Mitford, Monks and Mujahideen

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Oxford theologian McGrath, whose recent "In the Beginning" chronicled the history of the King James Bible, offers here a personal look at his own spiritual journey. He admits that his own early attempts to know Christ were marked by rational investigations of Jesus' life and times, as well as intellectual struggles with church doctrine. McGrath's turning point came about a year and a half after he became a Christian, when he read Philippians 3:8 ("I regard everything as a loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus as my Lord").

As a result of this personal epiphany, McGrath immersed himself in the classical writings of Christian spirituality, ranging from Bernard of Clairvaux and Francis de Sales to Teresa of Avila. He concludes from his search that Christ must be known not only with the mind but also with the heart, imagination and memory. He asserts that Christ can be discovered in the experiences of loneliness, anxiety, doubt and suffering, and he uses biblical descriptions of encounters with Christ to demonstrate the many ways that Christ can be known.

McGrath counsels Christians against falling in love with the world, and cites an unwillingness to grow spiritually as a barrier to knowing Christ fully. But his memoir-cum-devotional is little more than a series of religious tracts stretched into a full-length book. Unreflective, repetitious and didactic in tone, McGrath's book provides few new insights into the spiritual journey.

Japanese philosopher D.T. Suzuki once called Swedenborg the Buddha of the North. The 18th-century Swedish mystic's visionary writings also deeply influenced Emerson, Blake, Strindberg and Helen Keller. First published over 50 years ago and now available in English for the first time, Benz's superb biography brings to life this scientific and religious genius.

Born in the late 17th century as the third child of a Swedish Lutheran bishop, the young Emanuel absorbed the humanistic currents of the time, reveling in the mechanistic theories of Isaac Newton. When he went to England to study, Swedenborg met Newton and was conducted into his circles. By 1740, however, he had turned from the principles of mechanistic science to organic science, thus arguing for the unity of all things. Early in the 1740s he began to experience dreams and visions that informed his own scientific work. In 1744, Swedenborg's life was changed forever when God appeared to him and told him his mission was to explain... the spiritual meaning of Scripture. From then on, Swedenborg wrote of angels, paradise, the last judgment and the New Jerusalem, explaining them all in terms of the inner sense of Scripture.

While many regarded Swedenborg as an eccentric, Benz shows that he was really no different from the medieval mystics or the Hebrew prophets in his ability to transmit God's revelation to his community. Although the prose is workmanlike, Benz's first-rate biography offers a compelling portrait of this extraordinary religious leader.

Billing itself as the one and only collection of prayers for Pagans of any tradition, Ceisiwr Serith's "A Book of Pagan Prayer" includes prayers to Celtic, Egyptian, Zoroastrian and other deities. It is organized thematically, making it convenient to use if one is seeking prayers for specific occasions, seasons, times of day, meals or milestones.

While the word prophet may summon images of bearded folk proclaiming the end of the world, Sandford, a Congregational pastor, sees prophets as intermediaries, people who help others hear God and who offer blessings, healing, judgment, warning, intercessory prayer and reconciliation for both individuals and institutions. This book is about the history of prophecy and prophets as well as practical ways to understand and apply prophecy today, based on Sandford's own experience as a modern prophet.

Sandford relies heavily on the Bible to describe the prophetic office, asserting, for example, that prophets are not, contrary to popular Christian tradition, infallible. Instead, he says, prophecy is a gift honed over time; those who hear prophetic words should subject them to tests of judgment by praying, waiting and asking others for advice. Sandford also acknowledges that sometimes God works in completely unfathomable ways, as when people die despite intercessory prayer, or when tragedy occurs to someone walking closely with God. Prophets must learn to live with unanswered questions, he explains. There comes a time when God does not answer, when we just have to let go and trust and honor His arcane wisdom.

This frustrated yet faith-filled acknowledgment of mystery, as well as Sandford's frequent admissions of his own mistakes over the years, contributes to a humble tone throughout the book. Combined with Sandford's anecdotes and sensible advice, this is an appealing introduction for even non-charismatics interested in learning more about this particular area of Christianity.

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