David Benner
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Opening To God (Expanded)
$20.99Add to cartMost Christians want to experience spiritual transformation.
But many are frustrated by the limited progress of our spiritual self-improvement efforts. We find our praying burdened by a sense of obligation and failure. But prayer is not merely something we do; prayer is what God does in us. Prayer is not just communication with God; it is communion with God. As we open ourselves to him, God does the spiritual work of transformation in us. Spiritual director David Benner invites us to discover openness to God as the essence of prayer, spirituality, and the Christian life. Prayer is far more than saying words to God; all of life can be prayer when offered to God in faith and with openness. Using the four movements of lectio divina, Benner explores prayer as attending, pondering, responding, and being. Along the way he opens us to a world of possibilities for communion with God: praying with our senses, with imagination, with music and creativity, in contemplation, in service, and much more. Learn how prayer can be a way of living. Move beyond words to become not merely someone who prays, but someone whose entire life is prayer in union with God. This expanded edition includes a new afterword and an experiential guide with questions for individual reflection or group discussion.
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Desiring Gods Will (Expanded)
$18.99Add to cartForeword By Fr. Thomas Green
Preface: Willing God’s Way
1. Ways Of Willing
2. My Kingdom, Thy Kingdom
3. Love And Will
4. Choosing God
5. Will And Desire
6. Choosing The Cross
7. Developing A Discerning Heart
Epilogue: The Heart Of The Spiritual JourneyAppendix: For Reflection And Discussion
A Four-Session Discussion Guide To Desiring God’s Will
A One-Session Discussion Guide To Desiring God’s Will
NotesAdditional Info
Most people think of God’s will as something to be found or as the receiving of guidance from God when making decisions. Too often, however, the problem is not that we don’t know what God desires for our lives, but rather that we just don’t want to do what we already know he wants. How might our wills be changed so that we become both willing and able to do what God asks of us?In Desiring God’s Will psychologist and spiritual director David G. Benner explores the transformation of the will in Christian spirituality. He examines why our desires are disordered and how our human volition can be brought into alignment with God’s intentions so that we willingly choose that which God wants for us. In so doing, Benner shows us that cultivating discernment and being attuned to God’s desires is the path to true life, spiritual health and freedom.
God wants to change our choosing, not just our choices. By aligning our hearts with God’s, we will find liberation from the kingdom of self and instead experience the joy of the kingdom of God.
This expanded edition, one of three titles in The Spiritual Journey trilogy, includes a new epilogue and an experiential guide with questions for individual reflection or group discussion.
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Surrender To Love (Expanded)
$17.99Add to cartForeword By M. Basil Pennington
Preface: Surrender, Love And Spirituality
1. It All Begins With Love
2. Love And Fear
3. Surrender And Obedience
4. Transformed By Love
5. Becoming Love
Epilogue: Surrender And The Spiritual JourneyAppendix: For Reflection And Discussion
A Five-Session Discussion Guide To Surrender To Love
A One-Session Discussion Guide To Surrender To Love
NotesAdditional Info
“Only God deserves absolute surrender because only God can offer absolutely dependable love.”In our self-reliant era, most of us recoil from the concept of surrendering to a power or authority outside ourselves. But surrender need not be seen as threatening, especially when the One to whom we surrender is the epitome of goodness and love.
God doesn’t want his people to respond to him out of fear or obligation. Rather, he invites us to enter into an authentic relationship of intimacy and devotion. And so God calls us to move beyond mere obedience-by surrendering to love.
In this profound book, David G. Benner explores the twin themes of love and surrender as the heart of Christian spirituality. Through careful examination of Scripture and reflection on the Christian tradition, Benner shows how God bids us to trust fully in his perfect love. God is love, and he intends for you to live in his love. Surrender to Love will lead you to an unexpected place, where yieldedness to God frees you to become who he created you to be.
This expanded edition, one of three titles in The Spiritual Journey trilogy, includes a new epilogue and an experiential guide with questions for individual reflection or group discussion.
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Gift Of Being Yourself (Expanded)
$17.99Add to cartForeword By M. Basil Pennington
Preface: Identity And Authenticity
1. Transformational Knowing Of Self And God
2. Knowing God
3. First Steps Toward Knowing Yourself
4. Knowing Yourself As You Really Are
5. Unmasking Your False Self
6. Becoming Your True Self
Epilogue: Identity And The Spiritual JourneyAppendix: For Reflection And Discussion
A Six-Session Discussion Guide To The Gift Of Being Yourself
A One-Session Discussion Guide To The Gift Of Being Yourself
NotesAdditional Info
“Grant, Lord, that I may know myself that I may know thee.” -AugustineMuch is said in Christian circles about knowing God. But Christians throughout the ages have agreed that there cannot be deep knowledge of God without deep knowledge of the self. Discerning your true self is inextricably related to discerning God’s purposes for you. Paradoxically, the more you become like Christ, the more you become authentically yourself.
In this profound exploration of Christian identity, psychologist and spiritual director David G. Benner illuminates the spirituality of self-discovery. He exposes the false selves that you may hide behind and calls you to discover the true self that emerges from your uniqueness in Christ. Freeing you from illusions about yourself, Benner shows that self-understanding leads to the fulfillment of your God-given destiny and vocation.
Rest assured, you need not try to be someone you are not. But you will deepen your experience of God through discovering the gift of being yourself.
This expanded edition, one of three titles in The Spiritual Journey trilogy, includes a new epilogue and an experiential guide with questions for individual reflection or group discussion.
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Presence And Encounter
$22.00Add to cartThe most vital and significant moments in life are moments of encounter. Whether we encounter ourselves, others, or God, these moments let us know that life is meaningful. And presence is what makes encounter possible. When we are truly present, everything that has being becomes potentially present to us.
In this unique resource, David Benner invites us to live with more presence so we can know the presence of God more deeply in our lives. Drawing on over thirty-five years of experience integrating psychology and spirituality, Benner examines the transformational possibilities of spiritual presence and encounter in fresh, exciting, and practical ways. He helps readers understand the personal and interpersonal dimensions of presence and encounter, revealing how they mediate Divine Presence and serve as sacraments of everyday life. His rich meditations are presented in a voice that is intelligent, compassionate, and engaging. The book includes end-of-chapter reflection exercises for individual or group use and a foreword by Richard Rohr.
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Spirituality And The Awakening Self
$27.00Add to cartBeing human is a lifelong journey of becoming. This journey defines our humanity, for it is a journey toward our source and our fulfillment, described in Christian theology as union with God. If we remain open to God as our sense of self awakens, we experience a deeper consciousness of being in him. The self that emerges during this process is larger, more enlightened, and whole.
David Benner, who has spent thirty-five years integrating psychology and spirituality, presents psychological insights in a readable fashion to offer readers a deeper understanding of the self and its spiritual development. Drawing on a broad range of Christian traditions, Benner shows that the transformation of self is foundational to Christian spirituality.
This book will appeal to readers interested in a psychologically grounded, fresh exploration of Christian spirituality; professionals engaged in pastoral care, counseling, and spiritual direction; and students in ministry development and spiritual formation courses. Questions and answers for individual or group use are included at the end of each chapter.
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Soulful Spirituality : Becoming Fully Alive And Deeply Human (Reprinted)
$24.00Add to cartContents
Part One: The Challenge Of Becoming Fully Human
1. The Struggle To Be Fully Alive
2. Our Restless Hearts
3. Understanding Our Humanity
Part Two: The Path To Becoming Fully Human
4. Living With Spirit And Soul
5. The Spiritual Nature Of The Human Journey
6. Deep Religion And Healthy Spirituality
7. Embodied Spirituality
Part Three: Spiritual Practices For The Human Journey
8. Awareness
9. Wonder
10. Otherness
11. Reality
12. Presence
13. Surrender
Epilogue: Being At One
IndexAdditional Info
Spirituality has an indispensable role to play in the expression of our humanity. However, spiritual practices can sometimes make us less, not more, authentically human. We may be good Christians, but we aren’t good human beings. How can we ensure that our spiritual journey is conducted in a way that allows us to become fully alive and deeply human?David Benner has spent thirty-five years integrating psychology and spirituality. Here he presents an expansive, psychologically informed understanding of spirituality, probing the contrasts between soulful and soulless spirituality, deep and shallow religion, and healthy and unhealthy relationships with God to affirm the vital role of human development in the spiritual journey. Benner then suggests soulful practices for cultivating the Christian spiritual life.
This book will appeal to readers seeking depth and substance in their quest for authentic spirituality. It will also be a helpful resource for mental health professionals and spiritual directors. Reflection questions and exercises for individual or group use are included at the end of each chapter.
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Spiritual Direction And The Care Of Souls
$30.99Add to cartGary W. Moon and David G. Benner, along with a team of expert contributors, provide a comprehensive survey of spiritual direction in its myriad Christian forms. Specific chapters offer careful historical perspective and contemporary analysis of how Christians from various backgrounds have practiced spiritual direction, with particular attention to each tradition’s definition of spiritual direction, the process of authentic transformation, the role of the spiritual direction, indicators of mature spirituality and other aspects of the spiritual direction process. Chapters also provide psychological and clinical insight into how spiritual direction is similar to, different from and can be integrated with psychotherapy and pastoral counseling. Spiritual direction holds the potential to revolutionize how soul care is practiced in our troubled society. This volume is an extraordinary resource for understanding and helping others experience spiritual transformation and union with God.
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Care Of Souls
$26.00Add to cart11 Chapters
Additional Info
For most of its history, one of the primary functions of the church was to provide spiritual guidance and advice for daily living. With the rise of professional psychology, however, Christian counseling began to adapt to the ways of this “science of the soul,” which has all too frequently ignored the spiritual element of human life.In Care of Souls, David Benner offers a timely reminder of the benefits of recapturing the place of the spiritual in psychological work. Among the many benefits for individuals who receive a combination of the best of modern therapy and biblical guidance are an increased feeling of personal value and a willingness to put God’s priorities above their own.
Benner’s account of Christianity’s historical practices of soul care and his comprehensive guide to providing authentic soul care today will be essential reading for Christian mental health professionals, pastors, and college and seminary students.
