Spirituality
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9780281078158 £9.99 Internationally recognized teacher Richard Rohr circles around this most paradoxical idea as he explores the nature of God - circling around being an apt metaphor for this mystery we're trying to apprehend - the Trinity.
A wonderfully illustrated book on the spiritual practise of Examin.
In this remarkable book, Henry Martin invites us to study in close detail van Gogh’s painting ‘The Good Samaritan’, and the famous parable told by Jesus of Nazareth. He asks what lessons we can learn from meditation upon the imagery and each of the characters portrayed.
Samuel Wells writes as a theologian and pastor to explore the cross in the purposes of God and how this act brings about salvation. Three sections, each with six short chapters, explore the cross in: - the Old Testament (Covenant, Test, Passover, Atonement, Servant, Sacrifice) - the Epistles (Forgiveness, Obedience, Foolishness, Example, Reconciliation, Boast) - the Gospels (Finished, Judged, Betrayed, Pierced, Forsaken, Mocked)
A marvellously readable translation of the great Middle English classic of Christian mysticism. Now part of the beautifully designed Shambhala Pocket Library collection. This anonymous fourteenth-century text is the glory of English mysticism and one of the most practical and useful guides to finding union with God ever written. The Cloud of Unknowing consists of a series of letters written by a monk to his student or disciple, instructing him (or her) in the way of Divine union.
Walking is one of the simplest things we do as humans. It’s how most of us experience life. In The Way Under Our Feet, Graham Usher conveys how exhilarating it is to walk into the depths of our humanity. We become more ready to recognize the needs as well as the joys of others; we sift our thoughts; we seek to heal our battered world, even as we glory in the beauty of nature; we find ourselves companying with our three mile an hour God.
Drawing on the riches of Persian culture and her own dramatic experience of loss of a homeland, Guli Francis-Dehqani offers memorable and perceptive reflections on Jesus’ seven final sayings from the cross, opening up for Western readers fresh and arresting insights from a Middle Eastern perspective.
The Wounded Healer is a hope-filled and profoundly simple book that speaks directly to those men and women who want to be of service in their church or community, but have found the traditional ways often threatening and ineffective. In this book, Henri Nouwen combines creative case studies of ministry with stories from diverse cultures and religious traditions in preparing a new model for ministry.
This book, the fruit of prayer, theological reflection and varied human experience, evokes fresh praying and thinking about all the key relationships in our lives, beginning with God. Drawing on the rich Christian traditions of both east and west, it speaks of theology and spirituality, to the head and the heart.
The Sound of Musings deftly traces Maria von Trapp's journey through the iconic film, The Sound of Music. Inviting us to dance from scene to scene with the captivating and much-loved, 'flibbertigibbet' nun-turned-governess, Bryony Wood draws out profound and accessible insights to encourage us in our own journeys of faith.Prompted by the story, songs and characters of the film, each short chapter looks at different aspects of life, love and faith, helping us discover more about God's love
Prayer
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This new edition of Pete Greig's classic book includes a new forty-day study guide, a foreword from the Archbishop of Canterbury, and a new introduction from the author who has personally revised and updated the text throughout. Originally written out of the pain of his wife's fight for her life, but also the wonder of watching the prayer movement they founded changing lives around the world.
We’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running. How many times have you heard this? Or maybe you’ve said it yourself? ‘But,’ as Stephen Cottrell says, ‘when someone hits the ground running, there is no guarantee they are going in the right direction.' Hit the Ground Kneeling takes common statements about leadership – statements that we often take for granted – and questions them in the light of Christian faith and Christian perspectives on leadership. Ideal for Christians in leadership
Having addressed God's silence in God on Mute, and then How to Pray in his previous bestseller, Pete Greig is back to bring wisdom and guidance to one of the most pressing and perplexing aspects of universal Christian experience - How to Hear God. Exploring the story of Christ's playful, poignant conversation on the road to Emmaus, Pete draws deeply from the insights of a wide range of Christian traditions.
The most important journey in life is the journey inwards, to the depth of our own being. It is a journey we are all invited to make. It takes us beyond words and images into silence. The silence allows the restless mind to become still and in the stillness we enter a new world. We return to our hearts, here we find our true selves, we discover an ancient way of finding God that has almost become lost.
Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools is your invitation to trade your conceptions and misconceptions about prayer for prayer in its purest form: a vital, sustaining, powerful connection with God that is more real and alive than you could have ever imagined. In these pages, Tyler Staton - author, pastor, and national director of the 24/7 Prayer movement - addresses common roadblocks to prayer and gives you the confidence to come to God just as you are.
A collection of intercessions to accompany the Church of England Common Worship Lectionary, years A, B and C, all in one volume. Each petition includes a focusing bidding with some dots ( ), to indicate where intercessors may address specific concerns, a gathering sentence and a responsory. The intercessions are compatible with the traditional areas of church, political governance/world concerns, neighbourhood, sick and deceased.
9781848670648 £4.99 Daily Prayer provides traditional prayers and a short form of daily prayer, followed by suggested prayers for morning, evening and night.
This collection of around 500 original collect-style prayers and biddings covering the life of the Church and the life of the world. Contemporary in focus and language, the prayers are written in a concise style that makes them ideal for public worship but will also appeal to those who wish to pray privately but struggle to find the words.
There is a divine restlessness in the human heart today, an eternal echo of longing that lives deep within us and never lets us settle for what we have or where we are. Now, in this exquisitely crafted, inspirational book, Irish poet and scholar John O'Donohue explores that most basic of human desires - the desire to belong.
A brand new two-year collection of daily readings and prayers, with Celtic themes and inspiration. Building on the foundations set down in the first volume, this new collection blends the voices of the early Celtic and desert saints with more contemporary sources in ways that continue to speak to us in our own generation and culture.
General Christian Life
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We usually think of Jesus as preaching and teaching, but throughout the gospels he is often asking questions – searching enquiries, that disarm the hearers into responding unreservedly and provide some of the most profound lessons in the New Testament. But what were the questions that Jesus asked? And how can we learn from them today?
9780007461219 £8.99 The book brings together C.S. Lewis's legendary radio broadcasts during the war years, in which he set out simply to `explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times'.
God is a tough audience as far as audible response is concerned, but at least you don't have to explain the references. In this collection of prayers, much-loved comedian, broadcaster and radio host Frank Skinner has tried to retain the bare candour of the rehearsal-room improvisation - to show what faith feels like, from the inside - but infused it with all the production values required to make it a passable public entertainment. In it are his convictions, his questions, his fears, his doubts,
9780007461240 £8.99 This profound narrative takes the form of a series of letters from Screwtape, a devil high in the Infernal Civil Service, to his nephew Wormwood, a junior colleague engaged in his first mission on earth trying to secure the damnation of a young man who has just become a Christian.
In his best-selling book ‘That’s a Good Question!’, J.John helped answer some of the most curious and tricky questions that children ask about God, the Bible and Christianity. In his latest book, ‘Will I be Fat in Heaven? and Other Curious Questions’, J.John answers thirty-eight questions that adults think and ask about God, the Bible, the world, and everything in-between.
Written by #1 New York Times bestselling author Joyce Meyer, who went from being in pain and miserable to peaceful and satisfied through Christ, this book is the key to shifting your perspective so that you may also relish every moment and every part of life. Joyce explains how to love life fully, in spite of your obstacles, so you can experience the joy and fulfillment God has for you!
Theology and Ethics
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A fresh look at the foundation story of the Christian faith by one of the world’s greatest living theologians. Full of illuminating theological insights, and with questions for discussion or personal reflection at the end of each chapter, God With Us is the perfect book for all those who want to deepen their understanding and appreciation of the heart of the gospel. God With Us is a book of two parts, joined together by the pen of Rowan Williams into a beautiful whole.
A series of Bible passages unpacked to show the Bible’s relevance to environmentalism, and how we can all play our part in limiting the negative effects of climate change. The climate crisis is one of the most important issues of our time, threatening lives and livelihoods. The Bible teaches us that God the creator put humans on the Earth to take care of it; to show love to all, and to care for the poor and vulnerable.
It is not enough to think only of balances of power but also of the need to provide a response to new problems and to react with global mechanisms to the environmental, public health, cultural and social challenges, especially in order to consolidate respect for the most elementary human rights, social rights and the protection of our common home. It is a matter of establishing global and effective rules that can permit “providing for” this global safeguarding.
Twenty-five Empowering Stories from the Bible. Storkey focuses on the stories of women who faced a range of challenges and life-changing decisions. Her investigations will lead you to fully appreciate the authenticity of these accounts. They will prompt you to see the connections with our own lives and times. And above all they will empower you to respond more faithfully and intelligently to the many challenges that women are still confronted with today.
Cole Arthur Riley writes an unforgettable book of stories and reflections on discovering the sacred in her skin. In these deeply transporting pages, Cole reflects on the stories of her grandmother and father and encounters of enfleshed, embodied spirituality. As she writes memorably of her own lived experiences of childhood and selfhood, Cole boldly explores some of the most urgent questions of life and faith:
What does it mean when God is presented as male?What does it mean when – from our internal assumptions to our shared cultural imaginings – God is presented as white? These are the urgent questions Chine McDonald asks in a searing look at her experience of being a Black woman in the white-majority space that is the UK church – a church that is being abandoned by Black women no longer able to grin and bear its casual racism, colonialist narratives and lack of urgency on issues of racial justice.
9780281076628 £8.99 A fresh look at the meaning Christian discipleship written in a highly accessible level, for people of all ages and backgrounds. Designed for use by individuals or groups, with questions for reflection or discussion at the end of each chapter. this book is ideal for anyone near the start of their spiritual journey or wanting to be refreshed and reinvigorated in the Christian life.
9780281071715 £7.99 This book is an invitation to everyone to think through the essentials of the faith and how to live it, making it an ideal gift for anyone at the start of their spiritual journey or thinking about confirmation.
ISBN: 9781472946089 Price: £12.99 Apart from being a scholar and theologian, Rowan Williams has also demonstrated a rare gift for speaking and writing plainly and clearly about essentials of the Christian faith. In the chapters of this book he writes with profound perception about the life of holiness to which we are called.
9780281079759 £9.99 What is consciousness? Is the mind a machine? What makes us persons? How can we find the path to human maturity? These are among the fundamental questions that Rowan Williams helps us to think about in this deeply engaging exploration of what it means to be human.
Testimony, Biography, Fiction and Poetry
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Sharing a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of this notoriously private monarch, The Faith of Queen Elizabeth features intimate stories and inspiring reflections on the personal faith behind the Crown. With testimonies from historic figures such as Winston Churchill, Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, and Margaret Thatcher, this magnificent tribute explores the faith of the world's most famous Queen - and the King she served.
This is the inspirational story of Amelia Jacob, one of the UK’s first female priests – and the very first from Pakistan. The Priest from Pakistan is refreshingly candid about the challenges of family life, the immigrant experience and ministering as a woman in a man’s world. For anyone considering how they might serve the Lord, Amelia’s story is encouragement that there are no limits with God!
In The Vanishing Song, trans Christian poet Jay Hulme goes in search of what is all but lost in contemporary faith, the ‘beautiful and holy and wild’ way of the saints, and the alluring, perplexing mystery of the places they chose for themselves – forests, caves, rocky outcrops in the sea.
Bear Grylls has survived where few would dare to go. Now, for the first time, Bear tells the story of his action-packed life. Gripping, moving and wildly exhilarating, Mud, Sweat and Tears is a must-read for adrenalin junkies and armchair adventurers alike.
In her second work of fiction, Biblical scholar and popular author and speaker Paula Gooder tells Lydia's story - who she was, the life she lived and her first-century faith - and in doing so opens up Paul's letter to the Philippians, giving a sense of the cultural and historical pressures that shaped Paul's thinking, and the faith of the early church.
Jay Hulme is an award-winning transgender poet, performer, educator and speaker. In late 2019, his fascination with old church buildings turned into a life-changing encounter with the God he had never believed in, and he was baptised in the Anglican Church. In this new poetry collection, Jay details his journey through faith and baptism during an unprecedented world-wide pandemic.
Paula Hollingsworth 9780745968605 £9.99 Paula Hollingsworth explores Jane Austen's gentle but strong faith and the effect it had both on her life and her writing. Drawing on Jane’s life story, her letters, her friendships, her books and the characters portrayed, Paula shows the depth of Jane Austen’s spirituality.
9781473669727 £14.99 In this, her first work of fiction, Biblical scholar and popular author and speaker Paula Gooder tells Phoebe's story - who she was, the life she lived and her first-century faith - and in doing so opens up Paul's theology, giving a sense of the cultural and historical pressures that shaped Paul's thinking, and the faith of the early church.
9781848252745 £9.99 In Sounding the Seasons, Cambridge poet, priest and singer-songwriter Malcolm Guite transforms seventy lectionary readings into lucid, inspiring poems, for use in regular worship, seasonal services, meditative reading or on retreat.
Ministry and Evangelism
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How might the church nationally and locally better represent cultural diversity. Central to the book is the theme of gift exchange. All of life is celebrated as gift where we experience diversity, the other, hospitality and God as gifts. It explores the possibilities of intercultural gift exchange in the practices of generous giving, radical receptivity and transformative thanksgiving.
From #MeToo scandals to revelations of spiritual abuse atrocities in the Church, we've watched too many leaders let us down. What went wrong for these leaders? And more importantly, how can we get it right? Just Leadership offers advice and guidance to empower leaders everywhere to make a difference and answer the call for a fairer, more transparent, more equal society.
Suffering and exclusion are normal in a believer's life. At least they should be. This was certainly Jesus's experience. And it's the experience of countless Christians around the world today. No matter your social location or set of experiences, the biblical letter of 1 Peter wants to redefine your expectations and reinvigorate your hope. Drawing on years of ministry in a Muslim-majority nation, Elliot Clark guides us through Peter's letter with striking insights for today.
Samuel Wells explores the key tenets of Christian belief by engaging with the most widely used arguments against religious faith - that it's a crutch for the deluded, a fairy tale for the simple minded, the cause of so many wars, a drug for the poor, powerless against suffering, one path among many, and so on. These are serious accusations against Christianity and Samuel takes them seriously, seeking to understand how and why they have taken hold, what part the church has had in this.
This inspiring and practical handbook draws on the wisdom of a wide variety of practitioners in ten key areas that enable village churches to flourish: 1) Extending a warm welcome 2) Making the most of Life Events 3) Using buildings creatively 4) Caring for God's Acre 5) Being the heartbeat of the community 6) Celebrating our heritage 7) Cultivating fruitful festivals 8) Welcoming more children 9) Reaching the isolated and lonely 10) Communicating effectively Packed with practical advice
Many books on leadership and ministry are written from the point of view of success and strength. In Sustaining Leadership Paul Swann writes out of the raw experience of failure, getting to the heart of who we are as leaders rather than what we do. From this he offers both hope and practical resources for sustaining effective long-term ministry, looking at self-care, balance and healthy ministry, feasting on divine love, and more. As he says, this is the best gift we can offer those we serve.
Samuel Wells is giving the prestigious Chalmers Lectures in Autumn 2019. This book comprises his six talks. It shares the vision of the church as imagined by HeartEdge, the growing network of churches established by St Martin-in-the-Fields, with its fourfold focus for renewing the mission activity of the church: commerce, culture, congregation and compassion.
ISBN: 9780232533729 Price: £12.99 The first book written by Paul Bayes as Bishop of Liverpool offers a radical new vision of the Church as a table, built by Jesus the carpenter and stretching down every street and into every home. At this table, everyone sits, eats, worships, agrees and disagrees together, as equals.
Learning to live from the still centre 9780857463609 £8.99 This book is concerned with the central vocation of those who are called to the ordained ministry. A contemplative minister is someone who is called first of all to God and to his heart of love, so that the world may also know God and his love for all that he has made.
By Ian Cowley ISBN: 9780857466563 Price: £8.99 Following on from the success of The Contemplative Minister, Ian Cowley offers new insight and greater depth for church leaders in a distracted world. Cowley emphasises that the true self finds peace in resting in the love of God, and he encourages ministers to minister to themselves as well as to others, and to ensure that, in the peace that Jesus promises, their spiritual lives don't run dry amid the pressures of the job.
Biblical Studies
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Tom Wright is widely regarded as the most exciting and influential interpreter of Paul today. In this fresh look at Romans he takes a deep dive into Paul's greatest letter and invites you to explore with him the priceless treasures that lie beneath the surface. With a special focus on Romans 8, Wright leads you on an eye-opening journey, clearly explaining the many ways in which Paul throws light on so much else that God reveals in Scripture
We have misunderstood Paul, badly. We have read his words through our own set of assumptions. We need to begin with Paul’s world view, to see things the way he saw them. · What if ‘original sin’ was never part of Paul’s thinking? · What if the idea that we are saved by faith in Christ, as Luther argued, was based on a mistranslation of Paul’s words and a misunderstanding of Paul’s thinking?
Meeting God in Paul brings you fresh insights into Paul's revolutionary message. Written by one of the world's greatest living theologians, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams explores the essentials of Paul's thought for complete beginners - as well as for those who've read Paul's letters many times before.
A spiritual manifesto by one of the world s most popular Christian writers Shows how the Psalms can help us to connect and commune with God in the way that Jesus did Makes a passionate case for putting the Psalms back at the centre of Christian prayer and worship
In our cultural moment, characterised by individualism, identity politics and social fragmentation it is vital to recover the Bible as the overarching human story that makes sense of life. The Bible: A Story That Makes Sense of Life communicates the arc of the biblical narrative and connects its core themes with our human condition in a way that is intellectually rigorous, personally transformative and culturally engaged.
A sensitive exploration of the Bible's teaching on sexuality. Is it ok to be gay and Christian? Does the Bible really say that homosexuality is wrong? Is sexual orientation fundamental to identity? Author and speaker Sam Allberry has expanded and restructured his best-selling book, which draws on his own experience as a believer who experiences same-sex attraction.
You probably don't need to be told that the demands of modern living are taking their toll on our wellbeing. You likely feel it. And yet, some of us feel as though we're the only ones who are weary, overwhelmed or anxious so we don't talk about it and try and pretend that it's not happening. The truth is that we're far from alone; we all have days where life feels too much, and we've all had times when we're desperate to know that brighter days are ahead.
Does the Bible really condemn same-sex relationships? Many Christians wrestle with this question. Here, in his compassionate, cogent book, David Runcorn outlines how someone can support same-sex relationships on the basis of the Bible, not in spite of it.
This wise, compassionate and practical book is written by Steve Midgley, who worked in psychiatry and then as a pastor and is now Executive Director of Biblical Counselling UK, and Helen Thorne, Director of Training and Resources at Biblical Counselling UK. It will help readers understand and respond with biblical wisdom to people who are struggling with their mental health. This is a useful book for anyone who cares for others pastorally: pastors, elders, small-group leaders and congregations
This book seeks to find a better way to do theology – not about, but with and of LGBTQI people – taking insights from the sciences and personal narratives as it seeks to answer the question: ‘What does human flourishing look like?’