The restless heart and searching mind of this influential early church father can offer spiritual and intellectual companionship for your spiritual journey.

Augustine of Hippo (354 430), theologian, priest, and bishop, is one of the most important figures in the development of Western Christianity. He is known as much for his long interior struggle that ended with conversion and baptism at age thirty-two as for his influential teachings on human will, original sin and the theology of just war. Cherished as a model for the pursuit of a life of spiritual grace and criticized for his theory of predestination, Augustine is recognized as a living expression of the passion to understand and communicate the deeper meanings of human experience.

With fresh translations drawn from Augustine's voluminous writings and probing facing-page commentary, Augustinian scholar Joseph T. Kelley, PhD, provides insight into the mind and heart of this foundational Christian figure. Kelley illustrates how Augustine s keen intellect, rhetorical skill and passionate faith reshaped the theological language and dogmatic debates of early Christianity. He explores the stormy religious arguments and political upheavals of the fifth century, Augustine s controversial teachings on predestination, sexuality and marriage, and the deep undercurrents of Augustine s spiritual quest that still inspire Christians today."

Gilbert the Grasshopper is the tale of an overly curious grasshopper... who ends up on an airplane This book is designed to be a crossover book for those children that are attempting to graduate from pictured storybooks to chapter-length books. With simple, black-and-white illustrations on each page, kids will focus on the words. And with the book being broken up into short chapters, confidence in reading will increase with each page. The authors use alliteration throughout, introducing new vocabulary to prepare children for intermediate school. Gilbert the Grasshopper also sparks a child's interest in travel and exploring new places... along with the theme of sharing your knowledge with others.