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Here and Now: Living in the Spirit © 1994 Crossroad 144 pages Do yourself a favour and order this book—then come back to finish reading my review. This book is that good. Here and Now is a collection of Henri Nouwen’s reflections on life. Each reflection is about two pages long and they’re grouped together [...]

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society © 1980, 2000 IVP Books 212 pages Seventeen publishers rejected this manuscript. Peterson recalls being informed that “there was no ‘niche’ in the market, … that it was irrelevant to the concerns of contemporary North Americans” (202). Who wants to purchase a book on Spiritual [...]

The Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows © 2009 IVP Books 229 pages Dallas Willard’s blurb on the front cover caught my attention: “The best practice I have seen in Christian spiritual formation.” A quick scan of the introduction showed me that Smith was heir to many of the same [...]

Red Letter Revolution: What If Jesus Really Meant What He Said? © 2012 Thomas Nelson 272 pages On the surface this looks like a book written by the odd couple. On one side you have Tony Campolo, the wizened elder statesman. On the other side you have the iconoclastic young radical, Shane Claiborne. Fortunately for [...]

The Silence of God © 1962 G. W. Bromiley, trans. Eerdmans 92 pages Pastors always have difficult situations to address—the death of a child, a natural disaster, or an incurable illness. There are times when the situation is so central to the life of the congregation that the pastor must address it from the pulpit. [...]

What Is Contemplation? © 1950 Templegate Publishers © 1981 79 pages Simple depth. That’s what I expect when I pick up Merton, and that’s precisely what I found in this little book. I should share the circumstances of my reading because they added to the experience. After feeling overwhelmed by my workload, I took off [...]

As One Devil to Another: A Fiendish Correspondence in the Tradition of C. S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters © 2012 Tyndale House Publishers xi+192 pages [At the end of this review, you'll have an opportunity to win a copy of the book.] In 1941, The Guardian magazine published a series of letters from Senior Devil [...]

Secrets in the Dark: A Life in Sermons © 2006 Harper Collins: HarperOne xvi+303 pages Buechner’s writing is just plan beautiful. At times it has the potential to take your breath away. He combines deep spiritual insight—something only acquired through years of living with God—with a poet’s flair for prose. Secrets in the Dark is [...]

Peace Be with You: Monastic Wisdom for a Terror-Filled World © 2011 Thomas Nelson 276 pages In the wake of 9/11, David Carlson sought answers. He knew “something was missing” in our response to the tragedy, but he wasn’t quite sure what. This question led him to monasteries and retreat centres across America where he [...]

Revelations of Divine Love © 1966 Trans. Clifton Wolters Penguin 213 pages The scribe who put the words of Mother Julian to paper offered a warning: I pray God almighty that this book shall fall only into the hands of those who intend to be his lovers, and who are willing to submit to the [...]