Practical theology emerged as a discipline steeped in white supremacy, traces of which can be found in some of its most central practices and habits of mind. Identifying the remnants of this legacy allows practical theologians to begin to imagine how to proceed without reinscribing narratives of white saviors, unlimited progress, dominating control of bodies, and individual heroic leadership. You are invited to question this worldview while learning from scholars imagining a decolonized future.

Sai Bhagvatham is a story of man’s engagement with God. The book uses over a thousand personal spiritual experiences and anecdotes that record inner experiences of persons wrestling with their religious circumstances. The experiences, drawn from all religious traditions, are evocative of how the divine engages with man. The experiences with Sri Sathya Sai Baba are juxtaposed with the narratives of spiritual experiences recorded by seekers over the millennia. The experiences with Sai are uncannily similar to the universal experiences of man with God; they mirror man’s journey to the Divine. The spiritual journey with Sai is tangible, poignant, accessible, and more intense than recorded before. Sai is relentless in the pursuit of his purpose, transformation of man, however much man falters, vacillates, resists, struggles, or even tries to escape. Sai demonstrates that in the relationship of man with the Divine, God is actively engaged with man; he is not an impassive bystander. The engagement of man with God is planned and activated by God, it progresses based upon the responses of man, and the engagement stimulates the transformation of man. Man, in his engagement with God, asks the ‘why’ questions, seeking to comprehend and explain God. He is also reflective, attempting to understand himself, and realize who he really is. The diverse and innumerable first person incidents with Sri Sathya Sai Baba create a vivid characterization of the persona of Sai, hence the use of Bhagvatham in the title.

Is God a wrathful judge? A gentle healer? A father? Brother? Friend? In The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus, Brennan Manning brings you to a deeper understanding of the true nature of God. Through poignant and unforgettable stories and challenging observations, Manning helps you stretch your mind and reject simplistic explanations of who God really is. With rich insights you'll see how God can at once be a roaring lion, pacing the globe and seeking you out; and simultaneously a tender lamb, there to comfort you in any time of need. A unique experience, this book will forever change the way you think about God.