Christian spirituality & religious experience – The Bell Bookshop

Lent with the beloved disciple

Emma — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The 2024 Bloomsbury Lent Book invites you on a six-week journey in the company of the ‘beloved disciple’ as found in the narrative of the Gospel of St John.As the only disciple to have stayed close to Jesus at every stage from the Last Supper to the Crucifixion at Calvary, this eagle-eyed eyewitness intentionally records certain subtle details and signs which, when perceived with the eyes of faith, indicate a deeper and far lasting significance. Michael Marshall explores what these signs are and how, with prayerful reflection, they draw us ever more deeply into the personal, eternal and cosmic significance and awareness of all that Christ accomplished by his death and resurrection – the Paschal Mystery.Ideal for both individual use and for small group study, Lent with the Beloved Disciple takes us into the heart of that Paschal Mystery, by which all things in heaven and earth are ultimately fulfilled in the risen and ascended Christ, who is ‘all in all’.

Have a little faith

Emma — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

A joyous collection of life-lessons from the UK’s favourite vicar!

Hello there, come on in.

Firstly, I know what you’re thinking, ‘I’m not religious so I’m not sure if this is for me’ but, the truth is, we can all benefit from having a little faith and it will look different to each of us. Granted, some of the stories about a man who can walk on water and come back from the dead are anything but normal, but the point isn’t about what we believe in, it’s about believing in something. It’s what humans have always done, it’s in our DNA, because having faith in something makes us feel connected. It makes us feel like we matter. Faith means we are in it together, that we believe we will be OK.

So, yes, this book is about faith, but it’s also about being human, because believing in things is just part of our existence. Wherever you sit on the faith spectrum, I’m here to tell you it’s okay. You don’t have to sign up to all of something to get something out of some of it. You don’t have to like every song on the album.

My belief has guided me through life’s ups and downs, and I hope that sharing what I’ve learned will help you face your own challenges armed with hope, and plenty of lasagne.

Love,
Kate x

‘A gorgeous read, it made me cry in a joyous way’ Zoe Ball

‘You can always rely on Kate to bring humour, warmth and cracking anecdotes. This book, unsurprisingly, has shed loads’ Steph McGovern

Finding the Language of Grace

Emma — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Well known for his appearances on TV and radio, as well as for his books Finding Sanctuary and Finding Happiness, Christopher Jamison once again shows his ability to communicate spiritual insights in an accessible way. Finding the Language of Grace: Rediscovering Transcendence focuses on the transcendent experiences of grace that we struggle to talk about in today’s very business-like culture. Abbot Christopher shows how the ways we listen and speak, read and write can all be channels of grace. This is illustrated through books as diverse as the medieval legend of the Holy Grail, Silence by Japanese writer Shusaku Endo, the writings of Spanish mystics and the novels of Pulitzer Prize winner Marilynne Robinson. The power and the pain of grace resonate throughout the book, offering a new perspective on healing the loneliness and mistrust experienced by many, as well as on the turbulence and political extremes of today’s world. How do we restore trust? How can we listen well? What is the right way to read the signs of the times? And how can we revitalise the language of grace in our day?

Learning to Pray

Emma — Thu, 03 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

‘A brilliant introduction to prayer’ Richard Rohr, Author of Everything Belongs

One of America’s most beloved spiritual leaders and the New York Times bestselling author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and Jesus: A Pilgrimage teaches anyone to converse with God in this comprehensive guide to prayer.

‘What do we need to learn? That prayer changes us-and so changes the world we live in; that God is always there before us; that it’s God’s action that makes the difference. Practical, comprehensive, and above all God-centered, this book is a deeply valuable companion for growing in faith.’ Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury

In The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything, Father James Martin included a chapter on communicating with God. Now, he expands those thoughts in this profound and practical handbook. Learning to Pray explains what prayer is, what to expect from praying, how to do it, and how it can transform us when we make it a regular practice in our lives.

A trusted guide walking beside us as we navigate our unique spiritual paths, Martin lays out the different styles and traditions of prayer throughout Christian history and invites us to experiment and discover which works best to feed our soul and build intimacy with our Creator. Father Martin makes clear there is not one secret formula for praying. But like any relationship, each person can discover the best style for building an intimate relationship with God, regardless of religion or denomination. Prayer, he teaches us, is open and accessible to anyone willing to open their heart.

An Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard

Emma — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0000

‘The Curfew tolls the knell of parting day ?’Thomas Gray’s ‘Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard’ has been loved and admired throughout the centuries. First circulated to a select group of friends, it was rushed to official publication in 1751 in order to avoid pirated copies being sold without the young poet’s permission. Praised by Samuel Johnson, reprinted over and over again in Gray’s lifetime and recited by generations of school children, it is one of the most famous poems in the English language.This edition reproduces the exquisite wood engravings made by Agnes Miller Parker in 1938. Parker visited the churchyard at St Giles, Stoke Poges, where the poem is set, in order to make her sketches, and all thirty-two stanzas of the poem are accompanied by detailed full-page illustrations. Commemorating the 250th anniversary of the poet’s death, this edition will not only bring new readers to the ‘Elegy’ but will also appeal to those already familiar with its riches.

The Art of Peace

Emma — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Christian teaching from the lived experience of the author, weaving in the wisdom of the contemplatives and mystics from throughout Christian heritage, such as Meister Eckhart, Anthony DeMello, Evelyn Underhill and Thomas Merton.
Helps the reader to transition from being someone interested in or simply practising contemplation to being a contemplative
Structured according to four themes: Stillness, Silence, Solitude and Sanctuary
Each chapter covers an aspect of the contemplative/mystic tradition, such as apophatic theology, solitude and silent prayer

Just This

Emma — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Just This is a collection of brief and evocative meditations and practices. It invites us to cultivate the gift of waking up to the beauty of reality in all its glorious ordinariness. With his signature blend of contemplation, theology and pastoral sensitivity, Fr Richard Rohr creates a spaciousness for the soul to grow into a kind of seeing – one that goes far beyond merely looking, to recognizing and thus appreciating.

This is the heart of contemplation, the centerpiece of any inner dialogue that frees us from the traps of our perceptions and preoccupations. The contemplative mind does not tell us what to see; it teaches us how to see what we behold.

Praise for Richard Rohr’s The Divine Dance:
‘A beautiful choreography for a life well-lived.’
Bono, U2

Stour seasons

Emma — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 00:00:00 +0000

From the time that John Constable made its waterways and rural landscapes famous, the Stour Valley in East Anglia has been a haunt for artists, writers, poets, musicians and gardeners. Ronald Blythe perpetuates this rich artistic heritage from an ancient farmhouse, with its three-acre naturalistic garden, that has been a gathering place for literary and artistic friends for almost seventy years.Stour Seasons is the tenth collection of his Word From Wormingford columns that have appeared on the back page of the Church Times for over 20 years. Britain’s greatest living rural writer observes in rich detail the gifts that each season of the year brings and in doing so, evokes a world of beauty, friendship and wonder at the simple pleasures that make everyday life the miracle that it is.

The way of a pilgrim ; and, The pilgrim continues his way

Emma — Tue, 06 Nov 2001 00:00:00 +0000

A special edition of The Way of a Pilgrim and its sequel, two spiritual classics that demonstrate the profound power of the Jesus prayer

This classic of world spiritual literature is the firsthand account of a pilgrim’s journey as he endeavors to live out Saint Paul’s instruction to “pray without ceasing.” The narrator, an unnamed nineteenth-century peasant, sets out on his pilgrimage with nothing but a Bible, a rosary, and some dried bread. As he walks, he recites the Jesus prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me”)-a prayer that is said to quiet anxiety and fill the heart with love for all creation. With this prayer constantly on his lips, the pilgrim undergoes a profound spiritual education.

This edition includes the sequel to The Way of a Pilgrim, entitled A Pilgrim Continues His Way, which contains a lengthy appendix reviewing the teachings of the Holy Fathers on the Jesus prayer.