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Spiritual Thought

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An online community for those who embrace the nuances of contemporary spiritual lives. We question conventional ideas while considering the fascinating ways science, society, psychology, and faith can deepen our most profound experiences.

we share
Curated reads, authors, speakers, podcasts, and interviews. Our monthly newsletters and quarterly event series speak to the defining issues of faith and culture in the world today.

we value
Books, diverse voices, curiosity, honest conversations, space for contemplation, the pursuit of spirituality in a postmodern Christian world, and the healing power of creative expression. Everyone is welcome here.

Blessed are you who have found your people.
The ones who understand. Or who seek to.
The ones who are up for the adventure or the hunt or the search.
Blessed are the details of your life. The specificities that make you, you.
You, my dear, in all your intricacies . . . are a marvel.”

—Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie

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stories about real life

biographies, memoirs, reflections and more from real people and real voices

Wild Ride by Hayley Arceneaux

Wild Ride

Hayley Arceneaux

The youngest American to ever orbit the earth—cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux—shows us all that when we face our fears with hope and faith, extraordinary things can happen.

With her signature upbeat messaging, Arceneaux recounts her odyssey, from her cancer diagnosis at age ten, to living through her father’s terminal cancer diagnosis, to getting her lifelong dream job at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She was sure she’d finally attained the life she wanted, and then the amazing and unimaginable happened: she was invited to go to space as a St. Jude ambassador.

Truth's Table by Ekemini Uwan, Christina Edmondson, Michelle Higgins

Truth's Table

Ekemini Uwan, Christina Edmondson, Michelle Higgins

Where the Light Fell by Philip Yancey

Where the Light Fell

Philip Yancey

In this searing meditation on the bonds of family and the allure of extremist faith, one of today’s most celebrated Christian writers recounts his unexpected journey from a strict fundamentalist upbringing to a life of compassion and grace—a revelatory memoir that “invites comparison to Hillbilly Elegy” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

In piecing together his fragmented personal history and his search for redemption, Yancey gives testament to the enduring power of our hunger for truth and the possibility of faith rooted in grace instead of fear.

essay collections

storied contemplations for the short story reader

Like Streams to the Ocean by Jedidiah Jenkins

Like Streams to the Ocean

Jedidiah Jenkins

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “As inviting, wide-ranging, and philosophical as an all-night conversation with a best friend, and as revealing and thought-provoking as the diary of a curious adventurer.”—Sasha Sagan, author of For Small Creatures Such as We

You can travel the world looking for yourself, but if you don't know what you're looking for, how can you find it? Like Streams To The Ocean is about examining the things that make us who we are and getting to know ourselves, our stories, and the decisions that shape our one and only life. 

What We Wish Were True by Tallu Schuyler Quinn

What We Wish Were True

Tallu Schuyler Quinn

Red Lip Theology by Candice Marie Benbow, Melissa Harris-Perry

Red Lip Theology

Candice Marie Benbow, Melissa Harris-Perry

Letters to the Sons of Society by Shaka Senghor

Letters to the Sons of Society

Shaka Senghor

I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown

I'm Still Here

Austin Channing Brown

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • “Austin Channing Brown introduces herself as a master memoirist. This book will break open hearts and minds.”—Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Untamed

Growing up in majority-white schools and churches, Austin Channing Brown's first encounter with a racialized America came at age seven, when she discovered her parents named her Austin to deceive future employers into thinking she was a white man.

I’m Still Here is an illuminating look at how white, middle-class, Evangelicalism has participated in an era of rising racial hostility, inviting the reader to confront apathy, recognize God’s ongoing work in the world, and discover how blackness—if we let it—can save us all.

self-improvement

books to help you be a better you

Marriage Be Hard by Kevin Fredericks, Melissa Fredericks

Marriage Be Hard

Kevin Fredericks, Melissa Fredericks

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Discover the keys to upholding your vows while staying sane in this hilariously candid guide to relationships, from the husband-and-wife team of comedian Kevin Fredericks and influencer Melissa Fredericks

In Marriage Be Hard, the authors provide a hilarious and fresh master class on what it takes to build and maintain a lasting relationship. Drawing on interviews with experts and nearly two decades of marriage, they argue that

• Compatibility is overrated.
• Communication is about way more than simply talking.
• Seeing divorce as an option can actually help your marriage.
• There’s such a thing as healthy jealousy.

Real marriage is not automatic. It ain’t no Tesla on the open road. Sometimes it’s a stick shift on a hill in the rain with no windshield wipers. But if you get comfortable visiting—and revisiting—the topics that matter, it can transform your bond with your partner and the life you’re building together.

Living Fully by Mallory Ervin, Jamie Kern Lima

Living Fully

Mallory Ervin, Jamie Kern Lima

A Rhythm of Prayer by Sarah Bessey, Amena Brown, Barbara Brown Taylor, Lisa Sharon Harper

A Rhythm of Prayer

Sarah Bessey, Amena Brown, Barbara Brown Taylor, Lisa Sharon Harper

Simple and Free by Jen Hatmaker

Simple and Free

Jen Hatmaker

for the thinker

thoughtful reads for your contemplative journey

The Life We're Looking For by Andy Crouch

The Life We're Looking For

Andy Crouch

A deeply reflective primer on creating meaningful connections, rebuilding abundant communities, and living in a way that engages our full humanity in an age of unprecedented anxiety and loneliness—from the author of The Tech-Wise Family

Our greatest need is to be recognized—to be seen, loved, and embedded in rich relationships with those around us. But for the last century, we’ve displaced that need with the ease of technology. In The Life We’re Looking For, bestselling author Andy Crouch shows how we have been seduced by a false vision of human flourishing—and how each of us can fight back. From the social innovations of the early Christian movement to the efforts of entrepreneurs working to create more humane technology, Crouch shows how we can restore true community and put people first in a world dominated by money, power, and devices.

The Hope of Glory by Jon Meacham

The Hope of Glory

Jon Meacham

All the White Friends I Couldn't Keep by Andre Henry

All the White Friends I Couldn't Keep

Andre Henry

The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr, Brian D. Mclaren

The Universal Christ

Richard Rohr, Brian D. Mclaren

devotionals

inspire your faith and develop spiritual habits

The Lives We Actually Have by Kate Bowler, Jessica Richie

The Lives We Actually Have

Kate Bowler, Jessica Richie

Warm and witty blessings found within the struggles of our shared humanity, from the New York Times bestselling authors of Good Enough

Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie offer creative, faith-based blessings that center gratitude and hope while acknowledging our real, messy lives. Formatted like a prayer book, The Lives We Actually Have is an oasis and a landing spot for weary souls, with blessings that focus on the full range of human moments: garbage days, lovely days, grief-stricken days, and even (especially) completely ordinary days. These heartfelt blessings are a chance to exhale when we feel everything from careworn to restless, devastated to bored. Let’s have a reminder that we don’t need to wait for perfect lives when we can bless the lives we actually have.

Good Enough by Kate Bowler, Jessica Richie

Good Enough

Kate Bowler, Jessica Richie

You Are the Beloved by Henri J. M. Nouwen, Gabrielle Earnshaw

You Are the Beloved

Henri J. M. Nouwen, Gabrielle Earnshaw

Seasons of Wonder by Bonnie Smith Whitehouse

Seasons of Wonder

Bonnie Smith Whitehouse

Be an Angel by Roma Downey

Be an Angel

Roma Downey

From Roma Downey, the beloved actress and New York Times bestselling author, comes a beautiful collection of quotes and reflections full of wisdom, affirmation, and encouragement to ignite the power of kindness in every one of us and remind us to step into kindness with one another.

Featuring moving quotes from a variety of writers and thinkers, including heartwarming scriptures and reflections on gratitude, friendship, faith, courage, and more, Be an Angel not only offers personal inspiration but also gently nudges you to look for ways to “be an angel” to those you encounter every day. This stirring devotional is the perfect offering for anyone looking to be uplifted. You’ll be delighted to discover inspiration for yourself—plus a little extra to make someone’s day.

for the kids

spirituality books for little ones

I Am God's Dream by Matthew Paul Turner, Estrella Bascuñan

I Am God's Dream

Matthew Paul Turner, Estrella Bascuñan

A beautiful celebration of the unique, strong, and wonderful traits in every child—and how God delights in each and every one—from the bestselling author of When God Made You.

I Am God’s Dream is a deeply encouraging exploration of the unique strengths, curiosities, and desires in every kid. In this deeply affirming picture book, children will see how God celebrates and adores each of us—and why we should be proud to be who we are. Kids of all faith traditions will receive in these pages the gift of empowerment, purpose, and ownership over their own faith perspective early on through Matthew Paul Turner’s lyrical phrasing.

When I Pray for You by Matthew Paul Turner, Kimberley Barnes

When I Pray for You

Matthew Paul Turner, Kimberley Barnes

What Is God Like? by Rachel Held Evans, Matthew Paul Turner, Ying Hui Tan, Daniel Jonce Evans

What Is God Like?

Rachel Held Evans, Matthew Paul Turner, Ying Hui Tan, Daniel Jonce Evans

Greenlee Is Growing by Anthony DeStefano, Louise A. Ellis

Greenlee Is Growing

Anthony DeStefano, Louise A. Ellis

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