New Life for Old - The Human and Spiritual Journey (Paperback)

New Life for Old plots the human journey from old to new, from small and inauthentic living to wholesome and authentic living, from small desires to the great longings of our souls. It is a book that is deeply rooted in human experience. The book has for some years now been a favourite of many people. They report that they come back to it again and again for spiritual inspiration. It gently encourages us to an awareness of ourselves - of the inescapable hazards of human becoming, of the patterns which we inhabit and which block our openness to richer life. It does so with compassion and understanding. But an awareness also of the wonder and mystery and depth of the human person. It is both an invitation and a guide to mindful living. The book considers the significance of such a mindful life-style for religion and morality. It argues that both religious faith and moral life need to dialogue more closely with human experience, with the great psychological and spiritual traditions. It is suggested that moral teaching fails to mesh with the dynamics of the human condition. Faith teaching remains abstract: a growing number of people find that it does not speak to their spirit, and so they walk away from organised religion. If there is to be a renewal of Christian life there must be greater dialogue. Far from fearing movements of spirituality Christianity might embrace them. The book is written in an attractive style. It is rich in literary allusions which offer insights into our human condition. This new edition develops further the themes of the earlier work and adds new material throughout, especially regarding the spirituality/religion issue and the journey to a mindful, meditative way of life.