NEW SERIES ON WOMEN'S SPIRITUALITY! -- "Called To Holiness: Spirituality for Catholic Women"

Be on the lookout for eight important volumes written for all Christian women. There are volumes for young women, women in mid-life and women in their wisdom years; volumes on how to make a difference in the world; how to grow in prayer; how to become a "grassroots theologian"; as well as volumes on Latina spirituality and marriage and family. Published by St. Anthony Messenger Press. General Editor, Elizabeth A. Dreyer. Associate Editor, Jean Marie Hiesberger. Read one or all of them on your own...or better still, gather a group of women together in a parish or your home to read, discuss, engage in ritual, learn and grow in the spiritual life.

Fall 2008
Making Sense of God: A Woman’s Perspective, Elizabeth A. Dreyer
Grieving With Grace: A Woman’s Perspective, Dolores R. Leckey
Living a Spirituality of Action: A Woman’s Perspective, Joan Mueller

Spring 2009
Embracing Latina Spirituality: A Woman’s Perspective, Michelle A. Gonzalez
Awakening to Prayer: A Woman’s Perspective, Clare Wagner

Fall 2009
Creating New Life, Nurturing Families: A Woman’s Perspective, Sidney Callahan
Weaving Faith and Experience: A Woman’s Perspective on the Middle Years,
Patricia Cooney Hathaway
Finding My Voice: A Young Adult Woman's Perspective, Elizabeth Knobbe

Holy Power, Holy Presence: Rediscovering Medieval Metaphors for the Holy Spirit (Paulist Press, 2007).

This volume explores the neglected third person of the Trinity by examining the language, imagery and metaphors for the Spirit used by our ancestors in the faith. Dreyer sees the Spirit as crucial to the spiritual evolution and power of the laity in the 21st century, and taps male and female medieval religious voices to light the way. In the hands of these medieval authors, the Holy Spirit becomes kiss, waiter at table, reconciler, bond of love, God’s green thumb, fire, music, source of unity, intelligent Christian living and prophetic voice.

Passionate Spirituality: Hildegard of Bingen and Hadewijch of Brabant (Paulist Press, 2005).

Few Christians are comfortable uttering the terms “passion” and “spirituality” in the same breath. But Dreyer shows how diverse passion is and how it can be a part of every Christian life -- from cries of love to virtuous action. To illustrate her point, she examines the work of two medieval women mystics – one who writes in a very symbolic, analytic style (Hildegard), and one whose expression competes with the world’s most intense love poetry (Hadewijch).

Minding the Spirit: The Study of Christian Spirituality edited with Mark Burrows (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005).

This collection of essays explores the genesis of the academic study of spirituality: methods, self-implication, theological and historical perspectives, healing and the arts.

The Cross in Christian Tradition: From Paul to Bonaventure. editor (Paulist Press, 2000).

Essays by Jerome Murphy O’Connor, Peter Gorday, John Cavadini bring to light rarely discussed texts, functions and images of the cross in the tradition. In addition to two chapters on Bonaventure, Dreyer provides an opening chapter of introduction and a closing exploration of ways to think about the cross in the 21st century.

Catherine of Siena: Living the Truth in Love (St. Anthony Messenger Press, 1999).

A volume in the series, A Retreat With…, this text leads the reader through at “at home” seven-day retreat that explores how Catherine’s love of the truth can help us know ourselves, be honest about our strengths and weaknesses, and grow in wisdom and freedom.

Earth Crammed With Heaven: A Spirituality of Everyday Life (Paulist Press, 1994)

whose title comes from the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, has been one of Dreyer’s most popular books. She discusses the identity and role of the laity in the face of a heavily monastic tradition, and brings spirituality down to earth in terms of everyday life – work, love, family, sexuality, vocation, self-sacrifice. Dreyer challenges readers to view prayer and liturgy in terms of the entire cosmos and to embrace lives of active contemplation in the world.

Manifestations of Grace (Liturgical Press, 1990)

Explores our experience of grace and the ways past ideas about grace can help or hinder spiritual growth. In a succinct and accessible style, this book talks a walk through key moments in the Christian tradition: the Bible, Augustine, Aquinas, Julian of Norwich, Martin Luther and contemporary fiction. It offers fresh ideas about how to think about grace as the passion of God and the fullness of human life.