It seems counterintuitive: conflict can be a blessing. But Catholic theologian and conflict mediator Ann M. Garrido identifies conflict as a potentially fruitful exchange that arises from living and working together in the diverse world God created. Garrido, author of the bestselling Redeeming Administration, offers twelve practical habits for responding to conflict, pairs each habit with a spiritual companion from history, and offers questions and prayers for growth. In Redeeming Conflict, Ann Garrido explains that conversion comes through conversation, that there is a difference between “the truth” and “my truth,” and that you should be curious and practice “Pentecost listening”—or empathic listening—even if you think something is way off base. Garrido will help Christian leaders discover how to speak directly with colleagues about tensions and about how to know themselves well enough to keep from becoming defensive in the face of negative feedback. She uses saintly examples to illustrate her points, calling upon stories of St. Francis and a Muslim sultan, Leo the Great, Archbishop Óscar Romero, and Our Lady, Undoer of Knots. Garrido also offers sample exercises and tools to work through conflict within an organization and provides self-assessment questions and a prayer at the end of each chapter to help apply it to your personal and professional life. A small group discussion guide and a parish resource guide, which features homily and bulletin aids are available as a free downloads for the book. Redeeming Conflict was a 2017 winner of the Association of Catholic Publishers Excellence in Publishing Award: Resources for Ministry (Second Place) and Honorable Mention in the 2017 Catholic Press Association Book Awards: Professional Books.

Discover practical advice on resolving conflicts and dealing with crises within the church---and learn how to turn each situation into an opportunity for grace. In this hope-filled book, experts Barthel and Edling take you through the Acts 15 model of approaching dissension in order to provide a clear, godly way forward to redemptive reconciliation. 204 pages, softcover from Hendrickson.

Ann Garrido’s 2009 article in America magazine on the spirituality of administration in Catholic settings created a wave of demand in this successful academic administrator’s already full speaking schedule. Garrido admits that she sometimes finds administration draining, even boring, as it fractures her days into “tiny shards of time” that make it impossible to focus on “the big ideas.” And yet she has found spiritual gifts in her many years as a theologian, parish minister, and administrator in higher education. In Redeeming Administration, she reveals those gifts by examining twelve spiritual habits for Catholic leaders in parishes, schools, religious communities, and other institutions—presenting a saint who embodies each habit—and showing readers how to experience their administrative work as a crucial ministry of the Church. A brief prayer and questions for personal reflection, group conversation, or spiritual direction complete each chapter. Free downloads to accompany Redeeming Administration include a small-group guide and prayer resources.

On reclaiming the moral roots of capitalism for a virtuous future For good or ill, the capitalism we have is the capitalism we have chosen, says Kenneth Barnes. Capitalism works, and the challenge before us is not to change its structure but to address the moral vacuum at the core of its current practice. In Redeeming Capitalism Barnes explores the history and workings of this sometimes-brutal economic system. He investigates the effects of postmodernism and unpacks biblical-theological teachings on work and wealth. Proposing virtuous choices as a way out of such pitfalls as the recent global financial crisis, Barnes envisions a more just and flourishing capitalism for the good of all.

Ken Sande, author of the bestselling classic The Peacemaker, has long been a trusted resource on the topic of conflict resolution. In Resolving Everyday Conflict, Sande distills his message to the essentials, quickly equipping readers with the tools they need to bring peace to their relationships. Everyone encounters conflict--whether it be with a coworker, family member, friend, or complete stranger. And yet we all desire harmony in our relationships. Resolving Everyday Conflict is a practical, biblical, concise guide to peacemaking in everyday life that can turn tumultuous relationships into peaceful ones.

When human beings are involved in any endeavor, conflict is inevitable. But the best fight is the one a church never has to have because its members have been intentionally cultivating practices that lead to peace and preserve unity. Whether they are dealing with conflict right now or hoping to avoid it later, church members, pastors, and ministry leaders will benefit from the proactive approach to peacemaking found in The Peacemaking Church, which will equip them with the knowledge and practices they need to instill in their church leadership and membership. Foreword by Ken Sande.

Winner of a second-place award in the church professional category from the Catholic Media Association. The mere mention of “truth” will often start arguments, even among the best of friends and the closest of family members. To avoid conflict, Church leaders often side-step the topic altogether. In Let’s Talk about Truth, Ann M. Garrido shares practical ways that preachers and others charged with moral and spiritual leadership in the Church can stop backing away from the topic and instead help Catholics recover the practice of truth as a way of life. In Let’s Talk about Truth, award-winning author and associate professor of homiletics Ann M. Garrido shows Catholic preachers, teachers, and other leaders ways to approach the contentious topic of truth with confidence that the Church’s intellectual and pastoral traditions are squarely on their side. She explores truth as a multifaceted reality that serves four foundational roles in the Christian life. Truth: equips us to see the world as it actually is informs our opinions and assists us with making judgments shapes the way we communicate with each other enables us to build long-lasting relationships with one another Garrido’s clarity and conviction inspire confidence and the practical homiletic tools she offers are readily applicable to teaching and other forms of Church leadership. Sample preaching texts illustrate key points and show readers how to understand truth as a way of life that the Christian must pursue. Each chapter includes a summary of key insights, a list of practical takeaways, and probing questions for self-reflection or group dialogue. Garrido also provides a five-point assessment tool for preachers in a brief appendix to facilitate their willingness and growth toward better preaching about the practice of truth in the Christian life.

Women have a strong desire for relational connections. Relationships between women can be especially enriching, but when conflict arises, they also can be especially damaging. Too many women approach conflict as if they were unbelievers-with gossip, spiteful actions, bitterness, and even hatred. In Peacemaking Women, Tara Klena Barthel and Judy Dabler offer a meaningful, lasting message to lead women out of conflict to a state of peace where they can live as representatives of Christ to one another and well as unbelievers. With advice that is firmly rooted in Scripture, the authors bring sound, practical help for women who want to know what the Bible says about conflict resolution and how to achieve peace in their relationships with God, self, and others.

Power has a God-given role in human relationships and institutions, but it can lead to abuse when used in unhealthy ways. Speaking into current #MeToo and #ChurchToo conversations, this book shows that the body of Christ desperately needs to understand the forms power takes, how it is abused, and how to respond to abuses of power. Although many Christians want to prevent abuse in their churches and organizations, they lack a deep and clear-eyed understanding of how power actually works. Internationally recognized psychologist Diane Langberg offers a clinical and theological framework for understanding how power operates, the effects of the abuse of power, and how power can be redeemed and restored to its proper God-given place in relationships and institutions. This book not only helps Christian leaders identify and resist abusive systems but also shows how they can use power to protect the vulnerable in their midst.

With Playing God, Andy Crouch opens the subject of power, elucidating its subtle activity in our relationships and institutions. He gives us much more than a warning against abuse, though. Turning the notion of "playing God" on its head, Crouch celebrates power as the gift by which we join in God's creative, redeeming work in the world.