Contemporary Religion

In this companion volume to When You Pray and When You Fast, L. Joseph Letendre juxtaposes scriptural and patristic admonitions about almsgiving with a look at contemporary issues that make it sometimes difficult to see our way forward in this regard. Along with the rationale for almsgiving, he offers practical suggestions for how almsgiving can work in our lives as modern Christians.

Abigail is a young Amish woman who is told by her music teacher that she should pursue a career as a singer. This puts her at odds with members of her community who want her to stay put and have a family. Her boyfriend has made it clear that he wants to get married soon but when a music producer from outside the community contacts her for contract, she has a major decision to make...stay with her boyfriend or pursue her gift...but can she have both?

When rumors about an illicit union resurface for him, Ahmed, a psychiatrist, tries to kill the woman he loves and once treated as a patient. Selena is a Christian mystic, who will sacrifice true love for a more noble, virtuous, and spiritual ideal. What proceeds is an unconventional relationship eclipsed in time by the sacred. When Ahmed becomes aware of it, a tragic outcome is transcended. Both are forever changed by the experience.

Hannah seemingly has it all with her loving husband Samuel and a newborn on the way. But adversity soon hits as a drought in their Amish community puts a damper on their finances and their marriage. When Hannah's father suddenly dies, she realizes just how much he meant to her, but she's also forever grateful for everything he taught her in life.

Drawn to the lakes and peaks of the Cumberland Mountains of East Tennessee by the need to recover from the blow life has dealt her, Samantha Hill seeks to set her new priorities now that she has been denied what could've been and certainly should've been. All Matt Landry wants is two weeks off by himself hiking and fishing, during which he hopes to regain his hold on what is important in his life going forward.