection from both men and women who have devoted their lives to living out the Franciscan ideal. In focusing on how the original vision of Francis and Clare has been understood, whether by their disciples in medieval and early modern Europe, or by their admirers in the modern world, such as the Australian artist Arthur Boyd (1920-99), we learn about the enduring character of their message and example.
from the Publisher

Geoffrey Robertson QC, a distinguished human rights lawyer and judge, evinces a deep respect for the good works of Catholics and their church. But, he argues, unless Pope Benedict XVI can divest himself of the beguilements of statehood and devotion to obsolescent Canon Law, the Vatican will remain a serious enemy to the advance of human rights.
from the Publisher

"Too may people, for far too long, have been able to murmur the awful word 'Constantine', knowing that the shudder it produces will absolve them from the need to think through how the church and the powers of the world actually relate, let alone construct a coherent historical or theological argument on the subject. Peter Leithhart challenges all this, and forces us to face the question of what Constantine's settlement actually was, and meant. Few will agree with everything he says. All will benefit enormously from this challenge to easygoing received 'wisdom.'"
from N T Wright, St Andrews University, Scotland

This beautifully-written book gives us a view of the life of prayer, a life that inevitabley transpires in the context of an earthy, material world, through the prism of the canonical Hours. Readers will find much to savor in these descriptions and insights, and much that will enrich their own prayer life.
from Frederica Mathewes-Green. Author of At the Corner of East and Now

What do we need for our lives? What is indispensable to us? Kung writes of trust in life, joy in life and suffering in life and in so doing gives us a summa of his own faith — and life.
from the Publisher

In this short and eminently readable book, Ian Adams captures the essential genius of the monastic tradition and combines it with his own experience as poet, family man and abbot in a 'new-monastic community' to address the disease of so much of our contemporary ways of living. His book gives simple, practical inspiration for 'ordinary living' and recalls monks and nuns, friars and sisters to the passion of their founders as it asks: "how did the dynamic way of the passionate, scandalous re-imaginer Jesus give way to so much that is passionless, repressed and safe?"
from Abbot Stuart Burns OSB

Today, our doctor may be Muslim, our lawyer Jewish and our best friend Buddhist, a plurality multiplied by global travel and politics. Here Val Webb describes how humans have engaged the Divine across religions and centuries, through rituals, art, sacred places, language and song. She includes her own experiences, both personal and observed through travel in over fifty countries, and also draws on centuries of theology, literature and travel writing. She meanders along winding trails, talks over the fence and drinks wine with a stranger, literally and figuratively, conscious that, to engage the beyond-description Sacred, we need all the stories we can find, even if only to remind us to the distance still to go and the limitless (sometimes unsuccessful) journey.

As a teacher of world religions and art, and an artist herself, Webb creates a woven-together, reader-friendly, vividly painted theologically reflective whole.
from the Publisher

Trusted guide Walter Brueggemann preaches the Old Testament's prophetic cry against materialism, consumerism, violence and oppression. "Walter Brueggemann is stunningly brilliant here. Besides surveying most of the First Testament prophets to show the relationship of the contemporary Church to the metaphor of 'Babylon' this volume takes some surprising runs and gives fresh directions. Out of Babylon is a must for ALL Christians!"
Marva Dawn

Prayer is not just communication with God; it is communion with God. As we open ourselves to him, God does the spiritual work of transformation in us.

David Benner invites us to discover openness to God as the essence of prayer, spirituality and the Christian life. Prayer is far more than saying words to God; all of life can be prayer when offered to God in faith and with openness. Using the four movements of lectio divina, Benner explores prayer as attending, pondering, responding and being. Along the way he opens us to a world of possibilities for communion with God: praying with our senses, with imagination, with music and creativity, in contemplation, in service, and much more.
from the Publisher

As expert on the historical Jesus, Crossan provides just the right amount of history, scholarship, and detail for us to rediscover why this seemingly simple prayer sparked a revolution. Addressing issues of God's will for us and our response, our responsibilities to tone another and to the earth, the theology of our daily bread, the moral responsibilities that come with money, our nation-states, and God's kingdom, Crossan reveals the enduring meaning and universal significance of the only prayer Jesus ever taught.
from the Publisher

This is a masterly collection of essays addressing the future of preaching within a culture of declining biblical literacy, suspicion of the Christian faith and bewildering social change. The contributors are all experienced practitioners with a gift for subjecting receive wisdom to rigorous examination. Between them they explore most of the key issues which vex today's preachers and do so with authority.
David Day former Warden of Cramner Hall, Durham

Beautifully presented hardback with full colour icons. The words and images reflect the perennial appeal of Mary — source of compassion, gentle consoler, fierce protector, feminine face of the divine.
from the Publisher

"Preaching is an audacious task. It has always been so." So Water Brueggemann begins this bold set of reflections on the preaching task, a task at once foolish and dangerous in a world where the rulers of this age keep a close eye on any proclamation that may disturb present arrangements. His tone in turn is passionate, intimate, critical, and wise. Brueggemann's perspective on preaching is always shaped first and foremost by the militant word of Scripture, especially as spoken through the prophets. Brueggemann understands the biblical texts to redescribe the world as God's world. It follows that when preaching is truly biblical, it will be subversive preaching.

Brueggemann is unsparing in his critique of the sort of preaching that is but an echo for prevailing culture, content to live within the limits of the status quo. Yet he is also endlessly hopeful that the church may remain a place — "perhaps the last place in town" — where a different understanding of reality can still find a voice.
from the Publisher

Born into lowly circumstances in London's East End in 1823, William Wilkinson Wardell became one of Australia's greatest architects whose crowning works are his two cathedrals: St Mary's in Sydney and St Patrick's in Melbourne. As well as being a leading exponent of Gothic Revival architecture of the 19th century, he served for a period as chief Architect in the Victorian Public Works Department where he stamped his character and his high standards on many of Melbourne's best loved public buildings, including his own design, Government House.

Wardell was a contemporary and devoted admirer of Pugin. Both were converts to the Catholic Faith and both shared a deep religious conviction in the superiority of Gothic architecture for church building.

In this first major biography of Wardell, Evans reveals for the first time his early life and influences at home in a Workhouse, his apprenticeship at sea, and his work in England and Scotland where he was responsible for over twenty much admired churches, schools and private houses.
from the Publisher

New, handsomely produced, spiral bound so that the text can be opened flat. The artworks in this edition of the Diary have been selected from the finalist in the 2009 Blake Prize.
from the Publisher

The latest collections of theological offerings from James Alison has all the brilliance, wit and panache that have made him one of the most recognisable and influential contemporary Catholic writers. Alison continues to develop the implications for theology and religion of the insights of the French literary critic and philosopher Rene Girard, which expose the violence hidden at the heart of our culture. He shows how Girard's concepts of mimetic desire and the scapegoat mechanism both confirm and transform our understanding of Christianity.

Unforgettable and moving, these remarkable essays show James Alison at his irrepressible best. Far from beleaguered or rancorous, this is a gay Catholic voice speaking out of unsentimental love for the church, in spite of its lies and cruelties, and from joy and delight in the life of faith.
from the Publisher

This work offers a comprehensive introduction to the many different facets of Anglicanism. The book is the ideal resource for all wanting to explore the breath and depth of the Anglican tradition and presume no prior knowledge of the subject. It offers helpful overviews of Anglican history, liturgy, theology, Canon Law, mission and global Anglicanism. Each chapter contains excerpts from primary texts, textboxes explaining technical terms, questions for further reflection and also suggestions for further reading.
from the Publisher

This inviting guide introduces the labyrinth and traces its history in the Christian spiritual tradition. It explores the different ways individuals and groups, including children, can uses a labyrinth for prayer and reflection, and contains may ideas for using the labyrinth in worship and in mission. Some seasonal liturgies also included.

You can discover how to create your own labyrinth — in church, in an open space, or in miniature for your own personal use at home or on the move. This work will take you beyond merely following a path to a deeper experience and understanding of this ancient devotional walking practice, which many have found to be nothing other than walking on holy ground.
from the Publisher

When life becomes difficult — when we face deep disappointment, agonising loss or ongoing pain — we set out on a search to find answers to significant questions; Why would God allow this to happen? What good could come out of this? What will it look like to trust God?

In this collection of insightful essays and excerpts, classic and contemporary theologians and Bible teachers — ranging from John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon and Dietrich Bonhoeffer — we explore Scripture in regard to the causes and purposes of suffering, as well as what it means to trust God in the midst of hardship and pain.
from the Publisher

Michael Mayne's wonderful books, A Year Lost and Found, This Sunrise of Wonder, Pray, Love Remember, Learning to Dance, and the final, heartbreaking The Enduring Melody have touched readers more deeply than those of almost any other modern spiritual writer. With insight and wry humour he shows us how to see the things of God in art and in science, in poetry and in architecture, as well as in the scriptures and in liturgy. He makes the Christian understanding of life intelligible and attractive for people inside and outside the churches. He teaches us to notice, to wonder to be astonished. We learn to trust and to love. This collection of meticulously prepared but previously unpublished sermons and addresses has been edited and brought together into a cohesive narrative by the leading scholar of Michael Mayne's work, Joel Huffstetler.
from the Publisher

This book is a guide book through the mess, mystery and magic of the church, written by someone who fully understands the problems but is confident about the value. Looking in turn at the church as it is, the church as it's meant to be, and the church as it might become, John Pritchard's highly readable volume offers not only humour and insight, but also encouragement to feel that going to church is really worthwhile. Whatever our situation we're likely to finish this book with a lot more understanding a lot more hope!
from the Publisher

The painting of the Holy Trinity by Russian artist Andrei Rublev is probably the best-known and best-loved icon from the Eastern Orthodox Church. Beginning with her own experience of gazing at the icon during convalescence from surgery, Ann Persson shares her journey of discovery through some of the history and artistic tradition of icon-painting, including a midwinter pilgrimage to the Russian monastery for which Rublev's icon was originally commissioned.

She provides a detailed commentary on the image itself to draw out its full significance, and also reflects on the Bible story that inspired the icon. This work is perfect introductory reading for all who are interested in exploring the use of icons in meditative prayer, and discovering something of the spiritual riches found in that tradition.
from the Publisher

A compact and scholarly book, this work offers a fascinating tour through chant's historical and musical origins, showing the role that chant plays in the history and liturgy of the Western church. Broad themes are discussed, such as the Divine Office and the Mass, but also detailed subjects such as psalmody, cantillation, modes, and pivotal chant manuscripts. Greogorian Chant tell the story of how this unique form of music and worship functions — and has the power to enhance and revitalise worship.
from the Publisher

Despite significant involvement in all aspects of community life from the first settlement of the Port Phillip District until now, the contributions of Victoria's Anglicans have gone largely unrecorded. In this a wide-ranging account of Anglican life to 1997, James Grant repairs this omission.

He spells out the work of laity, clergy and bishops in establishing parishes, Cathedrals, Schools and Colleges and caring agencies and in pioneering a system of representative church government that was in step with the emerging democracy of Goldrush Victoria. The impact of the Gold Rushes, the Land Boom and Bank Crash, two World Wars, the Great Depression, post-War immigration and rural depopulation is described.

Today's Anglicans face the challenge of commending the Gospel in a very different multicultural and secular environment. This account of their past endeavours should inspire them to make a positive response.
from the Publisher

The Anglican Church of Australia has struggled for decades with internal division and numerical decline. Tom Frame, one of Austrlia's best-known commentators on contemporary Anglicanism, argues that the Church's problems have become acute. It must deal with decaying foundations and crumbling walls. A House Divided? provides a frank assessment of the Church's disorder and disunity, its inability to attract and hold new members, its ailing structures and inadequate strategies, and its failure to promote a vibrant vision of Christianity. Contentious and controversial, this book will prompt Anglicans across Australia to think deeply about their Church and the urgent need for reform and renewal.
from the Publisher

In this well argued and timely book, Bauckham considers the relationship of humans to the rest of creation. He argues that there is much more to the Bible's understanding of this relationship than the mandate of human dominion give in Genesis 1, which has too often been used as a justification for domination and exploitation of the earth's resources. He also critiques the notion of stewardship as on the one hand presumptuous, and on the other too general a term to explain our key rewponsibilites in caring for the earth. He argues that there are other important biblical perpectives, including the book of Job, the Psalms and the Gospels. The broader notion of a community of creation does better justice to the whole of the biblical witness than a focus on 'dominion' alone. With its clear analysis and thought-provoking conclusion, Bible and Ecololgy is an essential read for anyone interested in a biblically grounded approach to ecology.
from the Publisher

No woman has inspired such devotion, or been the subject of so many works of art, as Mary, the mother of Jesus. In this series of reflections, Sr Wendy Beckett draws on the riches of the Eastern Christian tradition of icon painting to look at scenes from Mary's life, and the many and varied traditions that surround her. She presents these fascinating paintings not simply as historical artefacts, but as images that have a depth and meaning for the world in which we live today, for "of all humans, Mary was the one who came closest to God."
from the Publisher

In this inviting, accessible and exhilarating volume, Alister McGrath explores how the great tradition of Christian theological reflection can enrich our faith and deepen our engagement with the concerns and debates of the world around us. The first part of the book deals with this purpose, place and relevance of Christian theology. It provides helpful introductions to such concerns as the role of theology in transforming the way we see things and how we might handle theological ambiguity. The focus then switches to engaging with contemporary culture and concerns, including many issues raised by the new atheism. Here the core arguments of recent atheist writers are critically examined, including their demand for a 'New Enlightenment.'
from the Publisher

This work gathers together revisions of the author's previously published essays, along with a significant amount of unpublished material, to offer a broad yet consistent exploration of his thought on spirituality over the last decade. Its distinctive quality is this emphasis that Christian spirituality is always more than the cultivation of interiority or "spiritual experience," but necessarily embraces everyday life and social reality than purely personal transformation. Aimed at an educated by not narrowly scholarly audience, Explorations in Spirituality will be particularly helpful to students and teacher of college, seminary, and university courses in Christian spirituality. The introductory essay, "What is Spirituality?" is followed by three parts: Part 1 treats history, interpretation theory and understandings of "the self' and spiritual transformation that examine the many theoretical aspects of the study of Christian spirituality. Part 2 explores prayer and social engagement, mysticism a social practices, and the impact of Thomas Merton on twentieth-century spirituality and includes a groundbreaking essay on spirituality and reconciliation. Part 3, with essays on spirituality and cities and religious buildings as classic spiritual texts, underlines the importance of a spirituality of place.
from the Publisher

Everyone suffers at some time or other — it's simply a part of life. But however bad things seem, we are never completely helpless. For the deeply affirming truth is that we can choose how to respond to adverse circumstances. In this lively and engaging volume, Trystan Owain Hughes suggests that learning how to suffer and how to wait patiently may be the key to finding joy in our lives. Diagnoses a few years ago with a degenerative spinal condition, he was surprised to discover that, instead of increasing his unhappiness, it spurred him on to seek out sources of hope and meaning.
from the Publisher