Popular author Ben Campbell Johnson discusses how the will of God relies on the depths of the human psyche. He addresses in specific terms how one may use intuition, imagination, and memory to ascertain the leading of God's will. Johnson claims that once God's will is sensed, one must trust that God will continue to give guidance. For each chapter, a series of reflection exercises is provided along with a brief guide to the process of discernment.

This volume addresses key questions about the puzzle of human origins by focusing on a topic that is largely unexplored thus far, namely, the evolution of human wisdom. How can we best understand the human capacity for wisdom, where did it come from, and how did it emerge? It explores lines of convergence and divergence between Christian theology and evolutionary anthropology in its search to identify different aspects of wisdom. Critical to this discussion are the philosophical difficulties that arise when two very different methodological approaches to the manner of humans becoming wise are brought together. The relative importance and significance of human language is another area of intense debate in defining the meaning of wisdom and its expression. How far and to what extent does a theologically informed wisdom discourse push evolutionary anthropology to formulate new questions and vice versa? This volume shows that there is no simple consonance between evolutionary anthropology and theology. Yet, each discipline has much to learn from the other; the authors are in agreement that even in the midst of an awareness of dissonance and some tension, there can still be mutual respect. The goal of this book is to begin to develop a trans-disciplinary approach to the evolution of human wisdom, where each discipline is challenged to ask questions in a new way. This volume tackles the relationship between theology and science in a fresh way by focusing on a specific theme-wisdom-that is equally generative for both theology and evolutionary anthropology.

Over the Past few decades mainline Protestant congregations have not easily embraced the notion of spirituality. As much as any aspect of church life, spirituality has been misunderstood, misused, and resisted by both clergy and laity. Yet times are changing. Today many people feel a deep spiritual hunger and are out looking for fulfillment in a wide variety of settings. In this new context, mainline congregations need to awaken to the presence of the Spirit in their midst and equip leaders to nurture both the personal and corporate spirituality of their congregations. Beyond the Ordinary is explicitly written to help church leaders who have had no formal training in spiritual formation. Drawing from years of experience teaching Christian spirituality, Ben Campbell Johnson and Andrew Dreitcer explore the spiritual dimensions of leadership, looking in depth at the meaning of spirituality as it relates to the tasks of ministry. This friendly, inspiring book will enable readers to erase the negative stereotypes of spirituality and develop vital models and practices for the church today. The book introduces a faithful understanding and practice of the spiritual life to those who have not yet dipped into the well that is Christian spirituality. For those who have already tasted this water and still thirst, it offers a way to dip even more deeply. Chapters discuss the issues surrounding a meaningful spirituality for our changing times, the importance of holding prayer and mission in tension, and the crucial role of Scripture in the formation of our lives. The authors also underscore the importance of vision, myth, and discernment in the spiritual life of the church. And they discuss the power of spiritual practices like discernment and visioning for enhancing the spirituality of congregations and helping them become agents of social transformation. Intended for personal and group use by pastors, elders, other church leaders, and those preparing for service in the church, the book includes questions for reflection and discussion as well as journaling exercises to encourage learning and growth.

Melinda McKay would meet the devil to become an international prima ballerina. Brent Lord would defeat the devil to become the Global Heavyweight Bodybuilding Champion. Together, their talents were the perfect fit for a Las Vegas extravaganza. Deceit, distrust, greed and revenge misguided them. Money, anger, suspicion and treachery drove killers to murder the talented performers. She was a tormented ballerina, he was a defeated bodybuilder. Together, Melinda McKay and Brent Lord challenged anyone who got in their way. Greed and revenge was their worst enemy and dictated them as targets for murder. You can't kill what isn't real but you can put the phantom to rest.

Hilarious, provocative and super-smart, Kissing Freud is a brilliant novel. Behind locked doors where a community of seekers plot meaning to their lives, extracting buried secrets like time bombs ticking away at their hearts, a cast of free-form thinkers, opportunists and sinners bend and twist reality into madness. Brace yourself for shock. Kissing Freud is luminous, haunting and an unforgettable debut novel where madness is persistent as nature. You are forewarned, sexuality and profanity are explicitly portrayed in KISSINg FREUd.

Because I'd lived and worked in Dubrovnik, Croatia, I'd written my novel Dubrovnik with a European voice, which adds urgency to realism and cultural richness to the historical significance to the people that were so long deprived of the pleasures freedom carries with it. Trained to eliminate terrorists, with an odd mission to document drug trafficking ahead of them, Alexander Crown with Ivan Andric put top-spins on human emotions where friendships clash and neighbors cultivate hostilities. In this dramatic behind-the-scenes chronicle, two Special Ops Forces maneuver with heart-stopping immediacy, to end the feud between two Croatian families and help extinguish a civil-war using guerrilla warfare tactics. They wanted to mitigate the anger between the two families, but their assignment took precedence. Timing, placement and communication were critical. Crown sought position for his secret mission and Andric insisted on helping their new friends first. That was when humility and the killing began.

An Alexander Crown novel, book 3. Crown has discovered a DNA weapon so devastating that in unethical hands, human life could become extinct. Alexander Crown must access every killing skill he'd utilized as a mercenary, and every ounce of cunning he'd experienced as a philanthropist to out maneuver the Chinese, Russians and Israelis to keep his medical discovery undisclosed, to prevent the ruthless and corrupt monsters from stealing his chilling revelation and turning it into a weapon against humanity. Regeneration is brutally realistic as it gets. The stakes are higher as they've ever been as Alexander Crown embarks on a journey that will turn him into humanity's most deadly asset.

This is a story of a man who sought the meaning of his life in the culture in which he was reared, a variety of vocations, alcoholism and eventually a faith in God. His encounter with God liberated him from alcoholism, made him open to God's call and to preparation for his life's work. He attended a theological school and discovered that he did not wish to be a preaching minister but a pastoral counselor. This decision led him into hospital chaplaincy, psychoanalyst, Erickson Ian Hypnosis, Nero Linguistic Programming plus a dozen other streams of influence that liberated his own life and provided a foundation for his life long work as a pastoral counselor. His family has been one of his major teachers. His wife stood with him through his days of alcoholism and has been for him a constant source of inspiration and hope. This book sets forth the numerous influences, which have flowed into this man's life and have given birth to a kind of therapy that is effective down to earth and healing. His work is characterized by an emphasis on inner personal communication, attentive listening, speaking the truth in love. More than any other comment, people say this man models what he teaches.

This curious true story about a neglected boy, his uncommon family, the gushing growth of San Francisco and the haunted house is part intrigue, part innocence and part discovery. While living in the haunted house in San Francisco, with social and ethical changes during 1956, ten year old Benny Campbell strings his personality around family heritage, community issues and unfortunate racism.

Before Theodor Seuss Geisel passed away on September 24, 1991, he had published over 6o books and sold more than 222 million copies using the pen name Dr. Seuss. Twenty years have passed since his demise, and the rumor that he had written and hid an undiscovered story in a house in San Francisco during the 1950s was still being passed around. If ten year old Reggie Rocketship wasn't an aerospace engineering protege, if his family didn't purchase their house in San Francisco, Reggie would not have discovered the Dr. Seuss story taped underneath a dresser drawer in his attic. Reggie Rocketship is the luckiest boy in San Francisco until two thieves show up to steal the exquisitely handwritten tale. They break into his home, hack into Reggie's laptop, threaten his parents and attempt to kidnap Reggie. That was when the luckiest boy becomes a Cat in the Hat investigator.

Sizzling, hilarious, fun and hot. Marilyn Monroe comes back for love. She needed redemption in her life. She sought respect, and Martin Montage was the perfect dupe for posthumous symbiosis of the celebrated and always-present Marilyn Monroe. Taking romantic comedy to a hip, sparkling new urban level, Marilyn's sexual prowess and tender heart invades a man's body, seductively transforming him into the legendary bombshell. Exotic, tough, relentless, poignant, spicy, vital and ingenious, Marilyn: "It's All Make Believe, Isn't It?" is a delicious romantic comedy.

An Alexander Crown novel, book 2 This is Alexander Crown's most intricate and emotional passage, weaving through intense challenges when he unravels a renaissance secret that will get him killed, yet he moves forward in neither a safe nor clear future filled with lies and truths. His heist at the Cannes Film Festival exposed a Renaissance discovery so profound the French Secret Service wants Alexander Crown dead. Iktar Stanktar intends to kill him. Isabella Borghini seeks redemption. Euro Wodehouse craves his love. The philanthropist only cares about the children in his orphanage. "Vitruvian Man"; the measure of all things.

About This Book This book is an invitation to Christians and Muslims to engage in dialogue in order to build relationships of understanding and trust. In a trusting environment all issues can be constructively discussed and resolved. The author first appeals to Christians, who constitute the dominant religion in American culture, to learn about Islam. In order to appreciate Muslims and engage in productive projects with them, Christians must take the initiative in creating trusting relationships. The dominant faith because it comes from a position of strength must make the first move to get the conversation started. The inspiration for this book came from several sources. First, many Christians know nothing about Islam and most Muslims have not seriously studied Christianity except what is said in the Holy Koran. Second, globalization has forced all of us to deal with people from different cultures and religious traditions. Third, the shock of 9/11 caused both Muslims and Christians to realize the importance of understanding each other. If we are to live together in this world, we must learn to relate to the other. Fourth, the radical social and economic changes in our world could be interpreted as a signal that God is bringing the peoples of earth together. The possibility of God's moving the faiths closer together provides enormous motivation for people to participate in this Divine Initiative This book is divided into five sections: a personal story, a brief sketch of Islam, a brief sketch of Christianity, four interviews, and a guide for healthy dialogue between different faiths. Chapter One relates the author's own awakening. Chapter Two sets forth the essential aspects of Islam with which Christians should become acquainted. Chapter Three presents the essentials of Christianity that Muslims need to understand. Chapter Four reports four interviews - two men and two women, two Muslims and two Christians, two lifelong believers and two persons converted to the other faith. Chapter Five offers guidelines for productive conversations between Muslims and Christians. This book may be used in a variety of ways to enlarge the interfaith dialogue. At the most basic level it can inform the reader about the basics of Islam and Christianity and the importance of dialogue between the two religions in the 21st Century. Just one person understanding the other's faith can drive away the fear and suspicion that possesses so many Americans. Individuals can use this text to initiate informed conversations with Muslims or Christians. Further, the text may be used successfully by a group of Muslims or a group of Christians for an informed discussion among themselves. A single faith conversation can prepare a group of believers for an interfaith dialogue. The material in this text provides appropriate content for conducting a seminar on Understanding Islam or Understanding Christianity. The book describes the success that these seminars have had in creating understanding between persons of the two faiths. Acting on the information in this book will enable us to have a better world in which to live and rear our children. Many persons contributed to the subject matter and the spirit of this book. The writings of Karen Armstrong, John Esposito, and Ezra Reza offer rich insights concerning Islam. The author credits a number of Muslim and Christian friends for the tone given to the book. Among these are women and men who showed him the spirit of Islam through their conversations and support. Other leaders in the interfaith movement offered suggestions which have made this a better book. No book is timelier on Christian/Muslim relations than this one. It is written in simple, easy to understand language and it suggests practical ways that persons committed to the two faiths can encounter each other. This information comes at a time when the world is rapidly changing and needs help in making the neces

The author tells his story in the form of a confession. He confesses to God the emptiness of being without faith, the joy of finding light in darkness, the pain of a marriage breaking apart, the manifold ways that God has spoken to him and guided his life. His story offers a patter for anyone who wishes to write a spiritual autobiography. Commended by clergy and laity alike.

In this introduction to the heart of the gospel, readers are invited to discover for themselves what Jesus has done for the world and continues to do in the world today. The invitation is offered in the form of daily readings from the four gospel accounts of Jesus' story. The story itself is preceded by suggestions for reading and background aids for understanding the world in which Jesus carried out his earthly ministry. This is followed by brief accounts of how others responded to Jesus, along with the authors' answers to commonly-asked questions about the Christian faith.

This book seeks to help individuals live constantly in God's presence. Writing in the tradition of Brother Lawrence and those authors concerned with the realization of God's presence amid the daily round, Ben Campbell Johnson offers a collection of traditional spiritual practices that Christians have found helpful in fostering a more consistent relationship with God. Following introductory discussion of the reality and nature of spiritual awareness, including a fascinating excursus on the "art of wondering," each chapter of this book describes a spiritual posture that can aid people in recognizing and nurturing God's presence in their lives. Johnson explores ways of being with God, listening to God, and attending the divine presence. Each chapter concludes with suggestions for journaling designed to let readers experience each specific posture in a concrete way.

The greatest problem facing mainline churches today is not declining numbers, shifting social allegiances, or confused leadership. It is loss of vision. This bold yet constructive book urges pastors to again see their congregations as real expressions of "the body of Christ" and suggests ways to revise - and energize - their ministries based on this vision.. "Complete with discussion questions that make it ideal for use in a wide variety of educational settings, Imagining a Church in the Spirit will help church leaders successfully meet the cultural challenges that await us in the twenty-first century.

Many mainline churches today have members (both laity and clergy) who find it a problem to speak face-to-face about God. This creative book offers a theological foundation, practical suggestions, and a positive model for sharing faith. Ben Campbell Johnson combines evangelism and spiritual guidance in order to provide a fresh image and a new style of faith sharing. He gives a model of spiritual direction that offers a positive, attractive way of doing face-to-face evangelical work.

Popular author Ben Campbell Johnson views Christian life as a journey toward God and himself as one of the travelers. He describes how the spiritual life develops in relation to the events, perceptions, and interpretations of every day. Enriched by stories as well as biblical and personal examples, this clearly written book can guide Christians on their most important journey.

Here are fresh, enlightening, practical, and logical strategies for "doing" evangelism in the local church. Johnson's "Organismic Evangelism" is a new approach that is based on the utilization of the entire "organism" of the church. Johnson shows how to use these human resources to capture the spirit of Christian love, encouragement, and acceptance. More than a book, this is a source of information for church members, a study resource for church officers, a guide for church committees, and a text for workshops on evangelism (features an outline for workshops). Its concise organization and straightforward writing offer proven methods for accomplishing the job set before us by our Lord -- "Go, ye, into all the world!"

Living between Juniper and Palm discusses issues of sustainability, ecology, and environment in the Himalayas, particularly among the Tamang people of Nepal. Indigenous environmental knowledge is revealed-covering forests and plants, places and pathways, wild and domestic animals, and ideas of sameness and difference between humans and non-humans. Modern conservation of the environment is contrasted to shamanic and Hindu cosmologies, providing cultural analysis to power dimensions of participatory conservation after Nepal's Maoist insurgency. This anthropological study combines critical perspectives and a comparative framework for analysing human-environment relations. The author also addresses new approaches to environmental protection, examining the case of Langtang National Park. He compares attempts to make the park a more inclusive organization with similar moves elsewhere in Nepal under the sustainability agenda.