This book offers a challenging spirituality for a world filled with uncertainty and emotional struggle. Drawing from the work of ancient and contemporary thinkers, the author constructs a path to understanding oneself and understanding God in new and profound ways. This end is pursued by the use of spiritual exercises, mental practices which make changing one's way of life a real possibility. Further, by engaging directly with nothingness, meaninglessness, and the sheer lack of certain knowledge possessed by humans, an alternative form of spirituality is offered, one that prepares the contemporary Christian for all that life will bring.

The incredible technical achievements of recent history may make us feel little less than gods," but we also find much that cuts us down. When we face our own limits and failures, upon what or whom can we rely? The biblical "answer" to questions about the ultimate nature and meaning of human life begins with the experience of Semitic slaves led out of Egyptian slavery beautifully recounted in Deuteronomy 26:5-11. The New Testament presents Jesus as the culmination of God's Old Testament promise. Christian faith has a particular Vision of the world and of humanity founded upon the relationship between God and creation. Its key elements are found in the inviolable dignity of every person, the essential centrality of community, and the significance of human action. These are the main themes of a Christian anthropology developed in this book.

Christians often say, "In Jesus' name" to close their prayers. But is this truly a desire of the heart or a perfunctory "Yours Truly" to God? Bryan Chapell says we should begin our prayers in Jesus' name-we should be Praying Backwards. In this practical and inspiring book, he shows readers that to truly pray in Jesus' name is to reorder one's priorities in prayer-and in life-away from oneself and towards Jesus and his kingdom. It is to pray believing in the power and the goodness of the One who hears, and thus to pray boldly, expectantly, and persistently. Readers seeking to transform their prayer lives will find wonderful direction in Praying Backwards.

The practices of the East meet those of the West in this intriguing book on the relationship between Zen meditation and the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola. Ruben Habito, a Zen Master as well as an expert in Ignatian spirituality, brings these two hallowed paths to enlightenment together in this intriguing book designed not only for believers in either tradition, but for seekers and beginners as well. Both comparing and contrasting Zen traditions of meditation and enlightenment with St. Ignatius' famous Exercises for attaining Divine Love, Habito offers suggestions on how the two traditions share the same goals and how each might benefit from the other or from their shared practice. As the reader follows Habito through the stages of purgation of false desires, illumination of one's true path, and the generous desire to give back what one has been given through the Divine, Habito shares illuminating and instructive stories, literary and spiritual reflections, and thought-provoking ways on how to update Zen and Ignatian spirituality to meet the needs and desires of a contemporary seeker.

How do Christians cultivate a vibrant and Christ-centered spirituality that's rooted in biblical clarity? Spiritual formation--the cultivation of a relationship with God--lies at the heart of what it means to be a Christian in the body of Christ. But with the rise of diverse spiritual practices, from Zen meditation to out-of-body experiences, the idea of spirituality has become watered down by postmodern culture. Christian spirituality, on the other hand, embraces devotion to the triune God, abiding in Christ, the pursuit of holiness, and the cultivation of virtues. But what exactly falls within the scope Christian spirituality? This volume of the Counterpoints series focuses on the Church’s search for spiritual identity, meaning, and significance as interpreted by four of the major Christian traditions: Eastern Orthodoxy – represented by Bradley Nassif Roman Catholic – represented by Scott Hahn Progressive Protestant – represented by Joseph Driskill Evangelical - represented by Evan Howard The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.

In A Secular Age, Charles Taylor, faced with contemporary challenges to belief, issues a call for “new and unprecedented itineraries” that might be capable of leading seekers to encounter God. In Spiritual Exercises for a Secular Age, Ryan G. Duns demonstrates that William Desmond’s philosophy has the resources to offer a compelling response to Taylor. To show how, Duns makes use of the work of Pierre Hadot. In Hadot’s view, the point of philosophy is “not to inform but to form”—that is, not to provide abstract answers to abstruse questions but rather to form the human being such that she can approach reality as such in a new way. Drawing on Hadot, Duns frames Desmond’s metaphysical thought as a form of spiritual exercise. So framed, Duns argues, Desmond’s metaphysics attunes its readers to perceive disclosure of the divine in the everyday. Approached in this way, studying Desmond’s metaphysics can transform how readers behold reality itself by attuning them to discern the presence of God, who can be sought, and disclosed through, all things in the world. Spiritual Exercises for a Secular Age offers a readable and engaging introduction to the thought of Charles Taylor and William Desmond, and demonstrates how practicing metaphysics can be understood as a form of spiritual exercise that renews in its practitioners an attentiveness to God in all things. As a unique contribution at the crossroads of theology and philosophy, it will appeal to readers in continental philosophy, theology, and religious studies broadly.

An extraordinary spiritual practice with the power to transform the ordinary life Even in our modern society, one of the most effective ways to develop a dynamic relationship with God is through the 450-year-old practice of Ignatian spirituality. Joseph A. Tetlow, SJ, a leading expert on the subject, shows how Ignatian principles and practices can help each of us to discern God’s will for our life and to become a changed person in Christ. Having overseen the efforts of more than 200 Jesuit retreat houses and centers for spirituality, Fr. Tetlow is uniquely equipped to describe how the ordinary person in the 21st century can live out the extraordinary theology of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The 40 concise meditations contained in Making Choices in Christ explore what Ignatian spirituality is and isn’t; what it means to live by it; Ignatius’s legacy to all who practice the spirituality; and its important concepts and experiences, most notably the Spiritual Exercises. An ideal resource to be used before or during a retreat with the Exercises, this book can guide any layperson at any time toward a life-changing encounter with the living God.