Stepping Out with the Sacred: Human Attempts to Engage the Divine

Description

Val Webb describes in this book how humans have engaged the Divine across religions and centuries, through rituals, art, sacred places, language and song. Drawing on personal and observed experience of travel and meetings with strangers, Webb uses her anecdotes to supplement her analysis of centuries of theology, literature and travel writing. The sum effect is to remind us that we need as many stories as possible in order to engage the Sacred-beyond-description, even if only to remind us of the distance still to go and the limitless (and sometimes unsuccessful) journey. The result is an interwoven, vivid, and theologically reflective reading experience.

Val Webb is a lecturer in religion, with a graduate degree in science and a Ph.D. in theology. She is the author of 10 books, including Florence Nightingale: The Making of a Radical Theologian and In Defence of Doubt: an invitation to adventure. Her book John's Message: Good News for the New Millennium was commissioned by the World Methodist Council. She now lives in Mudgee, Australia, and continues to write and lecture. www.valwebb.com.au

Val Webb is one of the most exciting Christian voices in the 21st Century. Brilliantly she penetrates beneath the surface of traditional religious formulations and discovers the power and purpose of words as having the ability to point to a realm of truth that words cannot finally capture. -- Bishop John Shelby Spong Something More-the sacred, the divine, mystery, the numinous, GOD! How do we connect? Where do we connect? When do we connect? Val Webb takes us on an exciting journey through the many ways that people of many faiths have tried to connect with the Sacred, playing hide and seek with the Divine. A challenging journey for those still seeking to connect! A fascinating journey for those who like to 'count the ways'! An exploration that is exciting, brilliant and accessible to all-but haunted by the ultimate question: Do we really connect? -- Norman Habel, Professorial Fellow. Years ago the author of Honest to God, and The Human Face of God, Bishop John T Robinson, challenged the Christian world to let scholarship lead the way to a new understanding of the faith. Now Val Webb has convincingly shown that the vast knowledge of world religions can lead us to a new more inclusive appreciation of God, which can deepen our spiritual experience as well as forge bridges of understanding between faiths. -- Dr. Rachael Kohn, The New Believers: Re-imagining God. Producer and Presenter of The Spirit of Things on ABC Radio 'An intelligent, fascinating and very approachable book. It would be ideal for anyone interested in dialogue with people of other faiths and for small discussion groups, especially book clubs.' -- Insights 'A comprehensive work covering extensive terrain...an encyclopaedic work which draws on a vast range of written and lived sources... a highly readable book that will appeal to all.' -- Crosslight