Modern Spiritual Masters

In this first anthology of Gutierrez's massively influential work, James Nickoloff draws from Gutierrez's many published books and translates some pieces for the first time. Arranged both thematically and chronologically, the Selected Texts highlight not only the revolutionary import of Gutierrez's theology but also his deep and searching spirituality, his bold view of the church, and his personal challenge to the reader to engage the world's injustices directly. Nickoloff's expert Introduction explains the development of Gutierrez's ideas and sheds new light on the Latin American, especially Peruvian, context of his thought.

Bede Griffiths was an English Benedictine monk who settled in India in 1955, and became a great mystical teacher. In India, Griffiths established a Christian community following the customs of a Hindu ashram, and found wisdom and inspiration for his own Christian faith. Contents include: - A vision of nature - The challenge of Hinduism - Awakening to the feminine - A New Age - Final unity.

"Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), embodies classic features of the American spirit--nonconformity, the impulse to seek renewal in nature, and the will to stand firm by his convictions. Famous for his retreat to Walden Pond and his night in jail (described in The Duty of Civil Disobedience ), he was a profoundly religious man, though he remained unaffiliated with any organized religion. He might well serve as a patron saint for today's spiritual but not religious seekers. Thoreau experienced mystical ecstasies in his youth; he followed an almost monastic discipline of contemplation; he was an early pioneer in the exploration of Hinduism and eastern religion, which he integrated with his deep immersion in nature and his highly refined social conscience. This anthology, which focuses specific attention on Thoreau's spiritual and prophetic writings, draws on his voluminous journals, correspondence, essays, and selection from Walden and his other key works." --Publisher description.