Religion

This substantive book addresses the CREDO approach to wellness. Chapters explore the theology of wellness and identity, core values, creativity and passion, renewal, emotional health, spiritual practices, balance, transformation, and fitness. It features a foreword by the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. Models, perspectives, theories, and stories are provided by contributors who are involved with CREDO as faculty, researchers, or participants.

A wide-ranging exploration of the past, present, and future effects of women’s ordination on the church.

This book gauges the impact and implications of women’s ordination on today and tomorrow. What has women’s ordination meant for the church? For preaching? For pastoral care? For the episcopate? For lay women and for women across the Anglican Communion? The editor draws upon a rich variety of writers and thinkers for this book.

"The image of dancing with God may seem like an odd one for a book on Christian theology," writes Jay Johnson, "More than a few people probably assume dancing and theology have at least one thing in common: Other people do them. The good news of Christian faith suggests something different. Each and everyone of us is invited to dance with God. Each of us can dance. Each of us can do theology."

Theology, long seen as the domain of professors, scholars, and clergy, is actually the work of all God's people. Dancing with God uses the metaphor of dance to help readers--especially those without a theological background--approach the discipline of theology as something we all do, and not only something to believe. And doing theology is the practice of hope.

This book explores the way Anglicans approach theology. The good news, according to Johnson, is not about the assurance of "getting things right." It comes, instead, from considering our texts, creeds, and liturgies as invitations to dance with the God of abundant life. Beautifully and accessibly written, Dancing with God makes an excellent book for individual or parish study.

A wonderful resource to guide admirers of the humblest of saints what it means to live out the Christian life with a Franciscan accent.

In a little town in Italy, nearly 800 years ago, Francis of Assisi renounced everything he owned to follow Christ with passionate and single-minded abandon. Even today, centuries later, this simple saint draws people around the world to his story of living in humility, love, and joy.

Here in Following Francis, Susan Pitchford tells her own story of the Franciscan life, as a member of the Third Order, founded by Francis himself so that people from all walks of life can follow the saint's ideal, without leaving their homes or occupations. Pitchford learned that the Franciscan tradition isn't the exclusive possession of monks cloistered in a monastery, but a spiritual path for ordinary people living in the 21st century.

Invites us to recognize – and respond – to our own unique vocations.

Ears to Hear takes readers on a journey through the Old Testament, showing the way God called ordinary people to service, and drawing parallels for ordinary people in the twenty-first century. The story of Abraham, who was called away from his homeland with no clear destination, exemplifies the insecurity of modern-day readers who may be called to abandon the security of their homes or their jobs to do God’s will. The story of Moses, who was armed with a list of serious—and logical—objections to God’s call, is a lesson for contemporary readers faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles to their vocations. In each of these stories, Little shows that God’s call—in Old Testament days and now—is always accompanied with more than enough grace to answer it.

Each chapter concludes with a set of discussion questions, making this an ideal book not only for individuals discerning God’s call, but also for parish study groups.

This lively blend of theory, story, and practical resources and checklists is designed for churches committed to welcoming and nurturing children, and those who care for them. Written for clergy, religious educators, Christian Education superintendents and planners -- from the local to the national level -- it shows how to work effectively with children in educational, liturgical, and pastoral settings.

Practical ideas for connecting and building communities of service.

Bishop Andy Doyle understands that the church must change. Every day, he presides over parishes that are no longer vital, that have not adapted to the “VUCA” (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world of today — the world in which the church exists. The church still looks to hierarchies when it needs to build networks, and stays mired in arguments when it needs to find unity. With the experience of a bishop and the insight of a deep learner, Doyle points the way to the future with a vision for how we can learn, serve, and communicate with each other.

Although the Ten Commandments has been the center of much recent controversy in American politics, scripture contains many laws about which Christians are perplexed. If the Bible contains laws, shouldn't those laws be followed? What does the law that prohibits reaping a harvest to the very edges of your field mean in modern times? Or, what about God's prohibition, in Leviticus, not to round off the hair on your temples or to mar the edges of your beard? The Decalogue and the Holiness Code in Leviticus contain guidelines to ethical behavior that originally helped to shape a covenant community and still have meaning for us today.

In the newest addition to the Conversations with Scripture series, Kevin Wilson offers fresh insights into the meaning of the Law for today. In chapters that explore the Law in Exodus and Leviticus, Wilson examines the historical and cultural contexts of these legal codes. He discusses rituals such as sacrifice and rituals related to purification from defilement. Wilson demonstrates the ways in which the temple priests used many of these laws as their own code of purity and their own method of enforcing purity in the covenant community.

As with other books in the series, Wilson's book features definitions and sidebars in each chapter on particular topics, as well as study questions.

Deeply poignant and astonishingly personal, this “moving story of a death in Tennessee” (Bill Moyers) shows hope can endure, grace can redeem, and humanity can exist—even in the darkest of places

It was a clash of race, privilege, and circumstance when Alan Robertson first signed up through a church program to visit Cecil Johnson on Death Row, to offer friendship and compassion. Alan's wife Suzanne had no intention of being involved, but slowly, through phone calls and letters, she began to empathize and understand him. That Cecil and Suzanne eventually became such close friends—a white middle-class woman and a Black man who grew up devoid of advantage—is a testament to perseverance, forgiveness, and love, but also to the notion that differences don’t have to be barriers.

This book recounts a fifteen-year friendship and how trust and compassion were forged despite the difficult circumstances, and how Cecil ended up ministering more to Suzanne’s family than they did to him. The story details how Cecil maintained inexplicable joy and hope despite the tragic events of his life and how Suzanne, Alan, and their two daughters opened their hearts to a man convicted of murder. Cecil Johnson was executed Dec. 2, 2009.

“Of all the women in the Bible,” writes Nicola Slee, “Mary has been for me the most ambivalent, the most alien and yet, at some level, the most alluring. I’ve taken a long time to come to her—or for her to come to me. I grew up in a religious tradition—low church Methodism—in which Mary hardly featured, other than in the nativity story. Yet it is hardly possible to exist as an inhabitant of the western world, with even half an eye open to the visual and cultural heritage of Christendom, and not to have been in some way affected by this woman, the woman of the Christian tradition.”

With a collection of prayers and liturgical material focused around the figure of Mary, and the themes of motherhood, sisterhood, and female faith, this book projects a strong, contemporary attitude. It is clearly feminist, affirming the significance of Mary in the faith journey of contemporary Christian (and other) women, plus it challenges and critiques traditional stereotypes of Mary. The author explores the sorrows of Mary, her defiance and resistance, sexuality, sensuality, aloneness, independence and freedom, companionship, sisterhood, friendship, ministry, priesthood, contemplation, prayer and silence, wisdom, authority, faith, risk, and daring.

"Our goal is the Kingdom, the completion of God's creative vision, and we are God's hands in bringing that vision to pass, " wrote Urban Holmes in Spirituality for Ministry, originally published in 1982. But, Holmes warned, ministers who are not rooted in the intimate knowledge of God will have a hard time being God's hands and serving the congregation well.

This timeless and still timely book examines the spiritual base that allows ordained clergy to be interpreters of God's message and symbol-bearers of God's presence in their congregations. Based on interviews with clergy from many denominations, Holmes explores the role of spirituality in the vocation of the ordained, the classic virtues of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the place of worship, prayer, and parish piety, and finally the necessity of spiritual companionship in the life of the clergy.

In these insightful essays, Barbara Cawthorne Crafton reflects on a broad range of experiences ministering among merchant seafarers, the homeless, the bereaved, AIDS patients, and others in need of personal and spiritual help. She shares honestly her own emotions as she grapples with the harsh realities of the world, while delighting in the humor and joy found in everyday living.

Crafton compassionately recounts the unique stories of the men, women, and children she worked with during her service as a port chaplain in New York and New Jersey and as a minister at Trinity Church on Wall Street. In doing so, she weaves together threads of the mundane and the traumatic, the lovely and the ugly, and the down to earth and the holy, creating an original tapestry of the richness of life.

The Classic Victorian poem about Christian angst that still speaks to modern audiences. Accompanied by illustrations that deepen the meaning of the poem.

A portable paperback version of a long poem by the Catholic Victorian poet Francis Thompson that grapples with our relationship with God and faith. The Hound of Heaven was written in 1890, but it foresaw the 20th century themes of existentialism and anxiety in modern times. This poem was much loved by Christian-influenced authors like G. K. Chesterton, J. R. R. Tolkien, and C. S. Lewis, and in turn informed their own writing.

“[A] treat in store for you is the edition of the perennial Catholic classic. Francis Thompson's The Hound of Heaven. Jean Young provides beautiful new illustration for this poem. Thompson tells the familiar story of the sinner's flight from God, and God's even more insistent pursuit of the erring soul. . . . The poem has major appeal on many levels. . . . This little edition is great for a thoughtful gift.”—The Priest

A Prayer book designed to be used by individual women, as well as by those who are leading group prayer services.

For nearly two millennia, Christian women have learned to pray in the language of other people's souls. From worshiping God as father to envisioning a holy life as a military campaign, they've been taught to approach the Divine with the hearts and minds of men.

She Who Prays: A Woman's Interfaith Prayer Book offers women a new way to pray. It draws on feminine images of God, as well as the language and experience of women, to help women tap into their own rich and unique spirituality. With material from new translations of ancient Christian hymns and prayers, as well as original prayers in the Christian and other faith traditions, She Who Prays will help women speak to God in their own voices.

Arranged in roughly the same format as the Book of Common Prayer, She Who Prays contains a seven-day cycle of daily prayer services, prayers for special occasions, and a woman-oriented liturgical calendar that honors the lives of women of all faiths. The book also contains four rituals marking such themes as healing, reconciliation, and new beginnings, and a prayer to be used while walking a labyrinth.

An appendix provides information on world religions and instructions for group services.

A valuable resource for enhancing liturgical understanding.

What is the point of the Lectionary? What are the problems and opportunities that it presents to those who use it? What are its strengths and weaknesses as an aid to worship? How can it be used and communicated most effectively today? These are among the key questions Thomas O'Loughlin addresses in this stimulating and much needed liturgical guide to the design, history, theology, and purposes of the Lectionary.

This classic critique of Christian education is revised, expanded and includes Westerhoff's overview on the state Christian education over the past forty years.

According to Westerhoff, instead of guiding faith formation within the family, the church, and the school, we relegate religious education to Sunday morning classes. There, children learn the facts about religion, but how will they learn or experience faith? How can we nourish and nurture the faith of children, instead of only teaching the facts?

An invitation to a more participatory relationship with God through the power of prayer.

Nothing is more remarkable—or more beautiful—than an ordinary life, quietly transformed by prayer. This is the life that Deborah Smith Douglas chronicles—and invites readers into—in her lovely collection of essays and poems. Drawing from events as simple as breakfast with her five-year-old daughter or waiting in line at the post office, Douglas shows how a loving relationship with God can be nurtured in small ways every day. “Without my ever really intending it,” she writes, “my own life—as a wife and mother, daughter and friend—has taught me to see God hidden in the ordinary, to watch for God under the surface of things as a fisherman watches for fish.”

Woven into each of these pieces, along with reflections on the author’s experiences, are guidelines for readers watching for God in their own unique—and ordinary—lives. Divided into four sections—Ways of Praying, Healing, Spiritual Companionship, and Fruitfulness—The Praying Life will help Christians move from awareness of God’s presence in their lives to a deep participation in God’s love.

Life and faith are improvisational theater, and finding meaning is a work in progress.

From first breath to the first day of school, from first dates to last rites, most of us struggle with the overwhelming desire to find meaning. How do we love well, stay authentic, build community, enjoy life, and live justly all at the same time? No one knows. God may have a plan, but God never gave us the script.

This book will teach strategies to escape the oppressive voice of self-doubt, foster compassionate creativity, transform Christian faith into a meaningful life practice, and organize communities of faith based on the the principles of improvisational theater. Each chapter will focus on a skill or practice of improv, made relevant through autobiographical stories of and grounded in the Christian tradition. The end of each chapter will include brain exercises the average reader can do to strengthen the creative neural pathways required to master the improv skill for living.

A handbook on domestic violence from a spiritual perspective, for clergy, parish nurses, and others.

Breaking the Silence contains important, action-oriented information about domestic violence and its pervasiveness in society. Sections include “myths” about domestic violence; a checklist to determine if a relationship is potentially violent; clergy resources for counseling, worship, and congregational outreach; rape; information for youth; and pages that can be customized with local and national contact numbers, e-mail addresses, and websites. Also includes questions for discussion and suggestions for using the book for training or as a youth and adult education tool.

This resource is limited to adult abuse, as the subject of child abuse is highly specialized and often includes many more laws and involvement from local agencies that will vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

This practical manual guides churches through a year-long stewardship program. Covers the fundamentals of building a successful program -- from teaching Christian stewardship to hosting creative, successful commitment events. Filled with useful advice and how-to sections on topics ranging from recruiting and training leaders, to charting progress. Offers a complete overview of The Joyful Giving Program for stewardship.

In the summer of 1995, Mary Earle returned from a vacation feeling refreshed and restored from her time away. A few days later, all that changed, when she was rushed to the emergency room with a case of acute and life-threatening pancreatitis. Being ill, she discovered, forces you to learn to live in whole new ways, ones often marked by limitation and fragility.

As a priest and spiritual director, Earle began to explore ways in which her own prayer life might help her build a different relationship with her illness. Using the Benedictine practice of lectio divina, or sacred reading, she began to "read" her own illness, and discovered a way of befriending and helping to heal--if not cure--her body and her life.

In Broken Body, Healing Spirit, Earle introduces this strategy to others who are hungry to find ways of living more fully despite chronic or serious illness or pain. Her practical, step-by-step approach to "reading the text of our illnesses," and learning to listen to what our bodies are trying to tell us will be of help to those who are currently suffering with disease or limitations, as well as to those who are caregivers and counselors.

This collection of thoughtful reflections looks at events and activities of everyday life and discovers routes to spiritual practice and deeper, daily spirituality.

At the behest of CREDO Institute, Inc., which hosts health and wellness conferences and is supported by the Episcopal Church Pension Fund, priest and CREDO conference leader Renée Miller wrote the 20 reflections and grouped them into the categories: Meditative Practice, Ministry Practice, Media Practice, Mind Practice, and Movement Practice. Each entry, accented with color photographs, is aimed at evoking mindfulness in the common activities of life, from music and movie going to reading, writing, and walking.

For the reader who wishes to use the book to introduce or more deeply explore spiritual practices with other people or in an instructional setting, each chapter concludes with a nod toward who might be inclined to certain practices, based on individual predilections or personality.

The Foreword by Herb Gunn lays out the theological underpinnings of spiritual discipline in what could stand alone as a primer on spiritual practice.

Preaching as Prophetic Calling is the twelfth in a series of books devoted to presenting examples of preaching excellence from parishes throughout the Episcopal Church.

This volume addresses the difficult and essential area of preaching a prophetic word. What does a prophetic sermon look like without being shrill, and without being filled with “musts,” “oughts,” and “shoulds”? This collection of sermons includes examples of prophetic preaching that are visionary and that speak in ways that offer radical comfort as well as radical challenge.

Explore the variety of ways humans experience the holy through 150+ one-page biographies of notable masters from the world’s great spiritual traditions.

Key historical figures vividly come to life with pertinent biographical details presented in a readable, conversational style by a well-respected figure in the Episcopal Church.

A modern interpretation the Rule of St. Benedict to infuse Christian spirituality to all aspects of our daily lives

These simple and inviting reflections on the Rule of St. Benedict take as their starting point our search for wholeness in a world that is fragmented and increasingly polarized. Many people today struggle to balance the demands of professional and personal lives, and find little satisfaction or peacefulness in either. Yet the ancient wisdom of St. Benedict offers a clear and helpful pathway that leads directly to healing, transformation and new life.

Written in de Waal's inimitable style, this book is for old friends of the Rule of St. Benedict and novices alike. Holding up segments of the Rule, de Waal's meditations on Benedict's words illuminate the wisdom of the Rule not only for those of Benedict's time, but for all of us today as well.

You may be the only Jesus some people ever meet! Suppose that the 2:00 am feeding of your infant daughter was not just meeting a physical need but also was teaching her that God’s provision could be trusted? And suppose her cries for succor were also teaching you to respond to the cries of Jesus when he presents himself as “the least of these”?

Based on the Great Commandment, this book examines relationships common to us all—those of intimacy, authority, rivalry, and otherness— and shows how learning to love within those relationships affects our relationship with God.

Supported by biblical examples and references to psychological studies, this book examines all our basic relationships—family relationships, relationships with authority figures, friends and enemies, companion animals, even virtual relationships—to show how learning to love within those relationships is truly divine work.

In a culture where relationships are often divisive and exploitative, and where the call to love enemies often seems impractical, this book offers the reminder that every relationship provides an opportunity to love God in the other and to be “God with skin on” for that person in return.

An honest and innovative look at our relationship to money.

Though theologians of every era have written about money, and scripture and theology provide ample material for a rich discussion of wealth and possessions, we have tremendous difficulty talking about money in the church. Therefore, congregational leaders need to know how to talk about money, and particularly how to lead a theological discussion about it and the anxiety individuals often feel.

This series of Little Books on Faith and Money is designed to foster conversations within congregations around certain principles and practices that nurture community and growth in the ongoing life of the church.

This booklet helps readers change the world for the better during Lent by undertaking one small action at a time.

Love Life Live Lent offers 40 age-appropriate actions for each day of Lent to make the world a better place—locally, nationally, and globally. The adult/youth edition also includes a scripture quote and brief reflection for each day. The booklet is undated and may be used in any year.

Hardly a day goes by without some poll or news story documenting the changing relationship between the general population and religion, often accompanied by predictions of doom. The rise of the "nones" and the "dones" leaves many adrift in a world with multiple complex challenges. Providers of "spiritual friendship"—pastors, spiritual directors, pastoral counselors, concerned Christians—will need to change their approach as those with whom they interact distance themselves from the church. How should we talk with the "nones" and the "dones" about their spiritual lives? How can we be with them in their struggles when they are suspicious of our motives?

These are questions providers of spiritual friendship face every day. This book offers answers that can help them look at their work in new ways. Stewart-Sicking presents an innovative approach to spiritual friendship, addressing major challenges of modern life and significant challenges in the lives of individuals, as well as making accessible scholarship on the subject that is difficult for practitioners to access.

Little sketches of grace to invite you to notice your own soul's companions in your daily life.

With a light touch and warm voice, and just a hint of a Southern accent, Martha Sterne tells the stories of her encounters with Christ - in the supermarket and the beauty parlor, in the garden, the kitchen, and sometimes even church. Sterne shares her gift for storytelling, showing readers that the Incarnation is alive and loose everywhere they look, in the listening ears, kind voices, and loving hearts of people they bump into everywhere. Each essay is followed by reflection questions, making this a lovely volume for group study.

Why do so many evangelicals flock to liturgical traditions today? Robert Webber first explored the question in this thoughtful and engaging classic in 1989; now evangelical scholar and pastor Lester Ruth updates the conversation. Much remains of Webber s beloved original text, including his discussion of Anglicanism s six great gifts: mystery and awe, Christ-centered worship, sacramental reality, historical identity, participation in catholic traditions and holistic spirituality. Ruth adds fresh stories from evangelicals who have followed Webber's footsteps on the Canterbury trail, along with new essays that highlight the diversity of Anglican expressions today.

By exploring the Episcopal Church’s mission and precepts in the context of 21st century and its challenges, this thoughtful book deepens the Church’s relationship with its people and makes the faith more relevant.

Society and culture are constantly evolving so must religion and its mission to remain meaningful. The legacies of establishment, benefactor approaches to mission, and the ‘national church’ ideal are no longer adequate for the challenges and opportunities facing the 21st century church. But if the Episcopal Church is no longer the Church of the Establishment and the benefactor model of church is dead, what is the heart of Episcopal mission and identity?

Scholar and Episcopal priest Dwight Zscheile draws on multiple streams of Anglican thought and practice, plus contemporary experience to craft a vision for mission that addresses the church’s post-establishment, post-colonial context. With stories, practices and concrete illustrations, Zscheile engages readers in re-envisioning what it means to be Anglican in America today and sends readers out to build new relationships within their local contexts.

Jennifer R. Durant, busy career woman, wife, and mom of two, made a drastic career change. In the lexicon of ministry, God called her to be an Episcopal priest, and Jennifer answered. Several years later, in the final weeks of seminary, Durant's world changed dramatically again, when the persistent weakness in one of her hands was diagnosed as ALS (aka Lou Gehrig's disease).

In Sparrow, completed with her husband, Matthew, Durant recounts her battle and brings the reader with her on her spiritual journey through her priesthood and ministry which, despite her illness, continued to her death—with the aid of a speech box, she preached her final sermon on the Sunday before her death. Durant leads readers forward through the confusion of our caffeine-fueled and perpetually exhausted world to discover, as she did, a renewing sense of God-given purpose and sacred light which even the darkest of circumstances cannot extinguish, a place where even in silence, God is present, whispering through us.

An inspiration to any who suffer from a debilitating disease (or know someone who does) and those who provide pastoral care to others. It is a story of God's redemption and new life.

Faithful Generations provides a hopeful and helpful guide to the different adult generations alive today, discussing the events that formed them and the issues important to them. Most importantly, it describes their spiritual distinctions the particular needs, gifts and concerns that drive these different generations. With a basic understanding of how other generations think and what drives them spiritually, ministers and congregations can not only avoid conflict, but also put those distinctions to work in order to minister more effectively and create harmony in our religious communities.

An enchanting guide for turning the art of gardening into opportunities for reflection and meditation.

Contemplative Gardening makes the connection between tending to the earth and tending to our own souls, between caring for the planet and caring for one another. Pamela Dolan explores the myriad relationships between all living things that come to light when we dig in the soil. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or one just beginning, you will be fed by this intersection of food and faith.

The resources collected in this book equip young adults to explore deep questions of meaning and purpose and to find ways to connect these questions to the call to faithful living.

People in their twenties and thirties are in a stage of life where questions of meaning, purpose, and identity loom large. Here are six core discernment questions to help readers look deeply at where they are now and where they desire to grow.

This book offers gathering prayers, scripture readings, prayer practices, and discussion/reflection questions, together with additional resources that leaders can use to custom design each session if working with a particular group. Readers will learn to listen for God’s leading in the choices that they face around relationships, time, and money, and the kinds of work that awaken purpose and passion in their daily life, both in the present and for the future.

The damage done by hatred and prejudice -- based on race, sexual orientation, religion, or gender -- runs very deep. The damage is often invisible, but it simmers beneath the surface anyway. In Race and Prayer, Malcolm Boyd and Chester Talton have collected poems, prayers, and prose that bring the anger and frustration to light, and ultimately, they hope, to a place of reconciliation and healing.

Race and Prayer is divided into five sections: Suffering and Anger; Prejudice and Hatred; Diversity; Reconciliation and Healing; and Growth in Understanding and Sharing. Contributors to this collection range in age from teenagers to the elderly, and include men and women from a wide variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, all of whom speak honestly of their own experiences, heartbreaks, and hopes. Twelve cartoons from three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Conrad, editorial cartoonist at the Los Angeles Times, add to the power of this collection.

Invites readers to enter more deeply into the mystery and wonder of the Incarnation of Christ.

For each day from the first Sunday of Advent to the Feast of the Epiphany, readings, prayers, and suggestions for daily devotions help readers interact imaginatively with the reactions and feelings of the biblical figures involved with the story of Jesus' birth. Rowell and Chilcott-Monk focus particularly on Mary, her "yes" to God at the Annunciation, and her own journey from Bethlehem to Calvary.

The title of the book is a translation of a New Testament prayer, Maranatha!, an expression of the longing, hope, and unity of purpose among the first followers of Christ. At a time of year when commercial pressures threaten to obscure the child in the manger, Come, Lord Jesus! will focus hearts and minds afresh on the miracle of love at work among us.

For all who inhabit a body and wonder about its place in the universe.

In Loving What Doesn’t Last: An Adoration of the Body, Christina Kukuk reminds us that what matters most are things don’t last forever. We find faith, hope, and love in and the string of endings and beginnings that make a life: a mother who plants an orchard in her son’s memory, a girl’s struggle with food scarcity, an adolescent awakening to infatuation at summer camp, and a woman waiting hours for her lover’s recovery on a hospital’s transplant floor. In every fleeting moment from the first pangs of birth to our last breath, God is in all of it.

This modern classic explores the key concepts and people who have shaped our Christian spiritual heritage.

Concise and readable Holmes begins this introduction to Christian spirituality with the Jewish antecedents, and proceeds through the New Testament period, monasticism, the Middle Ages, Byzantine spirituality, and the modern period. Holmes ends his overview with key contemporary figures such as Simone Weil, Thomas Merton, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Brief bibliographies of the books written by each notable figure are included for those who wish to read more extensively.

A History of Christian Spirituality is the perfect book for introductory classes at the M. Div. level, for diaconate programs, lay people or parish study classes of all Christian denominations, and for any reference collection. This is a unique and invaluable learning tool and reference for readers, students, or teachers who want a quick explanation of the significance of a person or idea, or who are interested in a broad overview of the entire field.

Get to know the first five Black women to be elected diocesan bishops within the Episcopal Church.

During this moment, with the #metoo movement, Black Lives Matter, and the increased feelings of division in our country, Black women clergy in the Episcopal Church have voiced a need to come together, believing that their experiences and concerns may be very different than those of other clergy. That need is answered here in This Band of Sisterhood.

The five Black women bishops featured in this book can provide a compass for how to journey along these new paths. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, Carlye J. Hughes, Kimberly Lucas, Shannon MacVean-Brown, and Phoebe A. Roaf offer honest, vulnerable wisdom from their own lives that speaks to this time in American life.

Both women and men will find this book invaluable in discerning how God might be calling them to use their own leadership skills.

The Book of Judges—appropriate for Sunday School curriculum or an irredeemably violent book?

Throughout its history Judges has both entertained and appalled readers some read it as a series of simple stories about faithfulness and some as a brutal and bloodthirsty book. Heller explores how Judges can shape our understanding of our world, our relationships, and can provide a path to a deeper appreciation of the ways of God among people. Far from seeing the book as either simplistic or cruel, Heller allows this odd text to speak to us anew about God, sin, relationships, and justice.

Blends spiritual narratives and biblical stories with behavioral theory to explain modern family life and its unique contributions to faith formation.
This book offers hope and encouragement for people who have thought that God could not possibly bless them in their peculiar relationships or families. Using archetypes and behavior development frameworks while interpreting and retelling biblical stories, the book features both personal and traditional stories of faith, complemented by the contemporary insights of cognitive scientists, including Gardner, Eisner and others. Reflection questions are included at the end of each chapter.

Each chapter in Marvelously Made focuses on a vital part of the body (the heart, the lungs, the brain, the joints); relates an anecdote from the author’s experience; provides reader-friendly(i.e., not overly technical) information about the wonders of the organ or body part, and offers a prayer and a set of “gratitude practices”—physical and spiritual meditation exercises to deepen the reader’s appreciation of the body.

Almost everywhere throughout the greater church are unsustainable trends-endowments are being depleted, building maintenance deferred, congregations are aging and dwindling, and budgets are too far out-of-whack. And although there is much literature on what to do to grow congregations, little has been said about how to get those things done.

In highly accessible, anecdotal prose, church management expert Gerald Keucher focuses in very practical terms on how to bring the right spirit, approach, and tactics to the work of bringing a congregation back from the edge of the abyss.

Peter Ball looks at some of the leading figures from the past to illustrate the roots and development of Anglican spiritual direction: George Herbert, Lancelot Andrewes, John Wesley, Somerset Ward, and Evelyn Underhill. More recent influences in the revival of interest in the subject have been Kenneth Leech, Alan Jones, Gordon Jeff, and Margaret Guenther. This is an updated version of a book first published as Journey Into Truth. New material will include developments in Australia and the US, and the increasing role played by women, as well as updated resources.

The Spiritual Directors International Series – This book is part of a special series produced by Morehouse Publishing in cooperation with Spiritual Directors International (SDI), a global network of some 6,000 spiritual directors and members.

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is often called "the holiest place in England" because of all the saints who have lived there. St. Aidan and St. Cuthbert, two popular Celtic saints, are buried there. For more than 1,300 years pilgrims have made their way to this island, which now hosts half a million visitors a year. A Holy Island Prayer Book, with prayers for morning, midday, and night, follows the rhythms and seasons of the natural and Christian year as observed on Holy Island.

More contemplative than the earthy spirituality of communities such as Iona, each day of the week has a special theme:

Sunday: Resurrection and renewal

Monday: Creation

Tuesday: incarnation and peace

Wednesday: The Holy Spirit in mission and healing

Thursday: Community and unity

Friday: With broken people at the Cross

Saturday: Leisure (morning) and the Saints (night)

A Holy Island Prayer Book includes prayers by popular author David Adam, and is the perfect companion for anyone who has visited Holy Island, or those who are there in spirit.

In this second book by Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori, she explores issues and challenges of deep concern to the Episcopal Church, the wider Body of Christ, and the world at large. Arranged thematically, her essays reflect on the travel, issues, people, and passions that have driven the first three years of her primacy. She places particular emphasis on the Millennium Development Goals, plus the turmoil within the Anglican Communion and the Episcopal Church in the United States.

Christian communities are a lot like families, so it’s only natural for individuals to show their love and concern by visiting fellow parishioners who are sick in the hospital. But without a bit of information, a well-intentioned visit might bring more harm than good.

In this handy pocket-sized book, Neville Kirkwood, a chaplain with many years’ experience, offers practical guidelines to make a hospital visit an experience that strengthens the bonds of friendship while nurturing the patient’s spiritual health. Included are tips on respecting the patient’s needs and moods, communicating effectively, following hospital protocol, and praying for—and with—those who are confined to the hospital.

In our religiously pluralistic society, clergy, medical, and nursing staffs in modern hospitals are confronted with caring for people with varied beliefs and customs. Since the overall care of a patient, and not just the surgeries performed or medicines given, affect an individual's recovery, it is vitally important to be familiar with cultural and religious understandings and expectations around hygiene, pastoral care, autopsies, transfusions, and even the practices associated with death itself.

A Hospital Handbook for Multiculturalism and Religion is a succinct guide to the care of patients from a variety of faiths. The original version included Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Baha'i. In the revised edition Neville Kirkwood has added chapters on Taoism, Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism, Chinese Buddhism, and Jainism. Each chapter examines not only the customs of adherents to various faith perspectives but also the significance of certain rites and attitudes, supplying health-care workers and chaplains with the information they need to provide the best care possible.

Suzanne Guthrie teaches us about the seasons of prayer by letting us enter her own in these forty meditations stretching from Advent through Pentecost.

Against the landscape of northern California, Guthrie gently leads us through the ancient 'illuminative way’ of prayer, learning to see the extraordinary reality of God in the ordinary – the dry grass and circling hawks, raging firestorms in summer and the heavy winter rains. “Pray as you are drawn to pray,” she tells us, not as someone has told you how to pray.

An invitation to see Advent and Christmas through the eyes of a Benedictine monk to find the holy and peace in the hustle and bustle of the season.

Take a Benedictine walk through the season of Advent with Benedictine monk Albert Holtz. Join him on his daily outings as he heads out of his abbey and through the colorful, noisy streets of Downtown Newark, New Jersey. In these once-a-day meditations, Father Albert points out the often-unnoticed connections between our secular celebration of the holidays and the deeper, spiritual meaning of the holy seasons of Advent and Christmas.

In a string of colored lights, a crowd of shoppers, or the window of a toy shore, readers will uncover the traditional advent themes of watchful waiting, repentance, and selfless love. In the bustling sidewalks and busy malls, readers will learn to see Isaiah, John the Baptist, and even Jesus himself, all speaking their ancient messages of peace, hope and good will.

How one can trust amidst uncertainty, fear, and anger.

Fragmented Lives describes the meaning of faith for people the Church has shown little facility for attracting but whom it would like to reach, people who have entered church doors occasionally but who have little depth of commitment. It is a book for persons exploring the basis of faith, as well as for church leaders looking to understand how their programs and message can align with faith journeys today.

While examining the growing emphasis on spirituality for those wanting "spirituality without structures," it argues that spirituality has become so elastic in its meaning that it is lacking the definition and direction people seek in finding answers to their questions.

The authors use personal stories to animate the discussion of how faith must be construed as something other than "belief" or "assent." They provide a road map for discovering the journey of living into a faith tradition together. Through this journey, the meaning of faith is illumined and the Church is revealed to be the community of faith that fulfills the needs and intentions of those seeking to live a more authentic life beyond the fragmentation they experience in this age of uncertainty.

The goal of prayer is to practice it without ceasing.
Focusing on the prayer lives of the laity, this book includes stories of individuals seeking to connect their faith with their work in the world. The goal of this connection is to affirm that prayer is both a quiet act of reverence and an active dynamic expressed in daily life situations at work and home.

Through the stories of people at work and prayer, the book seeks to encourage an understanding of prayer as that dimension of our relationship with God equally alive at work and at play, in public and at home.

A hands-on, practical resource for people who want to explore their relationship with God through writing.
Unlike other books that focus on writing itself, Sarah Stockton focuses on the discoveries made--about one's self and about God--through meditation and creative journaling. A Pen and A Path is a book for anyone who wants to explore where God has been present in the various experiences of their life, past and present. Stockton, a spiritual director and writing teacher, walks readers through thirty-five separate topics, which can be read and worked on in order or in any sequence of interest to the reader.

Topics explored include religious understandings such as how God is envisioned, how religious training formed (or didn't form) the reader, and how we envision ourselves as spiritual beings. Other chapters explore life stages: childhood, teenage years, elder years, as well as marriage, parenting, and sexuality. Focusing on emotions such as grief, shame, anger, and loneliness, as well as feelings about work provide readers with the opportunity to explore nearly any aspect of their life of faith.

Hospitality and inclusion are important to the Church. Monastic communities are held up as a model, opening their doors to those who need a place to rest. But they also place boundaries on that hospitality, asking guests to observe house rules, and maintaining a cloistered area where guests are not permitted. "Good fences make good neighbors," wrote Robert Frost. Drawing on her training as a biologist and church consultant, Caroline Westerhoff explores the theological questions raised by boundaries. Filled with stories of actual families and communities, this book is excellent reading for church leaders and for individuals who want to be inclusive and yet maintain boundaries in their lives. John Westerhoff's study questions make this a helpful resource for parish study groups.

Written from an ecumenical standpoint as a practical aid for moving those experienced in individual spiritual direction toward group practices

This book responds to the movement to expand spiritual direction beyond the classic on-with-one model. Group spiritual direction has the potential to offer the rich experience of individual spiritual direction to a much wider audience, yet very little has been written to provide guidance for starting such groups.

This book responds to that challenge. It outlines ways that a diverse and ecumenical group of spiritual directors worked to initiate groups in multiple contexts. It examines the many variables-among directors, directees, even meeting spaces-that affect and enliven this ministry. And it summarizes pitfalls, success, and discoveries.

Interest in the practice of spiritual direction has grown in recent years. With the increased number of people seeking direction have come a number of new issues confronting spiritual directors.

This volume of essays by seasoned spiritual directors from a variety of faith traditions addresses issues of concern to directors today such as direction with: abused persons, the poor, church drop-outs, and gays and lesbians. Other essays look at spiritual direction in new contexts, such as the congregational setting, the corporate arena, spiritual direction and generational issues, and direction at the turn of the century. The final section of the book addresses some specific circumstances: working with the addicted, with those who are dying, using art in spiritual direction, and direction and social justice.

Contributors include: Joseph D. Driskill (Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA); Juan Reed (Chicago, IL); Rich Rossiter (Oak Park, IL); Sandra Lommason (Davis, CA); Howard Rice (Santa Rosa, CA); Tom Cashman (Federal Way, WA); Steven Charleston, Episcopal Divinity School; Barry Woodbridge (Rancho Cucamonga, CA); Margaret Guenther (Washington, D.C.); Betsy Caprio Hedburg (Culver City, CA) and Kenneth Leech, (London), Janet Ruffing, and Norvene Vest.

The Spiritual Directors International Series – This book is part of a special series produced by Morehouse Publishing in cooperation with Spiritual Directors International (SDI), a global network of some 6,000 spiritual directors and members.

A religious meditation on borders—physical and spiritual—an elemental and humanist phenomenon for everyone.

If Barbara Brown Taylor and Steven Covey ever wrote a book together, this might be the book! Living Compass is a church-based faith and wellness program designed for individuals and small groups. Readers engage in a 10-week, self-guided wellness retreat, consisting of daily ten-minute readings, plus small, meaningful action steps designed for getting “your life, your relationships, and your work headed in a new direction,” according to the author.

Deeply spiritual and exceedingly practical, this book joins the national Living Compass network, which includes a website, workshop series, wellness resources (including a free Living Well with Living Compass app), social media, and soon, a new multi-million-dollar wellness center to be located in the offices of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago.

Structured holistic wellness program for individuals and groups based on a highly successful retreat model developed by priest-psychologist. Builds on the national network of Living Compass workshops, presentations, and publications, and soon, a multi-million faith and wellness center in Chicago. Each chapter includes questions for reflection.

An important examination of the theological, spiritual, and ethical issues surrounding death.

At the end of a life of faithfulness comes our dying. To approach it as faithfully as we have our living calls for some serious forethought. Because one of the simplest facts of life—that we all die—seems like the most complicated thing we do.

Not only have advances in
medical technology saved lives, but they also have prolonged death, and raise a
number ethical, moral, social, and theological issues. How far should we go to
sustain life? Is it right to withdraw artificial feeding from the dying? Is it
wrong to end the lives of those in pain? No matter who we are, dealing with
these sorts of choices near the end of life is difficult to do on our own.Faithful Living, Faithful
Dying: Anglican Reflections on End of Life Care brings together the wisdom of a
task force created by the 72nd General Convention of the Episcopal Church to
study what faithful living and faithful dying mean today. The task force’s
reflections, published for the first time in this book, assist individuals,
congregations, and the Church as a whole to disentangle the thicket of ethical,
theological, pastoral, and policy concerns.

As Christians, each of us—clergy and lay alike—has a unique call to ministry. In many denominations today, lay people are responding to this call by tending to the spiritual needs of those who are sick and dying. Here is a practical guide to the art of hospital visitation for trained lay workers, written by a hospital chaplain with nearly 20 years’ experience. With Jesus as theological model for lay workers in their ministry, the author presents practical approaches to hospital visits, with guidelines on such topics as awareness of patient needs, ministering in times of crisis, and the place of prayer in the hospital visit. In addition, lay workers will find a selection of prayers to offer in a variety of circumstances.

In a handy format that fits easily into pocket or purse, The Lay Pastoral Worker’s Hospital Handbook is the perfect guide and companion for those who minister to the sick.

Episcopalians consider themselves to be people whose individual and corporate lives are shaped by the Book of Common Prayer, but aside from worship on Sunday morning, few know what fills its nearly 1,000 pages. John Westerhoff, Episcopal priest and Christian educator, walks readers through the ways in which the contents of the Prayer Book can (and should) shape the lives of those who call themselves Episcopalians.

An excellent resource for parish study or reading in advance of seminary training, Westerhoff explores a brief history of the Prayer Book, and the ways in which it shapes us as pilgrims and prayerful people. How Episcopalians live into their baptism, live a Eucharistic and reconciling life, as well as a life of wholeness and health, are explored in detail. All of this, as Westerhoff writes, helps us lead a holy life, and one day, to a holy death.

Almost every woman knows the press of busy days - days when we can't keep track of what we've done (or haven't done), much less find five minutes to rest. These daily meditations from best-selling author Barbara Crafton - wife, grandmother, priest, retreat leader, and spiritual director - will help women restore the balance and bring perspective into their daily lives.

Crafton explores the things women know well: bags under the eyes, people who monopolize meetings, office politics, middle-age pride, kids leaving home, faith, love, destiny, the impossible images women's magazines perpetuate, friendship, and many more. Here she becomes the wise and funny friend every woman needs every day.

An essential textbook for beginning spiritual directors. Noticing the Divine utilizes wisdom from the religions of the world to teach the basic skills needed to offer spiritual direction to people of all traditions. It introduces the foundational concepts and techniques needed to responsibly and professionally practice the art of spiritual guidance. Among the religious traditions covered are Judaism, Christianity, Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

Practical and theoretical instruction for mainline church planting.

The Episcopal Church has recognized that planting new churches is a high priority through the Mission Enterprise Zones initiative, which provides grant funding for new worshiping communities, in partnership with dioceses. While there is significant literature and training available for church planters in evangelical contexts, very little is available for planters in the Episcopal/mainline context.

This book addresses how to rise up and train leaders for the difficult task of planting new churches in the twenty-first century. It answers the essential questions, such as why should we plant churches, what models of church planting are most successful, what kinds of leaders are necessary, and what problems can be expected. Through the author’s personal experience and interviews with diocesan experts and leaders in mainline denominations, it provides strategies, approaches, and problem-solving techniques.

From Haiti mission teams to companion churches in Kenya, congregations everywhere are breaking through walls of difference and engaging in mission that transforms lives around the world, around the corner, and in the pews. And they're not waiting for a national church body to lead the movement.

In this stimulating work, Titus Presler has listened closely to church leaders and activists within and beyond the Anglican fold, and then mined his own rich experience as a scholar, priest and leader in global mission efforts. The result is a book that equips congregations with theological background for building mutual relationships across borders of difference, even as it explores fresh models and practical tools for joining and participating in God's mission.

The definitive collection from one of thethe leading voices on LGBTQ issues in the Episcopal Church.
Letters from Samaria gathers together much of Louie (Crew) Clay’s best and most influential prose and poetry, written from 1974 until the present day, including an essay composed especially for the volume. Much of the material has not appeared since its original publication in newsletters and other ephemeral sources. It is crisply written, and often surprising for its bravery, matter-of-fact self-disclosure, insight, and love. Louie played a pivotal role in transforming The Episcopal Church – and, indeed, Christianity – over the past 40 years. This collection provides a window into Louie Clay’s unlikely and at times shocking ministry throughout the years as history was unfolding.

A how-to guide to integrate children and youth with special needs into church programs and activities, including worship.

Integrating children and teens with learning differences into church programs is a growing priority for nearly all congregations, large and small, yet many feel ill-equipped to "manage" those with special needs in their classrooms, programs and worship. This guidebook for churches is designed to help integrate children and teens with learning differences and their families into the fabric of everyday church life. A useable on-the-ground resource for church leaders with specific suggestions, samples, and processes for adapting curricula, training volunteers, and supporting parents and caregivers, this guide is grounded in theological principles for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the life of a congregation. Begins by focusing on human relationships instead of programs. Expanding the church's awareness and understanding of inclusion is done with respect and achieved by extending the gospel of welcome to all. An extensive annotated bibliography of support materials included. Includes how to train volunteers and staff for hands-on work with children and youth who have special needs. Provides a theological grounding for the inclusion of people with learning differences and disabilities in the life of a congregation.

“I wish every self-identified ‘person of faith’ could read this remarkable, thought-provoking book.”—Bruce Bawer, author of Stealing Jesus

There is a lot of tension in churches today about whose ministry is primary—that of the laity or of the clergy. Living on the Border of the Holy offers a way of understanding the priesthood of the whole people of God and the priesthood of the ordained by showing both are rooted in the fundamental priestly nature of life. After an exploration of the ministries of laity and ordained, Country examines the implications of this view of priesthood for churches and for those studying for ordination.

“For anyone struggling with how to live in the thin places between heaven and earth, Dr. Countryman’s brilliant offer hope, companionship, and the fruits of years of experience. His theory of a ‘fundamental human priesthood’ gives us all a compassionate guide to follow as we enter the borderlands, and it should help end the division between clergy and laity. Countryman’s human priesthood leads us into the future, where God calls us to be.”—Nora Gallagher, author of Things Seen and Unseen: A Year Lived in Faith

In 1999, five scholars presented lectures at Washington National Cathedral about our images of God and what difference they make. This book is ideal for parish study groups and individuals to consider and discuss the viewpoints of Marcus Borg, Karen Armstrong, Jack Miles, James Cone, and Andrew Sung Park.

"Does the face of God change? Years ago I would have said, 'No.' Countless hymns, passage of Scripture and confessions of faith assert or imply the changelessness of God. To take issue with traditions that are centuries, if not millennia old, seemed to be daunting and misguided....But when the great professions of confidence in God harden into philosophical propositions, one is bound to ask: What difference would it make to say that God has only one face? Even if true in some sense, the fact of the matter is that features each of us would count as necessary and changeless would be a matter of considerable debate."
- From the Introduction

Inspiring, engaging reflections to encourage readers to become followers of Jesus in their everyday lives, in a lovely keepsake format.

The term disciple is used hundreds of times in the New Testament. In Matthew, 4:19 Jesus says, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” The call to be a disciple is a call to a life of grace, to engage and live with others in the community of Christ, aligning ourselves with his virtues; embracing his values as our own. It begins and is rooted in divine love. Come, Follow Me, is a book of reflections based on scripture passages about following Jesus. It helps us discover how we can be modern-day disciples who learn from Jesus, live like Jesus, guide others to be like Jesus, and engage the community in the ways of Jesus.

This beautifully designed book includes a brief scripture verse, a thoughtful reflection, and a takeaway for readers to implement in their daily life so they may live out their Christian calling. Perfect for building your own faith or as a gift for loved ones.

A forty-day spiritual journey of healing, faith, and transformation grounded in one pilgrim’s journey on the Camino de Santiago.

40 Days and Nights on the Camino de Santiago is a spiritual travelogue and devotional inspired by a 500-mile trek across northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago. Blending travel entries, scripture, and theological reflection, this unique guide invites readers into a rhythm of prayer, vulnerability, and presence. Each day’s entry explores a distinct moment on the trail—from solitude and struggle to grace and companionship—drawing out the deeper movements of the Christian life: separation, purgation, dying to self, and resurrection. A field guide that pairs a physical journey with spiritual exploration, it’s designed for readers who are seeking, struggling, discerning, hoping, healing, or just wandering.

A collection of blessings, poetry, and micro essays to serve as a companion for readers as they navigate the journey of life by putting one foot in front of the other.

From the co-author of The Beauty of Motherhood comes a powerful book of blessings meant to meet us in our daily lives, in all of the challenges and joys, struggles and triumphs. Encouraging words can be offered and received to get us through life's journey—whether that’s a personal or professional predicament, or the overwhelm of being connected twenty-four/seven. Sometimes we might need encouragement to endure a long commute, or to face the load of dishes in the sink. Or maybe we need words of wisdom when we feel like our faith is waning, or we are facing an existential crisis. We might also appreciate blessings when life is good and we want to express our gratitude and joy.

In all of life’s circumstances, large and small, sacred and silly, blessings are meaningful words that meet real people in their messy day-to-day lives, and Kimberly Knowle-Zeller offers readers grit and grace to face the challenges and embrace the journey ahead.

A devotional from a rising TikTok spiritual guide that offers practical exercises to help readers embrace their body, ease their anxiety, and deepen their faith. 

For much of Christian history, the body—often referred to as “the flesh”—has been associated with sin, weakness, and carnal desire. Many have been taught to view it as a hindrance to spiritual growth, something to tame or transcend. A Tranquil Body offers a radical reclaiming of the body as a sacred instrument of grace. Rooted in the mystery of the Incarnation—God becoming flesh—this guide reminds us that our bodies are not obstacles to holiness, but bridges to it. To worship with your body is not only possible; it is deeply and profoundly Christian.

Through guided practices of breath, posture, movement, and stillness, A Tranquil Body helps readers draw closer to God by becoming more fully present in their own bodies. It’s especially suited for those who struggle with anxiety, offering gentle tools to ground the nervous system, regulate breath, and awaken the senses to God’s nearness. Whether kneeling in prayer, walking in nature, or simply breathing with intention, this book invites readers to rediscover the body not as a burden but as a means of encountering the divine.

A soul-enriching, poetic guide through life-changing illnesses.

Offering solace for chronic or terminal illnesses, Facing Illness, Finding Peace takes patients on a journey toward understanding, acceptance, and peace. In this guide, the poems, reflection questions, and prayers help process the intense emotions, such as shock, anxiety, anger, depression, guilt, and shame, that come from such an event. With themes such as survival, healing, and peace, Groves supports patients as they navigate their new normal and helps caregivers and family members accompany their loved ones on the difficult journey ahead.

The Psalms, a collection of 150 ancient Hebrew poems, songs and prayers, provide one of the richest accounts of humanity's relationship to God.  They are dear to the hearts of many generations, particularly when people are navigating life's challenges and seeking joyful restoration.

In the first of a five-part series, Marty Folsom, a leading relational theologian, invites the reader to contemplate each psalm, to hear its heartbeat, to discern its relational themes, to listen deeply into its intentions, and to reflect on the voices that speak when the psalms are unleashed. The reader will find a sanctuary to soak in the Psalms and allow their authentic selves to dwell with the God of grace and mercy. 

Ultimately, this is a spiritual guide that lets you know you are not alone. It takes ancient wisdom and crafts melodies and pathways that lead us to intimacy with our Companion Creator as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is an invitation to the art of bringing the Psalms to life.

From TikTok's Nerdy Priest comes thoughtful and inspirational reflections on large theological questions through the lens of pop culture.

In a series of short, easily digestible questions and answers, Nerd Faith aims to provide alternative perspective on big theological questions. True to her handle, she draws inspiration from her Ph.D. in Medieval Studies and her favorite books, movies, and shows, such as The Chronicles of Narnia, Star Wars, Star Trek, Ted Lasso, E.T., and more, to deliver relatable, bite-sized sermons in a fun and engaging tone.

Following four key themes of Wonder, Faith, Hope, and Love, and with topics ranging from Biblical authority and contradictions, deconstructing and reconstructing Christianity, what it means to love our enemies, and more, Rachel Kessler, offers spiritual reflections to show glimpses of God’s wonder and mystery. She tackles questions about her understanding of the Trinity or the Virgin Birth, how she understands Jesus's crucifixion beyond a substitutionary punishment for our sins, what faith means to her, and more. Meant for people who believe in or struggle with Christianity, either as Christians or ex-Christians, as well as the spiritually curious, Nerd Faith perfectly combines theology and pop culture as an easy entrance into important spiritual topics.

Touching and humorous, a little monk reveals the significance of quietude in daily life—with charming illustrations.

An invitation to incorporate the peace of silence into our regular spiritual practices. The personal experiences of a Benedictine monk are blended with a story about a little monk and his learning of the Benedictine tradition. Focusing on the importance of silence in our lives despite the noise of the world, the little monk is left to wonder about its value when it is often associated with nothingness. Intertwined with quotes from the Rule of St. Benedict and sets of thoughtful questions and exercises, this story encourages us to slow down, listen deeply, and discover the stillness within. 

From a NASA scientist comes a fascinating tour through the cosmos, revealing God’s infinite and wondrous presence in the universe. 

In this thought-provoking devotional, Conrad invites readers to explore the vastness of outer space through both the lens of faith and the rigor of science. From the life cycles of stars to the gravitational pull of the moon, each devotion weaves together scripture, scientific insight, reflection questions, and prayers—offering a fresh perspective on how the heavens truly proclaim God's glory.

Drawing from her work with NASA’s Perseverance Rover and her experience in ministry, Conrad bridges the gap between the material and the spiritual, encouraging readers to embrace both curiosity and contemplation. Whether pondering the expanding universe, the delicate balance of Earth’s ecosystems, or the mystery of the Trinity through the dimensions of space, this devotional illuminates how science and faith point together toward the divine. Perfect for seekers, scientists, and stargazers alike, A Believer's Journey through the Stars is an invitation to stand in awe of God’s creation—and to find deeper meaning in its beauty.

A 40-day journey exploring how the eternal wisdom of Jesus can comfort, challenge, and center us in a rapidly changing world.

In a time marked by anxiety and polarization, Everlasting Jesus offers a daily invitation to slow down and reconnect with what is lasting and true. Drawing from the Gospels and writing with his signature warmth, Rick Hamlin shows how the words and actions of Jesus still speak powerfully into the complexity of modern life. Whether it's Jesus crossing cultural lines to speak with a Samaritan woman—offering her, a social outcast, dignity and “living water”—or his call to invest in what matters rather than be ruled by fear and scarcity, each reflection ties Scripture to the concerns of now: social division, information overload, spiritual exhaustion, and the search for authentic connection.

Through stories of compassion, resilience, and radical grace, Hamlin explores how Jesus can help us confront prejudice, live generously, and hold on to hope when the world feels unsteady. From the challenge to love those we disagree with to the promise that “you are the light of the world,” this book provides a deep well of encouragement for anyone seeking clarity and purpose. With Scripture-based reflections and thoughtful prompts for personal or group use, Everlasting Jesus will help you renew your faith, reframe your priorities, and simply hear Jesus’s voice above the noise.

Praise for Rick Hamlin's previous works:

"An utterly relatable book full of honesty and hope." ―Sue Monk Kidd, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Life of Bees

"From the darkness of life, when the questions Why me? and Why now? go unanswered, Rick Hamlin leads us to hearing the gentle whispers of God in his deeply personal story of healing." ―Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Funny, engaging and faith-filled." —Roma Downey, co-producer of The Bible and Ben Hur 

"A great gift to us all." —Thomas Cahill, author of How the Irish Saved Civilization and Heretics and Heroes in the Hinges of History series

"...a lively story of the Episcopal tradition"
—E. Brooks Holifield

A thorough, carefully researched history that sets church events against the background of social changes. Completely revised and updated, this third revised edition covers the history of the Episcopal Church up to the summer of 2014 and includes a closing section on the important work of the Task Force for Reimagining the Episcopal Church (TREC), which will be reporting to the 2015 General Convention.

For church historians, seminarians, and those who have interest in the past, present, and future developments within the Episcopal and broader religious landscape.

Brings theological insights together with cutting-edge thinking on organizational innovation to help churches flourish in a time of profound uncertainty and spiritual opportunity.

In today’s dynamic cultural environment, churches have to be more than faithful—they have to be agile. That means embracing processes of trial, failure, and adaptation as they form Christian community with new neighbors. And that means a whole new way of being church.

Taking one page from the Bible and another from Silicon Valley, priest and scholar Dwight Zscheile brings theological insights together with cutting-edge thinking on organizational innovation to help churches flourish in a time of profound uncertainty and spiritual opportunity. Picking up where his bestseller, People of the Way left off, Zscheile answers urgent and practical questions around how churches become agile and adaptive to meet cultural change.

An exploration of the difficult, but necessary lesson of life—letting go—as a means of healing, maturing, and getting closer to God and who and what is important

Letting go isn’t just saying good-bye to people, places, and things, as important as they may be. It's also about letting go of attitudes and ideas, such as perfectionism, resentment, worry, and judgmentalism—that keep us from growing in our relationships with God and others. Letting go is crucial to our spiritual and emotional health.

In How Can I Let Go If I Don't Know I’m Holding On?, Linda Douty examines a variety of letting-go struggles and offers ways to move on to a deeper spirituality. Weaving together her own experiences and the stories of others, she offers strategies for letting go of the things that keep us from a deeper relationship with the Divine. With practical suggestions and updated versions of spiritual classics such as lectio divina, plus questions for study and reflection, this book is a rich resource for personal spiritual growth as well as for group study.

“Every major spiritual tradition endorses a key piece of wisdom: It is by giving up, letting go, and renouncing attachments that we achieve fulfillment and job in life. Linda Douty’s book is a wide guide to accomplish this vital lesson.”—Larry Dossey, MD, author of The Extraordinary Power of Ordinary Things, Reinventing Medicine, and Healing Words

A meditation on the meaning of Good Friday and the value of silence.

Good Friday is not like any other time of the year, and Christians everywhere wonder about the best way to mark the day. Again and again, sermons and meditations have centered our attention on the words Jesus spoke from the cross, but those few, brief words would have needed only a few minutes on the first Good Friday. Seven chapters in this unique book consider the event, and the meaning, of the Crucifixion to our lives today, including the various ways in which silence plays a role in our daily lives.

So many of us are overwhelmed with words coming at us from all our electronic devices that the thought of more language has less appeal than it once did. On one of the holiest days of the year, these brief meditations are designed to call us into the silence that still speaks more loudly than words.

An examination of Jesus’s relationships with each of his first disciples other reveals ways to deepen our relationship with Him.

One of the first things Jesus did in his ministry was to reach out to twelve individuals and draw them into his circle of close companionship with him. This series is about those twelve apostles, their relationships with Jesus and with each other, and what dynamics of that community can teach us.

Jesus did not wait for people to be perfect in order to call them into the circle of God’s love. As we look at those who Jesus called, and consider ourselves as part of that ever enlarging circle, we gain not only a deeper sense of our reality, but also a deeper sense of how Christ wants to work with us.

Based on talks given at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Birmingham, and more recently The Chautauqua Institute, these lectures have been edited by Ann W. Claypool in her husband’s memory.

Anger, judgment, forgiveness, wisdom. All of these and more are biblical words we've used so often that they have very little meaning for us anymore. For others--seekers and those who are coming to church for the first time--these words sound like jargon. They are words that divide new church members from those who have been there a lifetime. In From Anger to Zion, Porter Taylor reflects on an alphabet of biblical words in ways that will help newcomers understand and speak the language, and that will encourage those familiar with these words to rethink them.

A wonderful storyteller and writer, Taylor's essays, each based on a biblical text, take ancient words and ideas and bring them into contemporary life. Egypt of old is today's broken place in our lives—the place where, like Moses, God is most likely to call us to go. Forgiveness is explored as a way of unfreezing time; without forgiveness we cannot grow. What does Isaiah's and the Israelites’ homesickness have to do with today's homeless and lost people?

These beautifully written essays are wonderful devotional material, but they also can serve as material for preparing to preach or for small-group discussion within parish reading groups.

"“If you have little tolerance for ecclesiastical blowhards; if you’ve ever fantasized about implementing a clergy rating system (CRS); if you’ve ever sought tips on surviving diocesan convention; if you’ve ever tried to weasel your way out of pledging; then this book is for you,” says author Tim Schenck.

“My take on church life isn’t for everyone—clergy who take themselves too seriously will hate it. But know that it all comes out of a place of deep love for God and the Church. There are inevitably things that drive us nuts about such an imperfect (i.e., human) institution. Yet if we can’t observe and comment on our own foibles we’re left without much hope. And anyway if God doesn’t have a sense of humor, I’m hosed.”"

A practical, down-to-earth guide on the Rule of St. Benedict and its use in daily life.

In the sixth century when the Roman Empire was breaking apart and politics, cultural life and even the Church were in disarray―tumultuous times not unlike our own―Benedict of Nursia designed what he termed “a little rule” that showed his monks the way to peace as they learned to prefer Christ above all things.

Jane Tomaine translates St. Benedict’s ancient rule for a modern audience and offers readers a primer on how to use these tools in their own tumultuous lives. Each chapter examines one aspect of the Rule, from ways of praying to ways of being in relationships and community, and offers tools for reflection, prayer, journaling, and action. This updated edition includes historical background to the Rule, a new chapter on relationships and community, and a guide for group use.

“[A] wonderful book, one of the best introductions we have in print today to the spirit of St. Benedict. It speaks clearly to Episcopalians of our day about the great spiritual treasure of the Benedictine tradition.”―The Rt. Rev. R. William Franklin, Assisting Bishop of Long Island.

The collective groan that greets stewardship campaigns in most churches can be quelled. This book offers theoretical and practical propositions by which lay and clergy leaders can ensure the sustainability of stewardship ministries to help their congregations flourish. Bob Sitze invites stewardship leaders into a broader conversation of how shifted biblical and secular stewardship concepts, practice, and identity can be incorporated into a congregation's life and help bring about lasting change.

The book has two sections: Part 1, Scriptural Stewardshifts, reinterprets familiar biblical passages on stewardship, introduces new ones, and helps congregations expand their use of the Bible in their life and stewardship work. Part 2, Secular Stewardshifts, examines the resources that are available to congregations from the "continuing revelation" that is occurring in the secular world, including brain science, financial planning, philanthropy, community organizing, and other areas. The book is written in a friendly style, with reflection questions, so-what moments, and engaging sidebars.

With autism diagnoses rising, more and more parents find the challenges of caring for an autistic child added to the everyday strains and stresses—and joys—of family life. In a deeply personal, honest, humorous set of essays, Martha Johnson Bourlakas grapples with life—life as a person of faith, life as a wife and mother, life as a clergy spouse (her husband is bishop of Southwestern Virginia), life as the parent of a developmentally disabled young adult, life as one unable to maintain pretense. Reading these essays is like sitting down over coffee with a good friend to commiserate and laugh with someone who understands.

An eminent group of Episcopal scholars and bishops addresses the core issues raised in Bishop Spong's books and teachings on the Virgin birth, resurrection, sexuality, scripture, sin, Jesus, culture, and God. These essays are incisive responses to an articulate and charismatic public figure whose provocative writings have stirred traditional and non-traditional thinkers alike.

While acknowledging that Spong's writing strikes a chord with lay people in the churches and the general public, the book's authors believe a balanced response is needed. They accomplish this by commending the bishop for having the courage of his convictions while challenging his teachings on the cornerstone beliefs of Christian tradition.

This is a spiritual detective story. Who was Julian? Why has she become so famous? Why did her writings disappear for centuries? Why is everyone reading them today?

This fascinating illustrated exploration of Julian's world, her city, her century, and her remarkable book--the first written by a woman in English--provides clues to the exciting mystery that is Julian.

Clouds and Glory is the final volume in a three-volume collection of prayers and other resources based on the New Common Worship Lectionary used widely around the world. Written in the Celtic style for which David Adam is well-known, and linked to the Sunday readings, these prayers and intercessions may be used by congregations for the Prayers of the People, as well as by individuals seeking to supplement their personal devotions.

How churches can work to stem gun violence

Over 300 Episcopalians came together in Oklahoma City in April 2014 to renew their commitment to the Gospel call to make peace in a world of violence. Through deep conversation, prayer, and skill building the event empowered the Episcopal Church to address violence and reclaim its role in society as workers for nonviolence and peace.

This book is one of the outcomes of that event - resources to help dioceses, congregations, and individuals reclaim the Gospel message of peace for our society. Divided into four sections - Proclaim: The Gospel, Sustain: The Witness, Reclaim: The Response and Our Prayers - topics are offered in the areas of advocacy, education, liturgy, and pastoral care that our Church can use to address the culture of violence within and outside of the Church, the reader will hear the Gospel proclaimed through personal stories of witness from key leaders in the Church today, including Justin Welby, Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop Ed Konieczny, Eugene Sutton, Mark Beckwith, Kay Collier McLaughlin, James Michael Dowd, Matthew Ellis, and others.

Topics include: systemic/root cause of violence, suicide/mental health, hate crimes, gang violence, race and violence, advocacy, gun violence, bullying, gender-based violence, and non-violence. Reflection questions follow each chapter with a comprehensive study guide for group use included.

With national and international concern around issues of abuse, burnout, meaninglessness, and spiritual bankruptcy in every profession, supervision is becoming increasingly necessary for people who desire life-giving care and understanding in their work and ministry. This book provides a framework of theory and experience to develop the strengths and address the challenges of professional supervision with particular focus on developing spiritual sensitivity and competency.

Glimpses of Glory is the second in a three-volume collection of prayers and other resources based on the New Common Worship Lectionary used widely around the world. Written in the Celtic style for which the author is well-known, and linked to the Sunday readings, these prayers and intercessions may be used by congregations for the Prayers of the People, as well as by individuals seeking to supplement their personal devotions.

Sometimes pain passes quickly and small losses are easily absorbed. But when suffering goes on and on, for people of faith, the resulting crisis can be deeper and more destructive than the loss itself. We look for ways to comfort those who are hurting. But sometimes, in spite of our good intentions, the cliches and simplistic theology we offer only add to the pain and misery. In When Suffering Persists, Frederick W. Schmidt presents a pastoral exploration of ways to understand suffering theologically, offering an approach that ministers to both mind and spirit. He questions the value of our usual comforting words and examines the pat explanations we give one another. He provides instead a theology that takes seriously the devastating character of suffering, allowing for real help to those who continue in pain.

A down-to-earth guide that syncs theology with technology.
Today Sunday morning worship competes with youth soccer, Starbucks, Facebook, and the allure of being “spiritual but not religious.” To share the gospel in a world like this, Christians need to reach beyond the boundaries of concrete and virtual communities to become evangelists. That takes faith. It also requires skill with public relations, social media, traditional print materials and other techniques to increase church visibility. The authors, both recognized experts and consultants, walk readers through the theology of church communications and introduce steps to help us deliver clutter-busting messages to reach our technologically sophisticated and faith-challenged world.

The Christian spiritual journey is a pilgrimage to wholeness, a search for home that is in God. In this classic work on contemporary spiritual living, Alan Jones explores the various parts of the pilgrimage home. Using literature, art, and biblical texts as illustrations, he explores our search for light and love, repentance, and forgiveness in the context of the Passion and Easter stories.

An excellent book for group study during Lent and Easter, this edition includes study questions at the end of each chapter. Passion for Pilgrimage is also provocative reading for individuals at any time of the year who want to understand the Christian journey more deeply.

Baptism and Confirmation – the Christian rites of initiation – have to do with identity, community, and eternal life. They’re not just ceremonies marking church membership – the meaning of these sacraments is far more radical than that. They’re ways of saying that we know who we are: We’re made in God’s image and called to belong to God forever.

This guide will help readers – newcomers, seekers, parents preparing to present their children for Baptism, confirmands, and even long-time parishioners – to understand and appreciate the Baptism and Confirmation, and the central role they play in the lives of Christians. Provided here is an introduction to the Baptismal Covenant, as well as a step-by-step guide through the rites of both sacraments. Readers will find running commentary on the rite, with facing pages containing the text from the Book of Common Prayer. Other useful features are glossaries and lists of resources for further reading.