The revitalized ministry of spiritual direction is one of the surest signs of renewal in today's Church. In Spiritual Direction: Contemporary Readings, seventeen leading writers and spiritual directors discuss the history, meaning, demands, and practice of this ministry. Through timely articles by such recognized authors as William Barry, Sandra Schneiders, Louis Cameli, Kallistos Ware, and John Wright, one comes to see that spiritual direction belongs, not to a spiritual elite, but to the entire Church--men and women, clergy and laity, members of religious communities. Compiled especially for those entering spiritual direction, either as directors or directees, this book is an excellent introduction to an exciting ministry in today's Church. A valuable feature of this book is a concluding section with recommendations for further readings. Listing important articles and books on spiritual direction published in recent years, this section helps readers to continue exploring this vital area of contemporary spirituality.
A man who hates technology is forced to fight Gladiator Bots. But the more he wins, the less human he becomes. Jericho must face off against his nemesis, Dommick Everbleed, in order to save the kingdom—and the beautiful and vivacious Princess Halation—from his tyrannical takeover. But as his human parts continuously become replaced with machines, will Jericho become a hero, or a mind-controlled villain? About the Author Kevin E. Allison is an alumnus of UCLA’s famed Theater, Film, Television professional program.
The Trespass of the Sign offers an account of the relations between deconstruction and theology. Kevin Hart argues that, contrary to popular thought on the topic, deconstruction does not have an antitheological agenda. Rather, deconstruction seeks to question the metaphysics of any theology. Hart pays particular attention to mystical theology as nonmetaphysical theology. --From publisher's description.
Perhaps the best way to learn to pray is by following the example of Jesus. The Our Father guides readers through the prayer Jesus taught us, and asks us to consider important questions as we learn to pray: What are we asking for? What are we committing ourselves to? What does the Our Father teach us about prayer? A Guided Discovery of the Bible The Bible invites us to explore God s word and reflect on how we might respond to it. To do this, we need guidance and the right tools for discovery. The Six Weeks with the Bible series of Bible discussion guides offers both in a concise six-week format. Whether focusing on a specific biblical book or exploring a theme that runs throughout the Bible, these practical guides in this series provide meaningful insights that explain Scripture while helping readers make connections to their own lives. Each guide is faithful to Church teaching and is guided by sound biblical scholarship presents the insights of Church fathers and saints includes questions for discussion and reflection delivers information in a reader-friendly format gives suggestions for prayer that help readers respond to God s word appeals to beginners as well as to advanced students of the Bible By reading Scripture, reflecting on its deeper meanings, and incorporating it into our daily life, we can grow not only in our understanding of God s word, but also in our relationship with God.
Despite the long history of mysticism within Christianity and its many and varied approaches to meditation and contemplative prayer, more and more Christians have turned to Eastern religions to find a kind of guidance for their interior life that they were not able to find in Christianity. Some have completely abandoned the religion of their childhood, believing they have found the "pearl of great price" in Eastern meditation. Christian Insight Meditation offers an ancient Buddhist meditation practice within a Christian prayer tradition, to teach readers a process of inner purification meant to lead to deeper Christian faith and to the direct vision of God. This wonderful, inspiring book offers reliable guidance and a way for any of us to begin to follow the footsteps of such towering figures as John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila. Readers will soon discover for themselves the power of Christian Insight Meditation to bring inner peace and healing and to deepen and enhance their Christian life, and the inseparable connection between wisdom and compassion known for centuries to both Christian and Buddhist meditators.
What is contemplation? How is it distinct from meditation? Is contemplation essentially religious or mystical? What should one contemplate, and how? Are there different styles of contemplation, and why should one practice them? Ought we try to lead more contemplative lives? This book offers a philosophical introduction to the theory and practice of contemplation. Kevin Hart examines a variety of religious, aesthetic, and philosophical notions, shedding light on the singular qualities of contemplation. This book spans topics including the spiritual exercises of the ancient Greeks, overlooked aspects of Christian spirituality, and aesthetic contemplation of nature and art. Contemplation ranges from ancient thinkers such as Aristotle, Plato, and Plotinus to Aquinas and other medieval theologians as well as modern philosophers like Kant, Husserl, and Wittgenstein. Though focused on Christianity, it also considers contemplation in other religious traditions, among them Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, and Paganism. Concise and comprehensive, this book provides both religious and nonreligious readers with a foundational understanding of the history and nature of contemplation as well as the benefits of practicing it.
The central concern of this radically innovative study is to offer a critique of traditional Hispanism in the light of its assumption of a transcendental subject and its corresponding insistence on the autonomy of the literary text. Rereading canonic Spanish texts from Renaissance humanism to modernist literature, Read deploys a theoretical basis of post-structuralist thinking and brings Kristeva, Foucault, Althusser, Eagleton, and other important theorists to bear on a field hardly touched by such approaches. Chapters 1 and 2, dealing with Garcilaso de la Vega and Calderonian drama, respectively, argue the need to relate cultural development to the transition from medieval organicism to bourgeois animism. Chapters 3 and 4, which treat the Enlightenment figures Martín Sarmiento and Jovellanos, show how rationalism presupposes a binding of the body (of language). Chapters 5 and 6 argue that the neo-idealist view of language in modern linguistics and literature posits an overdetermined subject, which is a symptom of and a reaction to the reification of capitalism. Read's study not only provides new readings of canonic texts but also brings under critical scrutiny some of the assumptions about the human subject and the role of writing and literature that are implicit in the construction of the field of Hispanism itself. Language, Text, Subject is recommended for scholars and students of literary theory and Spanish literature, culture, and linguistics.
Kevin Starr is the foremost chronicler of the California dream. In Material Dreams, he turns to one of the most vibrant decades in the Golden State's history, the 1920's, when some two million Americans migrated to California, the vast majority settling in or around Los Angeles.
An original and profound exploration of contemplation from philosopher, theologian, and poet Kevin Hart. In Lands of Likeness, Kevin Hart develops a new hermeneutics of contemplation through a meditation on Christian thought and secular philosophy. Drawing on Kant, Schopenhauer, Coleridge, and Husserl, Hart first charts the emergence of contemplation in and beyond the Romantic era. Next, Hart shows this hermeneutic at work in poetry by Gerard Manley Hopkins, Marianne Moore, Wallace Stevens, and others. Delivered in its original form as the prestigious Gifford Lectures, Lands of Likeness is a revelatory meditation on contemplation for the modern world.
When people pay bribes to foreign public officials, how should the law respond? This question has been debated ever since the enactment of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, and some of the key arguments can be traced back to Cicero in the last years of the Roman Republic and Edmund Burke in late eighteenth-century England. In recent years, the U.S. and other members of the OECD have joined forces to make anti-bribery law one of the most prominent sources of liability for firms and individuals who operate across borders. The modern regime is premised on the idea that transnational bribery is a serious problem which invariably merits a vigorous legal response. The shape of that response can be summed up in the phrase "every little bit helps," which in practice means that: prohibitions on bribery should capture a broad range of conduct; enforcement should target as broad a range of actors as possible; sanctions should be as stiff as possible; and as many agencies as possible should be involved in the enforcement process. An important challenge to the OECD paradigm, labelled here the "anti-imperialist critique," accepts that transnational bribery is a serious problem but questions the conventional responses. This book uses a series of high-profile cases to illustrate key elements of transnational bribery law in action, and analyzes the law through the lenses of both the OECD paradigm and the anti-imperialist critique. It ultimately defends a distinctively inclusive and experimentalist approach to transnational bribery law.
Are you weary? Trying to follow Jesus and be a “good Christian,” only to hear the voice of shame whisper, try harder? Good Christians are supposedly known for diligently practicing spiritual disciplines like Bible study, prayer, evangelism, and serving God. Disciplines that are expected, through inspired effort, to conquer sin in us and in the world. The tragedy is, so few Christians understand that we aren’t just sinful but wounded. We don’t need a list of disciplines. We need a Healer, a Deliverer to come and set us free. Here is the truth: We have a Healer. His name is Jesus Christ. He loves us. His calls us first to own how desperate we are—for him; and then to accept his invitation to abide in his great love. Kevin Butcher points us toward this healing Jesus, who offers us his all-encompassing love. You will find nothing here about lists and shoulds. Instead, you will discover how to fall in love with Jesus and then how to walk with him—not in drudgery, but freedom—abiding in his love. A love that rescues us from drudgery and shame, surrounding us with joy even in our darkest hour. A love so powerful that it births our worship, obedience, and willingness to surrender all to him. Even when hell is at your doorstep, the love of Jesus will surround you, protect you, empower you, and set you free. Because God’s love isn’t just important to your journey—God’s love is everything.
This new edition of Patterns of Ministry Among the First Christians tells the story of how the first Christian leaders emerged and, with the passing of time, developed. The book includes sections on Jesus and Paul and their understanding of Christian leadership, on bishops, deacons, elders, apostles, prophets, and teachers, and on ordination. The focus is primarily on the first century but historical development is noted. The author also discuses the ways the New Testament may speak to the present.
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