Have you ever thought of yourself as a vessel of love? This image speaks to what I envision for the elderhood years. The vast life experiences of the past provided countless opportunities for our love to grow and mature. The persons we have known, what we have done or had done to us, the beliefs stretching our minds and hearts, what we gained and what we shed, the results of our choices and decisions, our deliberate participation in the evolving history of the world--all this and more we bring with us into the final decades.

During this lifetime, whether we've been aware or not, a Presence of immeasurable love has been flowing through those experiences, quietly filling the vessel of our inner being. Like vats of matured wine, our ripened goodness has readied itself to move outward. The Beguine mystic, Mechthild of Magdeburg, trusted that the great flood of divine love never ceases. ...It flows on and on effortlessly and sweetly and without failing until, finally, our tiny vessel becomes full and spills over. Now is the efficacious time to tend our tiny vessel so this graced goodness strengthens in us and benefits the life of those we encounter.

The cross and the lynching tree are the two most emotionally charged symbols in the history of the African American community. In this powerful new work, theologian James H. Cone explores these symbols and their interconnection in the history and souls of black folk

'Come, have breakfast' (Jn 21:12) These three simple words followed by generous action open a portal into an ecological image of the living God who is active with cordial hospitality toward all creatures, nurturing their lives, desiring that all should be fed.

In her latest work, prize-winning theologian Elizabeth Johnson views planet Earth, its beauty and threatened state, through the lens of scripture. Each luminous meditation offers a snapshot of one aspect of the holy mystery who creates, indwells, redeems, vivifies, and sanctifies the whole world. Together, they offer a panoramic view of the living God who loves the earth, accompanies all its creatures in their living and their dying, and moves us to care for our uncommon common home.

Decolonizing Palestine challenges the weaponization of biblical texts to support the current settler-colonial state of Israel. Raheb argues that some of the most important theological concepts -Israel, the land, election, and chosen people - must be decolonized in a paradigm shift in Christian theological thinking about Palestine. Decolonizing Palestine is a timely book that builds on the latest research in settler-colonialism and human rights to place traditional theological themes within the wider socio-political context of settler colonialism as it is practiced by the modern nation-state of Israel. Written by a native Palestinian Christian theologian who continues to live in the region, Decolonizing Palestine provides an insider's perspective that disrupts hegemonic and imperialist narratives about the region.

It would be difficult to name another theological book these past five decades that has been more influential, has inspired more believers and non-believers alike to think differently about the Christian faith, and has engendered so much controversy. So begins Michael E. Lee's introduction to this 50^th anniversary edition of the classic work that signaled a new style of doing theology.

The theological project launched in this book was, as Fr. Gutiérrez wrote, based on the gospel and the experiences of men and women committed to the process of liberation in the oppressed land of Latin America. It was born of the experience of shared efforts to abolish the current unjust situation and to build a different society, freer and more human. Yet its influence was quickly felt around the world, inspiring numerous offshoots, as well as provoking critical reactions, both inside and outside the Church.

A Theology of Liberation has won wide acclaim as one of the most influential works of Christian theology of the last century. Yet Gutiérrez himself concluded the book by noting that any theology of liberation is not worth one act of genuine solidarity with exploited social classes. They are not worth one act of faith, love, and hope committed . . . in active participation to liberate humankind from everything that dehumanizes it and prevents it from living according to the will of God.

We are a species between axial periods. Thus, our religious myths are struggling to find new connections in a global, ecological order. Delio proposes the new myth of relational holism; that is, the search for a new connection to divinity in an age of quantum physics, evolution, and pluralism. The idea of relational holism is one that is rooted in the God-world relationship, beginning with the Book of Genesis, but finds its real meaning in quantum physics and the renewed relationship between mind and matter. Our story, therefore, will traverse across the fields of science, scripture, theology, history, culture and psychology. Our guides for a new myth of relational holism are the psychoanalyst Carl Jung, and the Jesuit scientist-theologian Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. The complex human can no longer be simplified to one view or another: one must see the whole of our existence or one does not see at all.

This is a contemplative reflection on the spirituality of healing, the fruit of the author's lifetime in conducting spiritual direction and psychotherapy, drawing on his lessons from Thomas Merton and study of the mystical path. It is largely written in the form of a memoir of his own recovery from the traumatic wounds of his early life (abusive father, abuse by his confessor in the monastery, a dysfunctional marriage, and his road to healing and wholeness. But it is not just about his story--it is an invitation to the reader to reflect and resonate with the lessons that apply to their own stories.

Baldwin's writing offers critiques of religion, culture, and discrimination, and in the witness of his life he holds up hope and the primacy of love despite all the difficulties of the present moment. In this passionate introduction, Garrett presents the life and work of Baldwin in all his writing genres, on themes of equity, justice, and reconciliation.

Garrett followed in Baldwin's footsteps--from New York City to the American South, from the cafes of St.-Germain in Paris to the mountains of Switzerland, where Baldwin did some of his most important thinking and writing. Garrett consulted critical and cultural studies, as well as archival materials from the recently-inaugurated Baldwin Collection at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. Out of this close study of Baldwin's words and legacy, Garrett invites new readers and longtime lovers of the great Black writer into a thoughtful exploration of his continued relevance.

Young scientists, sisters, and theologians of the green generation reflect on saints--canonized and not--who offer hope and inspire us towards ecological action.

In the community of saints, all together are companions in memory and hope. Together, all together, they are becoming something strange and growing and great, instruments of change. Green Saints for a Green Generation taps beautifully into this dynamic for the sake of our suffering Earth, which cries out for no less.--From the Foreword by Elizabeth A. Johnson, CSJ

In Laudato Si' Pope Francis established care for creation as one of the central themes of Catholic social teaching. Yet that ecological consciousness has yet to take root en masse among the Catholic faithful. In Green Saints for a Green Generation young Catholic women on saints--canonized and not--who connected their faith to concern for the earth.

The writers include a wide range of figures, from the traditional, such as Sts. Clare of Assisi, Ignatius of Loyola, and Marguerite Bourgeoys, to contemporary figures like Thomas Merton, author Toni Morrison, and the Martyrs of the Amazon. By connecting these key figures to environmental responsibility, the contributors encourage the not-yet informed to become active, inviting younger generations to join the ecological movement, to take taking on the responsibility from their elders, and to shoulder the ecological burden for themselves.

This landmark work first published 20 years ago helped establish the field of African-American womanist theology and is widely regarded as a classic text. Drawing on the biblical figure of Hagar mother of Ishmael, cast into the desert by Abraham and Sarah, but protected by God Williams finds a proptype for the struggle of African-American women. African slave, homeless exile, surrogate mother, Hagar's story provides an image of survival and defiance appropriate to black women today. Exploring the themes implicit in Hagar's story poverty and slavery, ethnicity and sexual exploitation, exile and encounter with God Williams traces parallels in the history of African-American women from slavery to the present day. A new womanist theology emerges from this shared experience, from the interplay of oppressions on account of race, sex and class. Sisters in the Wilderness offers a telling critique of theologies that promote liberation but ignore women of color. This is a book that defined a new theological project and charted a path that others continue to explore.

Dorothy Day (1897-1980), co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement, has recently been proposed for canonization. Through her houses of hospitality, the practice of the works of mercy, and her prophetic work for peace and justice, she offered a radical witness to the gospel in action. But it was as much in her everyday life as in her public activities that she expressed her spirituality and found her path to holiness.

This anthology explores the key themes that underlay her spirituality, beginning with the call to see Christ in the poor. Day's spirituality was deeply influenced by the Little Way of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, which showed the path to holiness in the daily exercise of patience, charity, and forgiveness. Dorothy extended this principle to the social dimension, the significance of the little protests we make or fail to make. She believed that each act of love, each witness for peace, increases the balance of love and peace in the world.

The final volume in the popular series featuring homilies on the Gospel readings for Sunday and holy days by Catholic women from around the world.

Offers abundant witness to the fact that the Spirit of God continues to raise up surprising and gifted preachers whose faithful witness and prophetic speech offer the entire church both challenge and hope. . . The witness of faithful women who can testify from experience that they have found in the Gospel 'words of spirit and life' (Jn. 6:63) is essential to the mission of the entire church. May the bold proclamations of the Gospel in this volume prompt a wider hearing of the good news and lead contemporary disciples to 'hear the word of God and act on it' (Lk 11:28).--From the Foreword by Catherine Hilkert OP

A moving collection of reflections, stories and practices from the life and experiences of Father Adam Bucko--interreligious pioneer, new monastic leader, priest, spiritual director, and activist. They are designed for every person trying to live at the intersection of contemplation and justice.

Written against the backdrop of the COVID 19 pandemic and America's reckoning with growing poverty, injustice and systemic racism, Let Your Heartbreak be your Guide is uniquely positioned to accompany readers through the disillusionment and violence of these times. Father Adam writes from the heart, offering practical guidance on how to adopt an engaged contemplation, a lived spirituality responsive to suffering and injustice.

The book is divided into three parts: Listening to Life, Touching What Frightens Us, and Interrupting Silence. Each chapter offers readers an invitation to pay attention to God who is eager to accompany us through our challenges and hopes. Throughout, Father Adam invites readers to draw from his rich personal experiences, beginning with his youth in Poland where he witnessed courageous priests use nonviolence to fight a totalitarian system, to his work with homeless LGBTQ youth on the streets of NYC, to his interactions with interfaith communities across the globe. Alongside these diverse experiences, Father Adam weaves in wisdom gained from mentors, scripture, and spiritual activists and mystics, such as St. Teresa of Avila, Howard Thurman, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Catherine Doherty and Thich Nhat Hanh.

The book ends with a powerful roadmap for individuals and communities looking to integrate a rule of life in service of compassion and justice for all. The book also includes an appendix of contemplative practices to help readers develop discernment, courage, and receptivity to God who is always guiding us towards healing and liberation.

First published in 1969, Black Theology and Black Power provided the first systematic presentation of Black Theology, while also introducing the voice of an African American theologian who would shake the foundations of American theology. Relating the militant struggle for liberation with the gospel message of salvation, James Cone laid out the foundation for an interpretation of Christianity from the perspective of the oppressed that retains its urgency and challenge today.

Enjoy this book. Add it to your library. Treat it like its own little library, and enjoy the edification and education, challenge, and joy of reading Jim's informed cultural commentary on so many of our greatest writers, thinkers, and firebrands.--from the Introduction by James Martin, SJ

America columnist and Catholic cultural and literary critic, James T. Keane, brings together fifty varied voices--including some underappreciated ones--and reflects on their cultural, political, literary, and religious influence. His smart, accessible style brings thought leaders into conversation with a Catholic sensibility, opening unexpected insights into our current moment.

Among these fifty figures are John Kennedy Toole, Kirstin Valdez Quade, Dorothy Day, Jon Hassler, Mary Karr, Martin Amis, Toni Morrison, Graham Greene, Shusaku Endo, Andre Dubus III, Iris Murdoch, Colm Tóibín, J.F. Powers, Salman Rushdie, Mary Gordon, Wendell Berry, Thich Nhat Hanh, Sigrid Undset, Alice McDermott, and John Irving.

Reading Culture through Catholic Eyes combines Keane's breadth of knowledge of literary and cultural voices with a deep background in Catholic theology and spirituality. For general readers who appreciate lively and relevant writing, this book is a must-have.

Wade in the Water celebrates the spirituals both as art form and as unique and powerful cultural expression. Exploring the African roots of the spirituals, Jones explores the way the songs conceal a language of freedom and resistance, and the way that their spiritual consolation reinforces community solidarity. First published in 1993, this new edition traces the rediscovery and transmission of this tradition and its meaning for a new generation and new challenges.

Our problem in Catholic higher education is bigger than the collapse of ecclesial credibility, bigger than the behavior of the bishops, bigger than the waning interest in theological studies, and bigger than politics.--Massimo Faggioli

Many Catholic universities in the United States have put their Catholic mission at risk--by either ceding to secular neoliberal values or by doubling down on reactionary Catholic tribalism. Student enrollment declines as some schools market themselves no differently than secular colleges. Other, conversely, neo-traditionalist Catholic colleges ally themselves with regressive elements of the Church. Both trends, Faggioli says, reflect a dismantling of Vatican II's vision for Catholic education.

Scrutinizing this crisis in detail, Massimo Faggioli reviews the snowballing changes in Catholic higher education, advocating for a renewed incarnational and sacramental Catholic educational philosophy that rejects accommodation to secular technocracy as well as Catholic tribalism in order to embody the inclusive, socially conscious values of the Catholic tradition as expressed in the theology of Vatican II.