The Summons Of Love

We are conditioned to think that love heals wounds, makes us happy, and gives our lives meaning. When the opposite occurs and love causes fracturing, disenchantment, and existential turmoil, we suffer deeply, especially if we feel that love has failed us or that we have failed to experience what others seem so effortlessly to enjoy. In this eloquently argued, psychologically informed book, Mari Ruti portrays love as a much more complex, multifaceted phenomenon than we tend to appreciate—an experience that helps us encounter the depths of human existence. Love's ruptures are as important as its triumphs, and sometimes love succeeds because it fails. At the heart of Ruti's argument is a meditation on interpersonal ethics that acknowledges the inherent opacity of human interiority and the difficulty of taking responsibility for what we cannot fully understand. Yet the fact that humans are often irrational in love does not absolve us of ethical accountability. In Ruti's view, we must work harder to map the unconscious patterns motivating our romantic behavior. As opposed to popular spiritual approaches urging us to live fully in the now, Ruti treats the past as a living component of the present. Only when we catch ourselves at those moments when the past speaks in the present can we keep ourselves from hurting the ones we love. Equally important, Ruti emphasizes transcending our individual histories of pain, an act that allows us to face the unconscious demons that dictate our relational choices. Written with substance and compassion, The Summons of Love restores the enlivening and transformative possibilities of romance.

We are conditioned to think love's purpose is to heal wounds, make us happy, and give our lives meaning. When the opposite occurs, and love causes us to feel fractured, disenchanted, and full of existential turmoil, our suffering is compounded by the sense that love has failed us, or that we've failed to experience what so many others effortlessly enjoy.In this eloquently argued, psychologically-informed book, Mari Ruti portrays love as a much more complex, multifaceted phenomenon prompting us to access the depths of human existence. Love's ruptures are as important as its triumph.

"A Sheed & Ward book." Includes bibliographical references and index. Finding a path for life : the quest for goodness and happiness -- Not going it alone : friendship and community in the Christian moral life -- Facing shipwreck and bandits : virtues and the quest for happiness -- Every person's truth : made in the image of God, called to do the work of God -- Freedom : exploring a dangerous topic -- False steps on the path to happiness : losing our way and finding it back -- Finding a story worth handing on : narrative and the moral life -- Doing what the good requires : conscience and prudence in the moral life -- The gift that makes all gifts possible : learning the language of love -- Reimagining the world : why the happiness of one demands justice for all.

The Daily Joy devotional inspires women to engage with God’s word every day, allowing the truth of the gospel to transform their lives throughout the year. Featuring content from the ESV Women’s Devotional Bible, Scripture readings and articles are written by more than 50 Christian writers and pastors including Joni Eareckson Tada, Lydia Brownback, Dane C. Ortlund, Jen Wilkin, Sam Storms, and Nancy Guthrie. Focused on biblical teaching and God’s transforming grace, these resources motivate women to apply God’s word while strengthening their hearts and nurturing their souls.

There are few songs more recognizable to the Christian believer than Anna B. Warner's beloved hymn, "Jesus Loves Me." The simple yet eloquent lyric states the basic elements of faith both plainly and succinctly; within the three title words are found the tenets of Christianity. Now, by examining this beloved hymn verse by verse, including the little known second and third stanzas, Calvin Miller seeks to remind believers of the clear and abiding truths found within this child's rhyme. In doing so, he establishes the song as a creed by which busy Christian adults can live and grow.