Still, there are other fine authors who can nourish a similar sensitivity to the inner life. Most well-known these days, is the late Henri Nouwen (all of whose books we always stock.) If you don’t know Nouwen, do yourself a big favor and buy one of his books--you won’t regret it! Start, perhaps with his marvelous reflection on the story of the prodigal son (by way of Rembrandt’s famous painting) called The Return of the Prodigal and the journal he kept while doing that book, now published as The Inner Voice of Love. Or try his well-loved Wounded Healer. Many of our customers tell us they really love Reaching Out, surely one of his best. The Henri Nouwan Reader is a great anthology covering much of his work and, by the way, he has a really nice biography of one of his own mentors-- Brother Thomas Merton. For comments on a few more Nouwen books, see our section on the web site entitled "Recent Favorites."

Probably our favorite writer of contemplative spirituality is Richard Foster. We simply cannot say enough about his Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home. Even better known (although a touch deeper) is the classic Celebration of Discipline. Other must-reads of his are Celebration of the Disciplines and the under-appreciated treasure, Freedom of Simplicity. Although it has been delayed, dear Richard will soon put out a new one, drawing on the various, ecumenical streams of Christian traditions which have influenced him. It will be very, very important. Call us in early fall and we will be one of the first stores to stock it, we’re sure.

To get a good sense of Foster’s breadth as a writer, see the anthology he helped put together called, simply, Devotional Classics. It is the best intro to the broad and centuries-old traditions within Christian devotional literature, with helpful introductions to each piece along with Biblical reflections, study questions and a bibliography. You’ll find original excerpts by the likes of Brother Lawrence and John Calvin, Theresa of Avila and Deitrich Bonhoeffer, William Law and Thomas a Kempis, Madame Guyon and C.S. Lewis. The small group resource to use with this collection (or on its own) is called The Spiritual Formation Workbook.

We hope these suggestions are helpful. On our shelves we regularly stock Russian mystics, Benedictine essays, legends from the Desert Fathers and Mothers, and classic work from St. Theresa, St. John of the Cross, Evelyn Underhill, Anglican mystics and a wide variety of Puritan pastors and preachers. And, of course, we are fond of numerous modern writers--the new Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy is incredible!--such as Alan Jones, Parker Palmer, Don Postema (whose Space for God and the new Catch Your Breath, are among our best-sellers), Marjorie Thompson, Matthew Fox, Roberta Bondi, Kathleen Norris, Kenneth Leech, Joan Chissiter, Eugene Peterson and Joyce Rupp.

Where to begin? For a fabulous and quite accessible guide to the deeper life, see the new book by John Ortberg, The Life You Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People. It is one of our favorites these days. If you are a gardener, you’ll love the exquisite Water My Soul: Cultivating the Interior Life, by our new friend, Luci Shaw.

Two local central Pennsylvania writers--both pastors with callings in the field of spiritual formation and direction--are good friends and their work deserves mention: Kent Groff’s Alban House book, Active Spirituality: A Guide for Seekers and Ministers and three fine books by Hearts & Minds regular, Russell Hart. His most popular is Icons Through Western Eyes about how he, as a United Methodist, came to appreciate and create religious icons. It is sold in museum shops all over the country and he used to be our neighbor!

Let us invite you to enjoy a deeper connection to the Divine as you explore these wonderful writers whose books are gifts for parched souls amidst a frenzied and secularized culture. E-mail us with your requests, or feel free to call for further discussion or counsel.