Religious and spiritual figures Books

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Book SynopsisTo look at our lives afresh and to find beauty in what has always seemed so ordinary, or hope in what has seemed lifeless and dead, is to experience true ecstasy. Teresa of Avila, a practical and down-to-earth spiritual guide, takes us on an exciting journey of discovery and shows us that heaven is literally on our doorstep.

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Book SynopsisThe figure of Hildegard of Bingen towers both over her own and our present age. Her ideas about healing, the arts, the relationship between science and theology, the interdependence of male and female and the interconnectedness of all living beings with each other and their Creator have extraordinary relevance to our contemporary understanding of these issues. Yet for all Hildegard's astonishing creativity and originality, her spirituality is firmly rooted in the Rule of St Benedict and its emphasis on daily prayer and meditative reading of the Scriptures. This introduction to her life and thought includes many practical spiritual exercises that will enable us to bring Hildegard's wisdom and vision of wholeness to our busy, fragmented lives today.

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Book SynopsisA lively and informative introduction to some 300 men and women from different Christian traditions and different eras who have come to be regarded as holy. We meet them not as spiritual superstars but as real people whose example can inspire us today. Based on recent scholarship which has endeavoured to separate reliable historical facts from unhelpful or exaggerated legends, this popular introductioin to the saints and to their place in the life of the churches today will be welcomed as an essential reference guide.

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Book SynopsisSt Augustine (354-430) is one of the towering figures of church history, widely regarded as the greatest of the early theologians. This study focuses on three major disputes in which he engaged: against the Manichees who denied the essential goodness of creation; against the Donatists with their exclusive views of the church; and against the British scholar Pelagius who in modern times is being rescued from his reputation as a heretic and is now thought to have said some good things. Gerald Bonner admits to having changed his views of Augustine and these disputes over the years; here we have the mature, considered reflection of a lifetime's work and study in this area.

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Book SynopsisAlcuin of York was one of the most significant figures of the Anglo-Saxon Church alongside Bede and Cuthbert. This introductory selection from his extensive writings includes Alcuin's prayers, poetry and prose.Trade Review'This beautifully produced book is a precious resource for all who seek to understand and follow the rule of St Benedict.' RENEW, Issue 149

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Book SynopsisA striking book of contemporary spirituality based on the medieval writings of a woman ahead of her time, Julian of Norwich. An anchorite who lived in a monastic cell attached to a parish church, she found inspiration in the simple domestic detail of her life and used it as a springboard to prayer and contemplation. Penny Roker's warm and gentle book enables readers to make an 'armchair retreat' using nothing more than things around the house to access and apply the spiritual riches of Julian. Not everyone can get away on an organised retreat, but this is a complete resource for making a retreat alone at home. It is equally appropriate for guided group meditation, of course. Each day includes a scripture reading, an excerpt from Julian's Showing of Love, a meditation to read, a practical spiritual exercise, questions to reflect upon, closing prayers, further scriptures, and reading ideas.Trade Review'She writes with a simplicity, clarity and conviction that spoke to me (...).' -- John Turnbull * New Directions *'The purpose of Homely Love is to make the spiritual riches of Julian of Norwich accessible and relevant to a wide range of people today, and Penny Roker does this beautifully. It is also a retreat guide with a difference, aimed particularly at those who cannot afford the money or the time to take part in an organised retreat and who, as the author says, have to 'make do'. Homely Love is a beautiful, earthy, wise handbook to prayer and one which, i believe, Julian Norwich would truly describe as 'homely'.' -- Jennifer Holden

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Book SynopsisThe figure of Mary Magdalene has fascinated and perplexed people for centuries. She is portrayed in the Gospels as a neurotic woman, possibly with a past, yet she is the first to encounter the risen Christ and he charges her with the responsibility of proclaiming the resurrection. She is therefore Christianity's first evangelist - a difficult concept for churches with exclusively male hierarchies who prefer to think of her as just a reformed prostitute. The belief that Mary Magdalene was married to Jesus and that the Church has tried to suppress this truth was not invented in recent years but is almost as old as Christianity itself. This gives a grand tour through 2000 years history, art and tradition with surprises and discoveries all the way.Trade Review'Mary Magdalene, despite her importance to the life and ministry of Christ, is the most enigmatic and puzzling figure in the Christian gospel. In 'Mary Magdalene'Robin Griffith-Jones examines ancient sources to give us a comprehensive, scholarly and impressively researched account of her discipleship and continued influence on the history of the Church. I found this book more enthralling than any secular mystery and for the first time felt that I understood something of the character of this frequently misunderstood saint. Beautifully written and illustrated, Mary Madgdalene will be as fascinating to lay people as it will be welcomed by theologians and historians. I congratulate the Master of the Temple on a fine and timely achievement.' -- P. D. James * 2008 *

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Book SynopsisAs yet, a good German translation does not exist of this pivotal work, nor is an introduction available whichexplains the central topics in a comprehensible yet authoritative manner. This gap is filled by the present work which uses key themes from Thomasian philosophy (and theology) to provide an introduction to the overall conception of the Summa theologiae. The review of the present state of research on the Summa theologiae provides a comprehensive handbook particularly suited for university teaching. It is designed not only for the specialist reader but equally for those with a general interest in the subject.Table of ContentsJ. A. Aertsen, Die Rede von Gott: Wissenschaftslehre und Transzendentalienlehre · S. MacDonald, Die Semantik der Namen Gottes · G. Emery, Gotteslehre: De Deo uno et trino· R. te Velde , Schöpfungslehre und Partizipation· W. Goris, Erkenntnislehre · A. Speer, Die Lehre vom letzten Ziel und vom Glück · K. Mertens, Die Handlungslehre · A. Brungs, Die Lehre von den 'passiones' · C. Steel, Allgemeine Tugendlehre und Kardinaltugenden · G. Wieland, Die Lehre vom Gesetz · J. Wippel, Natur und Gnade · A. Zimmermann, Glaube und Wissen · J. McEvoy, Liebe und Freundschaft · S. Ernst, Christliche und philosophische Tugendlehre anhand einiger ausgewählter Beispiele · M. Gormann, Christologie: Person und Natur · K. Hedwig, Die Sakramente: Zeichen und naturale Bindung des Heils

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Book SynopsisLuke/Acts and the End of History investigates how understandings of history in diverse texts of the Graeco-Roman period illuminate Lukan eschatology. In addition to Luke/Acts, it considers ten comparison texts as detailed case studies throughout the monograph: Polybius's Histories, Diodorus Siculus's Library of History, Virgil's Aeneid, Valerius Maximus's Memorable Doings and Sayings, Tacitus’s Histories, 2 Maccabees, the Qumran War Scroll, Josephus's Jewish War, 4 Ezra, and 2 Baruch. The study makes a contribution both in its method and in the questions it asks. By placing Luke/Acts alongside a broad range of texts from Luke's wider cultural setting, it overcomes two methodological shortfalls frequently evident in recent research: limiting comparisons of key themes to texts of similar genre, and separating non-Jewish from Jewish parallels. Further, by posing fresh questions designed to reveal writers' underlying conceptions of history—such as beliefs about the shape and end of history or divine and human agency in history—this monograph challenges the enduring tendency to underestimate the centrality of eschatology for Luke's account. Influential post-war scholarship reflected powerful concerns about "salvation history" arising from its particular historical setting, and criticised Luke for focusing on history instead of eschatology due to the parousia’s delay. Though some elements of this thesis have been challenged, Luke continues to be associated with concerns about the delayed parousia, affecting contemporary interpretation. By contrast, this study suggests that viewing Luke/Acts within a broader range of texts from Luke's literary context highlights his underlying teleological conception of history. It demonstrates not only that Luke retains a sense of eschatological urgency seen in other New Testament texts, but a structuring of history more akin to the literature of late Second Temple Judaism than the non-Jewish Graeco-Roman historiographies with which Luke/Acts is more commonly compared. The results clarify not only Lukan eschatology, but related concerns or effects of his eschatology, such as Luke’s politics and approach to suffering. This monograph thereby offers an important corrective to readings of Luke/Acts based on established exegetical habits, and will help to inform interpretation for scholars and students of Luke/Acts as well as classicists and theologians interested in these key questions.

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