Integrating the wisdom of Christian tradition and psychological findings on effective decision-making, this book presents a view of Christian discernment that honors the body-spirit unity of the person and the broad and mysterious ways we can be led by the spirit of God in our life-choices. Going beyond discernment skills and concrete practices, this book presents a coherent theoretical understanding of discernment that grounds the many spiritual practices used by Christians today. By providing a broad and inclusive understanding of the multiple ways God can provide guidance to individuals, this book helps individuals to honor the unique and idiosyncratic way that they receive divine guidance, as well as provides guidelines that guard against possible self-deception and personal blind-spots. While including anecdotal accounts and practical elements of Christian discernment, this book provides a conceptual understanding of discernment that will be helpful for those training to be professional ministers, pastors, priests, religious counselors, and spiritual directors. It is unique in applying Christian tradition and contemporary psychological insights to the process of discernment. +

Discusses how to apply St. Ignatius' Rules for Discernment to one's everyday life in order to improve one's relationship with God. Includes a question and reflection section at the end of each chapter.

One may argue that the Second Vatican Council simply came too early to address the questions that swept over Christianity and Catholicism with the sexual revolution. There is little doubt, however, that although the popes in the post-conciliar era made marriage and family issues a matter of decision at the highest level, they did not succeed in thwarting the growing discrepancy between the church's moral teaching in these matters and the moral insights of a large portion of the Catholic faithful. The two Synods of Bishops, which Pope Francis called in 2014 and 2015, can be regarded as a new attempt of the magisterium to come to terms with the problems that appeared on the horizon in the 1960's. The present volume addresses some of the major theological and ethical questions at stake and provides perspectives and resources for a renewed discourse of the church on marriage and family. (Series: INTAMS Studies on Marriage and Family / INTAMS-Studien zu Ehe und Familie, Vol. 1) [Subject: Religious Studies]Ã?Â?Ã?Â?

Spiritual discernment is a key theme in the Scriptures. From the Garden when Adam and Eve turned away from the simplest terms of a relationship with God, to the Garden when John the Apostle wrote the book of Revelation to a distracted people anticipating eternity, discerning God has been the heart of the matter. In modern times, however, we have forgotten the basic premise of practicing a preference for God, out of which we then are invited to live for God. Instead, we have implanted strategic planning, head-to-head battling, and will-of-God knowing in its place. In The Discerning Life, Stephen A. Macchia seeks to upend the one-eyed and limited Christian understandings of spiritual discernment and invite readers and leaders to reconsider how they prioritize the care of their souls, the grace of their communities, and the mission of their lives, churches, and organizations. When we have a fuller understanding of how spiritual discernment matters to the whole of our lives, we will in turn encourage others to follow likewise and then lean fully into the mission, mandate, and message of the whole counsel of God.

Blending personal experience and practical advice with wisdom they’ve learned from Ignatian spirituality, Tim and Sue Muldoon, authors of Six Sacred Rules for Families, offer guidance for Catholic parents raising teens and tweens. You’ll gain confidence to help your teen make better decisions, deepen the roots for your parenting, and relate to your teen in a way that reflects the tenacious love of God. The Muldoons draw from their professional experience working with teens and their parents in high schools and colleges—Sue as a counselor and religious educator, Tim as a theologian and professor—to explain how the Ignatian practice of discernment is an excellent tool for the healthy parenting of teens and pre-teens. They share their hard-won wisdom as parents of three to offer you encouragement and practical guidance to: Let your teens know you love them Appreciate their gifts while accepting their limits Put them in touch with those less fortunate Guide them in choosing friends who will care about what’s best for them Appreciate the value of their faith and going to Mass Respect their bodies and make good choices about sex, alcohol, and drugs Think about what really makes them happy Tim and Sue describe discernment as slowing down, listening, being receptive, praying, examining our lives, and sifting the conflicting forces at play around us. In this wise and personal book, they share how Ignatian spirituality and discernment can help us keep a clear-eyed, prayerful perspective on the difficult decisions you and your teens face. The key is to open yourself to God’s presence and discover what he calls you to do. This thoughtful approach shows you how to talk with your children openly about freedom vs. limits, friendships, family time, sexuality, the use and abuse of technology, faith and Catholic practice, recognizing the needs of others, and getting through hard times together. You’ll discover when to be tough and when to be forgiving, when to control and when to give freedom, when to give feedback and when to wait. You will learn the importance of praying for your teens, and the important of praying together as a family. Daily and weekly prayers, devotions, and meditations will guide you as the Muldoons show how this is a time of discernment for you as well as your teens—and create a way for you to move through these challenging years together. The Discerning Parent offers you an opportunity to pause and consider your life and your teen’s in the light of faith.

That we live in the Information Age is fairly evident to most. One estimate claims that on an overall average, available information is doubling every year. By comparison, it would seem at times that the rate of wisdom increase is almost stagnant. Yet for purposes of daily living, wisdom is much more important and beneficial than raw knowledge. Proverbs is the Bible’s central book of wisdom, and in the New Testament, James 1:5 tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who give generously to all.” Much of that wisdom is found in the pages of Proverbs, and this book, Proverbs to Live By, examines a different wise saying every day of the year.

This series of meditations on the birth of Christ encourages the reader to relive the miracle of Christmas. Through reflecting on Scripture, Church tradition, and Chinese culture the reader may experience afresh the Word becoming flesh. The reader travels to ancient Bethlehem in a spiritual sense to contemplate the meaning of the incarnation for the past, the future, and the present. As the reader recalls the first coming of Christ into history, he or she may also direct the heart to the future, looking forward to the second coming of Christ at the end of the age, and simultaneously experience his transforming presence in the present. The reader could develop a spiritual formation in the Advent season with the inspirations from the Chinese cultural and wisdom resources.

The uniqueness of this commentary is its detailed, first-time uncovering of evidence that there were two editions of Proverbs, the first in the time of Solomon and the second in support of King Hezekiah’s historic religious reforms. In this light heretofore puzzling features of the book's design, purpose, and message are clarified in this light and the book's relevance for its time and ours greatly enhanced.