The Spirituality of the Gospels


Book Description

Probably no other works of ancient literature have had a greater influence on religious life and thought than the Four Gospels. Certainly no other works have been the subject of such intense study by those determined to learn more about the Gospels' central, often enigmatic, figure. And yet, despite the bewildering variety of scholarly approaches, few have sought to interpret the Gospels in terms of the distinctive spirituality that each contains and seeks to evoke in its readers. That is the aim of this important new book -- to help today's readers explore what each Gospel has to offer when viewed by its own right as a classic of Western spirituality. Written in a clear, non-technical style, the fresh perspectives this work presents will open new vistas on the familiar stories about the life, teaching, and ultimate significance of Jesus.




The Spirituality of Jesus


Book Description

Jesus’ spiritual practices examied for today's believers to follow




Discipleship in Community


Book Description

Jesus said, “Go and make disciples.” So, what exactly are we doing? Western churches face a difficult future marked by numerical decline and evident signs of shrinking cultural influence. But Discipleship in Community wisely asks the church to go back to basics. What does it mean to follow Jesus? What does a life of discipleship look like? Trusted scholars Mark Powell, John Mark Hicks, and Greg McKinzie invite you to consider how good theology can lead to better, more intentional discipleship. In Discipleship in Community you will learn • how the language of Trinity matters to everyday disciples; • how God’s plan and mission is unfolding and how, as disciples, we can participate in that mission; • how the Bible is more than a book of facts and how it guides us into a relationship with God; • how baptism and the Lord’s Supper allow us to experience God’s saving power; and • how local churches can encourage intentional discipleship.




Jesus, Our Spiritual Director


Book Description

Wendy Miller shows the deep biblical roots of Christian spiritual direction in her new book, Jesus, Our Spiritual Director. Very much aware of the growing interest among church leaders in Christian spiritual direction, Miller helps readers see the ways in which Jesus guided his first disciples. She encourages readers to grow spiritually through contemplative reading of the gospels. As readers explore the Gospels through Miller's guidance, they also gain insight into the spiritual lives of the disciples. Miller writers, for example, that readers will sense "the internal array of persons like Simon Peter, listening carefully to his submerged story of fear and anxiety which Jesus notices and brings to light." In reading this gentle guide to the Gospels, readers will discover that Jesus notices and brings to light their own "submerged" stories. Most important, Miller helps readers recognize ways in which God is in dialogue with disciples today. In addition to the Gospels, Miller includes stories of people that show the continued conversion that comes from Christ. Miller offers a groundbreaking book that demonstrates with clarity the ways in which spiritual directions is rooted in the Gospels and in the ministry of Jesus. Each of the thirteen chapters contains guidance for individuals and, beginning with chapter four, guidance for leaders. Here is an antidote for spiritual burnout.




Writing In The Sand


Book Description

A “groundbreaking reinterpretation of the Gospels” that “shines a new light on the profound teachings of Jesus,” recasting him as a spiritual visionary with a radical vision for humanity (Deepak Chopra) This highly original take on the Gospels offers a fresh, new way of imagining human life and society. It presents Jesus not as the founder of a religion but as a world reformer offering a spiritual path to everyone, from every background. It offers a personal spirituality fit for the twenty-first century, where the individual bears responsibility for meaning and for a creative, convivial way of life. In his examination of the original Greek texts, author Thomas Moore dismisses the cautionary voice of tradition and explores the deeper significance of language, stressing the origins of words and the many levels of meaning in stories and imagery. Through his study, Moore shows that the teachings of Jesus are challenging in a far different way than the moralism often associated with them. Based on being open to life, deepening your understanding, and giving up all defensiveness around your convictions, the Gospels can be the source of a new kind of certainty and stability that cannot be codified and enshrined in a list of rules. Writing in the Sand presents the essence of Jesus’ teachings and offers a way of understanding them intelligently and devotedly in the twenty-first century.




The Lost Books of the Bible and The Forgotten Books of Eden


Book Description

Presented here are two volumes of apocryphal writings reflecting the life and time of the Old and New Testaments. Stories told by contemporary fiction writers of historical Bible times in fascinating and beautiful style.




Contemplating Christ


Book Description

The incarnation has made mystics of us all. What if we read the gospels as if that were true? In his book Contemplating Christ,Vincent Pizzuto offers an exploration of the interior life for modern contemplatives that is as beautiful as it is compelling. With an emphasis on the gospels and Christian mystical tradition, his book explores ancient themes in new and surprising ways. Drawing on his rich experience as an academic and priest, Pizzuto gradually unfolds the Christian mystery of deification to which the whole of biblical revelation and the Christian contemplative life are ordered: through the incarnation, we have all been made “other Christs” in the world.




Liberating the Gospels


Book Description

In this boldest book since Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, Bishop John Shelby Spong offers a compelling view of the Gospels as thoroughly Jewish tests.Spong powerfully argues that many of the key Gospel accounts of events in the life of Jesus—from the stories of his birth to his physical resurrection—are not literally true. He offers convincing evidence that the Gospels are a collection of Jewish midrashic stories written to convey the significance of Jesus. This remarkable discovery brings us closer to how Jesus was really understood in his day and should be in ours.




Exploring the Spirituality of the Gospels


Book Description

Within each of the four gospels there is a foundational spirit, a spirituality of the gospels. That is to say, each gospel contains rich images and values central to the Vision of the person of Jesus' and to the path toward spiritual transformation in his image. In this volume Patrick Hartin first looks at each gospel and asks such questions as Who is Jesus? and What transformation does this encounter with Jesus invite? Hartin then follows with examples of people who have appropriated the transformative power of these particular spiritualties from Saint Antony and Dorothy Day to Saint Augustine and Archbishop Romero. Hartin's twofold approach gives us a deeper appreciation for the spiritual dimension of the gospels and helps us to be transformed in Christ by their message and Vision.




Intrusive God, Disruptive Gospel


Book Description

This engaging book guides readers through one of the most colorful books of the Bible, illuminating passages from Acts that show the Christian gospel expressing itself through the lives, speech, struggles, and adventures of Jesus's followers. The book emphasizes the disruptive character of the Christian gospel and shows how Acts repeatedly describes God as upsetting the status quo by changing people's lives, society's conventions, and our basic expectations of what's possible. Suited for individual and group study, this book by a New Testament scholar with a gift for popular communication asks serious questions and eschews pat answers, bringing Acts alive for contemporary reflection on the character of God, the challenges of faith, and the church.