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On 10th April 2014 the community of the Pontifical Gregorian University was received by the Holy Father Francis in the Paul Vl Hall. 0n that occasion the Pope summarised with a few words the task of theology and the features of a true theologian. According to theology, one should create a true "evangelical" movement which goes from the centre to the peripheries and back (according to the logic of a God who reaches the centre from the peripheries in order to return to the peripheries). From this image of theology, which is always moving from the centre to peripheries and back, a new figure of a theologian emerges, one who will be more fruitful and effective, the more fully he is animated by his love for Christ and for the Church, and the more the relationship between study and prayer is strengthened and made harmonious.Centre and peripheries. Study and prayer.Here are Nine theologians and their essays have come together to try to answer a fundamental question: Which theology does the Church need?

Different times and different cultures have influenced the ways in which the Eucharist has been celebrated and understood; and the action received from the Lord to be done in his memory has shown different aspects of its deeper reality in these differing human situations.We now live in times in which belief in God is no longer taken for granted and in which there are many different approaches to life and its meaning. This has its influence on those who believe in Christ as well as those who do not.This new situation invites us to present our faith in Christ differently, calling us to offer a presentation of the Eucharist that can begin on common ground with our contemporaries and in language that believers today may find inviting and meaningful.As a means of achieving this, the Frank O'Loughlin suggests that we look again at the basic things we use as signs in the Eucharist. These are things we have in common with other human beings: bread, wine, water, symbolic actions and our own bodies.These things are taken into our celebration of the Eucharist and are used as signs that take us beyond themselves into the depths of the Eucharist, that is into its very mystery.The author also points out the human grounding of those things indicated by words we use in speaking about the Eucharist: memory, presence and sacrifice.We are dealing with everyday, human things that take us beyond the ordinary from which they come, into the mystery of God among us in Christ which we celebrate when we gather for Eucharist.

The meditations brought together in the current volume lead us to the heart of the New Testament message. Cardinal Martini reflects on the account of the Passion in various retreats he based on the canonical Gospels. The fact that they have once more been brought together in a single volume allows our reader to access the lively, humble and at the same time, authoritative prose of a preacher who approaches the subject of his preaching in fear and trembling, thus displaying his sincere empathy with all his listeners. It matters little that there is no clear connection between all the mediations (in fact the material has been drawn from different contexts): a believer among believers, Martini confesses the consternation which overcomes the mind preparing to reflect on the mystery of the Passion, clearly highlighting the seriousness, the dramatic nature of this kind of meditation which, when it occurs truthfully, that is, by seeing the consequences for our life, seems rather like a snare that snatches us and sweeps us up.

The Theme of this volume is the Our Father, which Cardinal Martini tackles at a retreat he gave to priests. The Archbishop of Milan offers a series of reflections to his retreatants on the Prayer which Jesus taught, seeing it, along with Tertullian, as the "summary of the whole Gospel." Though it is true we are talking about a prayer everyone knows by heart, it should not escape notice that the Our Father is "ever new, mysterious, all-purpose". It is indicative of a richness that only Christ could communicate since there we find "a correspondence, a perfect correlation between the Our Father, the teaching of the Gospel, the life of Jesus the Son of God who died and rose for us." The pages are packed with thoughts intended to accompany the reader on a journey. Step by step he reintroduces this journey to us so we can discover the inexhaustible treasures of the believers' best known prayer: the Our Father.

In 1981, the name of the Church of England in Australia was officially changed to the Anglican Church of Australia. There was a growing awareness of independence and a sense of identity less reliant on formal, historic ties with England. Developing that awareness, this book acknowledges that the roots of Anglicanism in Australia were English, transported here through invasion and dispossession, and asks how the Anglican Church in Australia can replant itself in authentic Australian soil.

It seems today that common sense has become uncommon, and many people are increasingly disturbed by the direction we are taking in the living of our lives. Simple has been replaced by complex. Contentment with 'what is' has been replaced by 'always wanting more'. Acceptance of the ordinary has been replaced by desire and demand for the extraordinary. Where once being reasonable was normal, it now seems that being unreasonable is to be accepted.The author - following a long career in psychotherapy, counselling, group dynamics, restorative justice, spiritual direction and clinical supervision - goes to the heart of the search for a meaningful life; finding fulfilment and happiness through values and approaches that are positively life-giving for ourselves, our fellow humans, and the life of our planet.His concern is the question of life's meaning that all of us need to ask: What's it all about? Who am I? What am I worth? How did the world get in such a mess? What causes hate, wars, oppression and wholesale destruction? What can we do about it? How do I become comfortable with the mystery and wonder of life?Along the way, he challenges what he calls the delusion that our thinking is our highest function. Wisdom of the ages tells us clearly that it is not. And the book is a reminder for us of things we all urgently need to learn or relearn and, more than that, act upon, if life on earth is to survive and thrive.So Uncommon Sense is basically a collection of awarenesses, strategies, skills, thoughts, beliefs, motivations, new habits (or old ones 're-membered'), etc, that many folk have found to be essential if we are to get anywhere near the care and contentment in life that we all dream was intended.

The Gospels are full of references to people who were drawn to Jesus, usually to listen and to learn; sometimes to be healed of whatever prevented fullness of life, sometimes to challenge his authority, mostly because of the power of his teaching and the simple message of God's love that he preached.The six chapters in this book reflect deeply on six incidents in his life recorded in Scripture. Each begins with a simple encounter but leads to an exploration into what it really meant to see Jesus, not only for them but for all who claim to be his disciples.We Want to See Jesus is an invitation to be surprised by the experience, to be called from preconceived expectations, to see reality from a new perspective, to encounter the challenge of experiencing the presence of God in our lives.Peter Varengo asserts that when we read and tell these stories of 'seeing Jesus', we are not simply retelling the stories - disciples curious about the identity of Jesus - but acting them out in our daily lives. So we identify with Mary searching for a dead body in an empty tomb (chapter 1), we are the woman by the well of Samaria, engaged, despite ourselves, in conversation with a stranger (chapter 2). We are Martha and Mary, in danger of being so focused on ourselves that we might forget the presence of God in our lives (chapter 3); we are Zacchaeus, unexpectedly caught up by a Jesus who invites himself into our lives (chapter 4); and we are the disciples on the road to Emmaus, so trapped by despair that we do not notice the God who walks with us (chapter 5); we are the disciples gathered in community and instructed to go beyond some self-satisfying ritual performance by remembering the active and self-living presence of God in love (chapter 6)

The Pope is first of all the pastor of the Church and sign of its unity. He can be a theologian professionally, or he cannot be, as it has happened for the majority of popes. ln both cases, in his teaching as well as in the choices he makes or in the orientations he offers, his teaching and his style are imbued with a theological perspective and ask theologians to confront with them.The collection "Pope Francis' Theology", calling upon the expertise of eleven theologians from various Countries of the world, aims at showing us what theology is at the base of such incisive words and such simple gestures with which Pope Francis has made us so familiar.They are eleven easy volumes, written in a captivating way yet able to show in a rigorous way the deep roots of his thought and action.The Dream of a Gospel Inspired Church provides a focus on the vision of the evangelical and missionary Church dreamed of by the Pope both through the ecclesiological examination of his most important documents and through a profound reflection on his teachings centered on the Gospel of Mercy. In the perspective of the ecclesiological teaching of Pope Francis, there is a chapter on the reform of the Church which is currently underway and which he strongly desired so that, in the passing of time and in changing situations, he may remain "evangelical and transparent to the merciful God who lives and makes it exist"

The Pope is first of all the pastor of the Church and sign of its unity. He can be a theologian professionally, or he cannot be, as it has happened for the majority of popes. ln both cases, in his teaching as well as in the choices he makes or in the orientations he offers, his teaching and his style are imbued with a theological perspective and ask theologians to confront with them.The collection "Pope Francis' Theology", calling upon the expertise of eleven theologians from various Countries of the world, aims at showing us what theology is at the base of such incisive words and such simple gestures with which Pope Francis has made us so familiar.They are eleven easy volumes, written in a captivating way yet able to show in a rigorous way the deep roots of his thought and action.

The Pope is first of all the pastor of the Church and sign of its unity. He can be a theologian professionally, or he cannot be, as it has happened for the majority of popes. ln both cases, in his teaching as well as in the choices he makes or in the orientations he offers, his teaching and his style are imbued with a theological perspective and ask theologians to confront with them.The collection "Pope Francis' Theology", calling upon the expertise of eleven theologians from various Countries of the world, aims at showing us what theology is at the base of such incisive words and such simple gestures with which Pope Francis has made us so familiar.They are eleven easy volumes, written in a captivating way yet able to show in a rigorous way the deep roots of his thought and action.

Set me Free: Spiritual Direction and Discernment of Spirits offers a remarkably clear and rigorous account of the practice of spiritual direction. Thorough, well researched and well written, it will be welcomed by spiritual directors, pastoral ministers and all people interested in the life of the Spirit.The author bases his study of discernment on a sound theology of the Holy Spirit, a psychology of human freedom, and practical examples from his and others' experience of the spirits. Built on a life-time of ministry as a spiritual director, supervisor and teacher in spirituality, he believes that discernment of spirits is integral to the ministry of spiritual direction and all forms of pastoral ministry; and that people become more discerning only through growth in inner freedom. Spiritual directors discover rules for discernment in their own experience of the ways of the spirits in their lives. This has definite parallels for other pastoral ministers and clear implications for the formation programs that prepare them for ministry. 'Brian Gallagher offers a remarkably clear and rigorous account of the practice of spiritual direction… He describes the pastoral practice that is at the heart of spiritual direction: a spiritual director discerning their inner movements while contemplatively listening to a directee. The sacred ministry of spiritual direction will come to nothing without a discerning heart. Importantly, he distils the core insights of others and integrates them with his own wisdom born of fifty years' experience as a spiritual director. Gallagher's book is filled with psychological, theological and spiritual insight. If you are a beginning spiritual director or an experienced practitioner, or one who provides formation and ongoing supervision in the art of spiritual direction, your ministry will be enhanced by reading and re-reading this book.' (Michael Smith sj)

The Pope is first of all the pastor of the Church and sign of its unity. He can be a theologian professionally, or he cannot be, as it has happened for the majority of popes. ln both cases, in his teaching as well as in the choices he makes or in the orientations he offers, his teaching and his style are imbued with a theological perspective and ask theologians to confront with them.The collection "Pope Francis' Theology", calling upon the expertise of eleven theologians from various Countries of the world, aims at showing us what theology is at the base of such incisive words and such simple gestures with which Pope Francis has made us so familiar.They are eleven easy volumes, written in a captivating way yet able to show in a rigorous way the deep roots of his thought and action.

The Pope is first of all the pastor of the Church and sign of its unity. He can be a theologian professionally, or he cannot be, as it has happened for the majority of popes. ln both cases, in his teaching as well as in the choices he makes or in the orientations he offers, his teaching and his style are imbued with a theological perspective and ask theologians to confront with them.The collection "Pope Francis' Theology", calling upon the expertise of eleven theologians from various Countries of the world, aims at showing us what theology is at the base of such incisive words and such simple gestures with which Pope Francis has made us so familiar.They are eleven easy volumes, written in a captivating way yet able to show in a rigorous way the deep roots of his thought and action.

Why did Jesus speak in parables? This is the question that brings together the reflections in this volume, a collection of meditations preached by Cardinal Martini at a spiritual retreat.With profound wisdom, Martini reflects on the many gospel parables - parables about the seed, judgement, call, the lost and found. He highlights and identifies first of all how Jesus has the need to communicate the mystery of the Father very much at heart. But the mystery of the God is so far beyond any notion of ours that it is precisely for this reason it can be expressed in so many ways. Hence, to reveal the confounding love of the Father, Jesus chooses to speak in parables, in this way respecting our freedom and also being attentive to our fragility. Jesus' parables also force the listener to take a stance regarding his message and person. It is a book that introduces us to a wise reading of the Gospel and to hearing the questions hidden within the Scriptures, as well as tasting God's presence.

The subject Cardinal Martini develops in this book is that of apostolic consciousness. It is the result of a retreat he preached to seminarians. Following the examples of the Apostles Peter and Paul, every Christian should be aware of being 'sent' by someone else to carry out a work that is not theirs. Christians are not people who roll up their sleeves thinking they have to undertake heaven knows what, organise strategies or believe that everything depends on their ability and efficiency. We are not about pursuing our own pet project. Rather, Christians should experience the excitement of responding to a God who loves them and calls them, and in calling them, sends them into the world, thus having them share in the 'mandate' Christ receives from the Father.In our time, as Pope Francis has also often insisted, especially in Evangelii Gaudium, it is urgent that our faith matures toward a consciousness of mission which is totally connected with that of the Son. In this sense, Martini's book can be said to anticipate Pope Francis' view of the Church.

The Pope is first of all the pastor of the Church and sign of its unity. He can be a theologian professionally, or he cannot be, as it has happened for the majority of popes. ln both cases, in his teaching as well as in the choices he makes or in the orientations he offers, his teaching and his style are imbued with a theological perspective and ask theologians to confront with them.The collection "Pope Francis' Theology", calling upon the expertise of eleven theologians from various Countries of the world, aims at showing us what theology is at the base of such incisive words and such simple gestures with which Pope Francis has made us so familiar.They are eleven easy volumes, written in a captivating way yet able to show in a rigorous way the deep roots of his thought and action.

No one is exempt from ageing yet there is a lack of resources to help us grow and develop a spirituality of ageing along the way.From Dawn to Dusk is Noel Mansfield MSC's honest and humble attempt to reflect on his own experience of ageing and how the ageing process has affected and shaped the development of his own spirituality as a senior priest and Missionary of the Sacred Heart.The result is not a memoir, strictly, but, once launched on the journey, he needed to check on what others had said and written about the reality and processes of growing old; and to trace events in his own life that have brought him to this place of acceptance and peace towards the last years of fruitful, apostolic life. So we learn of his childhood experiences, memories of parents and family, life in formation and health issues that were significant in the process of his growing up spiritually. We learn of his various ministries in Australia and overseas in teaching, leadership, spiritual formation, and parish work.Noel Mansfiel MSC willingly acknowledges the influence of Pope Francis on the development of his insights into the spirituality of ageing, noting the Pope's various addresses to older people, reflecting on the deep and essential contribution of older people especially in today's 'throw away' society. Francis comments: 'Christian spirituality has been taken a bit by surprise, and it involves sketching out a spirituality of older persons'.This is a book for everyone because all of us will experience ageing. Our responses to the inevitable symptoms of ageing - especially as Christian, spiritual people - will require a rethinking of our attitudes to prayer, liturgy, relationships and community, including Church. Growing old is part of our life journey. Dawn to Dusk will be an invaluable, practical and realistic resource on the way.

A Quiet Place Within is a collection of short reflection entries and poems that anyone - young and old, religious or spiritual - can read, reflect and absorb even amid the humdrum and busyness of everyday life. The writings are the result of years of praying, reflecting and contemplating on ordinary experiences, social and political issues of the days. Most of all, they reflect the author's awareness of the delicate and gentle presence of the Divine within one's heart and soul. The author acknowledges that a gift with words is a grace in his life something gifted in his life because he believes that such words - expressed as reflections or as poems - represent bread for his journey and fruits of a reflective life. He asserts the centrality of serious, daily reflection because he believes that without reflection, life is no longer worth living. Yet he acknowledges that reflection is not done only through our own ability and effort; it is always a gifted grace in which one sees everything in the light of God and understands everything according to the Spirit. The book is offered as a practical help for the reflective life of the reader, not only for Christians but for anyone who searches for meaning and integrity in their everyday life.Khoi Doan Nguyen is a Missionary of the Sacred Heart in Australia. He migrated to Australia with his family from Vietnam in 2005. He graduated Bachelor of Theology and Master of Theological Studies at the University of Divinity in Melbourne and has written articles on theology, spirituality and social justice.He published his first book - thirty short reflections in Vietnamese - in 2017 and regularly contributes articles to the Populus Dei, the Vietnamese Catholic Magazine in Australia.

Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us? (Luke 24:32)The response of the disciples on the road to Emmaus has become a model for all Christians who long to have their eyes opened to the meaning of the Jesus event and its significance for their lives. And over the centuries, people have found a variety of ways of exploring the Bible to understand its message.Hearts Burning Within Us is a program for prayer in this tradition. It offers fifty separate units, based on readings used in parishes and selected from the major seasons and festivals of the church's year, as well as some general themes.The process involved is simple and detailed. It includes informed and practical background to the chosen texts; and advice for individuals and groups to deepen their understanding of the selected passages.Lectio divina is the recommended way of approaching the texts. It is a method that comes to us from the Benedictine tradition, whereby groups and individuals spend time with particular verses to deepen their awareness of its meaning and application to daily life.Included in the resource are detailed and practical suggestions for how to use Lectio Divina, making it a useful and effective way of accessing the biblical texts. Yet the program is sufficiently flexible to be used in other ways.It was the dream of the Second Vatican Council that Catholic Christians would grow in their knowledge and understanding of Scripture. Hearts Burning Within Us is a serious response towards the fulfilment of that dream, serving as a simple, accessible and structured program of formation for individuals, parish groups or anyone who wants to encounter the risen Christ in their lives.Peter Malone is a Missionary of the Sacred Heart who has taught Old Testament Studies and Theology at the Yarra Theological Union, Melbourne. He also headed the Catholic Film Offices of the Pacific and Film Offices at world level. He was president of SIGNIS (World Catholic Association for Communication), 2001-2005. He has written a number of books of religion and film, especially Screen Jesus. He has been reviewing films since 1968.

From Turner, Picasso and Keats to the anonymous and little known, from poets to dancers to painters, these poems sweep through mythology and art, gathering inspiration from tiny Sumerian seals of antiquity through to Brancusi's birds and Michelangelo's Pieta. Irreverent and intense, both challenging and challenged, this is one woman's take on the twin passions of her life - love and art. Both are engaged with as she quests for a woman's language of a lived poetry of both mind and heart.

Does the faith professed by Christians say anything about work? To what does Christ call us in our daily work - whether in paid employment, in the home or in voluntary situations? Has the community called the church anything to teach about work? Recent research finds that most Australian churches have few specific programs that address questions of work and faith, perhaps happy to turn a blind eye to the harm caused by a contemporary market economy that can celebrate greed, foster injustice and lead to heart disease, mental illness, diabetes, numerous cancers, traumatic incident deaths, injury, disability and poverty. Their silence may also reflect current assertions about the virtue of hard work as well as common political assumptions that economic growth is the ultimate priority for social development, and that the 'almighty dollar' is central to human flourishing. The meaning of work is rarely an issue while any assertion that God's intention for our created order may be crucial for economic, social and environmental practice is considered an irrelevance. At work with John's Gospel is an attempt to look seriously at the gospel teaching to discover ways of reflecting on the place of work in our lives according to the purposes of God. The five studies introduce us to the gospel's key characters, invite us to walk in their shoes, encourage us to connect our experiences of work and life They ask us to consider how ancient gospel wisdom still speaks fruitfully to our contemporary circumstance. In so doing, we will be challenged to reflect on how our understanding of work is shaped by our free-market economy and our system of government; and to discover how we can integrate work and faith for personal and social transformation - for healing, justice and reconciliation.

This is a new, comprehensive and encouraging guide to Catholic pastoral care. With its deep and overt foundations in the ministry and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth and on a Catholic tradition of caring that has marked its identity since the earliest days of Christian community, the book deeply reflects on the meaning of care. It also confronts a challenging question for our time: Why have we lost the ability to care? Thus, the author's insistence that Catholic pastoral care begins not with those who need our caring, but with our relationship with God revealed in Christ because in Christ we have already experienced and known love and hope, compassion and mercy. Assuming that relationship, the book offers reflections and informed commentary on various models of caring, the reality and meaning of suffering, the qualities of carers, and the need for acceptance (and love!) of oneself as a forerunner to caring for others. Then follows extensive, detailed information and practical guidance on pastoral occasions where care is required in response to the real needs of our fellow humans: times of crisis, serious illness, death and grieving. Behind the text is the assumption that people matter; that current Western society's emphasis on the material as the primary criterion for valuing individuals is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ. In such a society that measures worth on the criteria of success, wealth and popularity, Catholic pastoral care is counter cultural, whether its focus is young people growing up, discovering what matters in life or older people experiencing the consequences of our 'throw away' society that no longer values them. The book is about caregiving that involving physical effort, practical assistance, spiritual wisdom, relationship development, faith nurturing, justice seeking; about growing together and, in the light of the Jesus tradition, making the world we live in a more welcoming, forgiving and caring place.

In 1 Peter 3:15, we are commanded Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you.In our current age when there is a deepening sense of loss around notions of God, truth and reasons for being, the call of 1 Peter call has a new and wider urgency, requiring fresh ways of presenting the Gospel tradition in a more public forum.Public theology, therefore, certainly belongs within a tradition that is as old as the Christian community called church. But unlike older forms of apologetics that were generally addressed to individuals, public theology addresses the moral and social concerns of political structures and systems of power within governments, corporations and ecclesial institutions.Faith and the Political in the Post Secular Age offers a religious and spiritual contribution to the political space and engages in transparent and publicly accessible dialogue with those beyond the immediate faith communities.This collection of essays challenges widespread public scepticism, offering an optimistic account of the human person. An ecumenical work, the authors challenge the current polarising rise of aggressive atheism and closed-truth fundamentalisms, both religious and economic.Faith and the Political in the Post Secular Age is mindful that a Gospel inspired prophetic voice seeks to persuade rather than coerce, to strike a balance between individual autonomy and the protection of the common good. Appealing to those of faith and none, written by leading scholars, yet in a conversational style that is accessible to the modern reader, Faith and the Political in the Post Secular Age opposes the growing cultural dominance of 'fake news' and advocates for rigorous 'truth-seeking.'Grounded in a concrete social and ecclesial reality, the collection presents Christian humanism at its best, as a hope-filled way of living. It is foremost a call to action, one that openly challenges controlling, dominating interests, unambiguously speaking truth to power. The authors present a hope in God that is built upon a pragmatic foundation of moral, social, political and economic action. In so doing, they effectively challenge contemporary cultural narratives of individualism and division, providing an inspirational Gospel vision of hope for human solidarity.Contributors: Anthony Maher, Elaine Graham, Bob Dixon, Andrew Cameron, John Warhurst, Terry A. Veling, Brendan Long, Frank Brennan

This is the story of the part one man played in the origins, development and general acceptance of Australia's policy of Multiculturalism.James Houston traces his role in Multiculturalism's earliest formulation. In 1973, strategically located in the Immigration Department - and contrary to the views of its officials - he distilled his vision for Australia's future into a speech written for Al Grassby, Minister for Immigration in the Whitlam Government. He drew on the convictions of some visionary academics and Melbourne migrant activists, as well as his own four-year Australia-wide field research with ethnic community leaders.Following the Dismissal, in the face of the Fraser Government's disinterest and grudging funding, he recounts the heroic seven-year struggle by the puny Office of Community Relations to implement the new Racial Discrimination Act. Houston's 'simple' role was to reshape community attitudes towards the discrimination experienced by Aborigines and migrants! In the process, his Christian convictions about social justice would be sharpened.So how did the son of an unemployed labourer, born during the Great Depression, find himself in this role? Benefiting from quality education in NSW for gifted but poorer students and accessing Sydney University through scholarships, he became a modern languages teacher - in NSW, UK and Germany.On a lighter note, the book evokes a 1940s childhood, a dawning awareness of the wider world and a fascination with language, culture and travel - each a lifelong passion. It traces a long and purposeful life marked by creative endeavours, delight in travels worldwide and a love for tutoring university students in China. Ordained to the Anglican ministry in later life, he served as vicar in Melbourne's neediest parish and, later, as Director of Cross-Cultural Ministry for the Diocese.The closing chapters offer a Christian commentary on life in Australia today and the search for meaning in a fractured world. The Memoir describes a life-embracing journey of faith and self-discovery with God as gracious companion.

There is general agreement that Christianity in the West is facing a major crisis, with research confirming that there is a rapid decline in church membership, especially among young people.Why is this happening? And does the crisis present opportunities for the church in its evangelising mission? Why has the life and teachings of Jesus - the way of Jesus - become so complicated?Based on a key New Testament text that the Spirit 'blows where it wills', the author argues that part of the problem is that so much of Church doctrine, structure and life is based on a world view that no longer makes sense. In faith, he reflects on how the Jesus tradition can be presented to a world where scientific discovery makes us aware of our planet within a vast universe and the interconnectedness of every living thing in the cosmos.He asks what are the implications of this new cosmic awareness for the Christian story in the third millennium? He well understands the experience of those many people who have abandoned traditional church communities yet express deep longings for spiritual sustenance and support to lead a good life; and to find meaning in their Christian heritage or recover something of a lost faith heritage.He calls for serious and sustained renewal in the church, attentive to the Spirit, learning to trust, listen, study, celebrate, act and above all, discern the most authentic paths to experience the presence of a living God in our ever-evolving world.This call includes a series of 'what if' questions to stimulate thought, reflection, discussion and planning. It includes spiritual renewal and meditation, the recovery of lectio divina, the strengthening of prayer and meditation, a renewed appreciation of the arts and music, an attitude of wonder and thanks for the beauty and complexity of our cosmos.

Geoffrey Lilburne is a Minister of the Uniting Church in Australia, a theologian and poet, with qualifications in counselling and professional supervision.Joy Interrupted is his memoir of a life lived with depression. It is an honest, occasionally harrowing account of his experiences of depression and anxiety that affected his private and professional life; and of the various treatments offered to help him live with the difficult stresses of mental illness. It details what worked, and what didn't; what professional advice proved useful, and what was less effective. It records the development of medications and therapies that were available in his lifetime as well as the attitudes and reactions of others to his condition.It traces his life as student and academic, in Australia and the United States, his growth and development as theologian and minister, his work as a senior member of the Uniting Church's Assembly team and significant failures at various times in his personal life as well as in the academy and ministry. But more significantly, it relates how his discovery of prayer and spirituality enriched his life and helped him find ways of negotiating the various difficult symptoms of mental illness. His experience encourages him to share his insights and to offer to others realistic ways of coping with depression. He offers practical guidelines about the illness and its treatment and asks questions about how we night might move towards a holistic understanding of a condition that impacts brain chemistry, social interaction and the very spirit of a person. From a holistic definition of depression, he points to ways in which the treatment of the condition might need to be reshaped in practice. Based on the memoir and his reflections on his life, he traces a pathway to the rediscovery of joy that will help others as they seek to live with their depression and rediscover their joy.