Joan Chittister

Fifty-two readings on living in intentional Christian community to spark group discussion.Gold Medal Winner, 2017 Illumination Book Awards, Christian LivingSilver Medal Winner, 2017 Benjamin Franklin Award in Religion, Independent Book Publishers AssociationWhy, in an age of connectivity, are our lives more isolated and fragmented than ever? And what can be done about it? The answer lies in the hands of God’s people. Increasingly, today’s Christians want to be the church, to follow Christ together in daily life. From every corner of society, they are daring to step away from the status quo and respond to Christ’s call to share their lives more fully with one another and with others. As they take the plunge, they are discovering the rich, meaningful life that Jesus has in mind for all people, and pointing the church back to its original calling: to be a gathered, united community that demonstrates the transforming love of God.Of course, such a life together with others isn’t easy. The selections in this volume are, by and large, written by practitioners—people who have pioneered life in intentional community and have discovered in the nitty-gritty of daily life what it takes to establish, nurture, and sustain a Christian community over the long haul.Whether you have just begun thinking about communal living, are already embarking on sharing life with others, or have been part of a community for many years, the pieces in this collection will encourage, challenge, and strengthen you. The book’s fifty-two chapters can be read one a week to ignite meaningful group discussion.Contributors include: John F. Alexander, Eberhard Arnold, J. Heinrich Arnold, Johann Christoph Arnold, Alden Bass, Benedict of Nursia, Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt, Leonardo Boff, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Joan Chittister, Stephen B. Clark, Andy Crouch, Dorothy Day, Anthony de Mello, Elizabeth Dede, Catherine de Hueck Doherty, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Jenny Duckworth, Friedrich Foerster, Richard J. Foster, Jodi Garbison, Arthur G. Gish, Helmut Gollwitzer, Adele J Gonzalez, Stanley Hauerwas, Joseph H. Hellerman, Roy Hession, David Janzen, Rufus Jones, Emmanuel Katongole, Arthur Katz, Søren Kierkegaard, C. Norman Kraus, C.S. Lewis, Gerhard Lohfink, Ed Loring, Chiara Lubich, George MacDonald, Thomas Merton, Hal Miller, José P. Miranda, Jürgen Moltmann, Charles E. Moore, Henri J. M. Nouwen, Elizabeth O’Connor, John M. Perkins, Eugene H.Peterson, Christine D. Pohl, Chris Rice, Basilea Schlink, Howard A. Snyder, Mother Teresa, Thomas à Kempis, Elton Trueblood, and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove.

The activist, nun, and esteemed spiritual voice who has twice appeared on Oprah Winfrey's Super Soul Sunday sounds the call to create a monastery within ourselves--to cultivate wisdom and resilience so that we may join God in the work of renewal, restoration, and justice right where we are. "Essential reading for anyone wishing to find the compass of their heart and the wellspring from which to live fully."--Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries and New York Times bestselling author of Tattoos on the Heart "In every beating heart is a silent undercurrent that calls each of us to a place unknown, to the vision of a wiser life, to become what I feel I must be--but cannot name." So begins Sister Joan Chittister's words on monasticism, offering a way of living and seeing life that brings deep human satisfaction. Amid the astounding disruptions of normalcy that have unfolded in our world, Sister Joan calls all of us to cultivate the spiritual seeker within, however that may look across our diverse journeys: "We can depend only on the depth of the spiritual well in us. The well is the only thing that can save us from the fear of our own frailty." This book carries the weight and wisdom of the monastic spiritual tradition into the twenty-first century. Sister Joan leans into Saint Benedict, who, as a young man in the sixth century, sought moral integrity in the face of an empire not by conquering or overpowering the empire but by simply living an ordinary life extraordinarily well. This same monastic mindset can help us grow in wisdom, equanimity, and strength of soul as we seek restoration and renewal both at home and in the world. At a time when people around the world are bearing witness to human frailty--and, simultaneously, the endurance of the human spirit--The Monastic Heart invites readers of all walks to welcome this end of certainty and embrace a new beginning of our faith. Without stepping foot in a monastery, we can become, like those before us, a deeper, freer self, a richer soul--and, as a result, a true monastic, so "that in all things God may be glorified."

The God that we were brought up on is not big enough to be God. To be both religious and spiritual, modernity must be able to absorb the notion of a cosmic and evolving God. This notion redefines the place and purpose of humanity itself. The old notions of who is in charge, who is superior and whose theology is paramount is in a state of flux. Unless, or until, this new vision comes into play, directs our hearts, guides our business, underlies our technology, the world itself is not ready to understand or survive the horizon of Newness on which it stands. In the My Theology series, the world's leading Christian thinkers explain some of the principal tenets of their theological beliefs in concise, pocket-sized books.

The God that we were brought up on is not big enough to be God. To be both religious and spiritual, modernity must be able to absorb the notion of a cosmic and evolving God, writes Joan Chittister OSB. This notion, she argues, redefines the place and purpose and destiny of humanity itself.

The Australasian Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (ACCCR) is a voice for lay Catholics and comprises a network of 19 member organisations across Australia and New Zealand. Member groups of ACCCR are committed to the Catholic faith and foster collaboration and support in seeking renewal of the Catholic Church. In response to the Assembly of the Australian Plenary Council 2020-2022, the ACCCR convened a series of convocations to promote the Plenary and support its task of renewing the Church in Australia. The online convocations featured keynote speakers who offered a path toward a vibrant synodal Church that speaks to - and meets the needs of - Catholics in this millennium. These convocations, in turn, sparked the genesis for this reading guide - A Church for All.A Church for All presents transcripts from convocation speakers - such as Joan Chittister, Robert Fitzgerald, Debra Zanella, and John Warhurst - along with a response to the Plenary agenda and concrete proposals for the Plenary Council by the ACCCR. The guide also features discussion questions that will provoke further reflection and is designed to be used either alone or with others.A Church for All features some of the most respected voices in the Australian Catholic world and is a must-read for anyone concerned about the future of the Catholic Church.

"I don't know how to say what the grace of God is. What I can say is what it's like for me." We all know about grace being amazing--after all, there's a whole song about it--but Patrick Henry reminds us that that's not all it is. It's also intimidating, disorienting, demanding, reassuring, and sometimes even just downright mind-boggling. Describing thirty-three different aspects of grace based on his everyday experiences, Henry tells the story of a grace that is wide-ranging and comprehensive--if not always comprehensible. Rather than trying to capture and tame his encounters with God, he lets the mystery of memory speak for itself, exemplifying his mantra that being a Christian is about being "an explorer, not a colonizer." Flashes of Grace is wise and grounded, earnest and light, faithful and quirky. Henry describes encountering grace in airports, baseball, hazelnuts, and just about anywhere else you can imagine, while engaging with dialogue partners ranging from King Saul and Saint Augustine to Yogi Berra and Captain Picard. For anyone longing to connect (or reconnect) with God, this book provides a surprising journey that broadens perspectives and explores strange new worlds, while loosening stiff spiritual joints so movement can be free and spontaneous.

Every century, every culture has sought the spiritual dimensions of life in particular ways, through teachings and lifestyles it could embrace. Across the ages, for some women and men the longing to unite with the Divine took the form of an existence in solitude and prayer. For others, it lay in communal life and worship. For many, it was an attempt to withdraw from the secular world in order to be better attuned to the sacred. But for one seeker in sixth-century Italy, for Benedict of Nursia, the spiritual life lay in simply living this life, our daily life, well. All of it. Every simple, single action of it. Benedict turned the ordinary into an experience of the extraordinary, a union with the sacred in the here and now. Benedict's Rule--his guide for communal living--and Benedictine spirituality are his enduring legacy. The Monastery of the Heart is Joan Chittister's beautiful, practical guide for those who are looking for the rhythm of a better life in this time of social upheavals and global transformations. Anchored in Benedict's ancient Rule, rooted in its values, The Monastery of the Heart offers a fresh approach to spiritual living in the very center of our own world--without ever withdrawing from it. Written for seekers of any faith or none--for individuals, couples, families, and small groups--it is a gentle invitation to embrace the sacred in the everyday.

Joan Chittister, one of our leading inspirational writers, invites us to embrace and celebrate the deep bond between humans and animals. 'Two Dogs and a Parrot' offers both heart-warming stories and thought-provoking reflections about sharing life with an animal companion. The relationships we form with animals--with dogs, cats, horses, birds, rabbits, and other pets--are full of joys and rewards. Our companion animals draw us out of ourselves and show us what it truly means to be alive. They teach us to accept life's struggles and to cherish its pleasures and the importance of being able to accept ourselves and respect others. They help us to find purpose and meaning in what we do, and to overcome challenges and setbacks. In our treasured animals we observe varying degrees of excitement and play, of love and fear. And we realize their beautiful uniqueness, their sensitivities and strong sense of purpose. Whether we have an animal companion, long to have a pet or love someone who does, or cherish animals and nature, 'Two Dogs and a Parrot' will speak to us all. It illuminates the significance of sharing our lives with a pet and celebrates the great gift of animals in our world.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams often says that, no matter what, the proper stance of the Christian in the world is one of gratitude. In this book, Sister Joan Chittister, OSB, and Archbishop Rowan Williams offer us a sweeping set of things and circumstances to be grateful for 'things for which we can sing alleluia," "praise and thanks be to God." Some are things we naturally feel grateful for: God, peace, wealth, life, faith, and unity. But when these are set alongside other things we would never think to sing alleluia about 'death, divisions, sufferings, and even sinners 'we begin to see, as Joan Chittister says in her introduction, that "Life itself is an exercise in learning to sing 'alleluia ' here in order to recognize the face of God hidden in the recesses of time. To deal with the meaning of 'alleluia ' in life means to deal with moments that do not feel like 'alleluia moments' at al." In this series of reflections it becomes clear that singing "alleluia" is not a way to escape reality but receptivity to another kind of reality beyond the immediate and the delusional, of helping us understand what is now and what is to come.

Through the icons of Robert Lentz and the reflections of Joan Chittister, A Passion for Life presents the lives of over two dozens saints, prophets, and witnesses, who speak to the urgent spiritual questions of our time. The icons in this book are male and female, Christian and non-Christian, married and unmarried, religious and lay. They are people like us. With one exception, perhaps. In their eyes burn the eyes of a God who sees injustice and decries it, sees poverty and condemns it, sees inequality and refuses it, sees wrong and demands that it be set right. These are people who gave themselves entirely to the impulses of God for the sake of the world.

Through the famous verses of Ecclesiastes, Joan Chittister reflects on timeless themes: the purpose and value of human life, the balance of joy and sorrow, work and rest, love and loss. In meditating on the contrasting seasons of our lives, she shows how human fulfillment and true happiness come, not from getting and having more and more, but from knowing and valuing what we have. Friendship and laughter, patience and sorrow, humility and compassion, from birth through death all these are God's gifts to us, the precious moments of life itself.

Very little in this world stays fresh and life-giving for 1,500 years. But when that happens we should ask ourselves why and what that had to do with us.In this book, The Radical Christian Life: A Year with Saint Benedict, Joan Chittister encourages us to look at that question. In an introductory essay she examines how the insights and values of the sixth-century Visionary Saint Benedict can illuminate today's search for a meaningful life. Then she leads us through the year, reflecting on twelve stories from Benedict's life, anecdotes that give us glimpses into his soul. More than that, she draws from these stories daily thoughts for the development of our own spiritual lives in this day and age.

Joan Chittister's powerful spiritual guide builds on the ancient Rule of Benedict to show us how to live this life, our daily life, well. 'The monastic archetype is embedded in every soul - because in our true centre we are all "truly seeking God" Joan Chittister understands and communicates this to her contemporaries with rare insight and power' Laurence Freeman, author of The Selfless Self ' . . . the allure of this book is its promise that "the monastery of the heart" is where we learn to live our lives "from the inside out" in a contemporary world that is spiritually bereft and bewildering' Ephrem Hollermann, author of The Reshaping of a Tradition 'This marvel of a book sings in the heart and makes the mind quiet with reverence, even as it instructs both of them with a holy gladness' Phyllis Tickle, compiler of The Divine Hours.

Every age has answered the questions and challenges of spiritual living in its own particular ways through its languages, arts, and lifestyles. Bestselling author Chittister delivers a roadmap based on the ancient Rule of Benedict that stands as a practical model upon which to build a satisfying life.

A journey of the soul through the map of Christian time.The liturgical year, beginning on the first Sunday of Advent and carrying through the following November, is the year that sets out to attune the life of the Christian to the life of Jesus, the Christ.What may at first seem to be simply an arbitrary arrangement of ancient holy days, or liturgical seasons, this book explains their essential relationship to one another and their ongoing meaning to us today. It is an excursion into life from the Christian perspective, from the viewpoint of those who set out not only to follow Jesus but to live and think as Jesus did.And it proposes to help us to year after year immerse ourselves into the sense and substance of the Christian life until, eventually, we become what we say we are—followers of Jesus all the way to the heart of God. It is an adventure in human growth; it is an exercise in spiritual ripening.A volume in the eight book classic series, The Ancient Practices, with a foreword by Phyllis Tickle, General Editor.

What are we doing when we say the word 'Alleluia'? This title, previously published in hardback, explores the meaning of this word often spoken in Christian worship. It aims to give practical answers to how we cultivate 'an Alleluia view' of every moment.

"Universal spiritual insights from five religious traditions"--Cover.