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Wrestling With God

by Don Hanley

While working within the penal system to advocate prison reform, Jerry Haloran discovers through an inmate that a priest who is about to be elevated in the ranks of the diocese has a disturbing past. Jerry and his journalist wife Rebecca must act swiftly and decisively before more harm can be inflicted upon those least able to defend themselves: the children.

Wrestling with God: Prayer That Never Gives Up

by Greg Laurie

Using personal experience and biblical examples, well-known pastor Greg Laurie illustrates how prayer works in different people's lives. In spiritual terms, Jacob wrestled with God for years. The Syro-Phoenician Woman also wrestled with Jesus, but briefly, her argument arising from a wholly different situation. Yet God brought them both to roughly the same kind of relationship with Himself. He softened Jacob's will and rewarded his submission; He honored the woman's determination and rewarded her resolve. Through these examples, readers will discover how heartfelt prayer and willing submission can bring them into their own unique, rewarding relationships with God.

Wrestling with God: Finding Hope and Meaning in Our Daily Struggles to Be Human

by Ronald Rolheiser

The bestselling author of The Holy Longing provides an inspiring message of hope and perseverance for all of us struggling with our faith in tumultuous times The last few decades have rapidly birthed a modern world that would have been unrecognizable fifty years ago. As long-held beliefs on love, faith, and God are challenged by the aggregate of changes that have overhauled our world, many of us are left feeling confused and uncertain while old norms are challenged and redefined at breakneck speed.In Wrestling with God, Ronald Rolheiser offers a steady and inspiring voice to help us avow and understand our faith in a world where nothing seems solid or permanent. Drawing from his own life experience, as well as a storehouse of literary, psychological, and theological insights, the beloved author of Sacred Fire examines the fears and doubts that challenge us. It is in these struggles to find meaning, that Rolheiser lays out a path for faith in a world struggling to find faith, but perhaps more important, he helps us find our own rhythm within which to walk that path.

Wrestling with God and Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition

by Steven Greenberg

Wrestling with God and Men is the product of Rabbi Steven Greenberg's ten-year struggle to reconcile his homosexuality with Orthodox Judaism. Employing traditional rabbinic resources, Greenberg presents readers with surprising biblical interpretations of the creation story, the love of David and Jonathan, the destruction of Sodom, and the condemning verses of Leviticus. But Greenberg goes beyond the question of whether homosexuality is biblically acceptable to ask how such relationships can be sacred. In so doing, he draws on a wide array of nonscriptural texts to introduce readers to occasions of same-sex love in Talmudic narratives, medieval Jewish poetry and prose, and traditional Jewish case law literature. Ultimately, Greenberg argues that Orthodox communities must open up debate, dialogue, and discussion--precisely the foundation upon which Jewish law rests--to truly deal with the issue of homosexual love.

Wrestling with Job: Defiant Faith in the Face of Suffering

by Will Kynes Bill Kynes

The unique richness of the book of Job cannot be simply explained—it must be experienced.Wrestling with Job

Wrestling with Rest: Inviting Youth to Discover the Gift of Sabbath

by Nathan T. Stucky

Busyness is a sickness of the soul that affects many today—and it is especially detrimental to young people, who are finding their identity shaped by ongoing resume-building, constant digital communication, and unceasing activity. The last thing they have time for is rest. But rest—Sabbath—is necessary for youth, not just because of who they are socially, emotionally, and physiologically, but because of who God has made them to be and wants them to be.Nathan Stucky shows that rest challenges youth whose identities are rooted in productivity, efficiency, achievement, and accom­plishment. For them, the notion of Sabbath grace both appeals and disorients. Yet through the Sabbath, God invites young people into an identity rooted and grounded in the grace, life, and provision of God. Wrestling with Rest offers biblical and practical advice for helping youth to discover their God-given identity, in which they can truly find rest.

Wrestling with Rest: Inviting Youth to Discover the Gift of Sabbath

by Nathan T. Stucky

Busyness is a sickness of the soul that affects many today—and it is especially detrimental to young people, who are finding their identity shaped by ongoing resume-building, constant digital communication, and unceasing activity. The last thing they have time for is rest. But rest—Sabbath—is necessary for youth, not just because of who they are socially, emotionally, and physiologically, but because of who God has made them to be and wants them to be.Nathan Stucky shows that rest challenges youth whose identities are rooted in productivity, efficiency, achievement, and accom­plishment. For them, the notion of Sabbath grace both appeals and disorients. Yet through the Sabbath, God invites young people into an identity rooted and grounded in the grace, life, and provision of God. Wrestling with Rest offers biblical and practical advice for helping youth to discover their God-given identity, in which they can truly find rest.

Wrestling with the Angel: Experiments in Symbolic Life (Insurrections: Critical Studies in Religion, Politics, and Culture)

by Tracy McNulty

Wrestling with the Angel is a meditation on contemporary political, legal, and social theory from a psychoanalytic perspective. It argues for the enabling function of formal and symbolic constraints in sustaining desire as a source of creativity, innovation, and social change.The book begins by calling for a richer understanding of the psychoanalytic concept of the symbolic and the resources it might offer for an examination of the social link and the political sphere. The symbolic is a crucial dimension of social coexistence but cannot be reduced to the social norms, rules, and practices with which it is so often collapsed. As a dimension of human life that is introduced by language—and thus inescapably "other" with respect to the laws of nature—the symbolic is an undeniable fact of human existence. Yet the same cannot be said of the forms and practices that represent and sustain it. In designating these laws, structures, and practices as "fictions," Jacques Lacan makes clear that the symbolic is a dimension of social life that has to be created and maintained and that can also be displaced, eradicated, or rendered dysfunctional. The symbolic fictions that structure and support the social tie are therefore historicizable, emerging at specific times and in particular contexts and losing their efficacy when circumstances change. They are also fragile and ephemeral, needing to be renewed and reinvented if they are not to become outmoded or ridiculous. Therefore the aim of this study is not to call for a return to traditional symbolic laws but to reflect on the relationship between the symbolic in its most elementary or structural form and the function of constraints and limits.McNulty analyzes examples of "experimental" (as opposed to "normative") articulations of the symbolic and their creative use of formal limits and constraints not as mere prohibitions or rules but as "enabling constraints" that favor the exercise of freedom. The first part examines practices that conceive of subjective freedom as enabled by the struggle with constraints or limits, from the transference that structures the "minimal social link" of psychoanalysis to constrained relationships between two or more people in the context of political and social movements. Examples discussed range from the spiritual practices and social legacies of Moses, Jesus, and Teresa of Avila to the political philosophy of Hannah Arendt and Jacques Rancière. The second part is devoted to legal and political debates surrounding the function of the written law. It isolates the law's function as a symbolic limit or constraint as distinct from its content and representational character. The analysis draws on Mosaic law traditions, the political theology of Paul, and twentieth-century treatments of written law in the work of Carl Schmitt, Walter Benjamin, Sigmund Freud, Pierre Legendre, and Alain Badiou. In conclusion, the study considers the relationship between will and constraint in Kant's aesthetic philosophy and in the experimental literary works of the collective Oulipo.

Wrestling With Wonder: A Transformational Journey through the Life of Mary

by Marlo Schalesky

You’ve never seen Mary, or her God, like this! Who is this God? Who is he who calls us to surrender and then leads us on a journey of twists and turns, ups and downs, unlike anything we could have ever expected? Who is this God who calls a young girl to birth a Savior and then watch him die on a Roman cross? Who is he who fulfills every promise and yet shatters every expectation? Come, join Mary, Jesus’ mother, on a journey of discovery. Hear the angel’s call, walk the long road to Bethlehem, give birth in a barn, search for a lost son, kneel at the foot of a cross, and experience the wind of the Spirit. Come, walk with Mary, and find your own journey in hers. Because life rarely turns out the way we planned ... Because we lose the wonder in the disappointments of life ... Because being highly favored does not mean being highly pampered ... Because Mary shows us God—passionate, breath-taking, and unpredictable ...

Wretched Saints: Transformed by the Relentless Grace of God

by Noel Jesse Heikkinen

“The truth of the gospel of Jesus,” Heikkinen writes, “is that I am nothing more than a wretch and so much more than a saint.” Have you ever wondered if God could really save you? Have you ever thought grace might not be enough? In Wretched Saints, Heikkinen reveals the rough and beautiful side of grace so clearly that readers face up to the scars of sin—and have a renewed, startling realization that God’s incredible gospel is true. Wretched Saints shows how grace is the ridiculously unwarranted posture of God that transforms sinners into saints, gives freedom to lavish grace on others, and stubbornly shapes us all to look like Jesus.

Write Better: A Lifelong Editor on Craft, Art, and Spirituality

by Andrew T. Le Peau

Writing is not easy. But it can get better. In this primer on nonfiction writing, Andrew Le Peau offers insights he has learned as a published author and an editor for over forty years, training, guiding, and cheering on hundreds of writers. Here are skills that writers can master—from finding strong openings and closings, to focusing on an audience, to creating a clear structure, to crafting a persuasive message. With wide-ranging examples from fiction and nonfiction, Le Peau also demystifies aspects of art in writing such as creativity, tone, and metaphor. He considers strategies that can move writers toward fresher, more vital, and perhaps more beautiful expressions of the human condition. One aspect of writing that rarely receives attention is who we are as writers and how writing itself changes us. Self-doubt, fear of criticism, downsides of success, questions of authority, and finding our voice are all a part of the exploration of our spirituality as writers found in these pages. Discover how the act of writing can affect our life in God. Whether you're a veteran writer, an occasional practitioner, a publishing professional, or a student just starting to explore such skills, Le Peau's wit and wisdom can speed you on your way.

Write like a Man: Jewish Masculinity and the New York Intellectuals

by Ronnie Grinberg

How virility and Jewishness became hallmarks of postwar New York&’s combative intellectual sceneIn the years following World War II, the New York intellectuals became some of the most renowned critics and writers in the country. Although mostly male and Jewish, this prominent group also included women and non-Jews. Yet all of its members embraced a secular Jewish machismo that became a defining characteristic of the contemporary experience. Write like a Man examines how the New York intellectuals shared a uniquely American conception of Jewish masculinity that prized verbal confrontation, polemical aggression, and an unflinching style of argumentation.Ronnie Grinberg paints illuminating portraits of figures such as Norman Mailer, Hannah Arendt, Lionel and Diana Trilling, Mary McCarthy, Norman Podhoretz, Midge Decter, and Irving Howe. She describes how their construction of Jewish masculinity helped to propel the American Jew from outsider to insider even as they clashed over its meaning in a deeply anxious project of self-definition. Along the way, Grinberg sheds light on their fraught encounters with the most contentious issues and ideas of the day, from student radicalism and the civil rights movement to feminism, Freudianism, and neoconservatism.A spellbinding chronicle of mid-century America, Write like a Man shows how a combative and intellectually grounded vision of Jewish manhood contributed to the masculinization of intellectual life and shaped some of the most important political and cultural debates of the postwar era.

Writers, Editors and Exemplars in Medieval English Texts (The New Middle Ages)

by Sharon M. Rowley

This collection of essays explores the literary legacy of medieval England by examining the writers, editors and exemplars of medieval English texts. In order to better understand the human agency, creativity and forms of sanctity of medieval England, these essays investigate both the production of medieval texts and the people whose hands and minds created, altered and/or published them. The chapters consider the writings of major authors such as Chaucer, Gower and Wyclif in relation to texts, authors and ideals less well-known today, and in light of the translation and interpretive reproduction of the Bible in Middle English. The essays make some texts available for the first time in print, and examine the roles of historical scholars in the construction of medieval English literature and textual cultures. By doing so, this collection investigates what it means to recover, study and represent some of the key medieval English texts that continue to influence us today.

The Writer's I Ching: Wisdom for the Creative Life

by Elaura Niles Jessica Morrell

The writing life is solitary and challenging, and it takes far more than creativity to become a commercial success. The Writer's I Ching uses the ancient Chinese divination system to provide writers with help mastering the business of writing and choosing the most propitious times to take action. Because writing educators created the book, it also teaches the storyteller and non-fiction craft with lessons suitable for both beginners and seasoned professionals.This unique presentation of the I Ching features a complete deck of 64 cards bound into the book itself. The writer poses a question about how to proceed on a specific fiction or non-fiction project, negotiation, or business matter. He draws an I Ching card and turns to the proper page for the interpretation of that card. Many cases of writer's block have been cured and flashes of insight gained through this simple technique. The I Ching dates back to before Christ and counts among its devotees Confucius, Albert Einstein, and Bob Dylan.

Writing and Grammar 7 (3rd Edition)

by June W. Cates Elizabeth Rose Kimberly Y. Stegall Dawn L. Watkins

Writing and grammar for Christian schools.

Writing and Holiness

by Derek Krueger

Drawing on comparative literature, ritual and performance studies, and the history of asceticism, Derek Krueger explores how early Christian writers came to view writing as salvific, as worship through the production of art. Exploring the emergence of new and distinctly Christian ideas about authorship in late antiquity, Writing and Holiness probes saints' lives and hymns produced in the Greek East to reveal how the ascetic call to imitate Christ's humility rendered artistic and literary creativity problematic. In claiming authority and power, hagiographers appeared to violate the saintly practices that they sought to promote. Christian writers meditated within their texts on these tensions and ultimately developed a new set of answers to the question "What is an author?"Each of the texts examined here used writing as a technique for the representation of holiness. Some are narrative representations of saints that facilitate veneration; others are collections of accounts of miracles, composed to publicize a shrine. Rather than viewing an author's piety as a barrier to historical inquiry, Krueger argues that consideration of writing as a form of piety opens windows onto new modes of practice. He interprets Christian authors as participants in the religious system they described, as devotees, monastics, and faithful emulators of the saints, and he shows how their literary practice integrated authorship into other Christian practices, such as asceticism, devotion, pilgrimage, liturgy, and sacrifice. In considering the distinctly literary contributions to the formation of Christian piety in late antiquity, Writing and Holiness uncovers Christian literary theories with implications for both Eastern and Western medieval literatures.

Writing and Renunciation in Medieval Japan: The Works of the Poet-Priest Kamo no Chomei (Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies #21)

by Rajyashree Pandey

This is the first monograph-length study in English of Kamo no Chomei, one of the most important literary figures of medieval Japan. Drawing upon a wide range of writings in a variety of genres from the Heian and Kamakura periods, Pandey focuses on the terms kyogen kigo (wild words and fancy phrases), shoji soku nehan (samsara is nirvana), hoben (expedient means), and suki (single-minded devotion to an art). She shows how these terms deployed by writers in an attempt to reconcile literary and artistic activities with a commitment to Buddhism. By locating Chomei within this broad context, the book offers an original reading of his texts, while at the same time casting a light upon intellectual preoccupations that were central to the times. Writing and Renunciation in Medieval Japan is an important contribution to a growing body of work that challenges the rigid distinction between the religious and literary—a distinction that would have made little sense to medieval writers, many of whom were poets as well as priests—and sheds light on the particular ways in which a religio-aesthetic tradition came to be articulated in medieval Japan. Through an examination of records left by Chomei's contemporaries, the book also traces the life of Chomei, particularly his activities as a court poet and the circumstances that led to his taking the tonsure.

Writing and Rewriting the Story of Solomon in Ancient Israel

by Isaac Kalimi

Solomon's image as a wise king and the founder of Jerusalem Temple has become a fixture of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic literature. Yet, there are essential differences between the portraits of Solomon that are presented in the Hebrew Bible. In this volume, Isaac Kalimi explores these differences, which reflect divergent historical contexts, theological and didactic concepts, stylistic and literary techniques, and compositional methods among the biblical historians. He highlights the uniqueness of each portrayal of Solomon - his character, birth, early life, ascension, and temple-building - through a close comparison of the early and late biblical historiographies. Whereas the authors of Samuel-Kings stay closely to their sources and offer an apology for Solomon's kingship, including its more questionable aspects, the Chronicler freely rewrites his sources in order to present the life of Solomon as he wished it to be. The volume will serve scholars and students seeking to understand biblical texts within their ancient Near Eastern contexts.

Writing as Enlightenment: Buddhist American Literature into the Twenty-first Century (SUNY series in Buddhism and American Culture)

by John Whalen-Bridge Gary Storhoff

This timely book explores how Buddhist-inflected thought has enriched contemporary American literature. Continuing the work begun in The Emergence of Buddhist American Literature, editors John Whalen-Bridge and Gary Storhoff and the volume's contributors turn to the most recent developments, revealing how mid-1970s through early twenty-first-century literature has employed Buddhist texts, principles, and genres. Just as Buddhism underwent indigenization when it moved from India to Tibet, to China, and to Japan, it is now undergoing that process in the United States. While some will find literary creativity in this process, others lament a loss of authenticity. The book begins with a look at the American reception of Zen and at the approaches to Dharma developed by African Americans. The work of consciously Buddhist and Buddhist-influenced writers such as Don DeLillo, Gary Snyder, and Jackson Mac Low is analyzed, and a final section of the volume contains interviews and discussions with contemporary Buddhist writers. These include an interview with Gary Snyder; a discussion with Maxine Hong Kingston and Charles Johnson; and discussions of competing American and Asian values at the Beat- and Buddhist-inspired writing program at Naropa University with poets Joanne Kyger, Reed Bye, Keith Abbott, Andrew Schelling, and Elizabeth Robinson.

The Writing Desk

by Rachel Hauck

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress comes a new captivating novel of secrets, romance, and two women bound together across time by a shared dream.Tenley Roth’s first book was a runaway bestseller. Now that her second book is due, she’s locked in fear. Can she repeat her earlier success or is she a fraud who has run out of inspiration?With pressure mounting from her publisher, Tenley is weighted with writer’s block. But when her estranged mother calls asking Tenley to help her through chemotherapy, she packs up for Florida where she meets handsome furniture designer Jonas Sullivan and discovers the story her heart’s been missing.A century earlier, another woman wrote at the same desk with hopes and fears of her own. Born during the Gilded Age, Birdie Shehorn is the daughter of the old money Knickerbockers. Under the strict control of her mother, her every move is decided ahead of time, even whom she’ll marry. But Birdie has dreams she doesn’t know how to realize. She wants to tell stories, write novels, make an impact on the world. When she discovers her mother has taken extreme measures to manipulate her future, she must choose between submission and security or forging a brand new way all on her own.Tenley and Birdie are from two very different worlds, but fate has bound them together in a way time cannot erase.

Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within (Shambhala Pocket Classics Ser.)

by Julia Cameron Natalie Goldberg

For more than thirty years Natalie Goldberg has been challenging and cheering on writers with her books and workshops. In her groundbreaking first book, she brings together Zen meditation and writing in a new way. Writing practice, as she calls it, is no different from other forms of Zen practice--"it is backed by two thousand years of studying the mind."This thirtieth-anniversary edition includes new forewords by Julia Cameron and Bill Addison. It also includes a new preface in which Goldberg reflects on the enduring quality of the teachings here. She writes, "What have I learned about writing over these thirty years? I've written fourteen books, and it's the practice here in Bones that is the foundation, sustaining and building my writing voice, that keeps me honest, teaches me how to endure the hard times and how to drop below discursive thinking, to taste the real meat of our minds and the life around us."

Writing Down Your Soul: How to Activate and Listen to the Extraordinary Voice Within

by Janet Conner

Write to Explore Your Deep Spiritual Soul“…if you think this book is not for you because you are a writer and don’t need another writing book, think again!” —Sherry Richert Belul, author of Say it Now #1 Best Seller in New Age & Spirituality, Graphology, Parapsychology, Handwriting Analysis, Creativity, and Journaling “I am a writer. Today I write.” These are the opening lines in the Writing Blessing that author Janet Conner has spoken daily since 2007.Journal-writing and divine dialogue. Janet Conner is a writer, poet, and spiritual field guide, but first and always a deep spiritual soul explorer. Since she discovered how to activate a divine Voice by slipping into the theta brain wave state (border between the conscious and the subconscious) while writing, Janet has dedicated herself to exploring and sharing what it means to live at the vibrant intersection of the visible and the invisible.Your healing inner voice. After hitting rock bottom while escaping domestic abuse, Janet’s inner voice told her to start writing. As she wrote, she gained clarity and strength, and felt an incredible connection to the divine. Today, research scientists are providing peeks into consciousness and how it works. Their findings give clues about what is happening in our bodies, minds, and spirits as we roll pen across paper. Writing Down Your Soul explores this research and instructs how to access the power and beauty of our deepest selves.Life-changing power of writing. Of all the ways to get in touch with God, why take the time to write? One reason: it works. It works amazingly well. If you want to engage in a vibrant conversation with the wisdom that dwells just below your conscious awareness, write. Write every day, at approximately the same time, with passion, honesty, and the intention of speaking with and listening to the voice within.You liked Expressive Writing, Opening Up by Writing It Down, or Writing as a Path to Awakening? You’ll love Writing Down Your Soul!

Writing Fiction [in High School]: Bringing Your Stories To Life!

by Sharon Watson

Does your teen love to write stories? Does he or she want to be a positive Christian influence in the world through fiction? WRITING FICTION [IN HIGH SCHOOL] is written to the student in a conversational tone and requires only minimal parental/teacher guidance. It's packed with literally hundreds of age-appropriate, real-fiction examples from classics, best-sellers, and movies so students can learn how to write their own intriguing short stories or novels. Your students will study and practice essential elements of story writing: an empathetic protagonist, effective dialog, voice, characterization, scenes, plots, the hero's journey, and much more. In addition, they'll discuss important ideas about fiction in their groups formed from class members, co-op classes, or friends. WRITING FICTION [IN HIGH SCHOOL] refers to The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick (sold separately) in many of its chapters. Sharon Watson recommends purchasing that book and using it with the textbook so students can more easily see how a complete novel and its elements work. An optional manuscript track is included in the course; this way, students who have written a short story or novel manuscript can work on it. Prerequisites: none. Be sure to grab WRITING FICTION [IN HIGH SCHOOL] : TEACHER'S GUIDE, a practical guide that contains an answer key, along with books or movies needed for each chapter. WRITING FICTION [IN HIGH SCHOOL] is written by Sharon Watson, author of the popular middle school composition curriculum JUMP IN, and is specially designed for your homeschool, private school, or Christian teen. THE NEW VERSION IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE ORIGINAL VERSION.

Writing for Life and Ministry: A Practical Guide to the Writing Process for Teachers and Preachers

by Brandon J O'Brien

Is Your Biggest Ministry Obstacle Writer&’s Block?As an active member in ministry, writing is usually inevitable. Perhaps you approach these opportunities with excitement—or maybe you procrastinate to avoid the task altogether, your pages remaining forever blank. No matter how you feel about writing, approaching a project can be overwhelming. Knowing what to say can be as confusing as knowing where to begin.Perhaps for you, the first step in the writing process is simply to demystify the writing process, to realize that you are capable of accomplishing your projects. If so, then Writing for Life and Ministry is for you. Seasoned writer and writing coach Brandon J. O&’Brien examines the obstacles that often inhibit ministry leaders from thriving as writers. Most importantly, he simplifies the writing process, so it is both accessible and flexible to fit your style.Don&’t let the craft of writing keep you from flourishing in your ministries. With this resource, you&’ll learn how to plan, draft, and revise. The included exercises will enable you to hone your craft and develop your skills. Best of all, you&’ll be ready to tackle that writing project you&’ve been putting off with confidence.

Writing for Life and Ministry: A Practical Guide to the Writing Process for Teachers and Preachers

by Brandon J O'Brien

Is Your Biggest Ministry Obstacle Writer&’s Block?As an active member in ministry, writing is usually inevitable. Perhaps you approach these opportunities with excitement—or maybe you procrastinate to avoid the task altogether, your pages remaining forever blank. No matter how you feel about writing, approaching a project can be overwhelming. Knowing what to say can be as confusing as knowing where to begin.Perhaps for you, the first step in the writing process is simply to demystify the writing process, to realize that you are capable of accomplishing your projects. If so, then Writing for Life and Ministry is for you. Seasoned writer and writing coach Brandon J. O&’Brien examines the obstacles that often inhibit ministry leaders from thriving as writers. Most importantly, he simplifies the writing process, so it is both accessible and flexible to fit your style.Don&’t let the craft of writing keep you from flourishing in your ministries. With this resource, you&’ll learn how to plan, draft, and revise. The included exercises will enable you to hone your craft and develop your skills. Best of all, you&’ll be ready to tackle that writing project you&’ve been putting off with confidence.

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Showing 80,151 through 80,175 of 81,190 results