When Joshua moves to a small cabin on the edge of town, the local people are mystified by his presence. A quiet and simple man, Joshua appears to seek nothing for himself. He supports himself by working as a carpenter. He charges very little for his services, yet his craftsmanship is exquisite. The statue of Moses that he carves for the local synagogue prompts amazement as well as consternation.

What are the townsfolk to make of this enigmatic stranger? Some people report having seen him carry a huge cherry log on his shoulders effortlessly. Still others talk about the child in a poor part of town who was dreadfully ill but, after Joshua's visit, recovered completely.

Despite his benevolence and selfless work in the community, some remain suspicious. Finally, in an effort to address the community's doubts, the local religious leaders confront Joshua.

This engaging prequel to Joseph Girzone's bestselling series, which has sold more than 5 million books in the United States, describes Joshua's early years and the first inklings of his destiny as a messenger of love in a troubled world.
Millions of readers around the world have followed the story of the gentle woodcarver and carpenter who was first introduced in 1983 in Joseph Girzone's beloved parable, "Joshua." In JOSHUA'S FAMILY, Girzone travels back in time, painting a captivating portrait of the mother and father who nurtured Joshua and of the friends and neighbors who viewed the unusually precocious child with an uneasy balance of wonder and skepticism. Joshua's extraordinary nature and mysterious gifts come to light even as he participates in the ordinary routines of small-town life: his gentleness and loving spirit imbue his interactions with contemporaries and adults alike. As he grows from child to adolescent, Joshua gradually awakens to the knowledge that he has been placed on earth for a special reason. Leaving the comforts of family and a familiar world, he moves to the outskirts of a distant town, where he will begin to teach others how the powers of love, tolerance, and understanding can heal the divisions in the human family and bring everlasting peace to the world. This is the book so many have been waiting for, and its powerful message is a much-needed antidote to the difficulties in today's world.

The bestselling "Joshua" series takes an invigorating, timely new turn as Girzone's beloved hero spreads his message of love and compassion from the streets of our nation's capital to the blood-soaked lands of the Middle East.
Joseph Girzone possesses a unique ability to make Jesus' words and actions come to life for contemporary audiences. His fictional depictions of Jesus' return to the present-day world--the Joshua series--have inspired millions of readers. "Joshua in a Troubled World" is at once a magnificent continuation of his perennially popular series and an enlightening perspective on the political paranoia and destructive acts of vengeance that fill the front pages of our daily newspapers. Arriving in Washington, D.C., Joshua walks along Pennsylvania Avenue with a cool detachment and determination that sets him apart from the bustling crowds. Under ordinary circumstances, he would no doubt be seen simply as a man wrapped in his own thoughts. But in these security-obsessed times, his Middle Eastern appearance and his spontaneous stops at various churches, temples, and mosques inevitably arouse suspicions. Taken into custody by two government agents, Joshua challenges the legal and moral justness of their actions and they reluctantly release him to continue his mission. It is the most difficult and controversial mission he has ever undertaken--a plan to unite Arab- and Jewish-Americans and to work with them to resolve the bitter wars and religious animosities in the Middle East.
Peopled with prominent figures such as Ariel Sharon, and moving from Washington to Beirut and then to Oslo while the peace accords are being hammered out, "Joshua in a Troubled World" explores the most explosive issues of our day and offers a realistic, compassionate assessment of the things that divide us and the beliefs that can serve as a foundation for a new, more peaceful world.

Bestselling author Joseph Girzone returns to the reflections on his personal spirituality typical of "Never Alone" and "A Portrait of Jesus, "his most popular books since the original "Joshua."
With "Trinity," Joseph Girzone guides readers to a deeper understanding of this foundational concept, explaining why it is not antiquated theological dogma, but a living expression of the very essence of God. He offers support and clarity to those who already believe in God, and invites those who profess not to believe on a journey to find "an image of a God who is believable, and perhaps, even lovable."
For centuries, Christians have struggled to understand the nature of God as three persons in one. But with grace similar to that which allowed Saint Patrick to explain the Trinity by using a shamrock, Girzone takes a step back from the most arcane explanations to offer a simple, useful understanding. He begins by showing the ways God was perceived by the ancient Hebrews and reveals how Jesus forever changed that image of God. As he chronicles the growth from the time of Jesus and the early Church, writing about the challenges Christianity faced from both within and without, Girzone elucidates the mysterious ways the Trinity works in the world and especially, in the Church, as an extension of Jesus' presence in history. Writing with passion and insight, he helps readers understand how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit work within individuals as well, guiding them as they struggle along the pathways of life on Earth.

"From the Hardcover edition."

In the latest chapter of his bestselling Joshua series, Joseph Girzone offers fresh inspiration in this collection of fifty never-before-published contemporary vignettes that underscore the most important lessons of the gospel.

Joseph Girzone's novels about Joshua, the carpenter who transforms ordinary lives with words of peace and loving actions, have sold more than three million copies and captured the hearts of readers around the world. In The Parables of Joshua, perhaps his most powerful book since the original Joshua, Girzone distills the essence of Christian teaching in entertaining and inspiring "bite-sized" tales set against the background of current society.

For some today, the parables of the New Testament are quaint, old-fashioned stories, with little relevance to everyday life in the twenty-first century. As Girzone writes in his Introduction, "I have heard the most callous people comment with such great piety on the parables that I could not help but wonder if we haven't made parables pleasant-sounding fables about human situations long past, but with no present-day meaning." In order to recapture their original vitality Girzone revives the timeless messages behind the original parables by "dressing them in modern clothes," presenting them through Joshua in a conversational style that will resonate with a modern audience.


From the Hardcover edition.

Joseph Girzone, the author who so powerfully captured the spirit of Jesus in his Joshua novels and in his bestselling A Portrait of Jesus, now brings his work to culmination with a beautiful retelling of the life and work of Jesus based on the accounts in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Girzone captures the greatest story ever told in language that will open the hearts of readers from all backgrounds. From the birth of the Messiah to the wedding at Cana, the Sermon on the Mount, the Passion, and the triumphant Resurrection, each episode and lesson from the life of Jesus is rendered with wisdom and freshness.


Elegantly designed, this trade paperback original will find an enthusiastic audience with the millions of Girzone readers. -->

The #1 Publishers Weekly  religious best-seller now becomes a best-selling  paperback! Joseph Girzone, author  of Joshua, takes us on a personal spiritual quest in  his first book of nonfiction. Joseph Girzone is  that singular publishing phenomenon, an author who  answers the unasked questions that lie hidden in so  many hearts. The wisdom of his spirituality, at  once both simple and profound, transcends the many  factions of religion and speaks to millions,  regardless of background, in a language all can  understand. Never Alone is his most  intimate book to date, and has already brought him  many new readers because of its accepting message.  In it, he unveils his personal way to God -- a way  of such wisdom, sympathy, and generosity that  anyone can follow it and find satisfaction, happiness,  and serenity. As Father Girzone guides the reader,  he brings us before a god who is neither silent  nor condemning, but a patient God who heals gently  and thoroughly, a realistic God who knows quite  well how we function. We may be shocked or ashamed bv  what we see in ourselves, but God understands. In  Never Alone, Joseph Girzone unfolds  the spirituality of love and forgiveness, and  directs his readers toward peace.

Within the tiny life that is a newborn baby there exists the coded material that will evolve into a masterpiece of incredible proportions. Joseph Girzone's Joey tells the true story of a young boy--Girzone's own godson-whose life bloomed in just that way, unfolding in a magnificent adventure before it ended all too soon.



Joey was a boy born with a smile on his face and music in his heart, a boy who was to reflect all the experiences of youth: the wonder of existence, the adventure of finding new things, the joy of discovering new love, the pain of betrayed trusts and broken commitments, the endless searching for a meaning to life and its endless riddles, and the joy of finding a wonderful God who can bring all these complex facets of life into focus.



This story is about a rare and beautiful love between a young boy and God. It is a work that will give hope to the young and comfort to mothers and fathers who watch fearfully as their children enter the unknown world of life's adventure.


From the Hardcover edition.

There are countless paths to follow when seeking spiritual guidance, but thousands of years of religion and theology cannot replace the premier example that Jesus himself set. In A Portrait of Jesus, bestselling writer Joseph Girzone recaptures the truth of Jesus that is presented in the Gospels and gives a compelling vision of the person Jesus' contemporaries must have known. In his most powerful work yet, Girzone seeks to personify Christ in the minds of readers by asking some simple questions: "What did people see in Jesus as he walked down the street? How did he approach others and what would these people take away from meeting him? What do his actions tell us about how we can live our lives today?" It is Girzone's empowering and loving understanding of the heart of Christianity that will make A Portrait of Jesus a groundbreaking classic in the tradition of his bestselling books, Joshua and Never Alone.


From the Hardcover edition.

The fourth installment in the Joshua series, "Joshua and the City" reaches some encouraging and very important conclusions. In an urban community where poverty, senseless violence, racism, and AIDS seem like insurmountable problems, Joshua manages to sow seeds of renewal with his words of love. He reaches out to every person with transforming openness, showing how to regenerate the city and bring about undreamed-of economic revitalization.
Yet many other problems remain that money cannot help. And it is, most importantly, to these that Joshua addresses his healing message. In a world of despairing doubt, "Joshua and the City "gives the reader hopeful answers that lead toward peace and understanding.

A GENTLEMAN NAMED JOSHUA AND A SIMPLE MESSAGE THAT COULD REVOLUTIONIZE THE CHURCH...

It is the end of a bitter cold winter. A crowd of people files into a cathedral to celebrate the consecration of a new bishop -- a good man, they think, strict in doctrine but capable of compassion. A man of tradition, not of reform. A "company man." His name is David Campbell.

And sitting in the last pew of the cathedral is a clean-shaven man of ordinary build, with gentle hazel eyes. His name is Joshua.

Within twenty-four hours of his first encounter with Joshua, David Campbell will propose the most far-reaching reforms in a millennium, reforms to destroy sectarian barriers, reforms to change the direction of the church, reforms to return Christianity to its founders with a simple message. With Joshua as his mentor, David Campbell -- the Shepherd -- preaches to Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and Jews of the universal truth of God's love. It is a message that changes everyone it touches. And no one who reads Joshua and the Shepherd will ever forget it.