faithAlivebooks Blog

Spirit of Books

Twice a year the Catholic Book Publisher's Association provides the "Spirit of Books" catalogue to booksellers. The spring/summer 2005 edition features nearly 200 titles.

We at faithAlivebooks.com, reccomend a sampling of titles from the catalogue:

A Pilgrim People: Learning Through the Church Year by John H. Westerhoff; Seabury Classics

Drawn into the Mystery of Jesus through the Gospel of John by Jean Vanier; Paulist Press

Gospels and Acts: The Saint John's Bible by Donald Jackson; Liturgical Press

Bless My Child: A Catholic Mother's Prayer Book by Julie Cragon; Ave Maria Press

The Wisdom of the Benedictine Elders: Thirty of America's Oldest Monks and Nuns Share Their Lives' Greatest Lessons by Mark W. McGinnis; BlueBridge

The Spiritual Apprenticeship of a Curious Catholic: The American Catholic Experience by Jerry Hurtubise; ACTA Publications

Women of Mercy by Kathy Coffey; Orbis Books

Desiring God's Will: Aligning Our Hearts with the Heart of God by David Benner; InterVarsity Press

The New American Bible Concise Concordance edited by John R. Kohlenberger, III; Oxford University Press

The New American Bible Compact Edition; Oxford University Press

Starting a Reading Group

Spiritual Book Associates offers guidelines for starting and leading a reading group.

Reading with New Eyes

"What if we began to dwell on and savor the words of our worship and prayer as we do when reading poetry?" asks author Nancy M. Malone, in her article about the spirituality of reading. Malone postulates that reading is as spiritual an act as prayer: "In fiction we are involved in a conversation, a complex exchange between the author and ourselves." For Malone, such a complex relationship and conversation mirrors that which we have with God while we pray. She explores this concept and the history of writing and reading in her new book, Walking a Literary Labyrinth: A Spirituality of Reading.

To read Malone's article, "Reading with New Eyes," visit Sojourners.com.

Desiring God's Will

Desiring God's Will

Aligning Our Hearts with the Heart of God

David G. Benner
123 pages
InterVarsity Press, 2005

Synopsis

In Desiring God's Will, psychologist David Benner investigates the journey of the human will in Christian spirituality through an examination of our desires. His book explores the ways in which our choices can willingly meet the path God wishes us to follow.

Commendations

"Desiring God's Will is a fresh alternative to today's common spiritual writing. David Benner has written a penetrating book...that goes beyond the facile 'how to' and seeks to confront the heart of our rebellion, independence, and pride. This is a welcome gift to those who want to move past easy answers as they surrender to a truly authentic faith and walk with God."

Gary Thomas, author of Sacred Pathways and Sacred Marriage

"This is for people who want God. Even more, it is for people who want to want God. It is about not the taming of the will but its transformation."

John Ortberg, author, teaching pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church

"David Benner never disappoints. he is intelligent without being academic, psychologically astute without being trendy, spiritually profound without being pious. He clearly knows the landscape from which he dares to speak."

Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico

About the Author

David G. Benner is Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Spirituality at the Psychological Studies Institute in Atlanta. Dr. Benner is recognized internationally as a lecturer and retreat director. He is a licensed psychologist specializing in spiritually sensitive therapy, dissociative disorders and spiritual direction. He is the author of many books including Sacred Companions, Surrender to Love, and The Gift of Being Yourself.

Links

Amazon.com

Powell's.com

Psychological Studies Institute

Fumbling

Fumbling

A Pilgrimage Tale of Love, Grief, and Spiritual Renewal on the Camino de Santiago

Kerry Egan
232 pages
Doubleday, 2004

Synopsis

As a young pilgrim journeying over 450 miles south and west from the French Pyrenees mountains to Spain's cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Kerry Egan discovered the depth of grieving and the beauty of God's presence in everyday life. In Fumbling, she chronicles her internal struggle with her faith during the difficult voyage, telling a moving tale of dealing with the grief of her father's death and of rekindled love and spirituality.

Commendations

"Kerry Egan's Fumbling tugs the reader into the rich mystery of pilgrimage--in her able hands, not only a physical trek to a spiritual hot spot but also a moving exploration of love, grief, and wonder. This lovely book called me back every time I strayed away from it, and it will probably haunt me for years."

Kristin Ohlson, author of Stalking the Divine

"The book is more than mere travelogue. ... When Egan embraces the essay form, particularly when she shares her moments of confusion and weakness on the journey, her writing is confident, sharp and engaging. ... A satisfying account of the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of religious pilgrimage."

Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Kerry Egan earned a master's of divinity degree from Harvard University Divinity School. While attending Harvard, she worked as an ombudsman (an investigator and arbiter of complaints) for a nursing home, and as a chaplain intern at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Egan also served as a research assistant at the Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions. She currently resides in Iowa City, Iowa with her husband and travel partner, Alex Ruskell.

Links

Amazon

Powell's