The primal role of art in awakening and liberating the soul of humanity • Presents a seven-stage journey of transformation moving from the darkened soul to the light of spiritual illumination • Provides a meditation practice to experience the spiritual energy embedded within art • Includes artists Alex Grey, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Walter Gaudnek, and others Art and Spiritual Transformation presents a seven-stage journey from the darkened soul to the light of spiritual illumination that is possible through the world of art. Finley Eversole introduces a meditation practice that moves beyond the visual content of an art form in order to connect with its embedded spiritual energy, allowing the viewer to tap in to the deeper consciousness inherent in the artwork and awaken dormant powers in the depths of the viewer’s soul. Examining modern and postmodern artwork from 1945 onward, Eversole reveals the influences of ancient Egypt, India, China, and alchemy on this art. He draws extensively on philosophy, myth and symbolism, literature, and metaphysics to explain the seven stages of spiritual death and rebirth of the soul possible through art: the experience of self-loss, the journey into the underworld, the experience of the dark night of the soul, the conflict with and triumph over evil, the awakening of new life in the depths of being, and the return and reintegration of consciousness on a higher plane of being, resulting finally in ecstasy, transfiguration, illumination, and liberation. To illustrate these stages, Eversole includes works by abstract expressionists Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Mark Rothko and modern visionary artists Alex Grey and Ernst Fuchs, among others, to reveal the powerful and liberating forces art contributes to the transformation and evolution of human consciousness.

Love God, love people. Could evangelism really be that simple? Often, it doesn’t seem so. It can feel scary, awkward, and uncomfortable as we try to navigate loaded questions and different perspectives. Even the most faithful of believers sometimes get stumped. But can you imagine if we, as Christians, simply spent time with people who are far from God and provided a safe place to talk about spiritual matters? If we listened to them and discovered what was really important to them? After all . . . it’s what Jesus did. And it’s what you can do too. Drawing straight from the life and ministry of Jesus, The 9 Arts of Spiritual Conversations offers simple practices to help you build relationships with people who believe differently. Anyone who has read and appreciated Becoming a Contagious Christian or Just Walk across the Room won’t want to miss this book on creating a safe space to have natural, loving, and spiritual conversations with others.

30 Days of Spiritual Transformation is a comprehensive guide designed to help you embark on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth. Whether you're a seasoned spiritual seeker or just starting out, this book offers a practical and accessible approach to help you transform your life from the inside out. Over the course of 30 days, you'll be guided through a series of daily exercises and reflections that will help you deepen your connection to your spiritual self. Each chapter offers a unique practice or principle that is essential for spiritual growth, such as mindfulness, gratitude, self-reflection, self-compassion, and intentional breathing. The book is structured in a way that is easy to follow, with each chapter providing a daily exercise that can be completed in just a few minutes. This makes it perfect for busy individuals who want to incorporate spirituality into their daily routine, but may not have a lot of time to spare. The exercises are designed to be practical, actionable, and easy to implement, so that you can start seeing results immediately. What sets this book apart from other spiritual self-help books is the emphasis on practical exercises and daily reflections. The exercises are not just theoretical concepts, but tangible practices that you can incorporate into your daily life. By doing one exercise per day, you'll build a consistent spiritual practice that can transform your life in just 30 days. The transformational power of this book is supported by scientific research and the author's personal experience. The exercises and reflections are based on proven spiritual practices, such as mindfulness, gratitude, and intentional breathing, which have been shown to have a positive impact on physical, emotional, and spiritual health. In addition, the author draws from her own personal experience to provide real-world examples of how spirituality has transformed her life and the lives of others. In just 30 days, this book will help you cultivate a deeper sense of self-awareness, connect with your inner wisdom, and experience profound change in your life. Whether you're seeking to overcome stress, find purpose and meaning, deepen your relationships, or simply experience more joy and peace, 30 Days of Spiritual Transformation is the perfect guide to help you get there.

Welcome to ""Understanding the Role of Spirituality in Growth: Exploring Spiritual Practices for Personal Development,"" a transformative guide that explores how spirituality can play a crucial role in fostering personal growth. This book provides insightful practices and techniques to help you tap into your spiritual well-being, fostering inner peace, emotional resilience, and profound personal development. In today's fast-paced world, many people seek deeper meaning and connection in their lives. ""Understanding the Role of Spirituality in Growth"" offers practical advice on how spiritual practices—such as meditation, mindfulness, prayer, and reflection—can help guide your personal development journey. By embracing these practices, you can cultivate a greater sense of purpose, balance, and clarity in your everyday life. Spirituality isn't confined to any particular religion or belief system. Instead, this book emphasizes the universal aspects of spirituality that can enrich your life, no matter your background or faith. It highlights how spiritual practices can enhance emotional health, deepen self-awareness, and encourage mindfulness, leading to more intentional and meaningful actions. As you explore these teachings, you'll discover how they can lead to a deeper connection with yourself and the world around you. The book covers essential themes such as the mind-body connection, overcoming fear and doubt, and the role of forgiveness and gratitude in spiritual growth. It provides tools for practicing self-compassion, listening to your inner voice, and developing spiritual resilience, all of which contribute to personal transformation. Throughout, you'll find practical exercises and reflections designed to help you integrate these practices into your daily life. ""Understanding the Role of Spirituality in Growth"" appeals to anyone seeking to enrich their personal development journey with spiritual insights. The tone is nurturing and accessible, designed to inspire individuals of all walks of life to explore the benefits of spirituality for emotional and mental well-being. Since its publication, this book has received praise for its deep yet approachable exploration of spirituality. Readers have found its message of self-empowerment and growth both inspiring and practical, offering real tools for cultivating a more meaningful life. In conclusion, ""Understanding the Role of Spirituality in Growth"" is not just a guide to spiritual practices—it's a profound invitation to transform your life by embracing the power of spiritual growth. If you’re seeking greater meaning, self-awareness, and personal development, this book provides the tools and wisdom to help you begin your spiritual journey. Don't wait to unlock your spiritual potential. Grab your copy of ""Understanding the Role of Spirituality in Growth"" today and start fostering deeper growth and transformation in your life!

A quiet yet powerful revolution is going on. All over this country and across the world creativity-in the form of visual arts, music, dance, drama, and technology-is providing an emotionally expressive vehicle for communicating truth, developing character, and crossing cultural boundaries to build the kingdom of God. J. Nathan Corbitt and Vivian Nix-Early visited numerous artists, faith communities, and arts organizations to discover and document how the arts are being used to transform people and communities, especially in urban settings. The result is this extensive handbook that combines real-life stories with tested methodologies to create a new paradigm for the role of the arts in Christian ministry and mission. Taking It to the Streets provides church and mission leaders, youth ministers, and students with a historical perspective and theology for understanding the transforming power of the arts, a vocabulary for discussing them outside the sanctuary, and creative methods for bringing faith to action in the streets of society.

In November 2001, James E. Loder Jr., Professor of the Philosophy of Christian Education for forty years at Princeton Theological Seminary, suddenly died. He was a creative and profound thinker who had just completed a promising book. In it he developed a compelling interdisciplinary model to disclose how the divine Spirit affirms, reconstitutes, and transforms the human spirit to bring new energy and creativity into human experience. He called it redemptive transformation. You now hold that book in your hands. Those who know Loder’s work are confident that Educational Ministry in the Logic of the Spirit, though delayed for over fifteen years, will still become the best introduction to his complex thought. More important, it offers the imaginative means by which we may learn to attune ourselves and our faith communities to what God is doing in our fractured, distracted, and self-destructive world to bring about a revolution of love—the fruit of Christ’s Spirit and the center of our human vocation.

In an era of intensifying globalization and transnational connectivity, the dynamics of cultural production and the very notion of creativity are in transition. Exploring creative practices in various settings, the book does not only call attention to the spread of modernist discourses of creativity, from the colonial era to the current obsession with ‘innovation’ in neo-liberal capitalist cultural politics, but also to the less visible practices of copying, recycling and reproduction that occur as part and parcel of creative improvization.

This book demonstrates that numerous prominent artists in every period of the modern era were expressing spiritual interests when they created celebrated works of art. This magisterial overview insightfully reveals the centrality of an often denied and misunderstood element in the cultural history of modern art.

Exploring three major hubs of muralist activity in California, where indigenist imagery is prevalent, Walls of Empowerment celebrates an aesthetic that seeks to firmly establish Chicana/o sociopolitical identity in U.S. territory. Providing readers with a history and genealogy of key muralists' productions, Guisela Latorre also showcases new material and original research on works and artists never before examined in print. An art form often associated with male creative endeavors, muralism in fact reflects significant contributions by Chicana artists. Encompassing these and other aspects of contemporary dialogues, including the often tense relationship between graffiti and muralism, Walls of Empowerment is a comprehensive study that, unlike many previous endeavors, does not privilege non-public Latina/o art. In addition, Latorre introduces readers to the role of new media, including performance, sculpture, and digital technology, in shaping the muralist's "canvas." Drawing on nearly a decade of fieldwork, this timely endeavor highlights the ways in which California's Mexican American communities have used images of indigenous peoples to raise awareness of the region's original citizens. Latorre also casts murals as a radical force for decolonization and liberation, and she provides a stirring description of the decades, particularly the late 1960s through 1980s, that saw California's rise as the epicenter of mural production. Blending the perspectives of art history and sociology with firsthand accounts drawn from artists' interviews, Walls of Empowerment represents a crucial turning point in the study of these iconographic artifacts.