"A powerful exploration of the biblical foundations, contemplative practices, and spiritual path of Jesus himself-from the bestselling author of The Case for Jesus. The path of following Jesus is an ancient and storied spiritual tradition. Yet many believers are not familiar with the scriptural roots of vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplation, and the three stages of spiritual growth (purgative, illuminative, unitive) that exist to bring them...

Following his critically acclaimed The Great Reformer, Austen Ivereigh's colorful, clear-eyed portrait of Pope Francis takes us inside the Vatican's urgent debate over the future of the church in Wounded Shepherd. This deeply contextual biography centers on the tensions generated by the pope's attempt to turn the Church away from power and tradition and outwards to engage humanity with God's mercy. Through battles with corrupt bankers and worldly...

What is a monastery? A monastery is a place set apart--a place to learn the blessings of powerlessness, and that time is not ours but God's. Our home and our duties can, just like a monastery, teach us those things. The vocation of monastic men and women is to physically withdraw from the world. But the principle is equally valid for those of us who cannot go off to monasteries. Certain vocations offer the same kind of opportunity for contemplation,...