Sharon Thornton gives pastoral theology new ears that hear the true depth and breadth of suffering. She dares to look beyond the accepted perspectives of pastoral theology to discern a new vision of hope made possible by the cross. Thornton brings pastoral theology into conversation with public theology, reading them from the perspective of the cross. When interpreted from its political standpoint, the cross offers new and challenging pastoral perspectives on the complex experiences of modern life. The cross of Christ names suffering for what it is, giving us a means of radically critiquing all attempts to camouflage, minimize, or distort the truth of pain. Sharing her experiences of ministering to those anguished by poverty and oppression, Thornton brings to light the external forces that contribute both directly and indirectly to human brokenness. And, through these same stories and the work of a faith community modeling alternative practices in pastoral care, she shows us that there is hope for healing.

Sharon Thornton gives pastoral theology new ears that hear the true depth and breadth of suffering. She dares to look beyond the accepted perspectives of pastoral theology to discern a new vision of hope made possible by the cross. Thornton brings pastoral theology into conversation with public theology, reading them from the perspective of the cross. When interpreted from its political standpoint, the cross offers new and challenging pastoral perspectives on the complex experiences of modern life. The cross of Christ names suffering for what it is, giving us a means of radically critiquing all attempts to camouflage, minimize, or distort the truth of pain. Sharing her experiences of ministering to those anguished by poverty and oppression, Thornton brings to light the external forces that contribute both directly and indirectly to human brokenness. And, through these same stories and the work of a faith community modeling alternative practices in pastoral care, she shows us that there is hope for healing.

Two of the greatest fears in life come in the form of questions we often ask ourselves but rarely say out loud: “Am I okay?” and “Do you love me?” The answer the Gospel gives us is both surprising and just what we need to hear: “No, you are not okay, and, yes, I love you.” Jesus holds these two truths about us together, and this is the good news we desperately need.

Divorce. Abandonment. Abuse. These are just some of the many traumatic issues modern women face. Often, such devastating events leave them feeling worthless and unloved. Their self-esteem plummets-many never fully recover and live life convinced they will never be loved again. Public speaker and Bible study author Paula L. McDonald understands. Over the course of her eventful life, she has endured the pressures of adoption and divorce. She survived two life-threatening tumors, the loss of a lung, and a near-death experience. At times she wanted to give up-but through it all, God never allowed her to quit. Beloved Not Broken is an eight-week Bible study program for women in which McDonald skillfully weaves her own stories of God's grace with those of the amazing women found in the Bible. McDonald, too, has experienced the pain of feeling unloved and broken...only to have her heart healed by divine love. The perfect Bible study companion for individuals or small groups, this testimony reminds women that they are precious beings loved more than they can ever fully comprehend. Learn to accept who you are right now-and find yourself growing ever closer to God and the strength only he can give.

When Nouwen was asked by a secular Jewish friend to explain his faith in simple language, he responded with "Life of the Beloved, " which shows that all people, believers and nonbelievers, are beloved by God unconditionally.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Toni Morrison’s Beloved is a spellbinding and dazzlingly innovative portrait of a woman haunted by the past. Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has borne the unthinkable and not gone mad, yet she is still held captive by memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. Meanwhile Sethe’s house has long been troubled by the angry, destructive ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved. Sethe works at beating back the past, but it makes itself heard and felt incessantly in her memory and in the lives of those around her. When a mysterious teenage girl arrives, calling herself Beloved, Sethe’s terrible secret explodes into the present. Combining the visionary power of legend with the unassailable truth of history, Morrison’s unforgettable novel is one of the great and enduring works of American literature.

A fiercehearted woman looks life in the face and says, "You can't beat me." She knows love is a risk but reaches out anyway. She chases Jesus with a tender, world-changing wildness. She never gives in, never gives up, and never lets go. Best of all, the potential to be a fiercehearted woman is inside each and every woman on earth. In her most powerful book yet, beloved bestselling author Holley Gerth inspires her readers to become the stronger, braver, truer women they long to be by sharing personal stories of her own struggles and victories. As readers join Holley on this journey, they'll discover a freedom they never imagined could be theirs: the freedom to experience life, love, and faith to the fullest because fear can no longer hold them back. For the woman who is restless or longing for more, Fiercehearted is an invitation to the life God has always meant for her to embrace.

Trudell "Tru" Becket finds herself in a bind when her library in lovely Cypress, South Carolina, is turned into a state-of-the-art bookless "technological center." She decides to rescue hundreds of books slated for the town dump, and along with her best friends-coffee shop owner Tori Green and author Flossie Finnegan-Baker, sets up a secret bookroom in the library's basement. When the town manager, who was behind the big push for the library's transformation, is crushed by an overturned shelf of DVDs, Tru becomes the prime suspect. Faster than you can say "Shhhh!" Tru quickly finds herself on the same page with a killer who would love to write her final chapter. -- adapted from publisher info.

In this "raucous, moving, and necessary" story by a Pulitzer Prize finalist (San Francisco Chronicle), the De La Cruzes, a family on the Mexican-American border, celebrate two of their most beloved relatives during a joyous and bittersweet weekend. "All we do, mija, is love. Love is the answer. Nothing stops it. Not borders. Not death." In his final days, beloved and ailing patriarch Miguel Angel de La Cruz, affectionately called Big Angel, has summoned his entire clan for one last legendary birthday party. But as the party approaches, his mother, nearly one hundred, dies, transforming the weekend into a farewell doubleheader. Among the guests is Big Angel's half brother, known as Little Angel, who must reckon with the truth that although he shares a father with his siblings, he has not, as a half gringo, shared a life. Across two bittersweet days in their San Diego neighborhood, the revelers mingle among the palm trees and cacti, celebrating the lives of Big Angel and his mother, and recounting the many inspiring tales that have passed into family lore, the acts both ordinary and heroic that brought these citizens to a fraught and sublime country and allowed them to flourish in the land they have come to call home. Teeming with brilliance and humor, authentic at every turn, The House of Broken Angels is Luis Alberto Urrea at his best, and cements his reputation as a storyteller of the first rank. "Epic . . . Rambunctious . . . Highly entertaining." -- New York Times Book Review"Intimate and touching . . . the stuff of legend." -- San Francisco Chronicle"An immensely charming and moving tale." -- Boston GlobeNational Bestseller and National Book Critics Circle Award finalistA New York Times Notable BookOne of the Best Books of the Year from National Public Radio, American Library Association, San Francisco Chronicle, BookPage, Newsday, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Literary Hub

During what can be a demanding and confusing season of life for many women, Living Beloved offers young mothers a chance to grow in their identity as children of God simply by observing their own little ones. By examining the simple characteristics of a child—transparency, trust, joy, boldness, and more—moms will learn to see their relationship with God their Father in a new way. Author Erin Hawley encourages Christian moms to view early motherhood as a wonderful tutoring session from God, as a lesson in how to grow closer to Him and live “beloved” as His child. The biblical insights and personal stories will renew readers, help them move closer to the Lord, and enjoy life as His child during the everyday routine of mamahood. This insightful and warm-hearted book will nourish a mom’s soul as she nourishes her children. Living Beloved helps young mothers develop a stronger sense of identity as children of God, leading to renewed strength, grace, and wisdom for the journey of motherhood.