‘The Gospel of Jesus Green: Home for All, Not Just for Humans’ by Neil J. Whitehouse
Wipf & Stock, 2024 ISBN: 979-8385200245 Reviewed by Chris Holmes [...]
‘GreenSpirit Reflections’ Compiled by Santoshan (Stephen Wollaston)
GreenSpirit Book Series, 2020 ISBN 9798633141962 Reviewed by Chris Holmes [...]
‘Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us into the Sacred’ by Victoria Loorz
Broadleaf Books, 2021 ISBN: 978-1506469645 Reviewed [...]
‘Meister Eckhart’s Book of Darkness and Light: Meditations on the Path of the Wayless Way’ by Jon.M.Sweeney and Mark S. Burrows
Hampton Roads Publishing, 2023 ISBN: 978-1642970456 Reviewed by Chris Holmes [...]
‘Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul: A Celtic Guide to Listening to Our Souls and Saving the World’ by John Philip Newell
William Collins, 2021 ISBN 978-0008466367 Reviewed by Ian [...]
‘Seeing Differently: Franciscans and Creation’ by Simon Cocksedge, Samuel Double and Nicholas Alan Worssam
Canterbury Press Norwich, 2021-04-24 ISBN: 978-1786223005 Reviewed by [...]
‘Julian of Norwich: Wisdom in a Time of Pandemic – And Beyond’ by Matthew Fox
iUniverse, 2020 ISBN: 978-1663208682 Reviewed by Stephen Wollaston (aka Santoshan) [...]
‘Earth: Our Original Monastery’ by Christine Valters Paintner
Sorin Books, 2020 ISBN 978-1-932057-20-1 Reviewed [...]
‘Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love’ by Elizabeth A. Johnson
Bloomsbury, 2014 ISBN: 978-1472924018 Reviewed by Brendan James ______________________________________________________________________________________________ [...]
‘The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times’ by Matthew Fox
iUniverse, 2020 ISBN: 978-1532093418 Reviewed by Ian Mowll [...]
‘Mystical Activism: Transforming a World in Crisis’ by John Robinson
Changemakers Books, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-78904-418-8 Reviewed by Marian Van [...]
‘Dark Nights of the Green Soul: From Darkness to New Horizons’, edited by Ian Mowll and Santoshan (Stephen Wollaston)
GreenSpirit Book Series, Title No. 8 CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, [...]
‘Awakening to Earth-Centred Consciousness: Selection from GreenSpirit Magazine’ Edited by Ian Mowll and Santoshan (Stephen Wollaston)
GreenSpirit Book Series, Title No. 9 CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, [...]
‘A Way to God: Thomas Merton’s Creation Spirituality Journey’ by Matthew Fox
This book is primarily about Thomas Merton (31 January 1915 – 10 December 1968), a Trappist monk in the USA. But it is also about Creation Spirituality (as articulated by Matthew Fox) and Meister Eckhart, a Christian mystic of the Middle Ages who influenced both Thomas Merton and Matthew Fox. It is a good way not only to understand Thomas Merton but also to see the strands of Creation Spirituality in Eckhart, Merton and Fox.
‘Confessions, Revised and Updated: The Making of a Postdenominational Priest’ by Matthew Fox
This is Matthew Fox’s autobiography – revised and updated in 2015. It describes his life’s journey; born in Wisconsin, USA and being bought up in a Catholic family, through his time in the Dominican Order, his blossoming as a theologian and teacher, his dismissal from the Dominican Order and how he joined the Episcopalian Church (the Anglican Church in the USA).
‘Pathways of Green Wisdom: Discovering Earth Centred Teachings in Spiritual and Religious Traditions’ by Santoshan (Stephen Wollaston) (Ed)
A panoramic view of Earth-centred teachings in different spiritual and religious traditions. 10 authors cover 10 different traditions: Christianity, Judaism, Paganism, Daoism, Hinduism, Indigenous traditions, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism and Creation Spirituality (Creation Spirituality as articulated by Matthew Fox, which helped to lay the foundations for GreenSpirit). The territory covered is so vast that each chapter is often more of a personal reflection from someone either directly involved with the tradition or who is very knowledgeable about it.
‘The human in the Universe’ (Kindle edition) by Niamh Brennan
This ebook is about the Universe Story (the story as revealed by science from the Big Bang to the present day) and how it can inspire us in our lives and help to create a better world.
‘The Tao of Liberation: Exploring the Ecology of Transformation’ by Mark Hathaway and Leonardo Boff
Beginning with an evocative quote from the Tao to set the ambience for the material that follows, this work creatively holds many diverse areas in an integral manner covering, with a commanding scholarship, such fields as economics, psychology, cosmology, ecology and spirituality. It also displays a strenuous commitment to issues of social justice combined with a path-breaking reflection on sustainability in a larger evolutionary context, exploring the work of Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme in the context of cosmology.
‘Celebrating Planet Earth, a Pagan Christian Conversation: First steps in Interfaith dialogue’ Edited by Denise Cush
This book was inspired by a weekend gathering of Pagans and Christians in 2014 in which participants were invited to explore their prejudices and preconceptions, learn more about each other, and find common ground in ‘Celebrating Planet Earth’. It is divided into 3 main sections: Addressing our fears and prejudices, Possibilities for cooperation and The role of ritual practice, myth, music and poetry in each tradition and in inter-faith encounter. Each section has a number of chapters written by various participants and speakers who were at the gathering.
‘Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation’ by Adam Bucko and Matthew Fox
'Occupy Spirituality' is a superb dialogue between two important contemporary progressive Christian thinkers and activists. Though the subtitle partly suggests the book is focussed on the younger generation, there is nothing within the pages that is not relevant to us all, to the times in which we live and to the materialistic greed, bigotry and complacency that is bringing about the greatest spiritual crisis human and more-than-human life have ever faced. If this gives the impression this might a negative read, then it would be a wrong one. The book is truly inspirational. This is a spirituality that is prepared to get its hands dirty, to do something and work towards positive changes.
‘Meister Eckhart: A Mystic Warrior for our Times’ by Matthew Fox
This is a book about Meister Eckhart, the 13th/14th century mystic who was born near Gotha in what was the Holy Roman Empire and is now in Germany. But the book is about much more than Meister Eckhart himself. Matthew Fox picks out key thinkers, philosophers, social and eco activists from modern times and shows how they have been influenced by, or resonate with, Meister Eckhart.
‘Collapsing Consciously: Transformative Truths for Turbulent Times’ by Carolyn Baker
In a collapsing world, it is no good surviving physically unless we can also survive—and help each other survive—emotionally and spiritually, and the aim of this book is to help us do just that. The first two-thirds of the book describe and explain, in 109 easy-to-read, wisdom-packed pages, the psycho-spiritual preparations that need to be made for the collapse that has already begun, and why, even though the collapse may be a long, slow process, it is so vital that we start making them. The last third consists of a carefully-chosen set of 52 weekly 'meditations' – in the sense of quotes and thoughts to be pondered upon – all geared towards helping us deal with the collapse of our old world whilst also saving and guarding the seeds we hope to plant in the new one that will—we hope—eventually rise from the ruins.
‘Rivers of Green Wisdom: Exploring Christian and Yogic Earth Centred Spirituality’ by Santoshan (Stephen Wollaston)
Possibly the first book ever to take Yoga in one hand and Christianity on the other and examine them both through the lens of an Earth-centred Spirituality. Is there, in fact, ‘green wisdom’ to be found within these two great traditions? If there is, then surely these need to be emphasised in this era of climate change and ever-worsening ecological crisis.
‘Hildegard of Bingen: A Saint for our Times’ by Matthew Fox
Matthew Fox’s third book on the remarkable mediaeval Rhineland mystic, Hildegard of Bingen, coincided with her canonisation and being officially recognized as a Doctor of the Catholic Church. It covers a lot of ground – some familiar as well as new – and supplies revealing snapshots about her life and teachings.
‘Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We’re in without Going Crazy’ by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone
It is so easy to become fearful, isolated and despondent about the enormity of the environmental and social challenges that we, as a human race, are currently facing. This book tells us how we can sustain ourselves through these challenges and live positive, compassionate and hope filled lives
‘Sweat Your Prayers: Movement As Spiritual Practice’ by Gabrielle Roth
Gabrielle Roth’s dance system or ‘the five rhythms’ isn't about definite steps, but about responding directly to music and moving however you feel. The five rhythms are supposed to be the five basic types of process which underlie all music, even though they are often found mixed together.
‘Living in Connection: Theory and Practice of the New World-View’ by Chris Clarke
In this book, Chris links his extensive, first-hand knowledge of modern physics with a deeply-felt creation spirituality, aided by a powerful grasp of the history of science and philosophy. He wants to tell us what it means to really live in moment-by-moment connection with all-that-is, or, to use a favourite term of his, with the Other. To do this, he sets out the new world-view that makes living in connection possible.
‘The Science of Oneness: A worldview for the twenty-first century’ by Malcolm Hollick
Readers of GreenSpirit will be profoundly aware of the ecological stress now facing our planet as a result of human action, and of the call which many of us feel, to respond by embracing the earth more closely, connecting with it more intimately, so that we can know in our bones what is happening and respond more with our whole being. Many of us also feel that the underlying cause of what is happening is the progressive loss of any meaningful worldview within our society.
‘Green Spirituality: One answer to global environmental problems and world poverty’ by Chris Philpott
From GreenSpirit member Chris Philpott comes a book, many years in the making, that is a compendium of attitudes and sources of wisdom about the spiritual basis of what it is to be green. In an inspiring Foreword, the author, scientist and activist Vandana Shiva suggests that this book could help us to rediscover what she calls a ‘spiritual sheet anchor.’
‘The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine’ by Matthew Fox
Finally, I suggest that this book is for women just as much as for men. Partly because, as Matthew rightly says, we all have our inner masculine and inner feminine to honour. And also because the more understanding and dialogue there is between the sexes, the more chance there is for a sacred union between these two polarities. Although as he says, the dance between the two polarities never ends; they need to be in creative tension.
‘Holy Night’ by Vincent Tilsley
Is it a novel? Is it a screenplay? What on earth (or in heaven) is it? Vincent Tilsley's Holy Night is unlike anything else I have ever read. It also stirred up more excitement in me than any book I have read in a long time and stretched my mind to its furthest limits.
‘Original Blessing’ by Matthew Fox
Original Blessing was part of a paradigm shift – seeing the world with new eyes. It provided a doorway into an inclusive, coherent spirituality relevant for our time.
‘Spirituality Unveiled: Awakening to Creative Life’ by Santoshan (Stephen Wollaston)
We recognise the intrinsic spark of divinity and divine consciousness that unites us. We awaken to the nonseparateness of the spirit and discover that physical life is wondrously embedded in divine existence.