Book Description
Fathers Barry and Connolly see the work of spiritual direction as helping people to develop their relationship with God. In thinking and practice they have absorbed the insights of modern psychotherapy, but have not been absorbed by them. This highly practical book reflects the authors' experience at the Center for Religious Development in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where spiritual direction is available and where directors are trained.
Customer Reviews:
Practical Advice.......2006-07-16
I found this book written simply and very practical in the advice given to those guiding others in the spiritual journey. This book does not delve into the realm of theory but remains very concrete which is what I needed when I found myself too busy to read long explanations. Starting from everyday experience, the author concentrates on relationships and building up those relationships. He gives us criteria for evaluating our religious experiences while keeping our balance. A great approach and very helpful. thank you.
"It could be easy to misunderstand".......2006-03-01
E.G. Melillo voiced a concern about the response given concerning a married woman who was having a relationship with a divorced man. I understand E.G. Melillo's concern, however, I interpreted the author's words in a different way.
The authors didn't seem to be saying that the relationship was appropriate in any way. They seemed to be talking about how we "approach" a directee which can affect the listening relationship and working alliance. On page 143, the authors say, "In the first place, the directee usually knows that there is a discrepancy...God has an interest in the quality of the directee's life and that behavior that is seriously inconsistent with God's desires will lead to disturbances in the relationship with him...(Then) the director, whose working agreement has been to help her with prayer, can now begin to probe more deeply into the causes of the disturbance and thus help the directee." If the director strongly points out the "sin" in her actions right away, the directee is likely to tune her out. The authors are encouraging a director to be patient and maintain a relationship with the woman and then the director will be able to help "her" discover this discrepancy for herself. Allowing someone to hear God for themselves is always better than trying to be God for them. We can easily get in the way and interfere with the Spirit's action if we try to jump on a subject before the directee is ready to hear.
I found the book to be good, basic knowledge. It doesn't wander from the main thing, which is a clear understanding and knowledge of spiritual direction. They state over and over again that the motivation for spiritual direction has to be the desire to grow in relationship with the Lord.
This is The Book I've Been Looking For.......2006-02-28
For some time now I have been searching for a book on the topic of spiritual direction that is comprehensive enough to serve as a base model for ministry. I've searched through many volumes. I recently stumbled upon this book in the library of a retreat center. This is a must have! The authors serve the reader a balanced diet of spirituality and healthy counseling practices. The chapters are comprehensive. Here is a great starter text on the subject.
Best of the lot.......2004-04-13
I am currently in a two year process of training in spiritual direction and have been reading numerous introductions to the subject. I found this one easily the most useful of the lot. It is well organized, especially in its analysis of the opportunities and hazards of the relationship with the directee as it develops. Part of the book's strength is that it is based on the experiences of the authors in running a center devoted to direction and training directors, not on one individual's view of the topic. I suspect that some of the writing is more sophisticated and nuanced than I can yet appreciate, so the book will bear rereading at a later stage. I especially enjoyed this quotation in the Conclusion - "As the dialogue and exploration [of the nature of spiritual direction today] continue, both pastoral care and theological reflection can benefit. The divorce of theology from religious experience has begun to be healed, and spiritual directors who are alive to theological issues and regularly in contact the religious experience of Christians will contribute to further healing."
Probably The Best Available Guide For Spiritual Directors.......2001-05-25
By spiritual direction here is meant that central and often avoided part of pastoral counseling that deals not so much with people's many problems and struggles as with their experience of and personal relationship to God. It is a specialized and all important area that is easy to side step in normal counseling because of the relative ease with which other problems can be addressed and/or because of an inbuilt fear on everyone's part of a relationship with the almighty. This eminently practical book points out in great detail the paths by which one may help another to foster this all-important relationship which is more basic and prior to resolving other symptomatic difficulties in the individual's life. It describes as well the distractions, pitfalls, avoidances and other problems that beset director and directee along the way. This is probably the best text available in this area. Its strength comes from the massive experience of the authors in doing, teaching, and supervising spiritual direction, in their theological, spiritual and psychotherapeutic background, and in their ability to organize and present the material clearly and cogently. It is a must in the library of any spiritual director, could profitably be read by anyone seeking direction, and is well worth frequent rereading.
Book Description
Although secular psychology addressed a great deal about how we come to be the way we are and how we might live more efficiently, it can offer nothing in terms of why we exist or how we should use our lives," writes Gerald May in this classic discussion of the nature of contemporary spiritual guidance and its relationship to counseling and psychiatry. For millions turning for answers to the world of the spirit, May shows how psychiatry and spiritual direction are alike, how they complement one another, and how they ultimately diverge.
Customer Reviews:
May offers a fresh perspective on an old question.......2000-06-28
This work offers a new look at the question of how one can integrate one's spiritual life with their psychological life. What makes this book distinctive is that May starts from the perspective of a psychiatrist and reaches into the domain of the spiritual life of therapy clients. He has done that task of integration well and thoroughly. There are many other writers and clinicians who have attempted this task, yet have failed because they've minimized one discipline or the other. May manages to treat both the field of secular mental health and spiritual direction with respect and furthermore is knowledgeable enough to speak about both fields. As a Christian counseling professor at an evangelical seminary, I am always on the lookout to see how others think about, and work with the realms of psychology and spirituality. May's work is another addition to this integrative field. His work is particualrly interesting for me because he comes from a different theological tradition than mine. I found it wonderfully stimulating to see areas of agreement and disagreement in the manner in which the author and I would care for the soul of our clients. I recommend "Care of Mind Care of Spirit" to students of psychology, students of Pastoral care and even to interested individuals who want to reflect on the wonder of the human being.
Book Description
In recent years, many Christian clergy, laity and mental health professionals have rediscovered the ancient practices of spiritual direction. Seen as a refreshing alternative to the techniques and limitations of modern psychology, such practices offer new insights for pastoral care. But many remain unclear on what spiritual direction is and whether its methods are applicable to their own clients and parishioners.
Spiritual direction is a practice of Christian soul care that is found most notably in the Catholic, Orthodox and Episcopal traditions but is also present in Wesleyan/Holiness, Pentecostal/charismatic, social justice and Reformed communities. Predating modern counseling and psychotherapy movements but sharing key principles and insights for spiritual formation, spiritual direction offers significant resources for today's pastors, counselors, therapists, chaplains and other caregivers attuned to the work of God in people's lives.
In this landmark volume, editors Gary W. Moon and David G. Benner, along with a team of expert contributors, provide a comprehensive survey of spiritual direction in its myriad Christian forms. Specific chapters offer careful historical perspective and contemporary analysis of how Christians from various backgrounds have practiced spiritual direction, with particular attention to each tradition's definition of spiritual direction, the process of authentic transformation, the role of the spiritual director, indicators of mature spirituality and other aspects of the spiritual direction process. Chapters also provide psychological and clinical insight into how spiritual direction is similar to, different from and can be integrated with psychotherapy and pastoral counseling to help others experience spiritual transformation and union with God.
Customer Reviews:
Paying Attention to God.......2005-03-18
"Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls" guides the reader on a historical journey exploring the depths of ancient spiritual direction. Editors Moon and Benner gather experts from seven classic Christian traditions (most of whom had written similar articles in earlier editions of "The Journal of Psychology and Theology"). Using the grid of Clebsch and Jaekle's "sustaining, healing, reconciling, and guiding," these authors explain the philosophy and process of spiritual direction as practiced over the past 2000 years of Church history.
This excellent section is followed by one where various authors explore the pros and cons of integrating spiritual direction into psychotherapy. Perhaps this valuable section would have been strengthened if equal weight had been given to integrating historical spiritual direction into modern pastoral and lay counseling. These seem to be places with great hope for constructive dialogue.
A final intriguing chapter leaves the reader wishing for more of the same. Three writers from diverse backgrounds explore cases and how they might be handled from different perspectives in different settings. Perhaps a sequel (Volume 2?) could further develop this area, adding prescriptions for practical implementation to the books excellent theoretical orientation.
Reviewer: Dr. Robert W. Kellemen is the author of "Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," "Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," and "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."
Average customer rating:
- A solid handbook by a recognized expert
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Group Spiritual Direction: Community for Discernment
Rose Mary Dougherty
Manufacturer: Paulist Press
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The Lived Experience of Group Spiritual Direction
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Holy Listening: The Art of Spiritual Direction
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Spiritual Director, Spiritual Companion: Guide to Tending the Soul
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Looking Into the Well: Supervision of Spiritual Directors
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The Art of Christian Listening
ASIN: 0809135981 |
Book Description
Practical guidance for offering and participating in spiritual direction in a group setting.
Customer Reviews:
A solid handbook by a recognized expert.......2000-08-01
Dougherty, a trainer of spiritual directors at the Shalem Institute, shared her expertise in this basic text. Chapters 1-3 were about spiritual direction in general--interesting and informative, but I found myself feeling impatient to get to the "group" part. Consideration of groups began with Chapter 4 and was worth the wait. The author presented a clear, sound model of how to organize and conduct a spiritual direction group and included readily understandable examples and verbal illustrations. I especially appreciated her relentless emphasis on the role of God in spiritual direction. My only reservation about her recommendations was that she seemed to underestimate the importance of discouraging spouses and close friends from being in the same group together.
Book Description
In this latest addition to the Spiritual Directors International Series, professional spiritual directors and those in formation programs learn to extend traditional forms of hospitality by living out its deeper meaning as they explore ways in which the spirit of hospitality enriches the spiritual direction experience.
Book Description
Spiritual direction is an ancient art of being with another person in relationship with God. As we struggle in the church to develop meaningful and lasting relationships, this spiritual practice has much to offer us. It is another way of patiently sitting with another soul listening for God’s voice and looking for God’s leading in a person’s life. The small group phenomenon has taken root in many different Christian communities in the US and abroad. However, there have been pitfalls encountered along the way. This book will equip leaders to facilitate their groups with new lenses and methods. It examines the strengths and weaknesses in groups and why spiritual direction complements the efforts of group leadership.
Customer Reviews:
Don't Just LEAD a Small Group, DIRECT It........2005-08-03
I love the statement from the back cover, "Don't just LEAD a small group, DIRECT it." In one descriptive sentence, it captures the essence of Heather Webb's latest book, "Small Group Leadership as Spiritual Direction."
And in one evocative book, Webb combines two of the most contemporary and most ancient aspects of Christianity--small groups and spiritual direction. For the growth of the Church in our post-modern world, small group spiritual direction is one of the most vital elements imaginable. Unfortunately, all too often we divide the two. We think of small groups as a democratic, free-for-all, pooling of ignorance. And we think of spiritual direction as something provided only in individual settings or in monastic venues.
Heather Webb disabuses us of these false notions and this false dichotomy. As her sub-title suggests, her writing offers practical ways to blend the ancient art of spiritual direction with the contemporary (and ancient) small group community. She'll teach you how to feed the hungry souls that sit around your living room during your small group meetings. She'll offer you a strategy that allows you to see your role in new, deeper, even more important ways. Then she'll offer you a compass for your journey. Not a simplistic set of how to ideas, but a workable plan to set your group on a new journey together.
Reviewer: Dr. Robert W. Kellemen is the author of "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," "Martin Luther's Counseling," "Biblical Psychology," and the forthcoming, "Sacred Companions: The Story of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."
Book Description
Join others today who are finding God's healing, forgiveness, and love through Visio Divina. In Visio Divina, meditative and healing prayer is used with particular image that God reveals for the discovery of hidden wounds and desires.
Average customer rating:
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CCEL Classics CD: works by Saint Augustine, John Calvin, John Donne, Julian of Norwich, Brother Lawrence, Martin Luther, Saint Teresa of Avila, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas a Kempis, John Wesley, and more!
Dr. W. Harry Plantinga
Manufacturer: Christian Classics Ethereal Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
Mariology
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ASIN: 1931848076
Release Date: 2006-12-15 |
Product Description
The most important spiritual writings of Christian history are available on this Classics CD by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at Calvin College. It contains 118 Christian classics, including three versions of the Bible, several commentaries, Bible dictionaries, readings, spiritual guides, sermons, poems and journals -- all in a convenient, searchable form. Books are available in HTML and PDF formats. The easy-to-use CCEL Desktop software powering the CD enables users to browse and print books and install additional books from the Web. The top-of-class search engine can search for words or phrases in books, in authors works or in the whole library. In addition, it can search for dictionary definitions of words and commentary or references to scripture passages. The interface is a Web browser. The CD is compatible with Windows 2000+, Macintosh 10.3+, and most Linux versions.
Customer Reviews:
Undiscovered gem!.......2006-11-22
This Enneagram book focuses on using the Enneagram for spiritual direction. It was written by a Jesuit from a Christian perspective. However, it has a lot of excellent content on applying the Enneagram to people to grow spiritually.
This author describes three levels of each type based on his experience and how to work with them. This information is the fruit of years of spiritual direction and it is delivered in a very personal and meaningful way.
I have ready many of the Enneagram books that are out there and this one is certainly a relatively unique contribution. The author also comes across as direct, sincere and compassionate including toward his own type.
If you are a counselor or spiritual director, especially in the Christian tradition, you will find this book very useful. If you are a psychologist or just someone interested in personal growth, you will find that this book will compliment other ones you probably already own.
Another good Enneagram book for Christians is Richard Rohr's "Discovering the Enneagram." Another good general starting point is "The Wisdom of the Enneagram." If you want more depth, a different perspective and a look at the Enneagram from a different spiritual angle, try Sandra Maitri's "The Spiritual Dimension of the Enneagram."
Books:
- The Promise of Mediation: The Transformative Approach to Conflict
- The Qur'an Translation
- The Sabbath
- The Sacred Tree
- The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word (Meyer, Joyce)
- The Sparrow
- The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
- The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence
- The Twilight of the Idols and The Anti-Christ: or How to Philosophize with a Hammer (Penguin Classics)
- The Upanishads
Books Index
Books Home
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Care of Mind/Care of Spirit
Spiritual Direction: Beyond the Beginnings
