Spirituality books and resources

Spirituality, Values and Mental Health

Jewels for the Journey

Edited by Mary Ellen Coyte, Peter Gilbert and Vicky Nicholls

There is a developing recognition that spirituality, religious belief and inclusive faith communities are important for mental well being. Training for mental health practitioners in the UK is increasingly taking this on board but practitioners have few guidelines about this growing field of interest for incorporating this awareness in their practice with the service users they are trying to help.

Asperger's Syndrome and Mindfulness

Taking Refuge in the Buddha

Chris Mitchell

Understanding who you are can be a lonely and difficult process following the diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome (AS). Asperger's Syndrome and Mindfulness illuminates this experience as an empowering path of discovery through the teachings of Buddhism.

Bible Stories in Cockney Rhyming Slang

Keith Park

'Cos they didn't
Adam and Eve it
When God said 'Oi!
Apple - leave it!
This innovative collection of Bible stories, written in cockney rhyming slang, is a fresh and fun approach to learning about the Bible. From Adam and Eve to the Resurrection, the book presents well-known stories in an original and accessible way for everybody to enjoy.

A Child Sees God

Children Talk About Bible Stories

Rev Dr Howard Worsley

In A Child Sees God, Howard Worsley explores how we can all learn from a child's perspective of the world and shows how a child's eye view of the Bible reveals many interesting ideas about ethics and morality, and provides new ways of understanding these ancient stories.

The Ethic of Traditional Communities and the Spirit of Healing Justice

Studies from Hollow Water, the Iona Community, and Plum Village

Jarem Sawatsky

'I want to congratulate Jarem for the way he has written this book. He has freed himself - and his readers! - from the professional jargon that so often characterizes research of this kind... This is not the work of a cheerleader for "justice-as-healing" but the informed reflections of a deeply curious human being who wonders if there might be better ways for all of us to behave towards each other. At the same time, he is not in the least hesitant to express misgivings or pose unanswered questions as he goes. Like all tales of penetrating explorations, this book leaves the reader more deeply intrigued and curious at the end than they were at the beginning.'
- Extract from the Foreword by Rupert Ross, Assistant Crown Attorney for the District of Kenora since 1985, and author of Dancing with a Ghost: Exploring Indian Reality, and Returning to the Teachings: Exploring Aboriginal Justice.

What is healing justice? Who practices it? What does it look like? In this groundbreaking international comparative study on healing justice, Jarem Sawatsky examines traditional communities including Hollow Water - an Aboriginal and Métis community in Canada renowned for their holistic healing work in the face of 80 per cent sexual abuse rates; the Iona Community - a dispersed Christian ecumenical community in Scotland known for their work towards peace, healing and social justice, rebuilding of community and the renewal of worship; and Plum Village - a Vietnamese initiated Buddhist community in southern France, and home to Nobel Peace Prize nominated author, Thich Nhat Hanh.

These case studies record a search for the kind of social, structural, and spiritual relationships necessary to sustain a healing view of justice. Through comparing cases, Sawatsky identifies the common patterns, themes, and imagination which these communities share. These commonalities among those that practice healing justice are then examined for their implications for wider society, particularly for restorative justice and criminal justice.

This innovative book is accessible to those new to the topic, while at the same time being beneficial to experienced researchers, and will appeal internationally to practitioners, students, and anyone interested in restorative justice, law, peace building, and religious studies.

Recovery from Depression Using the Narrative Approach

A Guide for Doctors, Complementary Therapists and Mental Health Professionals

Damien Ridge

Recovery from Depression Using the Narrative Approach explores people's experiences of depression, recovery and available treatments. The author explains how, by selecting a variety of 'narrative tools', such as talking therapies, yoga and complementary therapies, as well as conventional medical approaches, people can take control of their condition. By choosing more helpful narratives, they can gain a greater insight into depression, self-management and long-term recovery.

Speaking of Dying

A Practical Guide to Using Counselling Skills in Palliative Care

Louis Heyse-Moore

Good counselling skills are often not taught to the professionals who need them most. Compassionate and tactful communication skills can make the difference between an awkward encounter with a dying patient, and an engaging, empathic bond between two people.

Faith and Fertility

Attitudes Towards Reproductive Practices in Different Religions from Ancient to Modern Times

Edited by Eric Blyth and Ruth Landau

When an individual or couple is considering a difficult choice such as IVF treatment or third party assisted conception, the moral and ethical basis for their decisions may often be informed by their particular faith traditions.

Faith and Fertility is a comprehensive collection of...