Kirjahaku

I en tid med en rikholdig flora av forklaringsmodeller og ytringer om åndelighet har vi mer enn noen gang i vår religiøse søken behov for egne åndelige erfaringer vi kan ha tillitt til. Vi trenger veiledere som selv har erfaring fra å gå veien, som kan hindre åndelig forvirring og la våre egne erfaringer bli ferdamat i en frigjørende trosvandring. Ignatius av Loyola, jesuittenes grunnlegger, utviklet sin veiledning basert på de såkalte "åndelige øvelser" i åpen tillit til en kommuniserende Gud. Å oppdage og tolke berøringer er en betingelse for et dristig og autentisk trosliv. Forfatterne av denne boken er også jesuitter og blant vår tids mest erfarne veiledere innen denne tradisjonen. Dette er en etterlengtet norsk utgave av en klassiker om praktisk åndelig veiledning.

Different people approach the business of praying in different ways. For some it is, quite frankly, an obligation, like paying taxes. For other people prayer is a means of controlling events, and for those concerned with human fulfillment prayer is a way of delving into themselves, achieving self-knowledge.This book maintains that prayer is first and foremost a personal relationship and that the most fruitful prayer is that which builds upon and enhances relationship. It shows us how we can develop an intimate relationship with God. It suggests various methods of prayer that will deepen and strengthen our friendship with him.†

Is what we call "the encounter with God" merely a depth experience of the psyche or does it have a specific theological character? In this revised edition of his best selling book, William Barry shows how it it possible to understand an encounter with the Triune God in this world, and how that process can be interpreted and aided by a spiritual director. Using the insights of John Macmurray and John Smith, Barry describes how a relationship with God develops and how one can discern whether a particular experience is from God or not. This understanding of religious experience comes from a theology of community, communal discernment and ministry in the church. This book will be helpful to spiritual directors, educators and theologians, as well as all educated seekers desiring a deeper relationship with God. In this revised edition, the author has added reflections on God's presence to suffering and evil and to evildoers, updated the bibliography, and freshened his examples for the 21st-century reader. †

We don't question our desire to be open with our close friends about our feelings, even if those feelings are difficult to express. We recognize that being honest with our loved ones will only deepen our bonds and help us feel peace in being able to express our innermost thoughts. Why then is it so challenging for us to come as we are, however we are, when approaching God in prayer? In "Praying the Truth: Deepening Your Friendship with God through Honest Prayer," William A. Barry, SJ, helps us deepen our friendship with God by examining how to approach God, at any time and with any problem, in complete honesty. Fr. Barry reflects on how secrecy can hurt families, the Church, and ourselves and how what we are keeping secret can get in the way of our connection with God. He acknowledges that we may fear God's reaction when revealing our most intimate truths; but just like with friendships, we risk not developing our relationship with God if we are dishonest about who we are and how we feel. "Praying the Truth "helps us realize that if we do not approach God in complete honesty, we may be holding back a part of ourselves that needs to be healed. By learning how to communicate honestly with God, our friendship with God and our faith in God's promise to love us unconditionally will be strengthened.

2021 Illumination Book Awards, Silver Medal: Theology God's presence is not "out there" but right here. We tend to look for God in dramatic or miraculous moments, but such expectations can blind us to God's ongoing presence. What if God is already with us, in the life we have this moment? When we experience ordinary but meaningful events, such as our first love or a favorite novel, we are in fact encountering God's presence. As we learn to notice spiritual movement within and around us, we can recognize the many facets of God's love that touch us daily. "As a priest and spiritual director of many decades, my driving desire is for people to experience God's limitless love for them and to recognize it when it emerges in what they consider just ordinary life happenings and conversations." --William A. Barry, SJ Whether we are in pain or crisis, questioning if we are really worthy of God's attention, or are simply wondering why God would be in the mundane details of our lives, Experiencing God in the Ordinary can nurture our hope--that God is always present and can be found in an ordinary day. Complete with personal stories and various suggestions for prayer and meditation, this book is perfect for devotional reading, retreat, or small-group discussion.

You have a place in God's great story. The divine narrative begins With The creation of the universe and continues through humanity's fall and struggle, the promises of the prophets, and the coming of Jesus. The story unfolds to reveal God's mercy for us over our history of sin and redemption, and the plot includes us as partners in God's great dream for the world. In his parting message to us, Fr. William A. Barry offers a lifetime of wisdom and compassion as he leads the reader through the overarching story of God's relationship with us, the beloved creation. With his characteristic warm and personal style, Fr. Barry invites us to ponder how the events and characters of Scripture relate to us in real time and daily experience. His theme, so prominent in his life's work as author and spiritual director, is simply this: God desires our friendship and participation in the grand story of grace.

Finding God in All Things illuminates the spirituality of St. Ignatius and encourages us to experience the transforming power of the Spiritual Exercises.

The Classic Work on Helping People Become Closer to GodFathers Barry and Connolly see the work of spiritual direction as helping people to develop their relationship with God. In thinking and practice they have absorbed the insights of modern psychotherapy, but have not been absorbed by them. This highly practical book reflects the authors' experience at the Center for Religious Development in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where spiritual direction is available and where directors are trained.