The contributors to this book challenge the common belief that New Zealand is a secular society.

Instead they trace the ways that Christian faith has strongly influenced the country’s social and cultural history. They explore how religious traditions have shaped practical, everyday concerns in politics, racial and ethnic relations, science, the environment, family life, gender relations and other domains.

Contributors include Allan Davidson, Cathy Ross and Peter Lineham.

"David Benner never disappoints. He is intelligent without being academic, psychologically astute without being trendy, spiritually profound without being pious. He clearly knows the landscape from which he dares to speak," Richard Rohr.

Benner shows us that cultivating discernment and being attuned to God’s desires is the path to true life, spiritual health and freedom.

Also available by Benner: Gift of being yourself $19.95 Surrender to love $22.95 Sacred companions $29.95 Spiritual direction and the care of souls ed. with Gary Moon $34.95

This compelling and complex account of Christianity is a superb way to discover the history of the world’s most widely practised religion. The result of a unique collaboration between a Catholic and a Protestant, this sumptuously illustrated book explores the glorious achievements and the ignominious failures that have made up the warp and weave of the past two millennia.

It’s been said that race relations will be worked out in the bedrooms of New Zealand. Here is the proof. Featuring 10 families, these revealing testimonies go to the heart of who we are and who we are becoming as a nation. Inspiring, moving and honest.

The Rite Stuff: ritual in contemporary Christian worship and mission. Pete Ward ed. 102pp BRF, UK. $23.95.

Ritual is having something of a revival in church, as some Christians start to explore ways of prayer and worship from more ancient traditions. Each chapter explores a different aspect of ritual and faith, reflecting the growing appreciation of their significance for worship and spirituality today. Contributors include Mike Riddell and Jonny Baker.

 Also available by Pete Ward: Liquid church $34.95

 

By attending to the sacred in everyday life, Juliet Batten says, "we encounter our full selves. We discover a centre of calm in the midst of activity, a sense of peace in a troubled world, and ways to feel uplifted when life is getting us down." Simply written in luminous prose, it’s a must for anyone seeking integration and a deeper sense of balance in a busy life.

Also available by Batten: Releasing the artist within: a visual diary $29.95 Celebrating the Southern seasons. Rev ed. (Publishing August 05) $34.95

 

How well are you running your race? Feel like a shout of encouragement from the sidelines? Rob Harley brings you stories of great souls and great discoveries to challenge and inspire you all the way to the finish line.

Also available by Harley: Power of the story $27.95 Brave, mad and memorable $24.95

Decisions, decisions! The range of choices we face seems to grow exponentially, as does the accompanying stress. Can we learn to choose well? Using short pieces of text and offering suggestions, not rules, Margaret Silf encourages us to trust the processes of our own heart and mind.

How do we begin to turn the deepest stirrings inside us into the words and the silences of prayer? Is prayer just for the good days? Or dare we throw the book at God? These are some of the questions explored in this book to dip in and out of.

Also available by Silf: Sacred spaces: stations on a Celtic way $29.95; One hundred wisdom stories from around the world $29.95; Landmarks: an Ignatian journey $42.95

Stuart Townend stands in the tradition of Isaac Watts and is, in the opinion of Graham Kendrick, "one of the few new writers producing songs which successfully combine the lyrical richness and depth of hymns with the vibrancy and accessibility of contemporary praise and worship material."

Click here for a complete list of the 20 Hymnmakers CDs that you can order from us.

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