Many people in the US today are searching for meaning, longing for a spiritual home. Unfortunately, in ever increasing numbers, they fail to find either in our churches. In 1970, for example, only one in twenty Americans responded "none" when asked about their religious affiliation; today that number is closer to one in three. During the same period, the percentage of Americans who stated that they never attend religious services has increased from nine to 30 percent. Some blame secularization for the steady decline in Church affiliation; others point to the rise of individualism. Still others express frustration with the structure and politics of organized religion. They judge it to be more concerned with money, status, and influence than with the gospel of Jesus Christ. In recent years, the terms the "nones," "dones," and "seekers" have been used to describe those who find themselves alienated from traditional faith communities. Members of the first group have no religious affiliation; those in the second, once active in a Church, report that their spiritual needs are no longer being met there; those in the third group have not given up completely on organized religion. What has been the reaction of many mainstream churches to this growing phenomenon? Some have been at a loss as how to respond; others have failed to understand the deep sense of alienation experienced by so many; still others appear reluctant to take action to connect us all with the heartbeat and message of a God who loves us profoundly. Rarely have the "nones," "dones," and "seekers" heard a church minister say, "I get it," "I see it, "I've been there." We offer the reflections found in this book not only for those involved in Church life but also to help build a bridge between those alienated from organized religion and those of us involved in ministry within at least two of its denominations. The book is made up of a series of reflections. Many address challenges that are facing our world today: greater self-understanding, trust, love, a generous outreach to others, the need for prophetic leadership and greater care for the human community. Painful topics are also considered: racism, exclusion, poverty, sexual violence, the plague of COVID-19 as well as its devastating effects on the lives of so many. The reflections in this book have their origin in sermons and homilies given as part of Church services, on retreats, and during the celebration of life events such as baptisms, weddings, the commemoration of those who have died. The book's title has its origin in Luke's account of two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Its details are familiar: confused and demoralized, Cleopas and a companion are walking on the way to Emmaus when a stranger joins them. They are amazed that he appears ignorant of recent events in Jerusalem as well as the crucifixion of Jesus. They share their hopes, now dashed, that he might have been the Promised One. Slowly and steadily, the stranger explains the scriptures to them, shares the stories, makes sense of the tales. They press him to join them for dinner and to stay the night at an inn. It is in the breaking of the bread during dinner that they come to realize just who he is. It is the Lord. We hope that this book will appeal to readers who long to deepen their experience of God as well as to those who continue to search for a spiritual home. May it serve as a guide for us all as we seek to find the place of faith in our lives as well as for those of us who are eager to transform our religious institutions into the harbors of hope that they can and must be.

The great corpus that is medieval literature contains, at its very center, the tale. These verse and prose fictional narratives, as well as stories that are grounded in some degree of historical truth, are the foundation of what readers, scholars, and enthusiasts often point to as signifiers of the medieval age. These tales - from the skillfully crafted to the more rudimentary and plain - often make familiar to modern readers what seems so distant and foreign about the Middle Ages. This volume of essays focuses on the tale and its ability to create "mirth," what modern audiences would often define as "happiness" or "joy," and the significance that the book has had on the transference of this mirth to audiences. This volume also celebrates the scholarship of Thomas H. Ohlgren, a medievalist whose work encompasses a number of different areas, but at its center lives the power of the tale and its ability to create a lasting impression on readers, both medieval and modern.

Julia Bolton Holloway's The Pilgrim and the Book: A Study of Dante, Langland and Chaucer investigates major fourteenth-century texts, the Commedia, Piers Plowman and The Canterbury Tales, in the light of the medieval theory and practice of pilgrimage, especially concentrating on Emmaus and Exodus paradigms. Holloway's analysis draws extensively on iconography, musicology, typology and anthropology. The concluding chapter explains why each poet places himself within his poem - in his own image - as a pilgrim.

This multi-academic perspective on contemporary environmental issues reminds us of our oneness with the natural world and what that calls us to as moral creatures. Fashioned as a series of stories based on the model of biblical narrative, these seemingly multivalent voices and perspectives are joined together with biblical stories, references, and theological reflection to create in All Creation Is Groaning a seamless story that is both provocative and revelatory. All Creation Is Groaning provides a clear Vision of living life in a sacred universe. This Vision is linked to the biblical Vision of justice and righteousness for all of creation, and humankind's responsibility to hasten the Vision through a call to ethical practice. Critical and hermeneutical, this book reflects an interdisciplinary approach so as to build bridges of understanding between the Bible and contemporary disciplines." Chapters are *Stories from the Heart, - *New Ways of Knowing and Being Known, - *An Islamic Perspective on the Environment, - *Christian Values, Technology, and the Environment Crisis, - *Feeding the Hungry and Protecting the Environment, - *Mental Cartography in a Time of Environmental Crisis, - *Toward an Understanding of International Geopolitics and the Environment, - *Sustainability: An Eco- Theological Analysis, - *The Stewardship of Natural and Human Resources, - *Development of Environmental Responsibility in Children, - *An Ecological View of Elders and Their Families: Needs for the Twenty-First Century, - *Symphonies of Nature: Creation and Re-creation, - *A Sense of Place, - and *Hope Amidst Crisis: A Prophetic Vision of Cosmic Redemption.

"In this study, Max Whitaker investigates the intriguing accounts of Jesus' resurrection appearances, especially the hidden nature of Jesus, through the lens of Greco-Roman narratives. This throws new light on how Jesus' post resurrection stories would have been understood by their original audiences."-- Back cover.

A compilation of myths from cultures around the world which have been translated from their original languages.

Biblical stories are metaphorical. They may have been accepted as factual hundreds of years ago, but today they cannot be taken literally. Some students in religious schools even recoil from the "fairy tales" of religion, believing them to be mockeries of their intelligence. David Tacey argues that biblical language should not be read as history, and it was never intended as literal description. At best it is metaphorical, but he does not deny these stories have spiritual meaning. Religion as Metaphor argues that despite what tradition tells us, if we "believe" religious language, we miss religion's spiritual meaning. Tacey argues that religious language was not designed to be historical reporting, but rather to resonate in the soul and direct us toward transcendent realities. Its impact was intended to be closer to poetry than theology. The book uses specific examples to make its case: Jesus, the Virgin Birth, the Kingdom of God, the Apocalypse, Satan, and the Resurrection. Tacey shows that, with the aid of contemporary thought and depth psychology, we can re-read religious stories as metaphors of the spirit and the interior life. Moving beyond literal thinking will save religion from itself.