Walking With God In America

Photographs of American landscapes and other sites, complimented by inspirational quotes.

With God in America is a collection of previously unpublished writings on Walter Ciszek, SJ's, post-imprisonment life and thoughts.

The hard work required to make God real, how it changes the people who do it, and why it helps explain the enduring power of faith How do gods and spirits come to feel vividly real to people—as if they were standing right next to them? Humans tend to see supernatural agents everywhere, as the cognitive science of religion has shown. But it isn’t easy to maintain a sense that there are invisible spirits who care about you. In How God Becomes Real, acclaimed anthropologist and scholar of religion T. M. Luhrmann argues that people must work incredibly hard to make gods real and that this effort—by changing the people who do it and giving them the benefits they seek from invisible others—helps to explain the enduring power of faith. Drawing on ethnographic studies of evangelical Christians, pagans, magicians, Zoroastrians, Black Catholics, Santeria initiates, and newly orthodox Jews, Luhrmann notes that none of these people behave as if gods and spirits are simply there. Rather, these worshippers make strenuous efforts to create a world in which invisible others matter and can become intensely present and real. The faithful accomplish this through detailed stories, absorption, the cultivation of inner senses, belief in a porous mind, strong sensory experiences, prayer, and other practices. Along the way, Luhrmann shows why faith is harder than belief, why prayer is a metacognitive activity like therapy, why becoming religious is like getting engrossed in a book, and much more. A fascinating account of why religious practices are more powerful than religious beliefs, How God Becomes Real suggests that faith is resilient not because it provides intuitions about gods and spirits—but because it changes the faithful in profound ways.

We live in an age of skepticism. Our society places such faith in empirical reason, historical progress, and heartfelt emotion that it’s easy to wonder: Why should anyone believe in Christianity? What role can faith and religion play in our modern lives? In this thoughtful and inspiring new book, pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller invites skeptics to consider that Christianity is more relevant now than ever. As human beings, we cannot live without meaning, satisfaction, freedom, identity, justice, and hope. Christianity provides us with unsurpassed resources to meet these needs. Written for both the ardent believer and the skeptic, Making Sense of God shines a light on the profound value and importance of Christianity in our lives.

Where is your favorite place in America? Whether hiking a rocky trail up Mt. McKinley, feeling the misty spray of Niagra Falls, scanning the colorful bluebonnet fields in Texas, or smelling the sweet summer roses of Savannah, America is full of beautiful and exciting places to see and experience. Spanning our country’s fifty states, here are 100 favorite places to visit and see up close the miraculous work of God as well as man-made masterpieces. Beautiful photography of each location is accompanied by a short devotion and prayer, nurturing gratitude and peace so often lost in the busyness of life. Perhaps some places will be familiar, bringing renewed excitement from that first visit. But, no doubt, there are new and exciting places not yet seen or even heard of, prompting next year’s vacation destination with new explorations. If you love to travel or dream of traveling, this devotional will take you to places grand or quaint, serene or adventurous. In every corner of America, you can find the handiwork of our amazing and creative God.

"The question of why God would allow pain and suffering in the world has vexed believers and nonbelievers forever. In Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, Timothy Keller takes on this enduring issue and shows that there is meaning and reason behind pain and suffering, making a forceful and groundbreaking case that this essential part of the human experience can be overcome only by understanding our relationship with God. Using biblical wisdom and personal stories of overcoming adversity, Keller brings a much-needed, fresh viewpoint to this important issue."--Back cover

In this updated and redesigned edition of the New York Times bestseller, Newt and Callista Gingrich invite you on a walking tour of America's capital city; Washington, D.C. As a reminder of God's role in the history and future of America, Newt and Callista Gingrich give readers a look into the architecture and beauty of the nation's Capitol in REDISCOVERING GOD IN AMERICA. Readers will take a walk through Washington, D.C. to view the nation's monuments and memorials, including the National Archives, where Thomas Jefferson's immortal words jump off the page. But this is not simply a walking tour of the city; this is a tour of American history--of great men and women, events, documents, institutions, and ideas--all shaped decisively by the genuine belief that America is a nation founded under God. Readers will quickly find themselves on a profound path of discovery and renewal.