Contributed papers presented at the Mariological Symposium held at NBCLC, Bangalore during Feb. 16-18, 2006.

This highly personal account of a lifetime’s spiritual and philosophical enquiry charts the author’s journey of faith through contemporary culture. Distinguishing between what she posits as the ‘universal’ and the ‘rhapsodic’ logos, Tymieniecka interrogates concepts as varied as creativity and the media, joy and suffering, and truth and ambiguity. She contemplates the possibilities and limits of communication between human beings, and outlines what she calls the ‘transnatural destiny’ of the human soul. The book asserts that unlike theory, which unfolds a logical continuity, and unlike dialogue, which is directed sequentially upward toward intellectual conclusions, the mode of reflection of the ‘rhapsodic logos’ imposes no limits or caps upon its understanding. Instead, the ‘logoic’ flow interlaces the rhapsodic cadences of our reflections on reality, in all their innumerable fluctuations, and sifts them to mold the intimate mind/soul inwardness that we experience as faith. The radiative meditations of this ‘rhapsodic logos’ weave their way through the entanglements of the mystery of incarnation, the constitutive archetypes, the inwardly sacred, the transnatural destiny of the soul, and finally ascend the rhapsodic scales toward culminating faith in the Christo-Logos.

Henry Blackaby and his daughter Carrie Blackaby Webb show through the life of Mary how God can use any woman-regardless of stature or abilities-if her heart is fully committed to Him. Mary's example of faithfulness and commitment will encourage and strengthen Christian women, knowing that God is continuing to look for a pure heart that He can use today.

Isn’t a deep prayer life only for religious specialists? In this introduction to the spiritual life, Gemma Simmonds shows that everyone can find prayer a rewarding experience. She explores the story and prayer tradition of Ignatius of Loyola, together with the contribution of the seventeenth-century Yorkshire woman, Mary Ward. A guide for Lent and the rest of the year, The Way of Ignatius helps us to pray with the Scriptures in an imaginative way. To aid reflection and discussion, there are questions at the end of each chapter. ‘In this wonderful book, Gemma Simmonds explores the method of prayer developed by St Ignatius in a way that makes this profound approach to prayer accessible . . . I highly recommend this book.’ Ian Mobsby, Anglican priest, writer, speaker and Prior, Wellspring New Monastic Community, Peckham, London ‘If you are looking for insightful and encouraging spiritual reading, you have found your book! . . . Gemma Simmonds invites us to be pilgrims in the company of Jesus, Ignatius and Mary Ward.’ Kevin O’Brien SJ, author, The Ignatian Adventure: Experiencing the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius in daily life

40 Days of Prayer with Mary will serve as your prayer guide, which will let your strengthen your personal relationship with the Holy Trinity. The greatest treasure that we have is God. No matter what happens, He would never leave you. But only few individuals go through the trials and adventures while looking for God. Scriptures provides us the guarantee that once we look for God, we will find Him. You might be surprised of how Blessed Mother Mary got the love and imagination of the followers of our Lord Jesus Christ interested in Christian history. She brought together the contemporary and traditional Marian prayers. Through the help of this book, you could experience how to pray deeply too, like Mother Mary. It is specifically designed to be used every day for forty days, wherein every prayer gives an opportunity to find the most powerful and effective intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary.

Christians confess that Christ came to save us from sin and death. But what did he save us for? One beautiful and compelling answer to this question is that God saved us for union with him so that we might become “partakers of the divine nature” (1 Pet 2:4), what the Christian tradition has called “deification.” This term refers to a particular vision of salvation which claims that God wants to share his own divine life with us, uniting us to himself and transforming us into his likeness. While often thought to be either a heretical notion or the provenance of Eastern Orthodoxy, this book shows that deification is an integral part of Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and many Protestant denominations. Drawing on the resources of their own Christian heritages, eleven scholars share the riches of their respective traditions on the doctrine of deification. In this book , scholars and pastor-scholars from diverse Christian expressions write for both a scholarly and lay audience about what God created us to be: adopted children of God who are called, even now, to “be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:19).

From the author of Badass Affirmations and The Book of Awesome Women. “These encouraging words will heal your heart.” —Nina Lesowitz, author of The Grateful Life As recent scientific research shows, the simple act of praying can be emotionally, spiritually, and even physically healing. With Prayers for Hard Times, author Becca Anderson offers solace in bringing together the wisdom of great thinkers, spiritual leaders and writers who have faced difficulty and learned from it. Organized in daybook form, the book draws from sacred sources such as the Bible, the Torah, Buddhist and Native American texts, as well as inspirational writings of: Joan Didion Elizabeth Gilbert Maya Angelou Rumi Mark Nepo Harriet Tubman Dave Eggars Abraham Lincoln Anne Morrow Lindberg Martin Luther King Jr. Together, these wise words create a tapestry of consolation and renewal for those times when it all seems “too much.” In a world that feels increasingly fragile and, at times, fractured, people need answers and prayers. Becca Anderson’s collection focuses on prayers for a wide range of life challenges, from the personal to the global. Prayers for Hard Times covers issues facing individuals such as loss of loved ones, illness, anxiety, divorce, depression and addiction, as well as those challenges communities face in natural disasters and violence. The writers in Anderson’s devotional address the world at large, as well, with words of hope and help for global poverty, hunger, war and the environment. Prayers for Hard Times offers readers solace, comfort, and support, drawing from the wisdom of every era, every major faith and tradition, and the important voices of those who have lived through such experiences themselves.

Whether through suspicion or ignorance, serious consideration of what Mary can teach us has been lacking in large swathes of the church for some time. Drawing on careful biblical exegesis, church history and ecumenical thinking, this book suggests how a serious understanding of Mary might influence our ethical thought, and considers some of the key theological tensions at the heart of the church's engagement with Mary.