Quest for Spiritual Community: Reclaiming Spiritual Guidance for Contemporary Congregations (Hardback)

Angela H. Reed (author)

£75.00

Hardback 240 Pages / Published: 25/04/2011

Not available

Synopsis

This title is a guide to how to revitalize ancient spiritual practices for the life of the local church. Many churches recognize the importance of the genuine spiritual hunger in our time and are attempting to bridge the gulf between traditional religious institutions and the contemporary spiritual quest by revitalizing and retooling ancient spiritual practices. This book suggests that it is possible to relish the spiritual quest while honoring tradition and theological inquiry through practices such as spiritual guidance. It presents a sociological analysis of contemporary spirituality, case studies of congregations with spiritual guidance ministries, and reflection on historical practices and Protestant theological roots to explore the strengths and pitfalls of nurturing the contemporary spiritual quest in the average congregation. The resulting vision for congregation-based spiritual guidance incorporates practices that attend to person, community, and mission.

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN: 9780567190192
Number of pages: 240
Weight: 458 g
Dimensions: 228 x 153 x 23 mm

MEDIA REVIEWS

Angela Reed has done churches a monumental favour by reminding us that the ancient practice of spiritual guidance is not just for mystics and monks. Reed places spiritual guidance in the middle of congregations, and moves the task of Christian discernment straight to the top of the list of tasks confronting postmodern congregations. Chock-full of practical strategies and concrete examples, Quest for Spiritual Community re-imagines Christian leadership - not as a source of therapeutic or moralistic advice - but as conduit for practical wisdom, wonder, and awe. All I can say is: it's about time.
The Expository Times