Spiritual Literature

Dante Alighieri was early in recognizing that our age has a problem. His hometown, Florence, was at the epicenter of the move from the medieval world to the modern. The Divine Comedy was born in a time of troubling transition, which is why it still speaks today. In this narrative retelling and guide, from the gates of hell, up the mountain of purgatory, to the empyrean of paradise, Mark Vernon offers a vivid introduction and interpretation of a book that, 700 years on, continues to open minds and change lives.

Join Father Paul Pearson of the Oratory as he guides you on a spiritual journey through one of the great classics of Christian literature, Dante’s Purgatorio. Purgatory is the least understood of the three possible “destinations” when we die (though unlike Heaven or Hell it is not an eternal one) and is mysterious to many Christians and even to many Catholics today. As he did in his first volume in the Spiritual Direction from Dante trilogy, Avoiding the Inferno, Father Pearson adroitly draws out the great spiritual insights hidden in The Divine Comedy.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of C. S. Lewis' death, celebrated Oxford don Dr. Alister McGrath presents us with a compelling and definitive portrait of the life of C. S. Lewis, the author of the well-known Narnia series. For more than half a century, C. S. Lewis’ Narnia series has captured the imaginations of millions. In C. S. Lewis - A Life, Dr. Alister McGrath recounts the unlikely path of this Oxford don, who spent his days teaching English literature to the brightest students in the world and his spare time writing.

The Holy Spirit is often portrayed as something weird. But the Bible makes it clear that the Spirit is not something. He is someone - a person who has promised to never leave your side. In this interactive book, John Bevere invites you into a personal discovery of the most ignored and misunderstood person in the Church: the Holy Spirit. Interactive book includes: daily devotions, group discussion questions, and a bonus chapter with answers to some of the toughest questions about the Holy Spirit. Don't miss this amazing introduction.

Discover the books that have already changed the lives of millions. This unabridged guide to the literature of the spirit surveys 50 of the all-time classics, giving you their key ideas, insights, and applications - everything you need to know to start benefiting from these legendary works.

Many people try to describe their experience when “in the zone” or “in the flow” during the creative process. Some claim that a Greater Power or Divine Guidance assisted them. But, what is this state of consciousness, and how do we replicate it? In search of answers, writer and painter Christopher J. Miller took the suggestion of one of his art mentors to watch and chronicle his creative process.

Author and philosopher Sydney Banks once again brings to life his wise and simple gardener as a voice through which Banks presents more implications of the Three Principles that create human reality, calling on us to realize that to fully understand the Principles is to liberate one's spirit. In this sequel to Sydney Banks’ book The Enlightened Gardener, two colleagues return to England to meet once again with the remarkable gardener whose simple yet profound philosophy made such a difference to their lives.

The magical island of Chynchin is facing conquerors from abroad and something sinister from within in this “immersive…engaging” (Kirkus Reviews) fantasy from the Grand Master Award–winning author Nalo Hopkinson. Veycosi, in training as a griot (a historian and musician), hopes to sail...

Thomas Johnson and Charles Spurgeon lived worlds apart: Johnson, an American slave, born into captivity and longing for freedom and Spurgeon, an Englishman born into relative ease and comfort but, longing, too, for a freedom of his own. Their respective journeys led to an unlikely meeting and an even more unlikely friendship, forged by fate and mutual love for the mission of Christ. Steal Away Home tells a previously untold story set in the 1800s of the relationship between an African-American missionary and one of the greatest preachers to ever live.

Marcus Aurelius' writings, intended only for himself, reveal a mind of great humanity, humility, and insight. For over 2,000 years, these writings have inspired men and women to engage in the philosophical life, which involves two goals: to "know yourself" and then to ask, "What is the right way to live?"

Seven years ago, Christian Wiman, a well-known poet and the editor of Poetry magazine, wrote a now-famous essay about having faith in the face of death. My Bright Abyss, composed in the difficult years since and completed in the wake of a bone marrow transplant, is a moving meditation on what a viable contemporary faith - responsive not only to modern thought and science but also to religious tradition - might look like.

No one book or work of art can ever depict all of reality. Each individual artist brings their own interpretation to the truth, but there are facts of life that cannot be denied. In this book of poetry, common issues we all must face are brought to the attention of the listener, such as life and death, good and evil, and many other issues.

High-powered attorney Olivia Murray faces the biggest test of her career when she is assigned to represent Astral Tech, a New Age tech company, in a lawsuit filed by its biggest competitor. While Olivia is accustomed to hard fights in the courtroom, she arrives in Windy Ridge and discovers there is much more to this case than the legal claims - forces of darkness are at work. Windy Ridge quickly turns from quiet Chicago suburb to spiritual battleground, and Olivia must rely on her faith to defend against legal and spiritual attacks.

This Puritan classic, first published in the late 17th century, sets forth the biblical teaching of God and his interaction in our lives. No detail is too small or insignificant for God; he is there, working out "all things for good". And in that promise, every believer can take comfort that God truly has a purpose for every single person and will unfold his plan, which includes every detail in our daily lives.

Originally published in the fourth century BC, wise yet worldly, spiritual yet practical, the Tao Te Ching is beloved by seekers all the world over. The Tao Te Ching is a series of meditations on the mysterious nature of the Tao - the Way, the guiding light, the very source of all existence. According to Lao Tzu (a name meaning "the old master"), the Tao is found where we would least expect it - not in the strong but in the weak; not in speech but in silence; not in doing but in “not-doing.” Here you will hear a lucid, poetic translation that makes the Tao Te Ching accessible to the modern world.

Determined to find her mother when she disappears, Ash follows her to Quivara, Kansas, the spiritual commune she escaped long ago. But something sinister and ancient waits among the rustling cornstalks of this village lost to time. Her mother is nowhere to be found, but Ash is plagued by memories of her ancestor, Katia, which harken back to the town's history of unrequited love, murder, alchemy, and immortality. Charming traditions give way to a string of deaths. And Ash feels herself drawn to Dane, a mysterious, forbidden boy with secrets of his own.

What if we viewed reading as not just a personal hobby or a pleasurable indulgence but a spiritual practice that deepens our faith? In Reading for the Love of God, award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson does just that—and then shows listeners how to reap the spiritual benefits of reading. She argues that the simple act of reading can help us learn to pray well, love our neighbor, be contemplative, practice humility, and disentangle ourselves from contemporary idols.

Almustafa has been exiled in the island city of Orphalese for twelve years when he sees his ship coming with the mist. Before he sets sail, the beloved prophet is asked by his followers to impart his truth. In these twenty-eight poetic essays, he offers profound inspiration on such matters of love and friendship, freedom and self-knowledge, joy and sorrow, pleasure, prayer, and death. In doing so, Almustafa offers a universal serenity. A Lebanese émigré to the United States, Gibran wrote The Prophet to transcend the barriers between East and West.

Upon her death, the New York Times hailed Madeleine L'Engle as "an author whose childhood fables, religious meditations and fanciful science fiction transcended both genre and generation." L'Engle has long captivated and provoked listeners by exploring the intersection of science and religion in her work. In this intimate memoir, the award-winning author uncovers how her spiritual convictions inform and enrich the everyday.

This book in the centrality of Jesus Christ in life and history is a compilation of messages given at mid-week meetings in Shanghai, China during the period of 1939-40 by the great Chinese pastor-teacher, Watchman Nee.