Barefoot Ways offers the reader a poetic, prayerful meditation for every day of December and January. It connects with the spiritual themes of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany and takes the reader from the first days of a new Christian year to the feast of Candlemas on February 2nd. These three great Christian seasons are divided into thematic areas, each of which is given a brief introduction. . . The distance from Advent to Candlemas is considerable, and there are many ways across its fearful and fascinating terrain. I offer here some "barefoot" ways―by which I mean ways that are both down to earth and yet full of spiritual aspiration and hope.

Barefoot Ways

Religion & Spirituality

Cherry, Stephen

Christian Books & Bibles

SPCK Publishing

Forgiveness is, a lovely idea, wrote C. S. Lewis, and in recent decades it has been seen and admired in situations ranging from therapy to politics, and proposed as a constructive pathway in the aftermath of abuse and atrocity. Not everyone is impressed, however, and in parallel with praise and promotion of forgiveness, cries of 'unforgivable' are uttered with increased shrillness and frequency. In this hugely compelling, wide-ranging, and thought-provoking book, Stephen Cherry argues that while forgiveness can be transformative in the aftermath of harm, it can also, if not handled with care, become an additional pressure and anxiety for those who have been harmed. He teases out the way in which Christian understandings often lie behind pressure to forgive, identifying a number of typical mistakes with the Christian approach to forgiveness. Reflecting on many examples from real life as well as literature, and on the insights of psychologists and philosophers, Cherry uses the tension between the desire to forgive and the protest that a person is unforgivable to push towards understandings of forgiveness that avoid the harshness of binary models. Forgiveness is not, he insists, the only good way forward after harm. A positive understanding of non-vengeful unforgiveness is vital if the harmed are to be given the care and support they need and deserve, and if forgiveness itself is to be authentic and liberating. Cherry's challenging book brims with energy and blends human insight with intellectual vision. It argues that if forgiveness is to play a part in the aftermath of harm without inflicting further harm it must be presented in a non-idealized way and only following acknowledgement of the depth of the human impact of the harm done.

Unforgivable?: Exploring the Limits of Forgiveness

Politics & Social Sciences

Philosophy

Bloomsbury Continuum

Stephen Cherry's Michael Ramsey Prize shortlisted Healing Agony argues that one of the most profound challenges a human being can ever face is how to forgive in the aftermath of injury, hurt or violation. This book explores the theology of forgiveness alongside a number of contemporary forgiveness stories in order to glean insights for those facing just this challenge. 
While God's forgiveness is revealed to be a simpler matter than is sometimes imagined, forgiveness between human beings is shown to be far more difficult, enigmatic and open-ended. This book offers a map of the rugged terrain that victims of serious harm, or those who seek to accompany them, will need to navigate if they embark on the venture of trust we call forgiveness.
A Group Study guide for this title is available at http://religion.cherry.continuumbooks.com

Healing Agony: Re-Imagining Forgiveness

Continuum

Barefoot Disciple: Walking the Way of Passionate Humility -- The Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book 2011

'Sin' is an old-fashioned word for some startlingly contemporary problems. Far from being about trivial naughtiness or seedy self-indulgence, it's about the financial scandals that have rocked our world, and most of the ills that beset us today. In The Dark Side of the Soul, the author explains and illustrates the 'Seven Deadly Sins' with contemporary examples. In clear and accessible language, he shows that the traditional Christian concept of sin is a vital tool in understanding what is wrong with human beings. Far from leading people into a guilt-trap, 'sin' is a healthy and truthful word that can help to set us free. Human beings are neither intrinsically evil nor congenitally inclined to virtue, but many of the problems and predicaments that trouble us today can be better understood, and more effectively resolved, if their deeper roots are taken into account. In this fresh interpretation, the author shows that, for example, our economic problems, and our fixation on financial criteria in decision-making, can be understood through the twin lenses of avarice and lust. Our obsessive busyness is a manifestation of sloth; and our desire to control, and our perfectionism, are outworkings of spiritual pride. Crucially, although sin is an important and necessary word for people to understand and come to terms with, it is never, in the Christian worldview, the last word.

The Dark Side of the Soul: An Insider's Guide to the Web of Sin

Sociology

At a time of change, uncertainty and widespread anxiety, we need to discover again the freshness of our most familiar spiritual resources. Stephen Cherry's Lent Book does exactly this by inviting the reader to immerse themselves in the most central, important and iconic of Christian prayers - the Lord's Prayer, the Our Father. Mining the tradition for wisdom and insight, and finding inspiration in the theologians of the past such as St Paul, Gregory of Nyssa, John Calvin, but also more contemporary voices such as Evelyn Underhill, Simone Weil, and Michelle Obama,Thy Will Be Done presents the comforts and challenges of the prayer in 36 short chapters. This most accessible Lent Book, rich in anecdote as well as analysis, is daily bread for the spiritually hungry.

Thy Will Be Done: The 2021 Lent Book

Discipleship is a foundational concept of Christian life which has become a popular and ubiquitous description of belonging and growth in early 21st century ecclesiastical language. Discipleship courses and popular writings abound, and the term is used liberally in official church documents and strategies for growth and development, particular in a western context. But does recent use of the word risk reducing the wide range of meanings of discipleship to something less rich and inclusive than is warranted?\nWith contributions from an array of leading thinkers, scholars and theologians, including Rachel Mann, Kirsteen Kim and Anthony Reddie, this book argues that there is need for more clarity, precision and depth in defining what meaningfully and constructively is construed as discipleship.\nBeginning with an overview of how the concept of discipleship has been understood in history, the volume goes on to consider some of the key figures who have shaped our understanding of the concept, and finally to reflect on what discipleship might look like in contemporary society.

The Meanings of Discipleship: Being Disciples Then and Now

Hayes, Andrew

Wipf and Stock

In a world where religion refuses to expire, two responses predominate. The first, to retrench within the certainties of one's native or adopted faith, questioning nothing; the second, to sneer and snarl from the secular side-lines. Here, Stephen Cherry offers a third alternative for religious believer, agnostic, and atheist alike - to engage with the study of theology.
Confessing himself to be a reluctant theologian, Cherry puts forward three positive reasons why more people should take theology seriously - because it's fascinating, fun and important. He suggests that genuine theology is the antidote to fundamentalism, contrasts the theological approaches of Jesus of Nazareth and Richard Dawkins, introduces some of the biggest puzzles unravelled by theology, and reviews the history of the subject in fewer than 20 tweets.
Drawing people at all stages of life into a more serious engagement with the riches, delights and fun of theology, it is a book for any who find themselves to be a little God-curious.

God-Curious

Religious Studies

Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Psalm Prayers is a devotional companion to the Psalms and a practical resource for creating prayers for public worship. It is particularly helpful for those who lead services of Evensong from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, where the reading of the psalms and extemporary prayer are integral parts of the service. Stephen Cherry introduces each of the 150 Psalms and lays out its central theme before offering a prayer in response. Crafted with care in a traditional style that complements the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, these prayers are nevertheless fresh and immediate, vividly reflecting the concerns and pressures of today's world. These prayers have been developed and used over many years' experience in parish and cathedral ministry, and latterly in King's College, Cambridge, and are suitable for both choral evensong in cathedrals and college chapels or simple, spoken services in local churches.

Psalm Prayers: A companion for worship and devotion

Canterbury Press Norwich

"a gift to any busy minister" - Dr Tim Ling Beyond Busyness is a practical and effective step towards connecting up the limitations of time with the demands and realities of ministry. It helps ministers to take positive steps in developing a time wisdom which will help them navigate the very considerable pressures that many currently face. "Beyond Busyness abounds with practical wisdom for those engaged in Christian Ministry. At a time when busyness, anxiety and stress characterise the lives of many of the Church's ministers, Stephen Cherry has written a much-needed book. It very effectively challenges ministers to reflect on how they approach and use the gift of time. Each of the short 28 sessions offers considerable insight into the nature of time and encourages ministers to confront their current habits and develop new life-giving practices through which their ministry can thrive and they can flourish. Every minister should spend time not only reading Beyond Busyness but integrating its wisdom into their lives." - DR JOCELYN BRYAN, Director of Postgraduate Studies, St John's College, Durham University Stephen Cherry is a Residentiary Canon of Durham Cathedral, Director of Ministerial Development and Parish Support in the Diocese of Durham, and author of Healing Agony and the Archbishop of Canterbury's 2011 Lent Book, Barefoot Disciple. Previously, Stephen was Chaplain of King's College Cambridge for five years and Rector of All Saints with Holy Trinity in Loughborough for twelve. His current post combines cathedral ministry with the leadership of the Diocesan Resource Team in Durham and he is also responsible for Continuing Ministerial Development.

Beyond Busyness: Time Wisdom for Ministry

Sacristy Press

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