Over the past century, numerous lost scriptures have been discovered, authenticated, translated, debated, celebrated. Many of these documents were as important to shaping early-Christian communities and beliefs as what we have come to call the New Testament; these were not the work of shunned sects or rebel apostles, not alternative histories or doctrines, but part of the vibrant conversations that sparked the rise of Christianity. Yet these scriptures are rarely read in contemporary churches: they are discussed nearly only by scholars or within a context only of gnostic gospels.

Reading the traditional scriptures alongside these new texts offers the exciting possibility of understanding both the new and the old better. This new reading, and the accompanying commentary in this volume, promises to reinvigorate a centuries-old conversation and to bring new relevance to a dynamic tradition.
from the Publisher

From the IX Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church — the first gay person elected (in 2003) to the historic episcopate, and the world's leading religious spokesperson for gay rights and gay marriage — a groundbreaking book that lovingly and persuasively makes the case for same-sex marriage using commonsense, reasoned, and religious arguments.

Robinson has a knack for taking complex and controversial issues and addressing them in plain direct language, without using polemics or ideology, putting forth his argument for gay marriage, and bringing together sacred and secular points of view.
from the Publisher

Harold Wood (1896-1989) — Methodist minister, educator, hymnologist, ecumenist, author — was one of the most celebrated churchmen of his generation whose life story spans the significant years of Protestant Church history in Australia in the twentieth century. Born into a Salvation Army family, he was eventually ordained a Methodist minister and was Principal of Methodist Ladies College in Kew, Melbourne, from 1938 to 1966. He was President-General of the Methodist Church and active in the movement towards the establishment of the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977. This new biography traces his life and work in the context of family, school and church. This was no ordinary life, but one notable for many things — above all his faithful following of the Methodist tradition he embraced and loved.
from the Publisher

For many Christians, spirituality and ethics are in separate mental and experimental compartments. Spirituality may be understood as an inner experience, while ethics is focused on decisions or positions on issues. Both of these views reduce spirituality and morality in Christian faith and practice, and ignore the centrality of desire for God and the the things of God as key focal points for spiritual and moral formation. These aspects of Christian formation must be located in their scriptural and theological contexts in order to understand more fully what God desires for human life. This focus on desire provides content and context to Christian spirituality and morality. We are drawn outward to focus on God and the good of others while we learn to embody virtues, such as compassion, courage, self-control, gratitude, humility, and hope. Practices are crucial ways by which we learn to incarnate our ultimate desire of love for God and for what God desires in the pursuit of justice and goodness for all creation. In so doing, practices enable us to more fully integrate spiritual and moral growth in the processess of our desire for God and the things of God.
from the Publisher

What does a clock or calendar, a map, a newspaper or bandage, a set of measuring cups or a basket have to do with prayer? Kathleen Finley not only tells about how to pray with all our senses, but also shows us how, using Scripture as well as factual information about a wide variety of everyday objects to help us take seriously how everthing has the potential to be holy in light of Jesus' incarnation.

If folding your hands and closing your eyes doesn't always work for you as a posture of prayer, this excursion into new possibilities for prayer may be for you.
from the Publisher

At the opening of the twenty-first century, Christianity in the West is more fractured and beleagured than ever. Groundbreaking author Brian D. McLaren suggests that if we are to get beyond doctrinal stalemates towards the life to the full that Jesus promised us, we need new paradigms for thinking and believing — and he invites us on a radical quest for a new kind of faith.

Using ten questions, McLaren boldly proposes what a future Christianity could look like. Radical yet orthodox, outspoken yet generous. This is a wise, compassionate book for all who are looking for an authentic, loving faith.
from the Publisher

During the last couple of centuries ... we entered an explosion of knowledge unprecedented in two hundred thousand years of human existence, giving rise to questions regarding its larger significance, especially with respect to more traditional understanding, such as theology. This questioning will occupy all of the 21st century, and will include any number of mistaken hypotheses and disappointing dead ends, many of them argued with the extremes of passion always present when matters of ultimate concern are debated. In the midst of this fray, we have the work of John Haught. For anyone interested in entering this ongoing and vital conversation between science and theology, there is no better gateway than his Science and Faith: A New Introduction.
Brian Thomas Swimme, Professor of evolutionary cosmology, California Institute of Integral Studies

The Bible tells us that God is 'the Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth takes its name' (Ephesians 3:15). If earthly families gain their nature from God's parenthood, what might our experience of family tell us about the nature of God? That is the question on which this book focuses. Veronica Zundel roots her relections in her journey into and through parenthood, a hard journey that led through infertility, late motherhood and then learning to parent a child with special needs. What she learned along the way — about love and sacrifice, faithfulness and forgiveness — had a profound impact on her understanding of what God feels about us, his most beloved children.
from the Publisher

She was a Benedictine abbess, artist, composer, dietitican, naturalist, poet, travelling preacher, mystic, and political consultant. Meet the incomparable St Hildegard of Bingen, recently proclaimed a Doctor of the Church. Nourishing, challenging, and idea-bursting, her writings will stir and awaken your soul. This essential reader captures the vibrant spirit and intelligence of Hildegard with selections from her songs, theological texts, liturgical music and letters. Combined with an introduction to St Hildegard's life and era, a map of her Germany, a chronology of her life, and a thorough bibliography/discography, St Hildegard of Bingen is the ideal doorway into this fascinating medieval mystic.
from the Publisher

"Deep inside, I am a Wend. I am a son of the soil. I am at home in the forest. I still listen to the trees."

Wilhelm Habel in my great grandfather. This is his story and my reading of his life. As I researched his journey, I began to wonder whether there was a hidden link between his spirit and mine or whether the strong connection is simply genetic. I became curious as to whether my great grandfather had an influence on my identity even before I knew his story.

After considerable research, reflection and analysis of the family stories, a radical change took place in my writing. I discovered a dimension of Wilhelm's history that revealed something about my own identity. Throughout my life, my parents and grandparents in Australia spoke of themselves as German Lutherans. I discovered that my Habel ancestors were not German at all, but Wends who lived in Silesia, a province under Prussian rule.

The Wends, sometimes called Sorbs, were of Slavic origin. For centuries, groups of Wends were closely associated with the forests of Europe, where thay made their living by selling whatever they could find — everything from honey and wax to furs and timber. Many of the Wends became established members of farming communities or country villages.

To highlight the spirit and strength of Wilhelm's story I have chosen to write a work of historical fiction... As I recount his dramatic story, especially his journey to Australia, I find myself in tune with Wendish ways of viewing the world and with the spiritual impulses that move them. So the book is my reading of Wilhelm's story and how his forest wisdom guided his spirit. It is the story of a tree whisperer in tune with nature and mysteries of creation. It is the story of my Wendish spiritual father.
(Based on the Prologue)

Norman Habel is Professorial Fellow at Flinders University in Adelaide. He has long been involved in issues of biblical interpretation and social justice, with a special concern that we, as human being, re-connect with Earth as a sanctuary and a living planet. Tree Whisperer is his first novel.

Desert spirituality speaks to the mind and heart. It is a spirituality that helps us balance our work and daily obligations and figure out our priorities and the place of God in our lives. Desert spirituality addresses our most intimate thoughts and helps us analyze the roots of our spiritual setbacks. Its essence is to love the Lord with all our hearts, soul, and mind (Matt 22:37). Starting in fourth-century Egypt, desert spirituality has become a global phenomenon. It has endured through the centuries because it is practical and simple; it tells us how to live our Scripture in our daily lives. It is also profound; it is deeply rooted in the theology of the incarnation and the renewal of creation by the resurrection. The desert fathers and mothers left us short wisdom sayings, revealing their inner experience in the long journey toward being with God. They speak about Scripture and prayer, but also about how to love our neighbours, discern our thoughts, and evaluate our daily activities. Come, learn for these desert dwellers as they teach us about the examination of thoughts, the discernment of the soul, and the balance of the heart.
from the Publisher

Central to this book is the passionate belief that disabled people have a right to full, rich lives, celebrating their humanity, beauty and gifts. The story, spanning three continents, is a portrait of a troubled, severely autistic boy, his family members, concerned friends and community and mental health professionals. It offers an insight into a mother's search for social and government services, and a recognition of the gaps that existed for her family and those of other children with high support needs. It is a story of how the congregation of a local Anglican parish in Melbourne, together with the local community, responded to the family's need and were instrumental in setting up a network of practical support for vulnerable families. Political lobbying resulted in changes in government policy, which in turn led to the setting up of 400 small family type homes in Victoria.
from the Publisher

Rilke wrote these poems in 1899 after returning to Germany from his first trip to Russia, calling them simply 'the prayers'. They reflect the intensity of his experience of the East, voicing his fascination with Orthodox churches and monasteries. The icons, so different from the religious art he encountered on an earlier trip to Italy, seemed to him like flames glowing in dark spaces. These luminous prayers gesture as verbal icons, their images pointing a way in the darkness for seekers of the sacred. As he here writes:

I love the dark hours of my being,

for they deepen my senses ...

From them I've come to know that I have room

for a second life, timeless and wide.

What really happened to the body of Jesus after his crucifixion? Was Jesus eventually reburied in a family tomb, along with his wife and child? How were crucified criminals treated under Roman and Jewish laws? What did the earliest Christians mean when they proclaimed that Jesus was resurrected? Was Mary Magdalene's role as wife of Jesus and apostolic leaders of the Christian movement deliberately suppressed by the male leadership? The discovery of bone boxes (ossuaries) inside two burial chambers in South Jerusalem has led to proposals that radically challenge the traditional understanding of Jesus and the early Christian movement. This book examines the Jesus Family Tomb hypothesis and presents a comprehensive, in-depth assessment.
from the Publisher

'Scientism' is indeed a word we need. We need it because it describes a way of thinking that has profound and radical implications in almost every sphere of life. We need it because that way of thinking is becoming more and more dominant in Western culture...

John Cowburn first introduces us to scientism as the belief "that only scientific knowledge is valid", "that science can explain and do anything and nothing else can explain or do anything" and that "science and reason, or scientific and rational, are co-extensive terms"... Having provided these definitions, he then proceeds to educate us in the history and impact of scientism through the modern period in the West. The book must be commended to the reader because it is so readable. There needs to be a broad interaction over the question of scientism. Cowburn's book gives us an excellent place to begin.
from the Publisher

Large numbers of atheists, humanists and conspiracy theorists are raising one of the most pressing questions in the history of religion: "Did Jesus exist at all?" New York Times bestselling autor Bart Ehrman confronts this question head-on and provides a compelling portrait of Jesus you may not have hoped to meet — but he did exist whether we like it or not.
from the Publisher

Village Hours is an intimate and lyrical record of a writer's year, set against the backdrop of the Stour Valley landscape that Ronald Blythe knows and loves so well. Beginning in anticipation of imminent January snowfall, the waiting fields and trees aching in the cold, it chronicles the subtle changes that mark the passage of the seasons and the stirrings to outdoor pleasures or indoor comforts that these evoke.

Yet the countryside with its ancient beauty and deep memories is only part of the story. Village Hours bustles with the business and creativity of a country writer's life: journeys, friends and neighbours, festivals, poetry, markets, gardening, reading, musings, writing, recalling at every turn the still vivid associations of local places. The snow may stop today's commuters, but it is no barrier to Dr. Johnson, St Paul, Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf or countless others who surprise us in these pages. And still retaining their place at the heart of the villages are the old churches, full of treasures, beautiful language and music, holding past and present together.

'He writes with a deep, authentic sense of wonder.' The Times Literary Supplement
'The finest rural historian of our time.' Country Life

Rowan Williams has served as Archbishop of Canterbury through one of the most turbulent periods in the history of global Anglicanism. He has also face numerous challenges within the Church of England. How has he coped with the huge issues of a divided church and a rapidly changing world? What has he done as archbishop when parts of the church are campaigning for a "inclusive church" with gay-partnered clergy and women bishops, while others are determined to resist these developments? How has he related to other Christian traditions and those of other faiths? What has he said about the Iraq war, the financial crash, Sharia Law?

In this fascinating assessment, Andrew Goddard surveys Archbishop Rowan's time in office. Goddard draws on Williams' speeches and writings, as well as interviews and comments from those who have worked with him. This book shows the pressures faced by an academic scholar who only took on this demanding role because he believed it to be God's calling. What sort of leader has he been, and what sort of legacy does he leave for his successor, Justin Welby?
from the Publisher

In Falling Upward ( and many of his teachings), Richard Rohr talks at length about ego (or the False Self) and how it gets in the way of spiritual maturity, especially if its preoccupations continue into the second half of life. But if there's a False Self, is there also a True Self? What is it? How is it found? Why does it matter? And what does it have to do with the spiritual journey?

In this new book, he likens the True Self to a diamond, buried deep within us, formed under the intense pressure of our lives, needing to be searched for, uncovered and separated from all the debris of ego that surrounds it. In a sense True Self must, like Jesus, be resurrected, and that process is not resuscitation but transformation.

Immortal Diamond (the title is taken from a line in a Gerard Manley Hopkins poem) explores the deepest questions of identity, spirituality and meaning in Richard Rohr's inimitable style.
from the Publisher

The Christian Belief for Everyone series comprises five reliable, accessible and readable guides to the basic ideas of the Christian faith. The first volume, Faith and the Creeds, concentrates on the nature of faith and the history and relevance of the creeds, in a thriling reflection of what we really mean when we say 'I believe'.

The approach Alister McGrath adopts is non-denominational, very similar to the 'mere Christianity' advocated by C.S. Lewis. We look at why Christians believe what they do, how we can best understand these ideas, and the difference they make to the way we think about ourselves and the world.
from the Publisher

'Can machines think?' 'What is the meaning of life?' Is death to be feared?' 'Why be good?' 'What am I?' and 'What do we really know?'

These are some of the most fundamental and frequently asked questions in philosophy. In What Do We Really Know? acclaimed author Simon Blackburn draws on his own distinguished work, as well as that of history's great thinkers, to provide a thought-provoking and accessible introduction to this eternally fascinating subject.
from the Publisher

On Holiday with God is a comprehensive guide to stepping aside from your usual routine and making space for God in a personal retreat, whether in your own home, at a retreat centre or in any quiet place. For first-timers and seasoned retreat-goers alike, it overflows with refreshing wisdom, ideas and resources for making the most of time set aside for God — the God who delights in your company and wants to refresh and renew you.

Freedom to respond to what God is doing in and with your life, and freedom to choose what fits your personality, health, spiritual experience and particular needs, are at the heart of the retreat experience. What you can be sure of is that in giving God your whole attention, making yourself available to the Spirit, you will begin to glimpse something of the wonder of God's love for you and all whom you encounter in your everyday life.
from the Publisher

Stuart Piggin's history of Australian evangelicals has been well received by secular as well as religious historians.

This revised edition brings the story right up to the present, covering the worldwide expansion of Sydney Anglicans and Hillsong Pentecostals. While Australia has become increasingly 'secular', evangelicals have become more engaged than ever in politics, education and social welfare.

Written in a lively, accessible, and engaging way, this story raises intriguing questions about the spiritual dimension in Australian life.
from the Publisher

In this dramatic telling of the story of Francis's close connection and relationship with Jesus, we see a multi-dimensional Francis — the ultimate disciple of Jesus. Bodo traces Francis's life as the saint worked to more perfectly reflect Jesus every day. You'll learn about Francis the sufferer, the itinerant, the misunderstood, while also following his development as a prayer, teacher, and lover and protector of the poor. Francis shows us how to imitate Chirst in every age, in every walk of life.
from the Publisher

As a priest, married to a vicar, with four school-age children, Jane Maycock is all too familiar with the struggle not to be engulfed by busyness in the run-up to Christmas. As a result, the reflections she has written here are engagingly infused with real-life happening, even as they invite us to stop and consider what Advent really means.

Underpinning this work is the conviction that we are bound up in an intimate relationship with a God of love. Drawing on the insights of biblical authors, poets and hymn writers, this lovely book presents a series of windows through which we can explore the main ideas surrounding the Advent season.
from the Publisher

Advent is a time to focus our expectation and anticipation on 'the adult Christ, the Cosmic Christ.' who challenges us to empty ourselves, to lose ourselves, to surrender. Preparing for Christmas offers daily meditation, prayers, Scripture readings, and questions for reflections for each day of advent.
from the Publisher

'Christmas is not the remembrance of something that happened in the past but the celebration of the way of life to which each one of us is called. We bring ourselves before the child to discover the hidden God humbling himself before the human family — naked, weak, hungry and in need. If we can see the face of God in the child whose birth we celebrate, then we will see the face of God in the man whose death has set us free.'
from the Introduction

'Those who have loved Narnia since childhood will here discover fresh and sometimes disturbing depths of meaning and power. Those who don't know it will be stimulated to read the stories for themselves. Those who have tried to debunk Lewis and his childhood books will find Williams more than a match for them, not as an uncritical apologist but as a wise and humane expositor. How fortunate, and appropriate, for Lewis's old Cambridge college to have Williams as its new Master.'
Tom Wright, Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, University of St Andrews.

Featuring recipes, nutritional guidelines, stories, and prayers, this work is a starting point for family meals, coffee hour treats, or a new pot luck dinner favourite. Enjoy discovering a variety of new recipes.

'Do you really believe your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? Healthy eating is really about holy living, and this slim volume offers a good starting place for a healthier diet, with tasty, nutritious, easily prepared food. The nutritional information in each recipe will help the cook and diners to make healthier choices, and the prayers and meal blessings will lighten your spirits!'
The Most Rev Dr Katharine Jeffferts Schori, 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church

This book is the essential pastoral resource to help you prepare the liturgy for each day of the liturgical year. If you are a priest or deacon, liturgist, music director or worship team member, religious educator, or simply interested in more information about liturgy, this publication will be an invaluable tool.
from the Publisher

This book, for both seekers and practising Christians, highlights the importance of friendship for human community. Beginning stories of friendship in biblical accounts and the teachings of the early leaders of the church, Br John describes friendship as the basis for community throughout the world and at Taize, an international ecumenical community that draws thousand of young people from around the globe together in worship and prayer.
from the Publisher

Since the 9th century, devout pilgrims have made the long trek across northern Spain. But you don't have to be seeking spiritual sustenance to walk this well-worn path. And you don't need to make it unduly tough on yourself either.

Whether you're embarking on the Camino for religious reasons, or simply wanting to do something a bit different, Trish Clark's guide contains everything you need to undertake this challenging but breathtaking route your way — no matter what your age.

• Accommodation — choices with private facilities
• Maps and step-by-step directions
• Local food and drink specialties
• Lists for what to take with you
• Historical notes
• ...and lots more

This volume explores how five major views on the interface of Christianity and psychology would actually be applied in a clinical setting. Respected experts associated with each of the perspectives depict how to assess, conceptualise, counsel and offer after-care to Jake, a hypothetical client with a variety of complex issues. In each case the contributors seek to explain how theory can translate into real-life counselling scenarios.

Christians who counsel, both those in practice and those still in training, will be served by this volume as it strengthens the connections between theory and practice in relating our faith to the mental health disciplines. They will finally get an answer to their persistent but unanswered question: 'What would that counselling view look like behind closed doors?'
from the Publisher

The Christian Church has a long tradition of community hospitality and social engagement with the delivery of a range of services in the fields of welfare and education. It has provided sanctuary and been a strong advocate for justice and a fairer distribution of the world's resources. For much of Australia's history the Church's participation in everyday living was welcomed and even applauded. By way of stark contrast, the contemporary Church's voice is ridiculed if not rejected by a society critical of a perceived lack of integrity, transparency and indifference to internal misconduct. Concurrently Church welfare agencies are serving more and more disadvantaged people in need of compassion and hope. While many have benefited from this expanding role there is an implicit danger for faith-based welfare agencies that the Church's associated with meeting dire human need. This challenging book calls the Church and its agencies to reclaim their shared mission by listening to the poor and caring for disadvantaged as a vivid expression of Christ's vision for a renewed world.
from the Publisher

Seeds and vines are two powerful metaphors from the teaching of Jesus Christ. They symbolise for us life and growth, strength and joy. They represent confidence, hope and openness to whatever God wants for us as disciples — people who acknowledge the mystery that is at the heart of our lives and our future with God.

This new series of reflections on the Sunday Gospels in the year of Luke is not concerned primarily to be commentary on the text but on the message of the text: their purpose is not so much to inform as to inspire. The reflections by a master craftsman are written to unpack the Gospel — not simply Luke's special theological emphases but his teaching about how we are to live with one another in the stuff of the everyday.

Integral to the book is the author's assumption that life and faith belong together; that God the sower of seed in our lives is lavish with gifts, patient and energising for goodness, for fruitfulness, for life in its fullness. Here is a book that takes seriously the promise of Jesus that we are the vine's branches, and encourages us that we can become people fully alive with the sap and energy of the of the Creator.
from the Publisher

• A distillation of Tom Wright's meditation on prayer, drawn from his popular For Everyone series.
• Compelling translations of all the major prayers recorded in the New Testament
• Profound insights into the teaching of Jesus and the apostles on the meaning and practice of prayer
• Stimulating questions for personal reflection or group discussion
• A helpful devotional resource, both for fans of the For Everyone commentaries and for anyone who has not yet read them.

This ground breaking study is the first book to examine the political and social thought of Blessed John Henry Newman. With access to a wealth of Newman's own published and unpublished writings, it challenges the conventional construction of Newman as a high churchman devoid of a political and social conscience. The book demonstrates that through Newman's life, first as a member of the Anglican Church and subsequently as a convert to Roman Catholicism, he retained a keen interest in the political and social issues of Victorian Society. The book explores Newman's views towards an array of 19th century societal topics, including British party politics, church-state relations, Irish nationalism, the British constitution, his idea of Liberal Knowledge and education, his conservative attitude towards history and the impact of his political and social thought upon today's society.

This book testifies that Newman belonged to neither the conservative nor the liberal camp. Instead, he represented a selection of both ideologies. In the pursuit of religious truth, he was 'liberal' when he sought to amend what he believed to be wrong and a 'conservative' when he sought to maintain what he believed to be right.
from the Publisher

What sort of archdiocese did Dr Mannix inherit when he arrived in Melbourne in 1913, and how did he change it? This book describes the great flowering of Catholic life during the reign of Archbishop Carr, when Melbourne achieved pre-eminence among Australian Catholic archdioceses. The principal institution, and the lay and clerical Catholics who helped achieve this leadership role, feature prominently in this narrative. In addition Melbourne became the focal point of Irish Catholic consciousness in Australia. After decades of great stability, Mannix arrived at a time when a cascading series of world events was jolting people out of their comfort zones, and at a place which had prepared itself for the first intrusion of Irish events into Australian public life. Mannix himself was not master of events; he was on a quick learning curve, and had to rapidly adust to a new and unfamiliar environment. He built on, but also radically altered, the way Melbourne Catholics had positioned themselves in the public square.
from the Publisher

In his chapter on the procedure for the reception of new brothers, Saint Benedict makes provision for entrusting them to the care of "a senior who is skilled in winning souls who will diligently pay attention to them in everything". In The Art of Winning Souls: Pastoral Care of Novices, Michael Casey reflects on what this means today, based on his own experience and observation of the fruitful ministry of others.

Here Casey focuses on the pastoral care given in the name of a monastic community to those who enter it, from initial contact up to the point where their vocation has recognisably stabilised. His reflections are not intended to be prescriptive. They are, rather, descriptive of what he considers to be best practice, as he has encountered this in his experience of many different expressions of the monastic and Benedictine charism. This book promises to serve as an indispensable resource for vocation directors, novice directors and junior directors for years to come.
from the Publisher

Many Christians see the Old Testament as 'the other Testament': a source of exciting stories to tell the kids, but not very relevant to the Christian life. The Christian Old Testament reveals the Hebrew Scriptures as the essential context of Christianity, as well as a many-layered revelation of Christ Himself. Follow along as Fr Lawrence Farley explores the Christian significance of every book of the Old Testament.

'Does the story of Christ begin in the manger? Or when Gabriel announced to the Theotokos that she would bear a son? No, God began telling the story of Christ to the Jewish people thousands of years earlier, in the beauty and mystery of the book we call the Old Testament. Christians will find their faith enriched in unexpected ways by this insightful book.'
Frederica Mathewes-Green

During his period of office as Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has developed refreshingly new and profound views about the role of religion in public life. These relate directly to issues of economics, the environment, multi-faith society, the place of religion in government, human rights and secularism. This work presents his views on these matters. They form a collection of addresses and papers that he has presented and written in the last 10 years. Avoiding sound bites and cliche, Faith in the Public Square amounts to a statement of great importance. This is, says the author, 'a series of worked out examples of trying to find the connecting points between various urgent public questions and the fundamental beliefs about creation and salvation from which Christians begin in thinking about anything at all.....The Christian faith is not a matter of vague philosophy but of unremitting challenge to what we think we know about human beings and their destiny.
from the Publisher

Roger Scruton explores the place of God in a disenchanted world. His argument is a response to the atheist culture that is now growing around us. He rebuts the claim that there is no meaning of purpose in the ntural world, and argues that the sacred and the transcental are 'real presences', through which human beings come to know themselves and to find both their freedom and the redemption.

In the human face we find a paradigm of meaning. And from this experience, Scruton argues, we both construct the face of the world, and address the face of God. We find in the face both the proof of our freedom and the mark of self-consciousness. One of the motivations of the atheist culture is to escape from the eye of judgement. You escape from the eye of judgement by blotting out the face: and this, Scruton argues, the the most disturbing aspect of the times in which we live. In his wide-ranging argument Scruton explains the growing sense of destruction that we feel, as the habits of pleasure seeking and consumerism deface the world. His book defends a consecrated world against the habit of desecrations, and offers a vision of the religious way of life in a time of trial.
from the Publisher

Canterbury Press has here produced a very fine and beautifully collection of scripture readings, reflections and prayers for every day of the year. Contributors are from all around the world, Nigeria, Lebanon, Tanzania, and from different ages.

All Christians are called to mission, wherever we are. It's one thing to know this. It can be quite another to say yes to God's call the mission everyday. Here is a unique collection of readings, prayers, insights and questions that are specifically mission-focussed for daily living.
from the Publisher

Australians watched in amazement as the Anglican Church tied itself in legal and theological knots over the ordination of women in the 1980s and early 1990s. Since 1992 more than 500 women have been ordained as priests and some have gone on to become bishops, despite trenchant opposition from the Diocese of Sydney.

In Preachers, Prophets and Heretics, key supporters of women's ordination — church leaders and decision-makers, campaigners and women at the centre of the debate — recount the power plays and passion of the controversy, and examine its impact on the Anglican Church and beyond. With women among its leadership, the Anglican Church in Australia now looks and sounds very different. But are these hard-won changes fundamental or merely cosmetic?

"These essays probe the tumultuous but ultimately fruitful struggle over the ordination of women and shed light on current tensions."
Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, Primate of the Anglican Church in Australia.

John Henry Newman: A Developing Spirituality analyses various aspects of the historic context in which Newman's rich spirituality developed: his many and varied networks of family, friends and colleagues who left their imprint on his spiritual growth; the vigorous defence of the Church of his birth in the Tractarian Movement; his increasing knowledge of, and dependence on, the Fathers of the Church; his pastoral experience as a preacher and teacher and, unifying it all, his deep practical faith in the God in whom he lived and moved and had his existence. Not many will walk the path of Newman, but all can be enriched by his experience.
from the Publisher

At last, an insider's account of the Second Vatican Council from one of the world's most prominent theologians, Fr Gerald O'Collins SJ. His mid-life journey coincided with events that swept the world in the sixties and seventies: the death of President Kennedy, May '68 in France, the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, the Vietnam War, and the spiritual revolution caused by Vatican II. In this timely volume, Fr Gerald O'Collins brings personal insights into those turbulent times inside and outside the Catholic Church.
from the Publisher

Prayer is an essential part of the daily lives of many people. Some believe this practice connects them with God, a cosmic force, the universe or life itself. Others engage in the act of prayer as a traditional ritual from which they neither demand or expect results. Many of these people cannot imagine living without prayer. Many others, however, consider the idea of praying regularly as nothing more than a waste of time.

In Amen, Greta Vosper examines these diverse positions in the light of the harsh realities of unanswered prayer, the secular critique of supernatural intervention, and the need for a deep sense of ownership of the suffering of the world. Can we draw from prayer useful principles for addressing human and global needs? Or would it be safer and even more beneficial to get up from our knees and live out the answers we seek?

Vosper, author of the best selling and controversial With or Without God, challenges her readers to reconsider the age-old practice of prayer and questions its significance and effectiveness in our chaotic, ever-changing world.
from the Publisher

This is the first fully illustrated biography of one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th Century, famous for his pioneering exploration of dreams, the unconscious and spirituality. Carl Jung continues to be revered today as a true revolutionary who helped to shape psychology, provided a bridge between Western and Eastern spirituality, and brought into general awareness such fundamental concepts as archetypes, the collective unconscious and synchronicity. In this important book, Claire Dunne chronicles Jung's journey of self-discovery from a childhood filled with visions both terrifying and profound, through his early professional success, to his rediscovery of spirituality in mid-life. Special attention is paid to the tumultuous relationship between Jung and Sigmund Freud, the unconventional yet vital role performed by his colleague Toni Wolff, and the revelatory visions Jung experienced following a close brush with death.

This is an essential work of reference as well as a fascinating and entertaining read for everyone interested in psychology, spirituality and personal development.
from the Publisher

Bede's best known work, An Ecclesiastical History of the English People, was written in Latin and is not immediately easy to understand and follow. Yet it is a key text for any student of English history. Rowan Williams shows in his introduction how Bede works to create a sense of national destiny for the new English kingdoms of the seventh century, a sense that has helped to shape English self-awareness through the centuries, by using the imagery both of imperial Rome and of biblical Israel. But Bede also wrestles with the difficult question of how the Church relates to and serves the political order. The attraction and fascination of his work is partly in seeing the tension between the strategic use of wealth and political power for religious ends and the example of self-effacing service and simplicity of life offered by some of Bede's greatest Christian heroes. The issues around these questions are not academic or antiquarian. Understanding Bede is a key to understanding British society in the present as well as the past.
from the Publisher

Fr Tony deMello was born in India in 1931 and joined the Society of Jesuits in 1947. Over the years he developed a new approach to Christian spirituality drawing from western and eastern sources. The result was a unique blend that has brought enlightenment to people of varied persuasions. Up until his death in 1987, he wrote a great many best-selling books which have been translated into dozens of languages.

The author of this book, Bill deMello, wrote this book as a tribute to his older brother. It fulfils the need for a comprehensive biography of a man who has been described as a prophet and a rare mystic. Little known facts about his early life and his family background that reveal Tony's spiritual evolution have been painstakingly recorded by his brother as a work of love.
from the Publisher

Today prayer and meditation face the test of relevance in a public arena where even the existence of God struggles for airtime. The chapters of this book demonstrate how prayer can be varied and adventurous. They encourage us to search for a satisfying, adult prayer style of our own. Knowing how others pray inspires us to explore new ways of prayer and enriches our own customary practice. Most of the writers in this book are from a variety of Christian traditions. Their work sits side by side with contributions from Sikh, Hindu and Muslim writers. The authors tell us about their own prayer practices and experience. Together they represent a wide range and diversity.
from the Publisher

Have you ever been stuck for the 'right' text for today's context? Here, over 200 well-known scripture texts are selected for use under everyday life-themes and experiences — transition, conflict, thanksgiving, prayer etc, offered in an especially easy-to-find format. Although mainly intended for those accompanying others in their spiritual journey (with practical tips for working in this field), this resource book will also prove beneficial for anyone looking for easy access to scripture themes, whether for personal prayer or working with retreats or prayer groups.

This revised edition of Texts and Tips features new additions alongside classic selections from the original publication which proved so popular.
from the Publisher

In a world that is full of challenging and soul-searching events, Tim Costello shares stories that he has encountered, often in everyday life but also in the most dramatic of circumstances. This is a thought-provoking collection that meditates on the importance of love, faith and life. A book to savour and reflect on.
from the Publisher

The Transfiguration, one of the most mysterious miracles of Christ, has been mostly misunderstood for two millenia.

"Andreas Andreapoulos approaches the Transfiguration explaining its significance in the continuing experience of the church and in the personal journey of each Christian. He sees the Transfiguration as 'a timeless story', as 'an event that keeps on happening'. He writes in a way that is vivid yet profound and often unexpected. Reading his text, I have come to look at Christ's Transfiguration, and our own, with new eyes and a fresh understanding."
from the Foreword by Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia

Do you long to delight in God's word? For many of us, reading Scripture feels more obligatory than exciting, and we don't see many tangible results from our efforts. Yet throughout history, people of faith cannot say enough about the effects of God's Word on their life — how it has renewed their soul, made them wise, brought joy to their heart, given them clarity and perspective, guided their steps and warned them of danger.

In this helpful, practical book, the authors introduce you to lectio divina, a way of approaching Scripture that draws you to God by helping you encounter him and hear him speak to you in life-transforming ways. Their simple, easy-to-follow explanation of this ancient practice provides a perfect foundation for meeting God through his Word in this way.
from the Publisher

"Mark Pierson is an artist, a curator, a thinker and a pastor. He is humble, creative, provocative, and thoughtful. His passion is to create holistic worship environments so that people might connect with God. In this book, Mark brings all of these things together in a way that challenges and empowers leaders to think and behave differently in and about the worship space. In doing so, he is helping to create a new language and orientation that not only renegotiates what it means to worship, but also what it means to be the church."
Tim Keel, author, Intuitive Leadership.

Japanese troops in Papua New Guinea during World War II murdered a group of Christians who became known as 'The New Guinea Martyrs'. The Reverend Vivian Redlich, an English missionary priest, was believed to be in this particular group, but following new evidence, his brother Patrick has painstakingly pieced together Vivian's life and the known details of his death. With the truth acknowledged, reconciliation between descendants of the perpetrators and the Redlich family took place in 2009.

"This is an epic story engagingly told, of a down-to-earth priest, fun to be with, trapped in a nightmare world of invasion and betrayal when he was at his happiest, just engaged to be married. His long mysterious death was an inspiration for many and a cause of deep shame for a few. Now his brother has recreated for us his colourful life and times."
Rowan Callick, Asia-Pacific Editor, The Australian

'Looking back over seven summers, I know that who I am is where I am. It might not be the secret to life, but it is the secret to this life ... I'll tell you how that came to be and that will be the story of the Nuns' House.'

On the outside, Hilary Burden was living a glamorous life — she was a busy, high-flying magazine journalist based in London, who thought nothing of flying to New York for a weekend, interviewing movie stars in luxury hotels or jetting off to Italy on assignment to hunt truffles. But on the inside something was missing in her life and she didn't quite know what it was.

Deciding that she wanted to make her own life, Hilary returned to Tasmania. She bought a ramshackle old house — the Nuns' House — with a sprawling, neglected garden, and gave herself the time and space to begin again. There was no particular kind of plan, but things just somehow worked.
from the Publisher.

Much preaching today begins with the hearer's "felt needs" and then moves to how Christianity can solve those problems. But this often results in trite Christologies that merely use Jesus as a vehicle for self-improvements. While preachers might not dispense with Christ altogether, other things subtly take center stage and become more important than Christ himself.

Pastoral theologian Stephen Seamands issues a stirring call to rediscover the centrality of Christ in preaching. Deftly blending doctrine and praxis, he revitalises preaching by focusing on five key dimensions of Jesus' work: his incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and return. Seamands highlights how preaching Christ crucified and risen speaks profoundly to the deepest dimensions of human existence. Addressing both the "what" and the "so what," this exposition helps church leaders declare afresh that Christ alone is supremely sufficient for Christian faith and practice.

Find here significant resources for your church's worship, life together and mission in the world. Become captivated once again by the glory of Christ, and find yourself compelled to proclaim his work anew.
from the Publisher

I have come to believe that God is present in our world. In fact, God's presence pervades our world. God is not in hiding. The problem is with us. We don't know where to look or what to expect. We do not seem to notice. We need to learn to notice. We need to engage in what I have come to call the "spiritual discipline of noticing God.

Richard Peace has often found himself wondering how he can know God is real, how he can feel God's nearness. This book is an exploration of key ways of experiencing God that he has found in his own life and in his years of living in South Africa. To answer these questions he draws on the writings of the ancients even as he addresses our lives today. God is deeply present in our world. This book opens up new ways for you to experience that Presence.
from the Publisher

This is a ground breaking, accessible look at the implications of cognitive science for religion and theology, intended for laypeople. Avoiding neurological jargon and respectful to all faiths, it examines:

• current theory on how our brains construct our world in order to guide us safely through life, creating and appreciating meaning as we go.
• what religious experience is as it plays out in our brains
• how modern science challenges historic ideas about free will and undermines the religious concept of the soul as a metaphysical entity separable from the body.
• what cognitive science reveals about our need fror community.
• why we should be loyal to one faith if, in fact, all major religious traditions deal effectively with universal human needs.

This work is a reminder of our role in God's vision for a restored and reconciled world. In the Christian tradition, believers are called to do more than sit around and pray. Throughout the Gospel — and throughout history — people of faith have been quite literally booted out into the world to bring God's love to everybody, not just a select few. That's the meaning of mission — from the Latin verb mittere, meaning, "to send." It is the work that Jesus and his disciples set out to do — feeding, healing and teaching.

In an insightful and powerful voice, Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, explores the meaning of mission in the context of contemporary life, reminding us of the Anglican Communion's Five Marks of Mission:

• Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
• Teach, Baptise and Nurture New Believers
• Respond to Human Need with Loving Service
• Seek to Transform Unjust Structures of Society
• Strive to Safeguard the Integrity of Creation, and Sustain and Renew the Life of the Earth.

"The Church often thinks it know what the world wants from it — inspiration, 'leadership', clear teaching. But surely what the world is most hungry for is the simple knowledge that healing is possible — not by forgetting or minimising outrages and sufferings but by sheer, obstinate, costly commitment to work with the grain of grace. This is what Fr Michael has demonstrated in so many contexts across the globe, and this book is a wonderful testament to what the gospel can make happen."
Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

Ordinariness is out of fashion. So often these days we are told that what we really need is something bigger, better and more exciting. But however glamorous (or not) your life is, like everyone else you still need to do ordinary things, like the washing or the weekly shop. We all have long periods of ordinariness and in Everyday God, Paula Gooder explores the hidden depths of richness and potential of such times.

Here we discover how to celebrate the ordinary in all its forms and find majesty in mundane routine as much as in regal splendour. Without a proper understanding of the importance of ordinariness, our lives can become an impoverished waiting room as we loiter, unfulfilled, waiting for the next big event.

The longest season of the Church's year — 33 weeks in all — is known as 'Ordinary Time.' Whatever time of year you are reading this book, it will help you experience times that seem uneventful more intentionally. Through the lens of 33 biblical passages which all touch on the theme of ordinariness, you will discover the extraordinary in the most everyday things: in the lives of ordinary people, in a God who defies our best attempts to put him in a gilded palace, in a Kingdom that is best likened to seeds, yeast and fishing nets, and in everyday decisions which, lived out with God, have extraordinary consequences.
from the Publisher

Upon its publication in 1975, Man as Male and Female, a study of Scripture in which Paul Jewett argues that man and woman are properly related only when they accept each other as equals, received much critical acclaim.

Now, in The Ordination of Women, Jewett argues that on the basis of the Christian ideal of of the partnership of the sexes, women ought to share fully with men the privileges and responsibilities of church ministry.
from the Publisher

In this captivating book, David Adam aims to help us recognize that there moments in each day of our lives that are cause for thanksgiving, when we may pause and praise God. The author explores in turn our natural ability to rest, to see, to know, to love and to enjoy — first in relation to our surroundings, and then in relation to our Creator. By the end of the volume, his hope is that a deepening awareness of the glories of the world around us will lead us, time and again, to delight in uttering "Alleluia!"
from the Publisher

Packed with riches yet highly accessible, The Heart's Time, is at its core a series of short, resonant poems for each weekday of Lent and Easter. It will appeal to existing poetry lovers as well as those who want to start exploring how poems can be a resource for our spiritual lives, whether or not they are written with a consciously Christian intent. Poets often address subjects our culture seeks to avoid, and poetry demands that we 'slow down to the heart's time' in order to discover deeper levels of meaning than at first appear.

Janet Morley offers her own skilful and reflective commentaries on a fascinating themed sequence of both familiar and unexpected poems, including works by Margaret Atwood, St Augustine, Denise Levertov, Christina Rossetti, R S Thomas and Rowan Williams.
from the Publisher

One of the world's most distinguished scientist-theologians offers a distillation and summation of his life's work on the big questions about God, humanity and the cosmos.
from the Publisher

What are we to make of the passages in the New Testament that appear to condone, incite or justify violence? Was the crucifixion of Jesus intended to assuage the anger of a vengeful God? What about the language of divine warfare? Does the repeated call for subordination create space for violence?

'Thomas Yoder Neufeld considers many of the New Testament's texts that might implicitly or explicitly condone violence of one kind or another. Though he concludes that these texts actually subvert violence, he does so without avoiding the very difficult questions they raise. Readers will be both disturbed and challenged by this timely book.'
Michael J Gorman, Dean, The Ecumenical Institute of Theology, St Mary's Seminary and University, Baltimore, USA

A beautifully presented anthology of famous scenes and timeless wisdom from the Bible Paintings by Botticelli, Caravaggio, Degas, Duccio, Durer, El Greco, Giotto, Leonardo, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Rublev, Titian, Van Gogh and many more.

Introductions to the books of the Bible by Sister Wendy, along with her striking and illuminating reflections on the paintings. A thoughtful gift for people of all ages and religious backgrounds.
from the Publisher

Depression strikes millions, across all demographic groups. Approximately one in eight will have a severe depressive episode at some point in their life. Women experience depression twice as often as men. And over 50 percent of people with serious depression do not get adequate help. What can be done?

Richard Winter explores the complex medical, psychological and spiritual issues surrounding depression. He presents recent scientific research on its biochemical and genetic causes and examines social and cultural factors. Dispelling common Christian misunderstandings, Winter explores the dynamics of despair, loss, anger, guilt, shame and spiritual warfare. Even in the shadow of the valley of death, God can bring healing and deliverance. This book is a helpful guide for those who find themselves, their loved ones or those they counsel vulnerable to depression. Find here a framework for understanding depression and rediscovering hope.
from the Publisher

Being close to God means communicating with him — telling him what is on our hearts in prayer and hearing and understanding what he is saying to us. It is this second half of our conversation with God that is so important but can also be so difficult. How do we hear his voice? How can we be sure that what we think we hear is not our own subconscious? What role does the Bible play? What if what God says to us is not clear?

The key, says Dallas Willard, is to focus not so much on individual actions and decisions as on building our personal relationship with our Creator. In this classic work the author provides rich spiritual insight into how we can hear God's voice clearly and develop an intimate partnership with him in the work of his Kingdom.

This updated and expanded edition includes new material from the author's teaching at the Renovare Institute. A new appendix highlights key questions related to hearing God and helps you find the answers in the text, as does the Scripture index. Also added to this edition are six lectio divina exercises placed throughout the book that guide you into the experience of hearing God.
from the Publisher

In the distance across the waters, I could see the Abbey of Iona, not a notable structure when compared with the great cathedrals of Europe, but the late medieval vestige of people who had lived on the island a thousand years before and, who in talking with God in the wild wind and sea, had formed a view of God that sent missionaries around the known world. This fire that burned in the century after Rome had burned was a flame fuelled by an ardour that most Western Christians have never known. I wanted to find the flame again. For it is sometimes by looking at the past that the present amends its deal soul, and there dawns a hope that the future will be born with new vitality.
from the Introduction

God is reconciling all things in heaven and on earth but we are alienated from the land that sustains us. Our ecosystems are increasingly damaged, and human bodies are likewise degraded. Many of our current industrialized practices are both unhealthy for our bodies and unsustainable for the planet.

Agriculturalist Fred Bahnson and theologian Norman Wirzba declared that in Christ, God reconciles all bodies into a peaceful, life-promoting relationship with one another. We are necessarily interdependent with plants and animals, land and sea, heaven and earth. The good news is that redemption is cosmic, with implications for agriculture and ecology, from farm to dinner table.

Bahnson and Wirzba describe communities that model cooperative practices of regenerative agriculture, eucharistic eating and delight in God's provision. Reconciling with the land is a rich framework for experiencing Jesus' kingdom of shared abundance, where neighbours are fed and all receive enough.
from the Introduction

This book of interviews is a timely one. It includes interviews with Rowan Williams, Lawrence Freeman, Richard Rohr, John Polkinghorne, Morris West, Esther De Waal, Michael Casey and many others. At a time when Christianity, and religions in general, are under sustained attack from 'new atheists' such as Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens, there is an urgent need for intelligent, thoughtful, clear and honest reflection on faith which can be widely accessed and understood.

In A Faith to Live By many of the interview subjects explain how they are able to believe in, and live by, their faith, and also deal with questions and doubts from within their belief and practice as Christians.

Many of the interviews grapple with difficult questions such as 'Why does God allow suffering?', explore the interviewees' personal prayer and meditation practices and experience of the divine, and seek wise and prophetic insight into the state of both society and the church today. There is also, in many interviews, a sense of the expansiveness of the "Spirit, the flame of love" which is enkindled in the heart by devotion to Christ and which inspires a generous and compassionate attitude to others, often including great acts of self-giving.
from the Publisher

Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God? Yale University religion scholar Miroslav Volf places this question at the root of the twenty-first century's most sensitive, and critical, geopolitical concerns. Volf reveals how the prevalent belief that these traditions worship different gods is directly linked to increased hostility and violence around the globe. Theological wars fuel real wars.
from the Publisher

Canterbury Studies in Anglicanism Series

In this trenchant work, noted scholar, professor, poet and priest, L William Countryman confronts the challenges that Anglican and other Western Christians face at a time of internal division and increasing indifference to religion on the part of educated elites. He treats these challenges in terms of the work of the Holy Spirit and the distinctive characteristics of the Anglican tradition. He prompts us to explore what kind of future the Spirit is leading us toward.
from the Publisher

This book has been compiled mainly for the use of ordinary Christians in domestic circumstances. It is heavily based upon the ritual books of the Eastern Orthodox Church... but represents also the prayers of many worldwide Christians from ancient times: The Syrians of Antioch (where the name 'Christian' was first used); the Copts and Ethiopians of Africa who were evangelised in past times; the prayers and devotions of Roman, Greek, Russian, Armenian, and other Christian churches, as they have been recorded by the great saints down the ages...

'Many of the suggested services of domestic prayer can be said entirely by one person leading all the prayers. At certain times (such as prayers on the occasion of the death of a loved one), it is better to have one person who is able to lead the prayers in a quiet and calm voice, than it is to pass round the various parts, especially if many people present are incapable (because of grief for example) of really taking a leading role. At other times, a group of people can pass round the task of saying various parts. Each time the Psalms are written down in this book they are done so in a way that normally divides them up into 'verses' of two lines. This is an easy way for half of a group (one side of a room, for example) to say one verse, and another side to make the (antiphonal) response. The Psalms version that has been generally used (with some small amendments) is the delightful 'Grail' version...'
from the Introduction

With a style and warmth of presentation this work interweaves the author's personal stories of struggle — and transformation — with reflection on the history and purpose of spiritual direction. The result is a wise introduction to an ancient art and practice of 'soul care' — directed at Christians of all backgrounds.

"This is a guide for those eager for a serious yet joyful journey from isolation to communion. It is about companionship on the greatest journey anyone can undertake. It is about kindness in the old sense of the word."
Alan Jones, dean emeritus of Grace Cathedral, San Francisco

This unique 'Book of Hours' is modelled on the spiritual life and prayer practices of one of our most interesting writers.

'Like a beautiful quilt, The Province of Joy is a deeply loving, imaginative work of art and faith'
Elizabeth A. Johnson

What would happen if we approached Scripture with this perspective? In these pages Chris Webb encourages us to transform our Christian life by reading as lovers rather than as theorists — allowing the Bible to utterly captivate both our minds and our hearts. He shows us how we can learn to read Scripture afresh, as a book infused with the living presence of God. We will discover how our reading will realign our reality individually and communally, taking us beyond the pages into a renewed way of life.

Here is a work for today — which is also the work of the whole of life — to open our hearts to the living Word of God.
from the Publisher

'Thomas Scirghi has written a fine book on baptism for the 21st century church. Rooted deeply in Scripture, the authoritative teaching of the Catholic Church, and the living tradition of sacramental practice, Scirghi's book is laced with literary, cultural and everyday examples that allow readers to grasp (or grasp anew) the continuing significance of baptism in the life of the Church and in their own lives.'
Timothy Brunk, Assistant Professor of Theology, Villanova University

Through looking in detail at the Lord's Prayer, Tom Wright offers a really fresh and helpful way of looking at Jesus. With his vast knowledge of the historical background, the author clarifies many things for the ordinary reader which help to broaden our understanding of the world of Jesus' time. By this means we gain a fuller, richer view of the meaning of the prayer and of Jesus. The historical and the contemplative approaches are often viewed as being in opposition: Tom Wright's approach instead brings each to illuminate the other.

This small masterpiece of a book contains a great deal to stimulate and refresh both the mind and the heart — and to show that, properly understood, they belong together.
from the Publisher

A valuable treasury for anyone who wants to learn more about prayer. This work offers the wisdom of the saints as inspiration. Discover saints who experienced the same weaknesses and struggles with prayer that you do. These reliable guides reveal what God can do in ordinary human beings who trust him and spend time with him in prayer.

'For me, prayer is a surge of the heart, a simple glance toward heaven, a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy.'
Therese of Lisieux

'Prophetic proclamation,' Walter Breuggemann writes, 'is an attempt to imagine the world as though YHWH — the creator of the world, the deliverer of Israel, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ whom we Christians come to name as Father, Son, and Spirit — were a real character and an effective agent in the world.' That thesis is persuasively developed here as Breuggemann reflects on the practices that make a prophetic imagination both possible and compelling.

The unavoidable context of prophetic preaching today, Breuggemann argues, is 'a conversation between narratives.' The dominant narrative of our time promotes self-sufficiency at the national level (through militarism) and the personal (through consumerism). But a countervailing narrative describes a world claimed by a God who is gracious, uncompromising — and real. In previous work, Brueggemann has pointed us again and again to the indispensability of imagination. Here he writes for those who bear responsibility for regular proclamation in communities of faith, describing the discipline of a prophetic imagination that is unflinchingly realistic and resolutely faithful.
from the Publisher

At a time of renewed interest in and support for the monarchy, the institution is analysed and dissected from almost every point of view apart from the spiritual — which arguably stands at its heart and is its ultimate raison d'etre.

In this book Ian Bradley traces the religious dimension of monarchy from its Biblical and primal origins and argues for its importance as a spiritual force in British life, as well as exploring what this might mean in a society that is both multi-faith and increasingly secular.
from the Publisher

In our modern and mobile society, the range of answers to the questions 'What am I supposed to do with my life?' and 'How do I know when I've found my purpose?' can seem endless and overwhelming. In this book Chittister brings the insights of her years of teaching and contemplation to bear on this issue, providing readers with a new way forward. Through her examination of spiritual calling, change and discernment, she leads us home to the place where, finally, we know we fit, where we can experience our lives more fully, and ultimately realise the gifts we can give the world. Following the Path is not only a joy to read, it is a timely and much needed message that many will be happy to hear.

'This book is meant to give someone in the process of making a life decision at any age — in early adulthood, at the the point of middle-age change and later, when we find ourselves at the crossroads without a name — some ideas against which to pit their own minds, their own circumstances. Its purpose, as they wrestle with the process of trying to find and follow their own special call at this new stage of life, is to both provoke thinking and clarify it.'
Joan Chittister

At fourteen, Richard Holloway left his working class Scottish home and travelled to an English monastery to be trained for the priesthood. By twenty-five, he was an ordained priest working in the slums of Glasgow. In 2000 he controversially resigned as Bishop of Edinburgh, having lost heart with the Church over its condemnation of homosexuality.

In his years as a priest and, later, a public intellectual Richard Holloway was unafraid to confront the hard questions of morality, humanness, faith and doubt. He has been an inspiration to readers from within, and far beyond, the religious traditions. In this compelling memoir Richard gives us a wise, poetic and fiercely honest book that recounts a fascinating life — and attempts to answer some of the hard questions.
from the Publisher

'This fascinating book holds together a Christian hope in the ultimate possibility of forgiveness, even when faced with the deepest wounds, combined with an honest and realistic understanding of the complexity of the venture, as one tries to become slowly, a forgiving person.'
Timothy Radcliffe OP

The resurrection of Jesus is the central belief of the Christian faith tradition, but what does it really mean? Why do Christians believe in Jesus as risen from the dead? And what promise does his resurrection hold out for human beings and our world?

This book, by a prominent Catholic theologian, surveys current writings and debates in the area of resurrection studies. After clarifying the meaning of the claim 'Jesus is risen!' the author carefully investigates the New Testament testimony to the resurrection. The empty tomb and the subsequent appearances of Jesus led the first Christians to believe in the resurrection, whose sacred reality was confirmed by the descent of the Holy Spirit and the success of their mission to the world. The author then reflects on the risen Jesus as a living presence today, a presence that has inaugurated the coming transformation of human beings and their world. The author concludes by discussing the sacramental and moral implications of believing in Jesus' resurrection and hoping for our own.
from the Publisher

In 1948, at the dawn of his country's independence, Mohandas Gandhi, father of the Indian independence movement and beloved prophet of nonviolence, was assassinated by Hindu nationalists during a prayer meeting in New Delhi. Ostensibly the conspirators were enraged by Gandhi's efforts to promote reconciliation between Hindus and Muslims. But were they also abetted by elements of the new Indian state whose power was threatened by Gandhi's radical vision?

James Douglass shows how those who conspired to kill Gandhi hoped to destroy a compelling vision of peace, nonviolence, and reconciliation. In tracing the story of Gandhi's early 'experiments with truth' in South Africa, Douglass shows how Gandhi had early on confronted and overcome the fear of death. And he shows why this story matters today: what we can learn from Gandhi's truth and its opposition to the powers of his time.

'This book deepens our own understanding on nonviolence, and encourages us to go forward, like Gandhi, in faith, hope, love, and truth to confront the Unspeakable today.'
John Dear

What do symbols mean? Why are they so important to the Church? And how can you use them to help you grow in faith? Johan van Parys answers these questions and more in this work. The book includes extensive background, informative stories, beautiful images, and questions for discussion and personal meditation on how these ever-present symbols nourish a life of faith.
from the Publisher

This work is the story of Amy Welborn's trip to the island of Sicily with three of her children five months after her husband's sudden death from a heart attack. Her journey through city and countryside, small town and ancient ruin, opens unexpected doors of memory and reflection. A pilgrimage of the heart and an exploration of the soul, her story is an observant and wry memoir and travelogue, intensely personal yet speaking to universal experiences of love and loss.

Along the narrow roads and hairpin turns, the narrative reveals the beauty of the ordinary and the commonplace and asks stark questions about how we fill the empty places that a lovely one leaves behind. It is a meditation on the possibility of faith, one that is unflinching, uncompromising, and altogether unsentimental when confronted by the ultimate test of belief. This book is not only a well told memoir, but also a testimony to the truth that love is stronger than death.
from the Publisher

This is a book about the importance of living your life now, about 'remembering to live' by keeping your priorities clearly before you and using your time, talent, energy, and material resource accordingly. When we face the fact that this precious gift of life on planet earth is not given in limitless supply, it clarifies our vision and intention. We stop putting things off for 'some day.'

None of us can escape the sobering reminders of our finitude like aging, illness, loss, death. The question is, how do we deal with those reminders? With fear and trepidation? Or with a desire to learn the lessons they have to teach and to continue growing through our encounter with them? Engaging with the themes in this book, whether with reference to ourselves or loved ones, is an invitation to more conscious, fuller, and deeper living.

This work is grounded in the reality of people's lives and has been enriched by the reflections, testimony, and experience of family, friends, and participants in retreats that the author has led over the past fifteen years. It is a resource that people will go back to time and again as one or the other of these realities associated with the second half of life touches them personally. At the end of each chapter are reflection questions, exercises, poems, and prayers to help readers do their inner work.
from the Publisher

This inspiring spiritual companion for all seasons includes the favourite prayers and reflections of Nobel Peace laureates, religious leaders, scholars, spiritual writers, activists, artists and musicians including:
Rowan Williams, Ap of Canterbury; Hans Kung; Richard Rohr; Joan Chittister; and the Dalai Lama.
from the Publisher

Henri Nouwen not only embraced the reality of spiritual polarities — like true self/false self, solitude/community, suffering/glory — in his own journey but befriended the accompanying tensions emerging from such polarities. This book highlights the tension-filled nature of our journey and shows us, via Nouwen' example, how we too can navigate our way through it in a transformative way.

'Wil Hernandez' work provides an insightful and integrative overview of his spiritual life. As one who has been privileged to be in Henri Nouwen's presence - I found myself saying, 'Yes!Yes!' as I read. This book truly brings him to life!'
from Margaret Guenther

This work introduces the reader to the primary sources of Church history, with commentary that will help the reader make sense of the theological/Christological trajectory that led the Church from the New Testament era, through the apologist, to the development of the major doctrines of the Church. Papandrea's treatment of the early Church fathers is unique in that he situates his discussion against the social and cultural context of the Roman Empire and its relationship to the Church, especially with regard to the effect of the persecutions on the Church.

Instead of providing actual excerpts or the works under discussion, Reading the Early Church Fathers, directs the reader to the primary sources available on the Internet, resources that will be updated regularly. The result, for all students of the early Church, is a unique and unprecendented 'big picture' of early Christian literature.
from the Publisher

This book emerges from a personal exploration of contemplative spirituality. Coming from an evangelical and charismatic background, Tony Horsfall felt an increasing desire to know God more deeply. At the same time, he felt an increasing dissatisfaction with his own spiritual life, as well as concern at the number of highly qualified and gifted people involved in Christian ministry who experience burn-out.

In this book he shows how contemplative spirituality, with its emphasis on realising our identity as God's beloved children and on being rather than doing, has vital lessons for us about discovering intimacy with God. It also provides essential insights abut building a ministry that is both enjoyable and sustainable.
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'This is essential reading for anyone interested in women's monasticism. Patricia Rumsey uses the tools of historical theology to explore the ways in which monastic life has been lived by women through the centuries. Approaching her topic from a feminist perspective, she argues that a major problem is that women's unique insights have been largely ignored by a male-dominated Church. This well written and thought provoking study makes an important contribution to debates about the contemporary renewal of women's monasticism, as well as providing invaluable insights in to its history.'
Frances Knight, Associate Professor in the History of Christianity, University of Nottingham, UK

Alie Stibbe's first book, Barefoot in the Kitchen, charted her personal search for God's presence and purpose in the middle of the hectic daily routines of caring for young children. Her long-awaited sequel, A Spacious Place, encourages women to prepare for the different challenge of moving to the next stages of life, into a 'spacious place', where new opportunities for personal growth and development can begin to unfold.

The book examines the tension between seeing our destiny as shaped by our own efforts and, by contrast, understanding it as the good things God has in store for us, even as we go through times of emotional, physical and spiritual transition. It also explores how we can move from focusing on the idea of 'success' to valuing what is truly of significance, as we reach a different phase of our working lives.
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The bible and Christian tradition have, at best, offered an ambiguous word in response to Earth's environmental difficulties. At worst, a complex, often one-sided history of interpretation has left the Bible's voice silent. Aiming to bridge these gaps, Richard Bauckham mines scripture and theology, discovering a firm command for Christians to care for all of God's creation, and then discusses the generations of theologians who have sought to live out this biblical mandate. Going beyond Old Testament human dominion, Living with Other Creatures consults scripture in its entirety and includes Jesus' perspectives on creation, novel approaches to reading the gospels, and some of the most well-known 'ecologists' throughout Christian history. The result is an innovative and enriching treatise that reminds readers of God's whole creation — and humanity's place within it.
from the Publisher

Services for Baby Ceremonies, including Naming, Celtic Baptism, Emergency Baptism, Funeral of Baby at the Graveside and Liturgy for a Burial after Miscarriage; Funeral of a Child, conventional and not; Liturgies and Prayers of healing at a hospital; Weddings, Blessings, Civil Partnerships, and Separation Ceremonies; Blessing of Transition, including coming of Age, moving to a new area, retirement, house blessings, and; Liturgies of Death and Dying, including various ministries at the Time of Dying, Last Prayers, Funeral, Burial of Ashes and Prayers of Families in Grief.
from the Publisher

'Is there such a thing as Anglican Theology? This is what Chapman explores in this rigorous and stimulating book. In a well presented and compact review, he shows how a plurality of theologies — especially of the church and authority — have always characterised Anglicanism. He begins with Henry VIII, he quotes primary as well as secondary sources and reveals step by step the lack of historical perspective in those who claim that their understanding is the right — or indeed the only — Anglican position. Such a theology of development is always potentially threatening, this timely study is important, not just for he Church of England but for the whole Anglican Communion.'
David Stancliffe, Formerly Bishop of Salisbury, UK

Many encounters between people of different religions are marked by an initial sense of incompetence, ignorance and fear — of getting it wrong, of causing offence, of ulterior motives. Such fears are here explored honestly, in stories of actual situations and relationships — often unexpected, sometimes funny, invariably profound.

Friendship is presented as a public rather than merely a private phenomenon, enabling relations of trust and depth to develop and leading to the possibility of authentic conversation and reciprocity of respect and courtesy. It emerges as a risky venture in learning how to be human, involving honest negotiation, self-sacrifice and a seeking after the truth. It can enable people to address the fears that so often prohibit inter-religious encounters from deepening beyond the superficial.

A strong underlying theme is how the Church of England can contribute to social cohesion in a religiously pluralistic society, even if local clergy and congregations at first feel untrained or wary.
from the Publisher