The constraints of the spiritual life, practiced in community, are what set us free and shape us into the way of Christ. Re-anchoring spiritual practices within monasticism, religious orders, and the early church fathers, these six core practices from Jared Patrick Boyd form in us greater freedom to become people who love as God loves.
Pentecost is one of the most misunderstood days on the church calendar. In this Fullness of Time volume, Emilio Alvarez offers us a rich biblical and theological introduction to the day of Pentecost and sets it in its liturgical context—not only in the Protestant tradition but also in Catholic, Orthodox, and Pentecostal expressions.
What would it look like to turn to the Christian faith to cultivate meditation practices? Presenting Christian meditation as an alternative to Buddhist-informed mindfulness, this workbook from Dr. Joshua Knabb offers a Christian-sensitive approach to meditation in clinical practice, focusing on both building theory and providing replicable practices for Christian clients and their therapists.
The Book of Common Prayer (1662) is one of the most beloved liturgical texts in the Christian church. But the classic text presents several difficulties for contemporary users, especially those outside the Church of England. This new international edition gently updates the text for contemporary use, with obscure phrases revised and treasured prayers from later Anglican tradition appended.
How can we trust God in the dark? Framed around a nighttime prayer of Compline, Tish Harrison Warren explores human vulnerability, suffering, and God's seeming absence as she recalls her own experience navigating a time of doubt and loss. This book offers a prayerful and frank approach to the difficulties in our ordinary lives at work, at home, and in a world filled with uncertainty.
Spiritual director and pastor Barbara Peacock illustrates how the practices of spiritual formation are woven into African American culture and lived out in the rich heritage of its faith community. Using the examples of ten significant men and women, Barbara helps us engage in practices of soul care as we learn from these spiritual leaders.
For writer, professor, and activist Marlena Graves, formation and justice always intertwine on the path to a balanced life of both action and contemplation. Drawing on the rich traditions of Eastern and Western Christian saints, she describes the process of emptying herself that allows her to move upward toward God and become the true self that God calls her to.
In this expanded edition of a classic work of spiritual theology, historian Richard Lovelace presents a history of spiritual renewals in light of biblical models. With scholarly and pastoral insight, he offers a powerful vision of renewal that can unify various models across traditions, combining individual and corporate spirituality, social activism, and evangelism.
Luke's Gospel was written to transform. Exploring Luke's portrait of the spirituality of Jesus, Catherine Wright focuses on the themes of simplicity, humility, and prayer in Jesus' life and teaching, considering how readers have understood and employed key Lukan passages for spiritual formation from the first century and the ancient church to today.
What does a Christian life lived "by the Spirit" look like? Bringing together Protestant scholars and practitioners of spiritual formation, this volume offers a distinctly evangelical consideration of the benefits of contemplation. Drawing on historical examples from the church—including John Calvin, Richard Baxter, Jonathan Edwards, and John Wesley—this book considers how contemplative prayer can shape Christian living today.