The Desert Monastics, thousands of monks and nuns who lived in the Egyptian wastelands between the third and fifth centuries, have come to be seen as the Olympians of the spiritual life. Renowned spiritual writer Joan Chittister explores the sayings of the Desert Mothers and Fathers, finding wisdom from that ancient tradition that speaks to your life today. This popular introduction to a powerful source of Christian wisdom can be a companion to your own spiritual journey.
Evelyn Thomas, the spoiled, willful daughter of a Philadelphia aristocrat. . .Christopher Drummond, the penniless, orphaned son of a drunken derelict. . .Despite their differences, they are determined to find love and happiness on the edge of the wilderness. But General Washington's troops are being pushed back by British forces. And Christopher must take up his musket to fight for freedom.During the long months of Christopher's absence, Evie works had to become a seasoned frontier woman. But when she is taken captive by Iroquois braves, she must face the possibility that she will not live to see Christopher again.
LISTEN TO ITS RHYTHMS WITH AN OPEN HEART The Book of the Holy Light reveals the nature of God in the form of the Son of God. The first chapter, The Testament of the Holy Light of God, opens the framework of existence in the body of God revealing the nature of light in the embrace of unity. The book continues with The Testament of the Son of God inviting the children of light to return home to the inner space of God. The next chapter, The Twelve Transformations of the Holy Light of God, awakens the inner transformations of consciousness transmuting the children of light into the body of God. Next, The Trans-portal Matrix of Divine Grace describes the inter-connecting matrix of consciousness binding the children of light in the body of God. The book continues with The Dimensions of Light opening the multi-dimensional universe to the children of God. The next chapter, The Forms of Ascending Light, triggers the mechanisms of ascension in the consciousness of the child of light. Finally, The Circle of Ascending Light weaves a tapestry of light around the children of God connecting them to the body of God. "This is the story of light told through revelation. To appreciate it fully you must set aside your intellect and, like poetry, listen to its rhythms with an open heart." Tony Ellis, award winning poet and author of There is Wisdom in Walnuts
Praised as "brilliantly revelatory...a masterful work of critical journalism" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), The Holy or the Broken is the fascinating account of one of the most-performed rock songs in history--Leonard Cohen's heartrending "Hallelujah." How did one obscure song become an international anthem for human triumph and tragedy, a song each successive generation seems to feel they have discovered and claimed as uniquely their own? Celebrated music journalist Alan Light follows the improbable journey of "Hallelujah" straight to the heart of popular culture.
Learn how to listen for the soft voice of the Spirit calling from within, inviting you to know, love, and cooperate with Him in all things great and small.
This sweeping history of popular religion in eighteenth-century New England examines the experiences of ordinary people living through extraordinary times. Drawing on an unprecedented quantity of letters, diaries, and testimonies, Douglas Winiarski recovers the pervasive and vigorous lay piety of the early eighteenth century. George Whitefield's preaching tour of 1740 called into question the fundamental assumptions of this thriving religious culture. Incited by Whitefield and fascinated by miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit--visions, bodily fits, and sudden conversions--countless New Englanders broke ranks with family, neighbors, and ministers who dismissed their religious experiences as delusive enthusiasm. These new converts, the progenitors of today's evangelical movement, bitterly assaulted the Congregational establishment. The 1740s and 1750s were the dark night of the New England soul, as men and women groped toward a restructured religious order. Conflict transformed inclusive parishes into exclusive networks of combative spiritual seekers. Then as now, evangelicalism emboldened ordinary people to question traditional authorities. Their challenge shattered whole communities.
Never has a Pope, in a book-length interview, dealt so directly with such wide-ranging and controversial issues as Pope Benedict XVI does in Light of the World. Taken from a recent week-long series of interviews with veteran journalist Peter Seewald, this book tackles head-on some of the greatest issues facing the world of our time. Seewald poses such forthright questions to Pope Benedict as: What caused the clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church? Was there a "cover up"? Have you considered resigning? Does affirming the goodness of the human body mean a plea for "better sex"? Can there be a genuine dialogue with Islam? Should the Church rethink Catholic teaching on priestly celibacy, women priests, contraception, and same-sex relationships? Holy Communion for divorced-and-remarried Catholics? Is there a schism in the Catholic Church? Should there be a Third Vatican Council? Is there any hope for Christian unity? Is Christianity the only truth? Can the Pope really speak for Jesus Christ? How can the Pope claim to be "infallible"? Is there a "dictatorship of relativism" today? Twice before these two men held wide-ranging discussions, which became the best-selling books Salt of the Earth and God and the World. Then, Seewald's discussion partner was Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vatican's chief doctrinal office. Now, Joseph Ratzinger is Pope Benedict XVI, the spiritual leader of the world's over one billion Catholics. Though Seewald now interviews the Pope himself, the journalist "pulls no punches", posing some of the thorniest questions any Pope has had to address. Believers and unbelievers will be fascinated to hear Benedict's thoughtful, straightforward and thought-provoking replies. This is no stern preachment or ponderous theological tract, but a lively, fast-paced, challenging, even entertaining exchange.