When it comes to faith, there is no "one size fits all" approach, as different people believe in different ways. This book provides a new way of looking at the ways different people understand and relate to the divine, and how spiritual directors need to be aware of this when assessing clients, making recommendations and assessing progress. The book divides into six broad styles and discusses each style with case studies to illustrate each style. Also included are suggestions of useful ways to guide believers in each style group. It also suggest ways to help those in transition from one style to another. As part of the "Spiritual Directors International" (SDI) series, you can be sure that each book offers solid practical advice based on thorough foundations.
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About the Author
John Mabry teaches spiritual direction, world religions, and interfaith theology. He holds a masters degree in creation spirituality and a doctorate in world religions. He has served as editor of Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction. He is co-pastor of Grace Episcopal Church in Berkeley, California, USA.
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JOHN R. MABRY lives and writes in Oakland, CA, in a house he shares with his wife and dog. He serves as Abbot of the Old Catholic Order of Holy Wisdom, and as pastor of the Grace Community (gracenorthchurch.org), an Anglican Rite Congregational church in Berkeley, CA. He is the Director of the Interfaith Spiritual Direction Program at the Chaplaincy Institute for Arts and Interfaith Ministry (chaplaincyinstitute.org) where he teaches interfaith theology, ministry, spiritual direction, and world religions. He is the Associate Director of the Master's Program in Spiritual Guidance at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (itp.edu), where he teaches spiritual guidance and world religions. He also teaches world religions and Christian mysticism at John F. Kennedy University (jfku.edu). He sings for Metaphor (metaphor.org) and Mind Furniture (mindfurniture.com), two Bay Area progressive rock bands. He is the author of numerous books on theology, spirituality, and spiritual guidance. He is currently at work on two sequels to THE KINGDOM, titled THE POWER and THE GLORY. Check out his website at apocryphile.org/jrm.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For prospective and practicing pastors, chaplains, and spiritual counselors.,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Noticing the Divine: An Introduction to Interfaith Spiritual Guidance (Spiritual Directors International Books) (Paperback)
Written by interfaith theology teacher John R. Mabry, Noticing the Divine: An Introduction to Interfaith Spiritual Guidance is a simple text of wisdom garnered from religions across the world, including Judaism, Christianity, Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Sikhism, Hinduism, native traditions, and humanism ("the sacredness of the mundane"). Each chapter tackles a different belief system's gift to spiritual thought; the appendices include guidelines for ethical conduct among spiritual directors, a spiritual guidance statement of policy. "Doing spiritual guidance is an exercise in humility. First, we must empty ourselves of the notion that we know what we are doing. We do our best work when we do not have an agenda. Once we feel we have our clients all figured out and know exactly what is 'wrong' with them and how to fix it, or how to 'get them' from point A to point B, then we might as well hang it up and go into some other business, because we are not going to be any help to the Divine - or our clients." Highly recommended for anyone seeking spiritual guidance for himself or herself, as well as for prospective and practicing pastors, chaplains, and spiritual counselors.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Kathryn Madden, CND,
By Spiritual Directors International "Spiritual ... (Seattle, Washington) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Noticing the Divine: An Introduction to Interfaith Spiritual Guidance (Spiritual Directors International Books) (Paperback)
John R. Mabry draws his readers into Noticing the Divine through an invitation "to embrace the Divinity that is the inheritance of every people, regardless of the clothes in which they dress it" (p. 158). This textbook on spiritual guidance, written from a specifically interfaith perspective, is intended for beginning spiritual directors preparing to sit with others of diverse traditions. With refreshing depth and simplicity, Mabry surveys a wide variety of religious traditions including Judaism, Christianity, Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. He makes a distinctive contribution to the ministry of spiritual guidance by creatively and practically highlighting how "each religion has a special gift to bestow on those who are learning the art" (p. vi). Seasoned spiritual directors will be intrigued to discover how to put on the garb of humility in allowing other traditions to inform their spiritual direction practice and live as pilgrims on a planet wracked by sectarian divisions. For example, the Hindu sense of the divinity permeating all of the created order can inspire us to regard every aspect of a directee's life as salty with divine presence. The Muslim practice of stopping
to bow down in prayer five times a day can remind us to ponder: "How do I get my ego out of the way so that the Divine can truly shine through me?" (p. 129) Mabry suggests that "just as some Christians believe that Jesus took upon himself the sins of humanity, we can offer to carry half of the psychological and moral burdens of our clients, if they will allow us to do so" (pp.121-122). In this unique form of metaphysical exchange, the cost and discomfort of taking on another's burden of fear or suffering are real for the guide but are mitigated through Jesus' wisdom that "all burdens are light when they are not our own" (p. 122). Out of the ethical richness of Judaism, Mabry extracts how, just as the Torah provided safety for the covenanted people of Israel, the ministry of spiritual guidance calls those practicing it to a covenant of self-care, care for one's clients, and relationship to one's colleagues. In this, he breathes life into the Spiritual Directors International Guidelines for Ethical Conduct as a "ten commandments" (p. 66) for the spiritual direction community. This book is splattered with keepsake anecdotes of practical wisdom. In one place, Mabry describes helping a woman come to a more mature and benevolent image of God by saying, "I have a suggestion. Why don't you fire your old god and hire this new one?" (p. 40). Another gem comes from a beginning spiritual director who sincerely tries "to speak only when spoken through" (p. 133). In addition to exploring the risks and benefits of sitting with others -- with our feet in our own tradition or engaging with them in their traditions or in a more universal place -- Mabry eclectically offers us a fascinating array of fresh insights and solid tools. ' Kathryn Madden, CND, completed spiritual direction training at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, and at the Center for Religious Development in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Noticing the Divine,
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This review is from: Noticing the Divine: An Introduction to Interfaith Spiritual Guidance (Spiritual Directors International Books) (Paperback)
Extremely valuable and well written resource not only for the spiritual counselor, but any one who may find themselves in the position of counselor, guide or advisor. Offers creative and insightful picture of different religions and makes serving as an interspiritual counselor possible.
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