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Geshe Michael Roach and Christie McNally have explored together the ancient cities, rare manuscripts, and oral traditions of India and Tibet which bear witness to teachings of Thomas - the disciple that Jesus sent to the east. The Eastern Path to Heaven presents the great ideas that came to those lands through Thomas, and describes how we can use authentic Christian teachings of ancient Asia to achieve six goals of life: physical health; financial security; love; happiness; freedom from aging and death; and fulfilment in the service of others.

Brief, accessible, chapters each open with a quotation by Jesus from the New Testament that speaks to achieving the six goals according to the wisdom of the Eastern side of the Christian family. Brief historical summaries show how the teachings of Jesus entered India with Thomas, traveling along the routes pioneered by Alexander the Great, and then reached Tibet. These sketches utilize information from Syrian, Coptic, Greek, Tibetan, and Sanskrit manuscripts, often translated by the authors for the first time.

A life-professed solitary and mystic under vows to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Ross writes with the wonder and energy of a spiritual poet. In this new edition of a spiritual classic, she shares one year of her solitude in seasonal meditations that include encounters with lynxes and coyotes, reflections on the summer solstice, and desire for union with God. An excellent source of sermon ideas.

In one essay, Ross reveals the two comments she receives most are "You don't look like a hermit," followed by "What do you do in solitude?" She answers, "I don't do, I be." Only an experienced mystic could put the emphasis on being and not doing. Being in solitude, Ross has plenty of time to savor the beauties and the bounties of the natural world and animals. She does both here. We were also impressed with pieces on the importance of an informing vision, the value of chastity, and the difficulty of intercessory prayer. We are always on the lookout for passages on unity and here is one we liked:

"It is that my sin and your sin consists not in isolated small or gross acts committed or omitted by our choices and actions, or in some vague, isolated theoretical attitude, but instead that we, you and I, by virtue of our common humanity, and in the solitude from which true relationship springs, come to realize that we are implicated in every sin.

"I am the pimp on 42nd Street, dealing in bodies. I am the pusher, selling drugs to an addict nodding and drooling in Needle Park. I am the employee ripping off my corporation. I am the industrialist pouring poison into the bodies and, by advertising, into the souls of my sisters and brothers. I am the driver of the military juggernaut, careening wildly out of control. I struggle impotently to express who I really am."

From marine to lay minister, an inspirational story on the power of healing and faith.

“My journey has transformed me from Royal Marine Commander to lay minister of healing. Twenty-five years ago, I was trained to kill or be killed. Now it is my privilege to teach people to heal and be healed.”

This long-awaited sequel to Hand to Hand: From Combat to Healing, Mumford's experience of healing in the trenches, offers vivid snapshots of God at work in the world. These true tales from the author's healing ministry and prayers gives the reader insight into the little-known world of modern miracles.

Inspiring to Christians and non-Christians alike, these accessible stories challenge us to explore the depths of our faith. They will encourage healers in their ministry of prayer and those who are ill to seek physical and spiritual healing for themselves.

The Gospel According to Sam is a collection of thirty "animal stories for the soul," written by William Miller, a priest who's considered to be one of the best preachers in the Episcopal Church. The "Sam" in the title is Miller's Airedale, a lovable, "wounded healer" of a dog who survived a house fire that burned off his ears but couldn't extinguish his spirit. Sam becomes a vehicle for healing, humor, adventure, spiritual growth, and prayer for Miller and his parishioners.

Sam isn't a typical warm-fuzzy, feel-good animal stories book, however. Miller writes with an earthy sense of humor and a Southern voice that has the reader laughing out loud--think of Molly Ivins, but with the voice of faith and prayer added in for good measure, and a low tolerance for sickly sweet theology. But then he slips in the zinger that cuts through the laughter and goes for the soul. His meditations aren't limited to Sam or even just dogs; birds, pigs, squirrels, rabbits, fish, bugs, and even yaks feature in his stories. An honest awareness and appreciation of the depth and breath of life are hallmarks of these real life adventures and thought provoking reflections.

“Why did I give advice to Eve instead of going directly to Adam? I knew I would never be able to stop the Creator’s overall plan, but I thought I might really be able to frustrate it if I could screw up some relationships.” So speaks Satan as The First Family Counselor in this collection of Edwin Friedman’s most popular essays, edited by his daughter, Shira Friedman Bogart.

Friedman’s signature wit and playfulness goes straight to the heart of human relationships from one generation to another. Throughout his life, Friedman eloquently applied the insights of family therapy to churches and synagogues, rectors and rabbis, politicians and teachers, and his humor, sense of paradox, and unique style of storytelling were trademarks of his teaching style.

"Fae Malania's lovely book is a small offering, like a hazelnut. Like the hazelnut, this book is a reminder of God's love. And like a hazelnut, it can unlock a world."—Lauren F. Winner, author of Girl Meets God and Mudbath Sabbath

As in Julian of Norwich's hazelnut story, the touchstones of Fae Melania's spirituality are ordinary, humble things. Christian life happens in the ordinary--when we do the dishes, when we garden, when we tuck our children into bed, even when we argue with our spouses. Fae Malania recognized this truth half a century ago. In these pages, you'll read about her kitchen epiphanies, and the spiritual insights that come to her while reading the newspaper.

"To begin with, never mind pleasure," writes Fae Malania in her account of one woman's discovery of faith, "Search out joy." In this newly revived classic, the image of a hazelnut calls up Julian of Norwich and her vision of a God who holds the smallest thing in being, a hazelnut or a sparrow, by the sheer force of love. Whether reflecting on a pigeon crossing East 36th Street to the ironies of trying to live simply, from Scarlatti on the car radio to the secret life of insects, Malania's voice is unique and her vision clear.

The writings of Sue Hiatt, considered “bishop to the women” and leader of the movement that led to the ordination of women in the Episcopal Church.

Quiet, introspective, passionate, strong-minded, Sue Hiatt’s road to Christian feminism began as a teenager. These writings, alongside material by Carter Heyward and others critical to the movement, are a vital source of study, reflection, and inspiration.

Beginning with Palm Sunday, the gospels record every day of Jesus’ life up to the time of his death and resurrection. These eight days are unparalleled in the canon of Scripture for their narrative power, their detail, and their focus. A unique synthesis of the four gospel accounts of the passion and resurrection of Christ is provided in this seamless and elegant narrative account of the Easter events, including every detail mentioned in all four Gospels, but without any unnecessary repetition or distracting references.

A chapter is assigned to each of these days to facilitate devotional reading and study during the days leading up to Easter. Two chapters are added on either side of the eight days to round out the story. A study guide is also included.

The book invites reader to experience the events of Christ’s passion as they happened, thus fully entering into the drama of the Easter story. More than anything, this book is an invitation to join Jesus and the disciples in walking the road that leads to Jerusalem, and to experience the events that happened there in an intimate and life-changing way.

Writing for a wide popular audience, philosopher Diogenes Allen examines the problem of human suffering and helps us to discover "traces of God" in the world, even as we suffer from physical pain and loss, natural disaster, and human evil. Written for beginners in the spiritual life, Traces of God describes how we can prepare ourselves for the inevitable sufferings of life. Allen explores the human pilgrimage through adversity and takes a close look at Simone Weil's studies of affliction.

· For people whose eyes glaze over when questions of salvation/redemption/atonement come up

· Written by a theologian, but with a lay audience in mind

Even theologians have had different ideas about the theology of atonement; how are the rest of supposed to understand it? This book is a good place to start. Crysdale, whose background in both psychology and theology gives her a unique perspective, presents an overview of the history of the theology of atonement, addressing clearly the difficulties around this concept, and bringing us with her to a contemporary understanding.

“Please join me in welcoming an informative, thoughtful, creative, and persuasive book on the atonement. St. Paul and even Anselm’s contributions to this multi-faceted doctrine are rendered accessible here. I only wish Crysdale’s volume had been available during my fifty years of teaching Anglican theology. Please don’t miss reading her contemporary, scholarly perspectives. She has much to teach us.”—Fredrica Harris Thompsett, author of We Are Theologians

“No ‘doctrine’ has more distorted the living of lives called Christian than substitutionary satisfaction theories of the atonement. So thank God we now have Crysdale’s constructive account of the atonement that helps us see that we do not need a theory of the atonement because what God has done in the crucifixion is not a violent exchange but rather God’s way of befriending his people. I hope that this well researched book will be widely read.”—Stanley Hauerwas, author of Without Apology

For Christians, practicing Ubuntu means entering deeply into the compassionate, forgiving love of Gospel.

As defined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.

The African spiritual principle of Ubuntu offers believers a new and radical way of reading the Gospel and understanding the heart of the Christian faith, and this new book explores the meaning and utility of Ubuntu as applied to Western philosophies, faith, and lifestyles.

Ubuntu is an African way of seeing self-identity formed -through community. This is a difficult worldview for many Western people, who understand self as over, against, or in competition with others. In the Western viewpoint, Ubuntu becomes something to avoid—a kind of co-dependency. As a Christian leader who understands the need, intricacies, and delicate workings of global interdependency, Battle offers here both a refreshing worldview and a new perspective of self-identity for people across cultures, and of all faiths.

Why do most contemporary Christians pull a blank when it comes to imagining a life with God after death?

Although the Bible is largely silent on the issue, our world is completely riveted by the up-to-date visions of heaven and hell that stock bookstore shelves and are found everywhere on the Internet. But what are believers to think and to say about the “undiscovered country” that is the life to come—from the pulpit, at the hospital, or in our daily lives?

Peter Hawkinsoffers a fresh way to pose these questions, along with an imaginative framework for answering them. He challenges all of us, not just preachers, to think of Dante’s drama of the afterlife—heaven, hell and purgatory—as a true story describing the lives we are living now. To this end Hawkins uses the Divine Comedy to help us imagine what happens when we die as he works his way through Christian tradition, contemporary culture, a rich array of literature, and his own personal experience.

All of us are natural theologians, willing and able to think through questions of belief and relate the insights of theologians to our public and personal lives. In this clear and engaging introduction, Thompsett gives us the tools to think theologically by grounding us in the history, theology, spirituality, and biblical foundations of Anglican belief, particularly that of the Episcopal church.

Beginning with the Bible and what it reveals to us about the distinct calling of the People of God, Thompsett goes on to consider the insights of the Reformation regarding the importance of the laity and the contribution of lay people, particularly women, to the expansive mission of the nineteenth century in education and social work. She then explores different aspects of Anglican identity, and lay movements of liberation in the global South.

Aimed primarily at a lay and non-specialist audience, this book introduces key facets of Anglicanism and aspects of contemporary theology. It is an excellent parish educational resource, especially for adult forums and group study.

Through hymns, poems, and the lens of personal experience, a leading spiritual director and author takes a thoughtful, in-depth look at the Cross as a focal point for theology, spirituality, Christian symbolism, and discipleship, providing a probing and disturbing resource for group study during Lent.

A systematic understanding of progressive Christianity and the reasons for them.
Progressive Christianity is a family of perspectives that vigorously rejects the “religious right” as a gross distortion of the Christian faith. Just as important, progressive Christianity criticizes and moves beyond the (other) conservatisms and the liberalisms of the immediate Christian past. This book presents one progressive Christian standpoint—introductory in character for ordinary people, not specialist.

A desire and demand to know more about the Jewish legacy of Christian identity is growing among laity. A similar desire to foster interfaith understanding and dialogue is growing among leaders of local churches.

Why Is There a Menorah on the Altar? seeks to meet these demands by providing information and insight about Judaism’s legacy as it is revealed in Christian rites, rituals, and traditions. Drawing upon scripture and historical sources, this book explains how Judaism has influenced the structure of liturgical worship; the design and décor of church sanctuaries; and how Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation find their roots in Judaism.

This book invites readers to develop a deeper understanding of Judaism, one that will enrich their Christianity and appreciation for their enduring Jewish heritage. Includes: questions for reflection; activities for individuals or groups; and easy-to-follow timelines.

Sermons from one of the country’s best-known theologians.
Stanley Hauerwas was named “Best Theologian” by Time magazine in 2001. His writings are controversial and well-read, including Hannah’s Child, a memoir that ends about the time he became an Episcopalian. This collection includes 17 sermons, from “Saints” and “Letting Go,” to “Recognizing Jesus/Seeing Salvation” and “Clothe Your Ministers in Righteousness.” There are two bonus presentations on “Leadership” and “An Open Letter to Christians Beginning College” in the appendix.