True spirituality does not happen in a vacuum, as a “God-and-me” phenomenon independent of any context. Rather, it develops and is lived and expressed through the cultural mindset of its time and place. In this accessible and well-illustrated book, Maria Jaoudi opens the treasures of the theology and spirituality of the Middle Ages and Renaissance in the three major Western religious traditions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Through an enlightening discussion of the architecture of Europe’s cathedrals; the work of two remarkable medieval women, Julian and Hildegard; the sefirot of the Jewish Kabbalah; the Islamic love mystics Rabi’a and Rumi; the Florentine masters of the Renaissance; and others, she shows how spirituality was made manifest in the great art and writings of the medieval and Renaissance periods. The great masters of these ages come to life to speak to readers who seek to learn more about spirituality and expand their prayer life. †

Offers practical and personal ways to help mitigate global climate change while sustaining an emotional and spiritual center through mindfulness practice.The inundation of terrifying environmental news in recent years has left many people exhausted and in despair about our planet's future. In Mindfulness as Sustainability, Maria Jaoudi addresses the need to take care of ourselves intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally during the current global climate crisis. Drawing on specific teachings, stories, and explorations of consciousness and reality from Buddhist, Christian, Daoist, Hindu, Indigenous, Islamic, and Jewish traditions, Jaoudi demonstrates that mindfulness is sustainability, and that mindfulness practice, applied both personally and politically, can help mitigate global climate change and rectify environmental injustice. Through illuminating discussions of primary scriptures, key spiritual figures, discoveries of modern science, and moments of social transformation, she offers practical ways to live our lives mindfully, ethically, and sustainably. Written for students and lay readers, the book makes the case that we can sustain our planet if we maintain our strength, increase our knowledge, and remain sensitive to the beauty and the sentience that is both within us and around us.

True spirituality does not happen in a vacuum, as a “God-and-me” phenomenon independent of any context. Rather, it develops and is lived and expressed through the cultural mindset of its time and place. In this accessible and well-illustrated book, Maria Jaoudi opens the treasures of the theology and spirituality of the Middle Ages and Renaissance in the three major Western religious traditions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Through an enlightening discussion of the architecture of Europe’s cathedrals; the work of two remarkable medieval women, Julian and Hildegard; the sefirot of the Jewish Kabbalah; the Islamic love mystics Rabi’a and Rumi; the Florentine masters of the Renaissance; and others, she shows how spirituality was made manifest in the great art and writings of the medieval and Renaissance periods. The great masters of these ages come to life to speak to readers who seek to learn more about spirituality and expand their prayer life. †

Offers practical and personal ways to help mitigate global climate change while sustaining an emotional and spiritual center through mindfulness practice.The inundation of terrifying environmental news in recent years has left many people exhausted and in despair about our planet's future. In Mindfulness as Sustainability, Maria Jaoudi addresses the need to take care of ourselves intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally during the current global climate crisis. Drawing on specific teachings, stories, and explorations of consciousness and reality from Buddhist, Christian, Daoist, Hindu, Indigenous, Islamic, and Jewish traditions, Jaoudi demonstrates that mindfulness is sustainability, and that mindfulness practice, applied both personally and politically, can help mitigate global climate change and rectify environmental injustice. Through illuminating discussions of primary scriptures, key spiritual figures, discoveries of modern science, and moments of social transformation, she offers practical ways to live our lives mindfully, ethically, and sustainably. Written for students and lay readers, the book makes the case that we can sustain our planet if we maintain our strength, increase our knowledge, and remain sensitive to the beauty and the sentience that is both within us and around us.