What the hell happened on the way to making the world a better place? We boomers were told our success would be unlimited. We had democracy and capitalism, and God was on our side. We took our religious teachings seriously, and set out to end bigotry, violence, and destitution. Inevitably, we collided with American Caesars, whose power and wealth was sufficient to dominate national and international affairs. Political and religious Caesars appropriated Jesus and used him to justify war, sexism, racism, dictatorships, and poverty. What were the faithful to do? Lots of boomers I know tossed the spiritual baby out with the religious institution's bathwater, and became cynical about civic engagement. It is not time to abandon hope in our goodness, however, and it is not time to surrender our conscience to Caesar. Our experiences as boomers teach us that it is possible to bring the love of God to bear in our lives, despite Caesar's constant pressure to cherish power, wealth, celebrity, and things more than we cherish people. This book is for folks who are ready to get off Caesar's treadmill and dig deeply into their hearts and minds to see what remains of the Kingdom of God within.

This manual provides educators and retreat facilitators with questions for guided reflection and discussion, and with ideas about how to orchestrate conversations based on these reflections. The material illuminates some considerations instructors and facilitators may address as they plan for courses and retreats. This guide will help instructors and facilitators plan lessons and activities that aim to enrich scholarship, critical thinking, and personal spiritual development.

Weasels in the workplace, colleagues in crisis, and bombastic bosses—we all know what it is like to have a “job from hell.” We also know that, despite our industriousness and integrity, many of us will someday have to choose between groceries, health care, and heating the apartment. The nuns who taught me in grade school said that all work, regardless of skills or status, was a ministry. By our helpfulness and kindness on the job, we contributed to the common good. Oh, to have those nuns in charge today! Our sense of social responsibility is eroding as the gap between the super-rich and everyone else grows, and as the rhetoric of leaders that is supposed to heal, deepen our humanity, and unite us is mean, shallow, and divisive. What are the spiritual to do in this material world, where social Darwinism and faith in God are joined at the hip? This book is about putting spirituality to work at work. It is about using spirituality to help us be in toxic places and not become toxic. It explores strategies for maintaining our humanity and moral compass, and it illuminates choices, prompts deep personal reflection, and chases demons from cubicles with humor.