Showing titles in Christian Literature & Art

A sermon preached at the funeral of The Right Honorable Lady Mary Vere on January 10, 1671. Puritan William Gurnall speaks of the rewards that Christ’s faithful servants will receive in heaven.

Unlike the First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ, the events here deal primarily with the birth of the Virgin Mary herself and her own life during pregnancy and up to the birth of Jesus.

Join Father Paul Pearson of the Oratory as he guides you on a spiritual journey through one of the great classics of Christian literature, Dante’s Purgatorio. Purgatory is the least understood of the three possible “destinations” when we die (though unlike Heaven or Hell it is not an eternal one) and is mysterious to many Christians and even to many Catholics today. As he did in his first volume in the Spiritual Direction from Dante trilogy, Avoiding the Inferno, Father Pearson adroitly draws out the great spiritual insights hidden in The Divine Comedy.

In Keeping Christmas, novelist and Dickens enthusiast Allison Pittman offers 25 readings for advent, seamlessly bringing together the word of God and the words of A Christmas Carol. This contemplative, entertaining book is the perfect companion for those dark winter nights as we eagerly anticipate the coming celebration of Christmas when, like Scrooge, we are given the gift of reflection, repentance, and life anew.

In 1997, the world was rocked with the news of Rich Mullins' passing. Christians everywhere paused their lives to mourn the loss. Radio stations paid tributes. Newspapers dedicated articles. Friends, family members, fans, and fellow musicians came together to remember this man that had impacted their lives. I was with my family when I heard. I was standing in our driveway. It seemed strange, because just a few hours prior, I saw Rich Mullins alive, leaving our house.

The winter doldrums are just settling over Acorn Hill when a movie crew comes to scout out locations for an upcoming film. The director wants Grace Chapel to be the setting for a pivotal scene, and the town itself is a perfect backdrop for the film. While some residents are thrilled about the income the shoot will bring, and some want to star in the picture, others are less certain that the disruption will be welcome, and a director with a nefarious reputation doesn't help.

This is a compendium of daily meditations for listeners, reflecting the spiritual principles taught in T. D. Jakes's Reposition Yourself. It includes the bishop's thoughts and advice for each day, as well as scripture to accompany each meditation.

In this memoir of the craft, Ben Palpant unpacks a lifetime of wisdom gained through the long, hard work of learning to write and to live well. Delivered as a series of letters from father to daughter, he patiently and gracefully paints a vision of what it means to enter into one's creative work as an act of generative obedience - an act that blesses the writer, the work itself, and the world that receives it.

The Gospel According to Breaking Bad takes a thoroughly Christian look at AMC's popular and critical TV hit. Covering such weighty theological issues like identity, death, justice, power, fate, free will, and the gospel itself, listeners will be coerced into thinking more deeply about the universal questions Breaking Bad asks. In sections covering the colors and metaphors of Breaking Bad, fans will also come to a further appreciation for one of the most well-done TV series in recent history.

After the conversion of St. Paul on the road to Damascus, the dramatic conversion of St. Augustine - as he himself tells it in his Confessions - is the most significant conversion story in Christian history. Augustine's experience speaks to his dilemma that many people have understood when counting the cost of converting to Christ. He had come to intellectual certainty about the truth of Christianity but he could not embrace it in faith.

In Saint Augustine's Confessions, he writes about how much he regrets having led a sinful and immoral life. He discusses his regrets for following the Manichaean religion and believing in astrology. He writes about Nebridius's role in helping to persuade him that astrology was not only incorrect but evil, and Saint Ambrose's role in his conversion to Christianity.

Fans of the eccentric and edgy films of the Coen brothers know there's more going on in their films than meets the eye. Award-winning author and columnist Cathleen Falsani is the perfect guide for Coen fans, inviting them to take a deeper look at the popular films, from their debut Blood Simple to the recent Burn After Reading and all the strange and wonderful films in between.

The Dark Night of the Soul explores not only the torments and elations of a soul’s spiritual journey, but also expounds on man’s relationship with God and the natural longing for union with the Creator. Known as a doctor of mysticism, St. John of the Cross uniquely and profoundly delves into the intimidating world of spirituality and Christianity. In this work there are ideas explored that bring light to the deep afflictions of the soul as well as the true exaltation and joy that occurs closer on the path to communion with God.

Learning from Black voices means listening to more than snippets. It means attending to Black stories. Reading Black Books helps Christians hear and learn from enduring Black voices and stories as captured in classic African American literature.

Harry Potter has captivated the imagination of millions of children. And Harry Potter has caused controversy in churches and schools. What's a parent to do with the magical, mystical world of Harry and his friends? Gina Burkart chose to read the books with her own children. As they read together, she discovered many parallels between Christian faith and the themes of these books. Indeed, the escapades of Harry Potter sparked significant conversation between Burkart and her kids.

Did you know Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime, and that during the last three months of his life, he completed an average of one painting every day? Did you know that Michelangelo's David is covered in a dusting of human skin? Rembrandt Is in the Wind: Audio Lectures is an invitation to discover some of the world's most celebrated artists and works, while presenting the Gospel of Christ in a way that speaks to the struggles and longings common to the human experience.

The Soul of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe will transport readers into the heart of the Chronicles of Narnia. Readers will discover that Narnia is more than just a magical place, it is a story reflective of the world we live in, our human condition, and our need for a Savior. Written in popular style for a broad audience of Christians and non-Christians, youthful and old, this book will answer the soul-stirring question of the movie and the novel.

Marshall McLuhan was the greatest prophet of the digital age. In the 1960s, McLuhan, a Canadian literary theorist, turned his attention toward the budding and befuddling electronic age. Like most prophets, McLuhan became one through a fascination with God. Prophets divine their wisdom from a source, and Digital Communion shows that McLuhan's was his own Catholic faith. In other words, the greatest prophet of the digital age was an ardent Christian. A reconsideration of his vision can change the way we view the online world.

Throughout history, Christians have pictured the relationships between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through analogies. Such illustrations—some from the West but also from Latin America, Asia, Africa, and other places—come laden with theological ramifications that the church has rejected (heresies) or embraced (doctrines). In Three in One, William David Spencer shares a lifetime of insights from teaching within the global church, bringing fresh images and analogies of the Trinity to deepen our theological vocabulary.

Imagination, appreciation of beauty, creativity: all of these qualities have been given to us by God. For the Christian artist, the drive to create something wonderful is also a means to glorify and better understand our Lord. Using excerpts from her own works as well as those of writers who have gone before her—Emily Dickinson, Annie Dillard, C.S. Lewis, and others—poet and writer Luci Shaw proves that symbolism and metaphor provide ways for humans to experience God in new and powerful ways.