SPCK Classics – serie

'Michael Ramsay's profound simplicity leaps off the page . . . The Christian Priest Today can be read with great and lasting benefit by anyone interested in this strange and magnificent vocation.' John Pritchard, author of The Life and Work of a PriestOf all Michael Ramsey's many books, The Christian Priest Today is perhaps the best loved and most enduring. The main part of the volume is composed of charges to ordination candidates, with an emphasis on the intellectual and devotional life of the minister in an increasingly self-sufficient world. Later chapters reflect on the ministry of the laity, the theology of priesthood and the roles of bishop and presbyter in the context of the practical meaning of divine vocation.

Instead of the seven words that Jesus spoke from the cross, Tom Wright invites you to consider seven words that people spoke to the cross - people like Mary and the Roman centurion, who witnessed the crucifixion, and Pontius Pilate, who helped to instigate it. The result is a powerful sequence of meditations that will move you to reassess your own response to Jesus' death, his resurrection, and the continuing influence of his Spirit on those who follow him today.

Explores a spirituality open to people of various ages and in different walks of life.This book includes a collection of the Cardinal's thoughts, on the Christian life, the destination of which is eternal happiness with God, in simple and at times vivid language, on the Christian life, the destination of which is eternal happiness with God.

This collection of stories, meditations, poems and prayers evokes the authentic spirit of Celtic Christianity.Capturing the atmosphere of parables passed down through generations, it shows the human warmth, respect for the natural world and robust, down-to-earth qualities for which Celtic spirituality is so greatly valued.With its rich treasury of material - most of it previously unavailable in modern editions - Celtic Parables offers a fresh, lively introduction to the Celtic world.Robert van de Weyer was a founding member of the Community of Christ the Sower at Little Gidding as is well known for his interest in Celtic spirituality.

A selection of Merton's finest writing in which he discusses solitude, St John of the Cross, the primitive Carmelite ideal, Christianity and totalitarianism, and the power and meaning of love. The ideas and insight in this book reflect light on contemporary spiritual life.

This new edition of a modern classic on prayer shows how it is not just a hobby or a technique for Christians but an exposure to God in which he progressively takes over. Contemplative prayer, far from being the prerogative of a professional elite, is the fullness of Christian living for anyone. It can completely transform the lives of those who are prepared to take it all the way.Without spending much time on technical distinctions, Marked for Life speaks of the experience of prayer among ordinary people and the Easter experience in the New Testament. It is the meeting of the two that brings the surrender of humankind to God.

Written by perhaps the world's foremost authority on the relationship between science and theology, Reason and Reality brings together essays in which John Polkinghorne pursues more deeply themes touched on in his earlier works. The result is a deeply satisfying interpretation of the nature and scope of human knowledge, the extent and limits of science, and the proper place of theology as what Polkinghorne calls science's "cousin under the skin"

Julian of Norwich, an anchoress of the fourteenth century has captured the imagination of our time in a remarkable way. She shares with her readers the deepest and most intimate experiences of her life through her writings, which are sustained reflections on the visions which appeared to her during a severe illness. Yet of her life and her world we know virtually nothing, not even how she came to be an anchoress. This detailed study of Julian attempts not only to penetrate her theological ideas but also bring to life her world and her life as an anchoress. This is a book not only for those who have a scholarly interest in Julian, but for anyone drawn to Christian mysticism and the place of women within that tradition. In the new introduction to this edition, Grace Jantzen explores what it might mean to be an anchoress in postmodernity, and how reflections on Julian of Norwich and her desire for God can enable us to become the space of divine transformation.

In the Celtic way of prayer the divine glory was intertwined with the ordinariness of everyday events like the patterns on carvings and illuminated gospels. The modern prayers in this book beautifully recapture that tradition. They were composed in a small parish in the north of England to help individuals and groups rediscover the use of life's simple rhythms in their worship of the Eternal Presence. Here are prayers for individual devotions and for corporate worship, as well as for quiet days and retreats.

This classic book asks what it is to know Jesus. It will enable thinking Christians to ask new questions about their faith, their reading of the New Testament, and the theology of redemption.

With an introduction by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, The Way of a Pilgrim presents one of Russia's greatest spiritual classics of Christian truth in prose of genuine beauty.In The Way of a Pilgrim, an unknown pilgrim describes his wanderings through mid-nineteenth century Russia and Siberia, from one holy place to another, in search of the way of prayer.R. M. French's superb translation conveys the charm of the original text, as well as brilliantly communicating the spiritual truths of the gospel. In the much-loved sequel, The Pilgrim Continues His Way, the narrator shares more of his story, as desire burns within him to discover deeper experiences of prayer, and to draw closer to the heart of God.

This classic work is an essential resource for anyone seeking effectively to understand and help people who believe themselves to be disturbed or invaded by powers which they cannot control.Inside this book you'll find practical and sound advice on:- Spiritualism- New Age Spirituality- Abuse (including satanic ritual abuse)- Charismatic Renewal- Occult and Psychic PhenomenaWhether such psychological disturbance or as a concrete reality, the ministry of deliverance is one for which any Christian may need to be prepared. Describing as it does the range of cases a pastor might expect to encounter, 'Deliverance' offers indispensable guidance on the practice of discernment.

By looking in detail at the Lord's Prayer and its background, Tom Wright offers a really fresh and helpful way of looking at Jesus. Phrase by phrase, he demonstrates how understanding the prayer in its original setting can be the starting point for a rekindling of Christian spirituality and the life of prayer. This small masterpiece of a book contains a great deal to stimulate and refresh both the mind and the heart - and to show that, properly understood, they belong together.

The Book of Enoch was known and valued by the earliest Christians and sheds light on many concepts found in the New Testament, such as angels and demons, future judgment, the Messiah and the Messianic Kingdom, the title 'Son of Man' and the resurrection.This edition of R. H. Charles's classic translation includes a substantial new introduction by Paula Gooder, in which she writes:'Despite the many exciting and revolutionary archaeological finds during the 20th century, 1 Enoch remains one of the most important texts of its kind. It is a broad anthology of apocalyptic traditions about the biblical character Enoch, some easier to read and comprehend than others. It arose out of its context. This was a context riven by the harsh experience of conflict, violence and fear for the future, as the wars between rival Greek generals gave way first to the oppression of the Seleucid Antiochus IV (Epiphanes), then the disillusionment of Hasmonean rule followed by Roman invasion and further oppression.'It arose out of this context but spoke very clearly into and beyond it too, reminding its readers in many different generations that the world around them was not all there was, that judgement would come and the righteous would be rewarded. It also reflected a view of the world shared by the majority, if not all, of the New Testament writers. This was a world in which the things of heaven continually shaped the things of earth, in which angels revealed secrets and in which God cared and intervened for his people. 1 Enoch is thus worth reading in its own right, but it is also vitally important for the many ways in which it illuminates the world, language and theology of the New Testament.'

In this sensational and highly original book Dr Kenneth McAll tells how through his medical and religious experiences he has discovered a remarkable new method of healing. He believes that many supposedly 'incurable' patients are the victims of ancestral control. He therefore seeks to liberate them from this control. By drawing up a family tree he can identify the ancestor who is causing his patient harm. He then cuts the bond between the ancestor and the patient by celebrating, with a clergyman, a service of Holy Communion in which he delivers the tormented ancestor to God.His book could revolutionize the spiritual, medical and psychiatric approach to many forms of mental and physical sickness. It will undoubtedly create great controversy among the medical and clerical professions.Russ Parker, director of the Christian Acorn Healing Foundation, 'is honoured' to be asked to write a new foreword for the SPCK Classics edition

First published 25 years ago, Russ Parker's Healing Dreams established itself as a bestseller. This SPCK Classics reissue has a new introduction. The author's extensive experience as a Christian dream counsellor is reassuringly evident in the engaging and often moving text. Russ draws on a wide variety of his own and others' dreams to reveal how dreams can lead us closer to God, to a deeper awareness of his will in our day-to-day lives, and to greater self-understanding.

"Fresh, exciting, challenging and mind-stretching" Christian HeraldNow an SPCK Classic, this is probably the most popular modern introduction to the four Gospel portraits of Jesus. It is written by an internationally respected biblical scholar and Christian communicator.Time and again, this book delights the reader as it points out nuances of wording and presentation that are so often the clues to the gospel writer's mind and to his response to the figure of Jesus Contact.