Spirituality and the Awakening Self: The Sacred Journey of Transformation by David G. Benner (Brazos Press, 2012, $19.99) offers a deeper understanding of the self and its spiritual development. Drawing on a broad range of Christian traditions, Benner shows that the transformation of self is foundational to Christian spirituality.
Jesus and Paul Before Christianity: Their World and Work in Retrospect by V. George Shillington (Cascade Books, 2011, $27) seeks to locate Jesus and Paul in their respective places in the first century, in Jewish contexts and within the larger Greco-Roman society and hear more clearly their prophetic voices in their social locations.
Journey to the Heart: Christian Contemplation Through the Centuries, edited by Kim Nataraja (Orbis Books, 2012, $35), explores the long tradition of Christian spirituality from New Testament times to today. Written by leading spiritual writers, the book is illustrated throughout and covers 30 figures, from Jesus to John Main.
Gandhi and the Unspeakable: His Final Experiment with Truth by James W. Douglass (Orbis Books, 2012, $24) shows how those who conspired to kill Gandhi hoped to destroy a compelling vision of peace, nonviolence and reconciliation. Douglass shows how Gandhi had early on confronted and overcome the fear of death and why his story matters today.
Mothers, Sisters, Daughters: Standing on Their Shoulders by Edwina Gateley and Sandra Mattucci (Orbis Books, 2012, $20) presents stories and poetic reflections on 22 women who have made the world a better place by pursuing their dreams and visions—often against enormous odds. Among them are the Woman at the Well, Hildegard of Bingen, Emily Dickinson, Rachel Carson, Dorothy Stang, Rachel, Corrie, Aung San Suu Kyi and Wangari Muta Maathai.
Our God Is Undocumented: Biblical Faith and Immigrant Justice by Ched Myers and Matthew Colwell (Orbis Books, 2012, $24) shows how the perspective of the immigrant offers fresh eyes for reading the Bible, which in turn offers a new way of seeing the plight of the stranger and sojourner among us.
The Twice-Paid Farm: A Memoir of Grandma Rhoda by Twila Schrock (2011, $24.95) tells the story of Rhoda Yoder, a Mennonite pioneer on the prairie. In 1907, after her husband died, she raised four children and managed a 160-acre farm. Order from Twila Schrock, 13 Lakewood Circle, North Newton, KS 67117.
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