‘Quest for Spiritual Community. Reclaiming Spiritual Guidance for Contemporary Congregations’ by Angela H. Reed will be available to readers in the US in the middle of February 2011. This volume offers guidance on how to revitalize ancient spiritual practices for the life of the local church – for a fuller and more comprehensive description of this book, please, click on its title.
I have received four great endorsements, which are pasted below – I am sure you’ll be very interested to read each of these:
‘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.’ - Kenda Creasy Dean, Author of Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers Is Telling the American Church (Oxford), Professor of Youth, Church and Culture, Princeton Theological Seminary, USA.
‘Angela Reed honors the contemporary phenomenon of spiritual seeking as a sign of genuine hunger for encounter with the Divine. She claims that historic Christian practices like spiritual guidance can help churches connect seekers to the unfolding mystery of God’s presence and activity in the world. Drawing on Scripture, the history of Christian spirituality and empirical research Reed develops a sound practical theology of spiritual guidance and offers concrete examples of how guidance is practiced in everyday congregational life. Most welcome is her emphasis on the integration of interior and exterior growth, as she demonstrates how spiritual guidance promotes the flourishing of the individual, the community, and the church’s mission. This is a wonderfully helpful and insightful book.’ – Timothy Hessel-Robinson, Brite Divinity School, USA
‘Professor Angela Reed offers a unique contribution to the field of spiritual formation studies by making a compelling case for locating spiritual guidance ministries squarely in the midst of congregational life. Though she values (and practices) one-with-one spiritual direction, her deepest passion is for communal formation. Given the stresses and fractures of contemporary life, nothing short of a vibrant community of spiritual practice will satisfy the longings of our hearts and shape the image of Christ in people of faith today. Though many studies in spiritual formation draw upon the rich tradition of Roman Catholic resources, Reed takes the less traveled route by focusing especially on Protestant history and perspectives – mainline, evangelical and Anabaptist-Mennonite streams. Extensive biblical reflections, in-depth exploration of Jürgen Moltmann’s theology of formation, as well as on-the-ground research support her vision. Perhaps one of the most unusual features of the book is its exploration of a widely disparate group of spiritual guides – the Apostle Paul, Julian of Norwich, Susanna Wesley, Maria Frelinghuysen Cornell, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer – in search of a sturdy framework for communal formation. Reed demonstrates her own thesis that an improvisatory approach is needed for the future. Pastors and other spiritual leaders will need to be light on their feet – able to read their contexts, draw from deep wells of wisdom and practice, and be open to the Spirit’s fresh guidance in order to shape Christians who will authentically be and do God’s mission in the world. Practical theologians like Angela Reed give me great hope for the church. Her gentle wisdom, luminous clarity, and passion for the church will guide both congregations and academic institutions into a faith-filled future.’ – Marlene Kropf, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, USA.
‘In Quest for Spiritual Community, Angela Reed has her finger on the pulse of a movement that is transforming congregations across the country, yet which is little noticed by the larger church and the media. It is a movement that emphasizes pastoral leaders who are adept at leading spiritual growth, churches that understand the importance of prayer and discernment, and members who tangibly experience God in worship and in their relationships with each other. This book will help you understand how to revitalize your congregation so that it can become authentically faith- and Spirit-filled.’ - The Rev. Dr. N. Graham Standish, M.S.W.: pastor, spiritual director, and author of six books, including In God's Presence and Becoming a Blessed Church.
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