Holy Dark Places

The Christian believer routinely experiences periods in their life referred to as a dark night of the soul. In such times a person feels as if God has left him or her alone and God has distanced himself from the individual in this period of liminality. It is considered to be a time of trial and testing which only afterwards is viewed as a period of growth and maturing in Christ. In this book, Daniel McGregor explores the Biblical foundation for this concept, as well as providing a historical survey of Christian theologians and authors who examine these themes and experiences. This volume will provide an ideal introduction to the subject for the serious layperson or a suitable reading for an introductory class in religious studies.

The Christian believer routinely experiences periods in their life referred to as a dark night of the soul. In such times a person feels as if God has left him or her alone and God has distanced himself from the individual in this period of liminality. It is considered to be a time of trial and testing which only afterwards is viewed as a period of growth and maturing in Christ. In this book, Daniel McGregor explores the Biblical foundation for this concept, as well as providing a historical survey of Christian theologians and authors who examine these themes and experiences. This volume will provide an ideal introduction to the subject for the serious layperson or a suitable reading for an introductory class in religious studies.

Captivating True Story of God's Supernatural Love at Work As a child, Leanna's young world pulsed with adventure, including emergency moves across the country in an old Dodge Dart with a dismantled airplane strapped to the roof. By age fifteen, she had become an equestrian champion with sights fixed on the Olympics. Then, in a series of stunning revelations, Jesus appeared to her and revolutionized her life. A few years later, not expecting to return alive, she wrote a will for her parents, left everything behind, and embarked for northern India with a one-way ticket and a mission: to rescue people trapped in darkness. This firsthand, often-supernatural account follows the rigors, heartaches, and miracles of a life propelled by faith into one of the poorest and darkest places on earth. Leanna's fearless determination to shine Jesus' light into the shadows--whether helping the destitute in small villages or reaching girls abused in the sex-trafficking trade--will thrill and inspire you to believe his power can change even your most trying circumstances.

C. S. Lewis wanted to name his last novel “Bareface.” Now Doris T. Myers’s Bareface provides a welcome study of Lewis’s last, most profound, and most skillfully written novel, Till We Have Faces. Although many claim it is his best novel, Till We Have Faces is a radical departure from the fantasy genre of Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters and has been less popular than Lewis’s earlier works. In Bareface, Myers supplies background information on this difficult work and suggests reading techniques designed to make it more accessible to general readers. She also presents a fresh approach to Lewis criticism for the enjoyment of specialists. Previous studies have often treated the novel as mere myth, ignoring Lewis’s effort to present the story of Cupid and Psyche as something that could have happened. Myers emphasizes the historical background, the grounding of the characterizations in modern psychology, and the thoroughly realistic narrative presentation. She identifies key books in ancient and medieval literature, history, and philosophy that influenced Lewis’s thinking as well as pointing out a previously unnoticed affinity with William James. From this context, a clearer understanding of Till We Have Faces can emerge. Approached in this way, the work can be seen as a realistic twentieth-century novel using modernist techniques such as the unreliable narrator and the manipulation of time. The major characters fit neatly into William James’s typology of religious experience, and Orual, the narrator-heroine, also develops the kind of personal maturity described by Carl Jung. At the same time, both setting and plot provide insights into the ancient world and pre-Christian modes of thought. Organized to facilitate browsing according to the reader’s personal interests and needs, this study helps readers explore this complex and subtle novel in their own way. Containing fresh insights that even the most experienced Lewis scholar will appreciate, Bareface is an accomplishment worthy of Lewis’s lifelong contemplation.

Focussing on Durham Cathedral, this is a practical guide to prayer in holy spaces, concentrating on the places where we can go to be closer to God.

An instant New York Times bestseller! A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself. A prince in danger must decide who to trust. A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings. Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war. In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy. This edition uses deckle edges; the uneven paper edge is intentional.

In 1998, Michael Olin-Hitt is thrown to the floor with spiritual energy, and a spiritual messenger guides him to be an open channel for spiritual wisdom. Such is Michaels introduction to the trance state of the channel, oracle, shaman and prophet. In time, Michaels trance state extends for hours at a time, and the spiritual guide, known to Michael as a Messenger of the Holy, speaks through Michael with a stream of spiritual guidance and sacred orientation. When Michael and his wife, Jennifer, experience devastating grief and loss, they have direct access to this Messenger of the Holy to provide spiritual perspective, wisdom, comfort and guidance. This is the vulnerable, genuine story of human struggle, spiritual transformation, mystical experience and sacred wisdom.

A Far-Off Country offers a comprehensive introduction to C.S. Lewis' major works of fantasy fiction: The Chronicles of Narnia, The Space Trilogy, and Till We Have Faces. Drawing on Lewis' manuscripts as well as unpublished letters, Sammons provides a detailed background for the novels, including biographical information on Lewis as it pertains to each work. She thoroughly investigates the characters, symbols, and themes of the novels, highlighting the Christian doctrines that are embedded in them in addition to the many Biblical parallels. Sammons also includes numerous references from Lewis' other books, ultimately relating the ideas presented in his written works to his Christian beliefs. Exhaustive in its analysis yet accessible to a wide audience, this book will excite those in search of an insightful guide to Lewis' works.

Promises in the Dark by Dr. Eric McLaughlin strengthens the hearts of readers to persevere in God’s calling to walk with those in need. As a missionary doctor in Africa, McLaughlin knows how walking closely with those who suffer and bearing others’ burdens can easily lead to burnout or cynicism—unless we find the path to perseverance that the Lord provides. This resource explores how to find both calling and hope, living in the tension between a difficult present and God’s promises of renewal, how to cope with despair and futility, the importance of the suffering God for those who suffer, and how the manifestations of God bring life into a dying world. McLaughlin explores how to endure in such a yet-to-be-redeemed world as ours, which is full of tragedy and heartache, pointing to God’s promises.

Dark tourism, including visitation to places such as murder sites, battlefields and cemeteries is a growing phenomenon.The three main themes of Visitor Motivation, Destination Management and Place Interpretation are addressed in this book from both a demand and supply perspective by examining a variety of case studies from around the world. This edited volume takes the dark tourism discussion to another level by reinforcing the critical intersecting domains of dark tourism and place identity and, in particular, highlighting the importance of understanding this connection for visitors and destination managers.

Robert J. Scholes explores the spiritual side of life, from the dark places of the minds of murderers to the wonders of the mystical experiences of common folk.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON, EXACTLY LIKE GOD THE FATHER AND THE SON. SADLY, HE IS THE LEAST KNOWN OF THE TRINITY. YET, JESUS PUTS SUCH EMPHASIS ON HIM THAT MUST NOT ESCAPE HUMAN ATTENTION. FOR, TO KNOW GOD WITHOUT KNOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT, IS TO KNOW GOD, ONLY IN PART.