The Context Of Holiness

This book explores both the psychological and spiritual dimensions of the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The basic premise of this book is that the spiritual life is not an encapsulated sphere, cloistered from the realities of our human existence. Rather it is our response to God within the physical, psychological, social and emotional dimensions of life. St. Thérèse did not grow in holiness apart from the human condition. Like all of us, she was emotionally scarred by the fragileness of life. She was deeply wounded by the death of her mother at the age of four, bedridden as the result of a neurotic episode when she was ten, struggled with debilitating scruples most of her life, and suffered an agonizing dark night of faith. St. Thérèse was no plaster statue saint. Her life was a real life. As it unfolds before us on the pages of Story of a Soul, we see a pilgrim soul who made her way home to God through many raging storms and dark nights. The specific nature of Thérèse's trials may differ from our own, but psychological and emotional suffering are our common lot. For example, we may not have know the pain of our mother dying when we were four, but most of us have know the pain of the loss of a loved one. The sufferings that we share with Thérèse are universal - physical pain, anxiety, anger, sadness, depression, loneliness, doubts of faith, to name a few. These sufferings make doing the will of God difficult, but they are the context of our choices. They are the context of holiness.

With Empty Hands is an entirely new translation and edition of Conrad de Meester`s brilliant and moving presentation of the life, thought and spirituality of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The author has completely revised and amplified his previous books on the saint in the light of the new, thoroughly annotated editions of her own works, and the many recent works of research and commentary that have led him to develop and change some of his interpretations of the Saint`s life. Fr. de Meester asks why and how this young girl who asked to be admitted to the Carmel at Lisieux and persevered in her vocation to a hidden life in an obscure part of France, is not only loved and invoked by millions of people, but has become a profound influence on theology, spirituality and the missionary apostolate. He shows how the intuitions of her faith were achieved by growing from spiritual poverty to spiritual maturity through much suffering and in spite of many crises and reversals and pays full attention to the psychology of the Saint, her family influence and her prayer life and faith as a process of extraordinary rich development. This book reveals Thérèse as a Saint of hope whose constant watchword was "My God, I love you" and as a revolutionary of love through whom God worked and works as a liberating force.

Seeing life in light of Eternity This is not a book about using Thérèse's "little way" as a path to holiness. Thérèse's spirituality is often dismissed as cloyingly sweet and sentimental, useless for modern seekers. This new IlluminationBook uncovers how Thérèse's sweetness was just a stylistic convention expected in the religious writing of her day. Beneath the form, says the author, is a straightforward spirituality that offers a practical, concrete, and very realistic method for preserving one's sanity in an often-insane world. At the heart of Thérèse's method is learning how to keep one's perspective by seeing all things in light of eternity, seeing all things the way God sees. This enables one to live more authentically and more attentively. The method helps readers to become involved in life without being absorbed by it, to love without becoming enmeshed, and to deal with life's absurdities without losing faith or peace of mind. Five simple everyday choices help foster this perspective and transform ordinary life into moments of true grace. Those already devoted to the Little Flower will love this fresh new look at her spirituality. In addition, the book makes for enlightening and perhaps surprising reading for pastors, clergy and religious, directors of religious ed, retreat directors, chaplains, and family counselors. The principle of viewing life in light of eternity can also provide comfort and relief for parents dealing with children, for those experiencing change or loss, and for people in therapy. +

No single word conjures up religion, spirituality or the sacred more than `holiness'. Yet its meaning in Christian theology and application in Christian practice, has been greatly misunderstood. Few Quakers today of any persuasion would recognize the mystical depth of meaning the concept had for Quakers down through the centuries. Holiness: The Soul of Quakerism recovers the essential place of holiness theology in three centuries of Quaker history. It explores how Quaker spirituality was shaped in its inception by the experience of union with God, otherwise known in Christian tradition as `perfection' and examines selected figures from Quaker history who represent different emphases of holiness in the context of their time and culture. It examines the history of Quakerism in terms of the holiness tradition arguing that the holiness heritage of Quakerism can be traced to its founder, George Fox, who understood union with God or perfection, as the essence of the Christian experience. The study identifies eight different traditions of Christian holiness and shows how Quakerism uniquely combined elements of each, reinterpreting them into a radical new kind of holiness movement. It also identifies eight essential elements that comprise Quaker holiness and shows how these are located within differing emphases in the writings of early Friends and in Quakerism thereafter—Scripture, eschatology, conversion, evangelism, charisma, suffering, mysticism and perfection.

Reading St. John of the Cross’s Dark Night can be daunting; living the dark experience of purification it describes can be much more so. The description of the dark nights (yes, there is more than one!) which St. John presents seems so stark and painful that one might be tempted to just close the book and stop reading. On top of that, both the process St. John describes and the language he uses can be confusing and intimidating. The language of 16th-century scholasticism is not easily understood by 21st-century readers living in a completely different culture and context. Perhaps even more challenging is that fact that our modern lives, filled with the non-stop clutter of social media and technology, as well as comfort and ease, do not prepare most of us well to honestly look into our own depths to see who we are and who we are intended to become as fully alive human beings. Fortunately we now have this helpful book to guide us to that full life which St. John invites us to in The Dark Night. Father Marc Foley here combines his own theological and psychological background, as well as his experience as a spiritual guide, to help modern readers understand the experiences, challenges, and graced events of the purifying nights of sense and spirit. In addition to exploring certain key terms that John uses in Spanish and their meaning in the saint’s time and today, Father Marc includes pertinent selections from a wide range of writers, ancient to modern, that illustrate the themes he covers. Each chapter concludes with insightful questions for personal reflection or group discussion. The book has a comprehensive index.

Integrating biblical studies, theology, and practical application, John Webster provides a thoroughgoing trinitarian understanding of God's holiness with highly relevant results. According to Webster, God's holiness is known not in his simple transcendence but in his gracious and free relationship to his people. Such holiness finds an echo in the holiness of the Christian community, especially in worship and witness, and in the life of the individual disciple. Profound yet readily accessible to a wide range of readers, Webster's Holiness offers an ideal entry into reflection on the Christian God.

If God is holy, then He can’t sin. If God can’t sin, then He can’t sin against you. If He can’t sin against you, shouldn’t that make Him the most trustworthy being there is? Bestselling author Jackie Hill Perry, in her much anticipated follow-up to Gay Girl, Good God, helps us find the reason we don’t trust God— we misunderstand His holiness. In Holier Than Thou, Jackie walks us through Scripture, shaking the dust off of “holy” as we’ve come to know it and revealing it for what it really is: good news. In these pages, we will see that God is not like us. He is different. He is holy. And that’s exactly what makes Him trustworthy. As it turns out, God being “holier than thou” is actually the best news in the world, and it’s the key to trusting Him.

At first glance, the Book of Leviticus seems like barren material for lively preaching. Most expositors merely skim the surface for messages on tithing or sabbath-keeping. Yet Leviticus is one of the most important books of the Old Testament; it not only describes the complete religious system of ancient Israel, it also lays the theological foundation for the Christian gospel. In Holiness to the Lord, Allen P. Ross enables preachers and teachers to mine the riches of Leviticus and deliver them to a contemporary audience. Following the same practical method he used in the acclaimed Creation and Blessing, Ross first carefully sites Leviticus within its context in the ancient world. Then he traces the development of God's plan of salvation-how Leviticus' laws, rituals, symbols, and events prepared for the complete revelation in Jesus Christ. Finally, unlike traditional commentaries, Ross offers helpful ideas for correlating Leviticus to New Testament teachings (particularly Romans, Hebrews, and Peter) and for applying the material in relevant expository form. Holiness to the Lord is every expositor's indispensable guide for interpreting the Law for the church and for elucidating Leviticus in practical, biblical messages about worship, sanctification, and obedience.