Strength to Love


Martin Luther King Jr. - 1963
    A collection of sermons by this martyred Black American leader which explains his convictions in terms of the conditions and problems of contemporary society.

Sisters in the Wilderness: The Challenge of Womanist God-Talk


Delores S. Williams - 1993
    African slave, homeless exile, surrogate mother, Hagar's story provides an image of survival and defiance appropriate to black women today. Exploring all the themes inherent in Hagar's story -- poverty and slavery, ethnicity and sexual exploitation, exile and encounters with God -- Sisters in the Wilderness traces parallels in the history of African-American women from slavery to the present. A particular theology -- a womanist theology -- emerges from this shared experience; specifically, from the interplay of oppressions on account of race, sex, and class. In Part I, Williams shows how reading Hagar's story exemplifies the issues and problems black women face. The "forced motherhood," "single motherhood" and "surrogate motherhood" Hagar experienced have been part of black women's lives. Williams also explores the dismal reality of contemporary "racial narcissistic...consciousness" which finds its parallel in Hagar's travail as foreign servant and outcast. Finally, there is the religious resonance of Hagar's sojourns in the wilderness and her encounters with God. These themes Williams finds echoed in the cultural and literary traditions of African-American women. Part II considers the theological implications of the womanist understanding of Hagar's history. Williams explores the relationship between womanist and black liberation theology, and womanist theology and the black church. Through the combination of social history, political theology, and literary criticism, Williams demonstrates how approaching theology consciously informed by the awareness of the identity of black women results in a rich and vibrant knowledge of the sacred. Sisters in the Wilderness provides a reconstruction of "God-talk"

The Violence of Love


Oscar A. Romero - 1980
    Three short years transformed Romero, archbishop of San Salvador, from a conservative defender of the status quo into one of the church's most outspoken voices of the oppressed. Though silenced by an assassin's bullet, his spirit and the challenge of his life lives on.

Dark Night of the Soul


John of the Cross
    

A Lever and a Place to Stand: The Contemplative Stance, the Active Prayer


Richard Rohr - 2011
    Explores the challenges, the rewards, the call, and the possibilities of integrating a sincere inner life with an active life of engagement with the pain of the world.

The Life and Prayers of Saint Benedict


Wyatt North - 2013
    Benedict was not interested in fame, power, or legacy. He was only interested in living the Christian life to the fullest and helping those around him to do the same. The rest is history—and the work of Providence. St. Benedict is regarded as the Father of the Benedictine Order of both religious men and women that follow his Rule, a key principle of which is ora et labora—pray and work. Today, many people wear holy medals of St. Benedict, invoking his intercession for protection against the powers of evil. Not only consecrated religious but also many lay people find inspiration in his call to balance, discipline, and prayer. Historically, St. Benedict helped bridge the early Church with the medieval period by standing on the shoulders of the fathers of the monastic tradition and bringing that tradition solidly into a new era.

Prayers for Healing: 365 Blessings, Poems, Meditations from Around the World


Maggie Oman Shannon - 1997
    With Prayers for Healing, Maggie Oman invites readers into a healing space that can transform both mind and body. Organized in daybook form, the book focuses on healing in all its dimensions physical, emotional, interpersonal, social, and environmental. Quotations range from sources such as the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, the Koran, the Torah, and Native American texts, as well as from Deepak Chopra, Rumi, Martin Luther King Jr., Marianne Williamson, and others. Together they create a tapestry of comfort and inspiration for rejuvenation and renewal.

Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom


John O'Donohue - 1996
    In Anam Cara, Gaelic for soul friend, the ancient teachings, stories, and blessings of Celtic wisdom provide such profound insights on the universal themes of friendship, solitude, love, and death as: Light is generous The human heart is never completely born Love as ancient recognitionThe body is the angel of the soul Solitude is luminous Beauty likes neglected places The passionate heart never ages To benatural is to be holy Silence is the sister of the divine Death as an invitation to freedom

Consciousness Speaks


Ramesh S. Balsekar - 1992
    An excellent place to start or end your search. It is highly recommended both for the newcomer to Advaita and the more knowledgeable student of the subject.

The Mystic Eye


Sadhguru - 2008
    This is a book to treasure.It offers an unpreecendented glimpse into the world of a contemporary mystic,a prestigious living archive of knowledge.In the course of his discussions,Sadhguru probes the farthest realms of illogic,and yet his unfailingly rational and matter of fact tone lends credibility to the more fanatic aspects of the content.The result is a unique perspective on a world you knew or thought you knew.Refracted through the mystic eye a lens of exceptional insight and piercing clarity it is a world transformed.A world that reminds you that there are indeed many more things on heaven and earth...that are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger


Lama Rod Owens - 2020
    In American culture at large, anger--particularly among people of color--is delegitimized, demonized, or "supposed to be" suppressed. Social activist and Kagyu lama Rod Owens offers a different understanding. For Owens, the coauthor of Radical Dharma, anger is one of the most important aspects of his personal identity as a Buddhist, social activist, African American, and gay man. Anger serves as a bodyguard for our personal pain and suffering. When recognized and handled with attention, love, and compassion, it can be a powerful mobilizing factor in our solidarity and commitment to enacting social change. However, too many activist communities have an ill-informed, immature, and romanticized relationship to it. What is needed, says Owens, is a relationship to the heartbreak of anger that is embodied, nondestructive, and deeply healing for all. Here he offers personal insights, stories from others, as well as Buddhist teachings and meditations for tapping into anger's liberating potential.

The Cloud of Unknowing


Anonymous
    Originally written in the 14th century, now part of the HarperCollins Spiritual classics series, this beautiful contemplative resource, has been embraced for hundreds of years for its simple, engaging style and spiritual truths. As the unknown author assures us, “if you are to experience Him or to see Him at all, insofar as it is possible here, it must always be in this cloud.” —The Cloud of Unknowing.

Meister Eckhart's Book of the Heart: Meditations for the Restless Soul


Jon M. Sweeney - 2017
    In the 20th century, the Roman Catholic Church rehabilitated him and the late Pope John Paul II spoke of his work with fondness.However, what makes him of particular interest is the fact that he has influenced a wide range of spiritual teachers and mystics both inside and outside the Christian tradition. Erich Fromm, Eckhart Tolle, Richard Rohr, D. T. Suzuki, and Rudolf Steiner have all credited Eckhart as being an important influence on their thought. In addition, his work has influenced the development of 20th century American Buddhism and the Theosophical tradition.Eckhart wrote at a time--much like our own--when society appeared to be coming apart at the seams. In the midst of all that chaos and uncertainty, he captured the many forms and stages of the love of God, the mystic path, and the journey of transformation--in language so startling that he, too, was often accused of heresy.Now, seven centuries later, this fresh, stunning rendering of his work translates the essence of one of Christianity's greatest poetic and spiritual voices. Here is a book that conveys the heart of Eckhart's teaching on what it means to love God and embark on an authentic spiritual journey--a journey that is characterized by mystery, paradox, and an embrace of the unknown.

Practical Mysticism


Evelyn Underhill - 1914
    Her book, Mysticism: A Study in the Nature and Development of Spiritual Consciousness, is the authoritative text of modern mysticism. This shorter work, Practical Mysticism, is an abridged version of Underhill's theology, and a perfect starting point for immersion into the subject.Underhill is at her simplest here, yet her language is still poetic and enjoyable to read. She invites the reader to become involved in mysticism ("the art of union with reality"), giving simple examples of how it is relevant to everyday people. Underhill was greatly influenced by mystics such as St. Teresa, Ruysbroeck, St. Augustine, and Thomas a Kempis, and examples from these writers, as well as poets like Keats and Whitman, are sprinkled throughout the book. A fine place to start before diving into her more intense works, Practical Mysticism has captivated generations of readers, and is still the premier text for the introductory study of mysticism.(Copied from CCEL, which also hosts the downloadable ebook).

I Am That: Discourses on the Isha Upanishad


Osho - 1984
    "There is no document of such luminosity, of such profoundness anywhere in the whole history of humanity." These sutras are amongst the most ancient wisdom available to mankind - transmitted from masters to their disciples twenty-five centuries before even Buddha. With clear metaphors, stories and jokes, we are introduced to the perspective of an enlightened master - a world view so total that it embraces the cosmic, a rebirth of the spirit of the Upanishads.SubjectUpanishadsTranslated fromNotesTime Period of Osho's original Discourses/Talks/Lettersfrom Oct 11, 1980 to Oct 26, 1980Number of Discourses/Chapters16