REL 255: Spiritual Formation for Ministry

Travel with James Emery White through time and space to visit places like Martin Luther's Wittenburg, where the 95 theses were nailed to a church door, or The Eagle and Child pub, where C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien and the other Inklings met to write and dream together. You'll encounter many of the important spiritual sites of the history of Christianity and get a flavor for what it was like to be in that place at that time. White then takes you even deeper, exploring key themes from these historical moments such as calling, conversion and spirituality and showing their implications for the Christian life today.

The Israelites knew it. David knew it. The writer of Hebrews knew it. John Bunyan knew it. "Blessed are those whose strength is in You. They have set their hearts on pilgrimage" (Psalm 84:5). We are strangers and pilgrims here. We're passing through this place, on a sacred journey to somewhere else. Charles Foster explores the approaching of each day as a pilgrimage--a chance to move one step closer to our ultimate goal and to experience tastes of that goal, even now, through prayerful awareness, study and meditation. Culling from his many journeys across the globe, Foster exhibits the very definition of pilgrimage.

Drawing on the wisdom of the saints and his own wide-ranging travels, Forest leads us to a range of 'thin places', including Iona, Jerusalem, the secret annex of Anne Frank, the experience of illness, the practice of hospitality, and other places and occasions where we may find ourselves surprised by grace.

Pilgrimage is a spiritual discipline not many consider. Aren't the destinations far? Don't they involve a lot of time and walking? Just a few years ago, Arthur Paul Boers wasn't thinking about pilgrimage either. But he began to sense a deep call from God to walk the five-hundred-mile pilgrimage route known as Camino de Santiago, ending in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, at a cathedral that is said to hold the relics of the apostle James.In these pages he opens to us his incredible story of renewed spirituality springing from an old, old path walked by millions before him.

Christian George shares with us the ancient spiritual practice of pilgrimage in which travel to sacred sites leads to the transformation of the soul In engaging stories of his worldwide voyages he follows in the footsteps of spiritual pilgrims from across the centuries Discover what it means to be a pilgrim as you follow God wherever he leads

At age 60 Joyce Rupp didn't know what she was getting into when she began a 47-day pilgrimge along the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Joined by a friend, Joyce learned lessons that can help all of us travel on life's up-and-down journey with more grace and lightness. She shares them in this enjoyable recounting of her journey across mountains and valleys, cities and farms.

Many Christians go on pilgrimage, whether to Jerusalem, Rome, Santiago, or some other destination, but few think hard about it from the perspective of their faith. This book fills that gap, looking at the biblical and theological elements in pilgrimage and asking how we could do pilgrimage differently.   Exploring the current resurgence of pilgrimage from a Christian viewpoint, this book seeks to articulate a theology of pilgrimage for today. Examination of pilgrimage in the Old and New Testaments provides a grounding for thinking through pilgrimage theologically.

Ever since the Magi trekked from the East to witness the birth of Jesus, pilgrims have undertaken long and often dangerous journeys to seek out holy Christian places. Sacred Tracks tells the two-thousand-year-old story of Christian pilgrimage and the saints and pilgrims, shrines and cathedrals, relics and practices of a tradition that is still flourishing today. Drawing on contemporary accounts and a wealth of illustration, Sacred Tracks captures the atmosphere of pilgrimage through the ages.