There's a constant hunger in the world for books that explore the spiritual aspects of life, but writing about spirituality is far more complex than simply sharing personal reflections about God and the life of faith. Editors and publishers who specialize in spiritual writing find that what is important to work out for yourself on paper may not always be the best way to connect to readers. Because of its personal nature, it can be difficult to find the balance in spiritual writing between what is good writing for you and what is good writing for others. Incorporating her 20+ years of publishing and writing experience, Vinita Hampton Wright provides a practical and straightforward look at spiritual writing for a broader audience in The Art of Spiritual Writing. This slim volume is loaded with writing tips, advice, and exercises to help the writer hone and craft his or her personal thoughts into an engaging, inspiriing, and publishable piece. Readers will learn such things as why authenticity matters, how to find their authentic voice, and how to engineer their creativitiy so that it resonates with readers. The Art of Spiritual Writing demonstrates that by taking the time to learn and implement the process and craft of writing, we can begin to uncover new ways to ocnnect with ourselves, our readers, and God. And as we grow in our writing ability, our spirituality blossoms as well.

Six acclaimed authors discuss the influence of religion on their writing. Includes comment by David Bradley, Allen Ginsberg, Mary Gordon and Jaroslav Pelikan. Third in the Writer's Craft series.

Push your writing through the trite and the boring to something fresh, something transformative. "Writing as spiritual practice has nothing to do with readers per se. You aren't writing to be read; you are writing to be freed. Writing as spiritual practice is conspiratorial rather than inspirational. It conspires to strip away everything you use to maintain the illusion of certainty, security and self-identity. Where spiritual writing seeks to bind you all the more tightly to the self you imagine yourself to be, writing as spiritual practice intends to free you from it." —from Rami’s Preface This isn’t about how to write spiritual books. It isn’t about the romance of writing. It doesn’t cover the ins and outs of publishing and building a brand. Instead, this fresh and unapologetic guide to writing as a spiritual practice approaches writing as a way to turn the spiral of body, heart, mind, soul and spirit that leads to spiritual awakening. Lead by renowned spirituality teacher Rami Shapiro and award-winning writer and writing coach Aaron Shapiro—and featuring over fifty unique, practical exercises—it takes you beyond assigning inspirational words to the page. It shows you how to use your writing to unlock the joy of life and the infinite perspectives and possibilities that living provides.

Pioneering work by the great modernist painter, considered by many to be the father of abstract art and a leader in the movement to free art from traditional bonds. 12 illustrations.

"'When I begin to write, I open myself and wait. And when I turn toward an inner spiritual awareness, I open myself and wait.' With that insight, Pat Schneider invites readers to contemplate their lives through spiritual observation and exploratory writing. In seventeen concise thematic chapters that include meditations on topics such as fear, prayer, forgiveness, social justice, and death, How the Light Gets In gracefully guides readers through the philosophical and spiritual questions that face everyone in the course of meeting life's challenges. Praised as a 'fuse lighter' by author Julia Cameron and 'the wisest teacher of writing I know' by the celebrated writing guru Peter Elbow, Pat Schneider has lived a life of writing and teaching, passion and compassion. With How the Light Gets In, she delves beyond the typical 'how-to's' of writing to offer an extended rumination on two inner paths, and how they can run as one. Schneider's book is distinct from the many others in the popular spirituality and creative writing genre by virtue of its approach, using one's lived experience--including the experience of writing--as a springboard for expressing the often ineffable events that define everyday life. Her belief that writing about one's own life leads to greater consciousness, satisfaction, and wisdom energizes the book and carries the reader elegantly through difficult topics. As Schneider writes, 'All of us live in relation to mystery, and becoming conscious of that relationship can be a beginning point for a spiritual practice--whether we experience mystery in nature, in ecstatic love, in the eyes of our children, our friends, the animals we love, or in more strange experiences of intuition, synchronicity, or prescience.'"--Provided by publisher.

Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621), a Jesuit as well as a leading theologian of the Counter-Reformation, had an enormous effect on the religious life of his age. Here are two of his most influential ascetical works: The Mind's Ascent to God, written in the tradition of Bonaventure and John Climacus, and The Art of Dying Well.