A study of the Gnostic texts, which describe the same people and events portrayed in the New Testament but from a different perspective, reveals why their suppression was essential to the development of the Christian church

Combines fact and folklore in exploring the history and culture of the mysterious Celtic priests

"This is quintessential Merton."--The Catholic Review.

Jesus suffered, doubted, hoped, feared, dreamed, wept, knew loneliness, planned, and built. William Barclay achieves in The Mind of Jesus his aim "to make the figure of Jesus more vividly alive, so that we may know him better and love him more." More than a study of the historical Jesus, this book radiates the author's devotion to him and breathes a real, compassionate understanding of the Christ who walked among and suffered for common humanity. Barclay's enthusiasm quickly draws the Jesus. Written in a vivid, immediate, almost conversational style, The Mind of Jesus conveys with fresh impact the complete humanity and perfect divintiy that evokes Barclay's -- and ultimately the reader's -- wholehearted devotion.

A series of spiritual exercises which combine Eastern meditation techniques with Christian prayer is designed to aid in achieving inner peace

Is celibacy the only moral alternative to marriage? Should the widowed be allowed to form intimate relationships without remarrying? Should the church receive homosexuals into its community and support committed gay and lesbian relationships? Should congregations publicly and liturgically witness and affirm divorces? Should the church's moral standards continue to be set by patriarchal males? Should women be consecrated bishops? Bishop Spong proposes a pastoral response based on scripture and history to the changing realities of the modern world. He calls for a moral vision to empower the church with inclusive teaching about equal, loving, nonexploitative relationships.

Complete text of crucial medieval work of philosophy: reconciliation of Aristotle and Scripture. Includes Life of Maimonides, analysis of The Guide, indexes of quotations from Scripture, Talmud. Maimonides, brilliant forerunner of Aquinas.

The author describes life at her family's old country farmhouse and shares her observations on nature, writing, and the human community

A companion volume to The Study of Liturgy, this collection examines the nature and form of individual devotion, discussing the various patterns of Christian discipleship that have evolved through the centuries. Written by contributors representing the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Free Church, and Orthodox traditions, it is the definitive study of spirituality.

Søren Kierkegaard, the nineteenth-century Danish philosopher rediscovered in the twentieth century, is a major influence in contemporary philosophy, religion, and literature. He regarded Either/Or as the beginning of his authorship, although he had published two earlier works on Hans Christian Andersen and irony. The pseudonymous volumes of Either/Or are the writings of a young man (I) and of Judge William (II). The ironical young man's papers include a collection of sardonic aphorisms; essays on Mozart, modern drama, and boredom; and "The Seducer's Diary." The seeming miscellany is a reflective presentation of aspects of the "either," the esthetic view of life. Part II is an older friend's "or," the ethical life of integrated, authentic personhood, elaborated in discussions of personal becoming and of marriage. The resolution of the "either/or" is left to the reader, for there is no Part III until the appearance of Stages on Life's Way. The poetic-reflective creations of a master stylist and imaginative impersonator, the two men write in distinctive ways appropriate to their respective positions.