Books in the Plough Spiritual Guides: Backpack Classics series

Simone Weil, the great mystic and philosopher for our age, shows where anyone can find God.Why is it that Simone Weil, with her short, troubled life and confounding insights into faith and doubt, continues to speak to today's spiritual seekers? Was it her social radicalism, which led her to renounce privilege? Her ambivalence toward institutional religion? Her combination of philosophical rigor with the ardor of a mystic?Albert Camus called Simone Weil "e;the only great spirit of our time."e; Andre Gide found her "e;the most truly spiritual writer of this century."e; Her intense life and profound writings have influenced people as diverse as T. S. Eliot, Charles De Gaulle, Pope Paul VI, and Adrienne Rich.The body of work she left-most of it published posthumously-is the fruit of an anguished but ultimately luminous spiritual journey.After her untimely death at age thirty-four, Simone Weil quickly achieved legendary status among a whole generation of thinkers. Her radical idealism offered a corrective to consumer culture. But more importantly, she pointed the way, especially for those outside institutional religion, to encounter the love of God - in love to neighbor, love of beauty, and even in suffering.

How do you follow Jesus without burning out?Gold Medal Winner, 2018 Illumination Book Awards, Enduring Light"e;This thoughtful collection of Day's reflections incorporates abundant material for contemplation, all drawn from her extensive writings ... [which] reveal Day's signature honesty and frequent humor in addressing her hopes and fears and the sources of her inspiration.... This welcome compilation provides a window into the fundamental beliefs that undergirded Day's life of faith."e; --Publishers Weekly, starred review In this guidebook Dorothy Day offers hard-earned wisdom and practical advice gained through decades of seeking to know Jesus and to follow his example and teachings in her own life.Unlike larger collections and biographies, which cover her radical views, exceptional deeds, and amazing life story, this book focuses on a more personal dimension of her life: Where did she receive strength to stay true to her God-given calling despite her own doubts and inadequacies and the demands of an activist life? What was the unquenchable wellspring of her deep faith and her love for humanity?

Why has God not answered my prayers? What should I be praying for? If everything I prayed for came true, would I be ready?In this spiritual classic, Eberhard Arnold mines the riches of biblical teaching on prayer and the example of Jesus, the Hebrew prophets, and the early Christians to point us back to the prayer that pleases God most - prayer that has the power to transform our lives and our world. In a new reflective response, much-loved author Richard J. Foster relates Arnold's words to our contemporary reality.

A collection of short but striking meditations to battle weariness and despair.