The Engaged Spiritual Life

The Engaged Spiritual Life
Author: Donald Rothberg
Publisher: Beacon Press
Total Pages: 262
Release: 2006-10-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780807077252

A Buddhist meditation teacher offers a new path to transformation—within ourselves and within the wider world—that integrates spiritual wisdom and social action By the time Donald Rothberg was in his early twenties, he knew he had two vocations. He wanted to dedicate himself to justice and social change, and he wanted to commit himself to exploring the depths of human consciousness—to an awakening of our deeper spiritual nature. It has been his life's work, as an activist, organizer, writer, and teacher, to bring these two paths together and to reveal how deeply they require one another. The Engaged Spiritual Life is the fruit of this work. Skillfully weaving together basic spiritual teachings, real-life examples, social context, and exercises, Rothberg provides a clear, thorough, and compelling guide for those interested in connecting inner and outer transformation. At the core of the book are ten spiritual principles and associated practices that will enable readers to engage all the parts of their lives—whether personal, interpersonal, or political—into a seamless whole.

Toni Morrison's Spiritual Vision

Toni Morrison's Spiritual Vision
Author: Nadra Nittle
Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers
Total Pages: 201
Release: 2021-10-05
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 150647151X

Toni Morrison's Spiritual Vision unpacks an oft-ignored but essential element of her work--her religion--and in so doing gives readers a deeper, richer understanding of her life and her writing. Nadra Nittle's wide-ranging, deep exploration of Morrison's oeuvre reveals the role of religion and spirituality in her life and literature.

Thomas Merton and Thich Nhat Hanh

Thomas Merton and Thich Nhat Hanh
Author: Robert Harlen King
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2001-01-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780826413406

The book concludes by showing how the influence of Merton and Nhat Hanh is reflected in the work of contemporaries such as Thomas Keating, David Steindl-Rast, A. T. Ariyaratne, and Joanna Macy."--BOOK JACKET.

Radical Friendship

Radical Friendship
Author: Kate Johnson
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2021-08-24
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 0834843242

A case for friendship as a radical practice of love, courage, and trust, and seven strategies that pave the way for profound social change. Grounded in the Buddha’s teachings on spiritual friendship, Radical Friendship shares seven strategies to help us embody our deepest values in all of our relationships. Drawing on her experiences as a leading meditation teacher, as well as personal stories of growing up multiracial in a racist world, Kate Johnson brings a fresh take on time-honored wisdom to help us connect more authentically with ourselves, with our friends and family, and within our communities. The divides we experience within us and between us are not only a threat to our physical and emotional health—they are also the weapons and the outcomes of structural oppression. But through wise relationships, it is possible to transform the barriers created by societal injustice. Johnson leads us on a journey to becoming better friends by offering ways to show up for our own and each other’s liberation at every stage of a relationship. Each chapter ends with a meditation or reflection practice to help readers cultivate vibrant, harmonious, revolutionary friendships. Radical Friendship offers a path of depth and hope and shows us the importance of working toward collective wellbeing, one relationship at a time.

Learning to Speak God from Scratch

Learning to Speak God from Scratch
Author: Jonathan Merritt
Publisher: Convergent Books
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2018-08-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1601429312

In a rapidly changing culture, many of us struggle to talk about faith. We can no longer assume our friends understand words such as grace or gospel. Others, like lost and sin, have become so negative they are nearly conversation-enders. Jonathan Merritt knows this frustration well. After moving from the Bible Belt to New York City, he discovered that the sacred terms he used to describe his spiritual life didn’t connect as they had in the past. This launched him into an exploration of an increasing American reluctance to talk about faith—and the data he uncovered revealed a quiet crisis of affecting millions. In this groundbreaking book, Jonathan revives ancient expressions through incisive cultural commentary, vulnerable personal narratives, and surprising biblical insights. Both provocative and liberating, Learning to Speak God from Scratch will breathe new life into your spiritual conversations and invite you into the embrace of the God who inhabits them.

Cultivating the Spirit

Cultivating the Spirit
Author: Alexander W. Astin
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2010-11-16
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0470769335

Cultivating the Spirit THIS GROUNDBREAKING WORK IS BASED on a five-year study of how students change during the college years and the role college plays in facilitating the development of their spiritual qualities. Students, the authors argue, grapple with the big questions in life: Who am I? What are my values? Do I have a mission in life? Why am I in college? What kind of person do I want to be? What sort of world do I want to help to create? Their answers to these questions help determine their academic and career choices and are tied to the development of personal qualities such as empathy, caring, and social responsibility. The study finds that, while students' religious engagement declines during college, at the same time they become substantially more caring, tolerant, connected with others, and actively egaged in a spiritual quest. Spiritual growth also enhances academic performance, leadership development, and satisfaction with college. The study provides strong evidence pointing to specific experiences during college that can contribute to students' spiritual growth. The need for spiritual development in college is apparent. Two-thirds of the students in the study express a strong interest in spiritual matters, well over half report that their professors never encourage discussions of religious or spiritual matters, and about the same proportion report that professors never provide opportunities to discuss the purpose and meaning of life. Cultivating the Spirit aims to raise the awareness of academic administrators, faculty, and the public at large to the vital role that spirituality plays in student learning and development. Throughout the book, the authors identify strategies for enhancing students' development and encourage the academy to give greater priority to the spiritual aspects of students' educational and personal development.

Luminous Darkness

Luminous Darkness
Author: Deborah Eden Tull
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2022-09-27
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 0834844699

A resonant call to explore the darkness in life, in nature, and in consciousness—including difficult emotions like uncertainty, grief, fear, and xenophobia—through teachings, embodied meditations, and mindful inquiry that provide us with a powerful path to healing. Darkness is deeply misunderstood in today’s world; yet it offers powerful medicine, serenity, strength, healing, and regeneration. All insight, vision, creativity, and revelation arise from darkness. It is through learning to stay present and meet the dark with curiosity rather than judgment that we connect to an unwavering light within. Welcoming darkness with curiosity, rather than fear or judgment, enables us to access our innate capacity for compassion and collective healing. Dharma teacher, shamanic practitioner, and deep ecologist Deborah Eden Tull addresses the spiritual, ecological, psychological, and interpersonal ramifications of our bias towards light. Tull explores the medicine of darkness for personal and collective healing, through topics such as: Befriending the Night: The Radiant Teachings of Darkness Honoring Our Pain for Our World Seeing in the Dark: The Quiet Power of Receptivity Dreams, Possibility, and Moral Imagination Releasing Fear—Embracing Emergence Tull shows us how the labeling of darkness as “negative” becomes a collective excuse to justify avoiding everything that makes us uncomfortable: racism, spiritual bypass, environmental destruction. We can only find the radical path to wholeness by learning to embrace the interplay of both darkness and light.

Seeking Spiritual Direction

Seeking Spiritual Direction
Author: Thomas Dubay
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 1993
Genre: Spiritual direction
ISBN: 9780892838103

A guide for Christians who are considering spiritual direction or who are already engaged in the process. It explains what spiritual direction is, the qualities to look for in a director, the process of finding a director and ways to develop a deeper prayer life.

Pursuing God's Will Together

Pursuing God's Will Together
Author: Ruth Haley Barton
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2012-04-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830869786

Church boards and other Christian leadership teams have long relied on models adapted from the business world. Ruth Haley Barton, president of the Transforming Center, helps teams transition to a much more fitting model—the spiritual community that practices discernment together.

Gethsemani Encounter

Gethsemani Encounter
Author: Donald Mitchell
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 331
Release: 1999-01-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1441174451

25 presentations on the spiritual life, with four major talks by H.H. the Dalai Lama.