Showing results by publisher "Sounds True" in Christianity

This work of spiritual rediscovery casts light on six women mystics who teach us that "the experience with God is inexhaustible". Extensively researched, Enduring Grace draws from actual letters, teachings, and sacred poetry of these real historical figures to portray how God can enter the life of anyone and help create divinity in flesh and blood form. Author Carol Flinders combs rare archival sources and recently discovered documents to take us to the very heart of feminine mystical experience.

"The Cloud of Unknowing" is one of Christianity's enduring mysteries, a meditative state where God is experienced on the deepest interior level. To move beyond thoughts and feelings and into the arms of the divine spirit, we have been given the gift of contemplative prayer.

Twenty centuries have passed since Jesus first spoke of a glorious "kingdom" at hand. And yet for theologians as well as everyday seekers, the question remains: What can we do to realize the full promise of Christianity for ourselves and for our world? The answer, teaches Andrew Harvey, lies with the Christian mystics who used the life of Jesus as a spiritual template to become "like a sun, the source of abundant life, whose waves incessantly wash, infuse, and purify the cosmos".

This companion audio program - created to be equally rewarding as a stand-alone guide - gives listeners an immersive resource to learn contemplative prayer, step by step and in the moment. With clarity and compassionate presence, Frenette explains the essential principles of this contemplative practice for both new and seasoned practitioners, and then guides us experientially through core prayers and meditations.

Many of us struggle to truly live what we believe spiritually. What if closing that gap wasn’t about trying harder, but something quite the opposite? The Way of Grace is an invitation to let go of the need for control, release our fears, and learn to be open and undefended with what is. Using teaching stories, guided meditation, self-inquiry practices, prayer, and more, Macpherson takes us step by step through the liberating process of undoing our fixed egoic patterns as we explore the four dimensions of Grace.

Perhaps the most essential teachings given to us by Jesus came in the final year of his life on earth. Known as the "I AM" statements and found in the Gospel of John and the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, these radical truths were offered to connect each one of us to the original source of Jesus's deeper power. But to fully grasp and embody these profound insights, teaches Dr. Neil Douglas-Klotz, we must hear them in Jesus's native tongue.

The life of Jesus offers each one of us a map to the direct realization of our eternal and divine nature. On Resurrecting Jesus, Adyashanti excavates the deep, mythic underpinnings of the Gospels to show how we can all find in the story of Jesus the spark for our own spiritual unfolding. Jesus crossed all of the boundary lines that separated the people of his time because he viewed the world from the perspective of what unites us, not what divides us.

Millions of readers have turned to Elaine Pagels for her clear and insightful books about the Gnostic Gospels, the teachings of Jesus that have been lost for centuries. Sounds True is proud to present the first widely available audio recording of this extraordinary scholar as she explores the text that has changed the way many of us think about the message of Christ: The Gospel of Thomas.

The 13th-century mystic Meister Eckhart was the most brilliant Christian scholar of his day, but he was also legendary for the way that he opened listeners to the direct experience of God during his public talks. Today, his written wisdom remains alive as ever, ready to illuminate us. With Meister Eckhart's Living Wisdom, James Finley, one of today's best-known teachers of the Christian contemplative tradition, invites us into Eckhart's insights in the same way that this luminary teacher delighted in sharing them.

Thomas Merton, toward the end of his life, warned of a "pervasive form of contemporary violence" that is unique to our times: overwork and overactivity. In his work as a minister and caregiver, Wayne Muller observed the effects of this violence on our communities, our families, and our people. He responds to this escalating "war on our spirits" in this audio guide, and immerses listeners in the sacred tradition of the shabbat - the day of rest - a tradition that is all but forgotten in an age where consumption, speed, and productivity have become the most valued human commodities. He offers practices and exercises that reflect the sabbath as recognized in Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism. Through his way of nourishment and repose, Muller teaches, we welcome insights and blessings and arise only with stillness and time.

Would you consider yourself a religious person? Or a spirtual one? The religions of the world are filled with stories of mystics and saints who experienced visions, dreams, and even wondrous face-to-face encounters with the Divine.

In Original Prayer, acclaimed teacher and author Dr. Neil Douglas-Klotz immerses us in the language and philosophy of Jesus's world to reveal a practice with the power to change forever the way we experience sacred scripture. Neil Douglas-Klotz begins by revealing the rich layers of meaning enfolded within the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic - the language that Jesus and his disciples actually spoke.

If you could travel back to the world of ancient Palestine and hear Jesus teach in his own native tongue, what would you learn? Join Neil Douglas-Klotz, the brilliant translator and best selling author of Prayers of the Cosmos, as he delves into early New Testament scriptures written in Aramaic - the original language of Jesus and his followers. Overlooked for centuries by all but a small minority of the world's Christians, these sacred texts rejuvenate the teachings of Jesus with an original subtlety and richness of meaning found in no other translation. Douglas-Klotz draws us deeply into these passages of the Gospels - including the Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer - and then adds to his passionate scholarship by teaching us a series of body-centered meditations for interpreting and reflecting on these sacred words in much the same way as the early Christians did. What lies hidden within these scriptures may surprise many: a visionary Christ who transcends the narrow and the dogmatic to offer us a grand cosmology based on the earthy wisdom of an ancient desert people.

If the Buddha, Saint Teresa, or an enlightened shaman walked into the room today, would they find themselves in need of some serious spiritual catching up? The surprising answer, says Ken Wilber, is yes. Integral evolutionary thinkers today are seeing a burst of accelerating shifts in human consciousness: in our emotional and cognitive lines of intelligence, our creative and moral capacities, our sense of self, and more.

For over four decades, Sister Joan Chittister has inspired countless readers and listeners to expand the nature of their faith - to live wider, deeper, and more fully engaged in a world that needs us. Recorded at Mount St. Benedict Monastery, these immersive conversations speak to a wealth of topics relevant to contemplative Catholics, Christians, and anyone seeking inspiration from a wise and heartful fellow traveler on the spiritual path.

The Great Isaiah Scroll: does it hold the secrets to changing your life? In Jerusalem, within the Shrine of the Book Museum, resides the Great Isaiah Scroll - the most precious artifact of the Dead Sea Scrolls. So valuable is this scripture that extraordinary measures have been taken to safeguard it against any natural disaster or act of war. Gregg Braden investigates this ancient Essene scripture - to reveal a set of inner tools capable of altering the destiny of human civilization.

A practice-oriented course in Christianity's unique meditation tradition, contemplative prayer, presented by James Finley, author, teacher, and former student of Thomas Merton. Finley has been at the forefront of the Christian meditation movement for over 20 years, and in this guided retreat, he leads you into your own direct experience of the heart of contemplative prayer. Includes a complete guided session on the practice of Christian meditation.

Perhaps the most essential teachings given to us by Jesus came in the final year of his life on earth. Known as the "I AM" statements and found in the Gospel of John and the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas, these radical truths were offered to connect each one of us to the original source of Jesus' deeper power. But to fully grasp and embody these profound insights, teaches Dr. Neil Douglas-Klotz, we must hear them in Jesus' native tongue.

The 12th-century Christian mystic Hildegard of Bingen has been described as "...a visionary, scientist, diplomat, and poet." Created by Dr. Nancy Fierro, CSJ, Hildegard of Bingen and Her Vision of the Feminine transports us through space and time to the medieval cloisters where Hildegard struggled to express her spirituality. How she succeeded in a world open only to men holds lessons for every woman in every age.

Is an intimate experience of the Divine meant only for saints and mystics? Ask Tessa Bielecki, a former Carmelite nun and abbess of a monastic community, and the answer is an emphatic no. "Mystical experience is as natural to us as breathing," she explains. "It erupts spontaneously and graciously when we live on the spot and savor the real." Wild at Heart presents her call to you, the ordinary seeker, to have a loving realization of God, which is your divine birthright.