Newest additions
Christian Minimalism: Simple Steps for Abundant Living
by Becca Ehrlich
Logically, we all know our purpose in life is not wrapped up in accumulating possessions, wealth, power, and prestige—Jesus is very clear about that—but society tells us otherwise. Christian Minimalism attempts to cut through our assumptions and society’s lies about what life should look like and invites readers into a life that Jesus calls us to live: one lived intentionally, free of physical, spiritual, and emotional clutter.
Written by a woman who simplified her own life and practices these principles daily, this book gives readers a fresh perspective on how to live out God’s grace for us in new and exciting ways and live out our faith in a way that is deeply satisfying.
Available from amazon.com (paper, Kindle formats) and from barnesandnoble.com (paper, Nook formats). Also available from Church Publishing (paperback).
by Becca Ehrlich
Logically, we all know our purpose in life is not wrapped up in accumulating possessions, wealth, power, and prestige—Jesus is very clear about that—but society tells us otherwise. Christian Minimalism attempts to cut through our assumptions and society’s lies about what life should look like and invites readers into a life that Jesus calls us to live: one lived intentionally, free of physical, spiritual, and emotional clutter.
Written by a woman who simplified her own life and practices these principles daily, this book gives readers a fresh perspective on how to live out God’s grace for us in new and exciting ways and live out our faith in a way that is deeply satisfying.
Available from amazon.com (paper, Kindle formats) and from barnesandnoble.com (paper, Nook formats). Also available from Church Publishing (paperback).
The Four Loves
by C. S. Lewis
A repackaged edition of the revered author's classic work that examines the four types of human love: affection, friendship, erotic love, and the love of God—part of the C. S. Lewis Signature Classics series.
C.S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—contemplates the essence of love and how it works in our daily lives in one of his most famous works of nonfiction. Lewis examines four varieties of human love: affection, the most basic form; friendship, the rarest and perhaps most insightful; Eros, passionate love; charity, the greatest and least selfish. Throughout this compassionate and reasoned study, he encourages readers to open themselves to all forms of love—the key to understanding that brings us closer to God.
Available from amazon.com (paper. Kindle, Audible formats) and from barnesandnoble.com (paper, Nook, and audio formats).
(This is the book extensively referenced in the April 28 2022 online bible study of John 21.)
by C. S. Lewis
A repackaged edition of the revered author's classic work that examines the four types of human love: affection, friendship, erotic love, and the love of God—part of the C. S. Lewis Signature Classics series.
C.S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—contemplates the essence of love and how it works in our daily lives in one of his most famous works of nonfiction. Lewis examines four varieties of human love: affection, the most basic form; friendship, the rarest and perhaps most insightful; Eros, passionate love; charity, the greatest and least selfish. Throughout this compassionate and reasoned study, he encourages readers to open themselves to all forms of love—the key to understanding that brings us closer to God.
Available from amazon.com (paper. Kindle, Audible formats) and from barnesandnoble.com (paper, Nook, and audio formats).
(This is the book extensively referenced in the April 28 2022 online bible study of John 21.)
The Church Cracked Open: Disruption, Decline, and New Hope for Beloved Community
by Stephanie Spellers
Sometimes it takes disruption and loss to break us open and call us home to God. It’s not surprising that a global pandemic and once-in-a-generation reckoning with white supremacy—on top of decades of systemic decline—have spurred Christians everywhere to ask who we are, why God placed us here and what difference that makes to the world.
In this critical yet loving book, the author explores the American story and the Episcopal story in order to find out how communities steeped in racism, establishment, and privilege can at last fall in love with Jesus, walk humbly with the most vulnerable and embody beloved community in our own broken but beautiful way.
The Church Cracked Open invites us to surrender privilege and redefine church, not just for the sake of others, but for our own salvation and liberation.
Available from Church Publishing (paper version only) and amazon.com (paper and Kindle versions available) and Barnes and Noble (paper and Nook versions available).
Someone to Believe In: An Advent Course based on Miracle on 34th Street
by Sheila Jacobs
Someone to Believe In is an original Advent course based on the classic Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street. Through discussion of some of the themes and characters of this perennially popular film, the course helps us to think more deeply during the Advent season about the coming of Jesus and what the Christmas story can teach us about our faith today.
St. Luke's will use this book as a guide for its Advent study in December 2022.
Available from amazon.com (paperback)
by Sheila Jacobs
Someone to Believe In is an original Advent course based on the classic Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street. Through discussion of some of the themes and characters of this perennially popular film, the course helps us to think more deeply during the Advent season about the coming of Jesus and what the Christmas story can teach us about our faith today.
St. Luke's will use this book as a guide for its Advent study in December 2022.
Available from amazon.com (paperback)
Earler Titles
Embracing Justice
by Isabelle Hamley
What is justice? It's a question we encounter everywhere in life and that over the last years has increasingly demanded an answer. In Embracing Justice, Isabelle Hamley invites us on an exhilarating journey through Scripture to discover how we, as churches, communities and individual Christians, can seek and practice justice even when enmeshed in such a fractured world.
Full of practical encouragement, the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book for 2022 brilliantly weaves together biblical texts, diverse voices, contemporary stories, and personal and group meditations to reveal liberating and imaginative ways in which me may grow in discipleship - and more fully reflect the justice, mercy and compassion of Christ in our lives. With six chapters to take you from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, this Lent devotional for 2022 is essential reading for anyone interested in the issues of justice - from climate and economic justice to gender and racial equality - that are increasingly at the forefront of global consciousness, and the role that Christians and the Church must play in them.
Suitable for use both as a single study for individuals and for small groups to prepare for Easter, Embracing Justice will encourage, inform and motivate anyone looking for Christian books about justice. It will help you understand justice from a biblical perspective, and inspire you to seek it in every aspect of your life. Although the world is broken, unequal and violent, the call to reflect God's own justice and mercy continues to sound like a steady drumbeat, impossible to ignore. Journey with Isabelle Hamley this Lent, and discover that we can all join God's mission of transformation and embrace his justice.
Available from amazon.com (paper and Kindle versions available) and Barnes and Noble (paper and Nook versions available).
by Isabelle Hamley
What is justice? It's a question we encounter everywhere in life and that over the last years has increasingly demanded an answer. In Embracing Justice, Isabelle Hamley invites us on an exhilarating journey through Scripture to discover how we, as churches, communities and individual Christians, can seek and practice justice even when enmeshed in such a fractured world.
Full of practical encouragement, the Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book for 2022 brilliantly weaves together biblical texts, diverse voices, contemporary stories, and personal and group meditations to reveal liberating and imaginative ways in which me may grow in discipleship - and more fully reflect the justice, mercy and compassion of Christ in our lives. With six chapters to take you from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, this Lent devotional for 2022 is essential reading for anyone interested in the issues of justice - from climate and economic justice to gender and racial equality - that are increasingly at the forefront of global consciousness, and the role that Christians and the Church must play in them.
Suitable for use both as a single study for individuals and for small groups to prepare for Easter, Embracing Justice will encourage, inform and motivate anyone looking for Christian books about justice. It will help you understand justice from a biblical perspective, and inspire you to seek it in every aspect of your life. Although the world is broken, unequal and violent, the call to reflect God's own justice and mercy continues to sound like a steady drumbeat, impossible to ignore. Journey with Isabelle Hamley this Lent, and discover that we can all join God's mission of transformation and embrace his justice.
Available from amazon.com (paper and Kindle versions available) and Barnes and Noble (paper and Nook versions available).
Hope and the Nearness of God
by Teresa White, FCJ
In these days of pandemic, war and political turbulence, hope can seem to be in short supply. But hope is one of the theological virtues and it is far more profound than mere optimism. Today, pessimism and despair seem all too prevalent. What can we do about the poor and starving, about those who seem to be locked in interminable conflict and families weighed down by the consequences of breakdown? Sister Teresa White's book is an antidote to all this and it is written with beautiful simplicity and directness. There is no hiding behind complicated or technical language. In one of the most forceful chapters in the book, the author shows how hope breeds courage and courage breeds hope. But hope is not a matter of wishful thinking. Drawing on St Augustine, the author shows moreover that hope has two essential components. Not just courage but anger as well. The expression of our anger can lead to greater clarity with our discernment and spiritual perception. Hope too can lead us to understand God's solidarity with us in times of sorrow and struggle. Teresa White in this Lent Book draws on inspiration from writers as diverse as Julian of Norwich and Karl Rahner, Elizabeth Barrett-Browning and Henri Nouwen, but throughout the book there is strong scriptural underpinning which the author uses to great effect.
Available from amazon.com (paper, Kindle, and Audible versions available) and Barnes and Noble (paper and Nook versions available)
by Teresa White, FCJ
In these days of pandemic, war and political turbulence, hope can seem to be in short supply. But hope is one of the theological virtues and it is far more profound than mere optimism. Today, pessimism and despair seem all too prevalent. What can we do about the poor and starving, about those who seem to be locked in interminable conflict and families weighed down by the consequences of breakdown? Sister Teresa White's book is an antidote to all this and it is written with beautiful simplicity and directness. There is no hiding behind complicated or technical language. In one of the most forceful chapters in the book, the author shows how hope breeds courage and courage breeds hope. But hope is not a matter of wishful thinking. Drawing on St Augustine, the author shows moreover that hope has two essential components. Not just courage but anger as well. The expression of our anger can lead to greater clarity with our discernment and spiritual perception. Hope too can lead us to understand God's solidarity with us in times of sorrow and struggle. Teresa White in this Lent Book draws on inspiration from writers as diverse as Julian of Norwich and Karl Rahner, Elizabeth Barrett-Browning and Henri Nouwen, but throughout the book there is strong scriptural underpinning which the author uses to great effect.
Available from amazon.com (paper, Kindle, and Audible versions available) and Barnes and Noble (paper and Nook versions available)
Braving the Thin Places: Celtic Wisdom to Create a Space for Grace
by Julianne Stanz
A "thin place" is where God’s grace is waiting to happen: an important threshold, a soul friendship, a fresh chapter in life, a painful secret or fear, or a time of hardship. Whatever the circumstance, a thin place is where God and humanity meet in a mysterious way. These moments open us to places of rawness and beauty. When we enter into a thin place, we feel a sense of breakthrough as we break free of the ordinary and experience the extraordinary amid our daily lives.
Available from Loyola Press (paper only) and from amazon.com (paper only).
by Julianne Stanz
A "thin place" is where God’s grace is waiting to happen: an important threshold, a soul friendship, a fresh chapter in life, a painful secret or fear, or a time of hardship. Whatever the circumstance, a thin place is where God and humanity meet in a mysterious way. These moments open us to places of rawness and beauty. When we enter into a thin place, we feel a sense of breakthrough as we break free of the ordinary and experience the extraordinary amid our daily lives.
Available from Loyola Press (paper only) and from amazon.com (paper only).
Soul Stages: Surviving and Thriving in the Second Half of Life
by Christopher Chamberlin Moore
What would it be like to live the second half of your life with real enthusiasm?
Each stage of life is a “soul stage,” filled with its own promises, challenges and opportunities. With humor and a generous sharing of personal anecdotes drawn from over forty years in ministry, Chris Moore speaks to the challenges of adults attempting not only to survive but even thrive during the latter part of their journey. He gently encourages readers to draw inspiration and relevance from the vibrant personalities of the Bible, even as we navigate modern challenges.
Soul Stages is written for people who want affirmation that the second half of life presents different challenges and opportunities than the first but is no less fulfilling. Readers will be able to see transitions as opportunities for spiritual and emotional growth, rather than as problems to be solved.
St. Luke's used this book in its reading group in the autumn of 2021.
Available from churchpublishing.org (paper only) and from amazon.com (paper only).
The Courage to Grow Old
by Barbara Cawthorne Crafton
- • A best-selling Morehouse author for decades
- • Addresses one of today’s most pressing topics
- Here is Barbara Crafton at her best—funny, warm, direct, honest, and vulnerable—on aging. “I think growing older is both funny and sad, but mostly it just makes me grateful to be alive and able to reflect. I have been an Episcopal priest for 33 years and have had extensive experience in ministering with the elderly. Now, I am growing old myself. I hate it when people are ashamed of being old. We should be proud!” she proclaims. Join her in this celebration of life!
Available from churchpublishing.org (paper only) and from amazon.com (paper and Kindle version).
A Man Called Mark: The Biography of Bishop Mark Dyer
by Tom Linthicum, Foreword by Rowan Williams
This official biography tells the compelling story of the Rt. Rev. Mark Dyer: Irish Catholic boy from New Hampshire, U.S. Navy vet, Roman Catholic then Episcopal priest, bishop, and seminary professor—and one of the most influential, beloved leaders of the American Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Following a dispute with ecclesiastical authorities, Dyer left the Roman Church for the Anglican Church of Canada. Later received as priest in the Episcopal Church, his gifts as teacher, preacher, and pastor were recognized with election as Bishop of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. There, he established a new model of leadership, delegating administrative duties to concentrate on spiritual direction, pastoral care, and creating mission projects at every church in his diocese. Also renowned as a story-teller, many of his favorite stories appear here, told in his own voice. Called by leadership of the Anglican Communion to a variety of roles, for more than 20 years Bishop Dyer was on the front lines of the most contentious issues facing the church throughout the world, including ordination of women and gay people. He also was co-chair of the ecumenical dialogue between the Anglican and Eastern Orthodox Churches, which produced a landmark agreement after 17 years of meetings.
Available from churchpublishing.org (paper) and from amazon.com (paper and kindle version).
Phyllis Tickle: A Life
by Jon M. Sweeney
By the time of her death in 2015, Phyllis Tickle was one of the most beloved and respected figures in American religious life, and her writing offers a unique combination of the down-to-earth, deep spirituality, and scholarship. In this comprehensive new volume, Jon Sweeney, official biographer of Tickle's literary estate, explores every aspect of her life, a more than 50-year legacy of poetry; plays; literary, spiritual, and historical/theological work; and advocacy.
Himself an author and editor in the religion field, Sweeney examines Tickle's personal and professional roots, from her family, long marriage, and life on The Farm in Lucy,
Tennessee, to early academic career and move into book publishing, where her role as founding editor of the Religion Department at Publishers Weekly influenced the growth of spiritual writing and interfaith understanding during the 1990s.
Sweeney also looks at pivotal relationships with John Shelby Spong, Marcus Borg, and Brian McLaren, as well as her great influence on the increasing number who adopted fixed-hour prayer, the Episcopal Church as a whole, and the Emerging Church, for which she served as historian, forecaster, and champion.
A look at her early, passionate advocacy for the LGBT community, lecture circuit controversies, and projects left unfinished completes the picture.
Available from churchpublishing.org and amazon.com (hardcover only).
Contemplative Knitting
by Julie Cicora
Learn how the meditative practice of knitting can evolve into a spiritual discipline.
One third (53 million) of American women know how to knit, and knitting is becoming increasingly popular with men as well. Many of these knitters belong to social knitting circles, charity knitting groups, or knit with others in churches, cafes—and even in bars!
This book shows how knitting creates connections and communities, and ties the repetition of knitting to the consistent recitation of prayer. It also compares the act of knitting to the spiritual journey, from starting something new to how we handle mistakes. Many people would like to incorporate a spiritual practice into their frenetic lives only to become discouraged and give up when they try. Those who knit are able to experience its calming effects and dedicate time to their craft each day.
Available from churchpublishing.org (paper) and from amazon.com (paper and kindle version).
Those Seven References:
A Study of the References to "Homosexuality" in the Bible and Their Impact on the Queer Community of Faith
by John F. Dwyer
A thoughtful analysis of the faulty rationale behind Christian anti-gay bias.
There have been enormous strides toward equality for the queer community in recent years. There have also been regressive local legislative actions seeking to limit those national steps toward equality. Many of those who have led these regressive efforts are individuals steeped in purposeful ignorance, bias, tribalism, and a radicalization of faithful beliefs, misleading their congregations and influencing legislators.
Personhood, the intense value of our individuality, cannot be made less by these few passages of scripture: God’s love for our uniqueness is not compromised by oft misinterpreted verses. Having knowledge and words to counter baseless accusations can disarm those who would use these passages as weapons of exclusion and judgement, and can empower the queer community to live confidently in God’s love.
Available from churchpublishing.org (paper) and from amazon.com (paper and kindle version).