Listening for God in Torah and Creation: A weekly encounter with conscience and soul by Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg (Hodder & Stoughton, £30 (£27); 978-1-529-39583-9).
“Rooted in decades of devoted immersion in Jewish learning, humanist literature, concern for people at all ages and stages of life, environmental activism and a love of nature, Rabbi Wittenberg offers wisdom relevant to Jews, Christians and spiritual seekers of all and no faiths.”
Images of Pilgrimage: Paradise and wilderness in Christian spirituality by R. D. Crouse (DLT, £14.99 (£13.49); 978-1-915412-24-9).
“This book collects six addresses on the theme of pilgrimage which were delivered by Robert Crouse, one of the finest contemplative theological minds of our age, to a handful of retreatants at St Augustine’s Monastery, Nova Scotia, more than thirty years ago.”
How to Preach: Times, seasons, texts and contexts by Samuel Wells (Canterbury Press, £22.99 (£18.99); 978-1-78622-521-4).
“Samuel Wells understands the importance of proclamation in the life of the church and in the public sphere. In this practical and inspiration manual, he considers the essentials of preaching in a wide range of contexts: Preaching on the Times: preaching about politics, the planet, economics, justice and truth; Preaching on the Seasons: preaching at Christmas, Easter, Ascension, Harvest and All Saints; Preaching Texts: preaching on Old Testament Narratives, on Old Testament Poetry on the Gospels, on the Parables, and on Paul; Preaching Contexts: preaching at baptisms, weddings, funerals, after a tragedy, and preaching at short notice without a text. Each section considers styles of preaching, what the occasion demands, practical advice for preparing, two sample sermons and a list of dos and dont’s”
Selected by Frank Nugent, of the Church House Bookshop, which operates the Church Times Bookshop.