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.
Every student asks questions about life beyond the classroom—how can I discern my vocation? How should I understand marriage and sex? What happens if I doubt my faith? To help students navigate these life questions, Gary M. Burge and David Lauber have gathered insights from Christian faculty who draw on their own conversations with students during office hours and over coffee.
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.
It's easy to let self-criticism become our default setting. But as we learn to pay attention to what bugs us and identify negative thinking, we can lean into the things that bring us joy. Filled with spiritual practices and creative exercises, this book from spiritual director Cindy Bunch calls us to self-care through greater compassion for ourselves.
What if we began to see all we are and all we do—our work, play, relationships, worship, and loves—as significant to God? In these essays Steven Garber helps us discover the seamless life where there is no chasm between heaven and earth and we understand the coherence of our lives and God's work in the world.
How do we find balance between our sense of calling and the call to rest? Spiritual director and "recovering speed addict" Alan Fadling leads readers in a meditation on the unhurried life. Following Jesus' earthly life, this revised edition from Fadling shows how the work of "unhurrying" ourselves is central to our spiritual development.
Jokes often touch on the biggest topics of our existence, but many Christians haven't taken humor seriously. This insightful yet delightful crash course from philosopher Steve Wilkens argues that viewing Scripture and theology through the lens of humor helps us understand the gospel and avoid the pitfalls of both naturalism and gnosticism, while facilitating a humble, honest, and appealing approach to faith.
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.
A generation of young Christians are weary of the political legacy they've inherited. Could it be that the church's politics are shaped by its habits and practices? Contending that we must recognize the formative power of the political forces around us, Kaitlyn Schiess urges the church to recover historic Christian practices that shape us according to the truth of the gospel.
Before white churches can pursue diversity, we must first address the faulty discipleship that has led to our segregation in the first place. Pastor David Swanson proposes that we rethink our churches' habits, or liturgies, and imagine together holistic, communal discipleship practices that can reform us as members of Christ's diverse body.