Mistakes, disappointments, suffering, and heartbreak can prevent us from growing physically, emotionally, even spiritually, or they can propel us to a new way of life. Building on the contributions of therapists, holistic healers, and spiritual mentors such as Richard Rohr, James Hollis, Elizabeth Lesser, Bill Plotkin, Ken Wilber, and Thich Nhat Hanh, Dark Splendor takes us on a journey into ""depth"" spirituality, exploring the two halves of life, noting how the perspectives and experiences of the first half of life either leave us frozen emotionally and spiritually, or serve as stepping...

Description: Music, like romance, is the language of the soul. Music allows us to express ourselves, and in so doing makes us feel alive. Jazz music, the only art form created by Americans, reminds us that the genius of America is improvisation; a good beat, a contagious rhythm, an emotional ballad, creative improvisation, jazz has it all. Jazz is the story of extraordinary human beings, black and white, male and female, children of privilege and children of despair, who were able to do what most of us only dream of doing: create art on the spot. Their stories are told in Blue Notes. Blue...

Description: In this third volume of his ""Adventures in Spirituality"" trilogy, Dr. Robert Vande Kappelle travels from Amsterdam to Cairo in search of his cultural and spiritual roots, inviting readers to join him in exploring fabled places across the Mediterranean World. Despite the grave problems centered in this region, it is the birthplace of Western civilization and the source of the world's three guiding religions. Readers unfamiliar with the emergence and development of Western civilization will find Into Thin Places a compelling introduction; others will discover here a new...

Description: In 1989 Dr. Robert Vande Kappelle cycled solo cross-country. The 3,400-mile trip was the seed project for the Washington County (Pennsylvania) chapter of Habitat for Humanity. For forty-two days he went ""Homeless for Habitat,"" placing himself and his personal needs in the hands of strangers he met along the way. At the beginning he cycled across some of the most mountainous--and spectacular--terrain in America. After he crossed the Rockies, a nagging headwind arose, which only intensified with time. That, coupled with a deteriorating bicycle--along one of the most desolate...

Description: The current age marks the transition from modernity to postmodernity, a period as impactful to the Western sensibility as any previous era. The role of religion and the future of Christianity are at stake. At this time of transition, many thoughtful individuals find themselves at a quandary, having reached a ""critical stage"" in their spiritual journey. Prompted by academia, science, reason, culture, and their own experience, they feel compelled to choose between the beliefs they inherited as children and the claims of science, reason, pluralism, and secularism. Beyond Belief...

Humans, seeking to understand the nature of reality, have learned to discern lifes patterns and to respond to lifes vicissitudes by acting wisely, doing what brings happiness and success. The Bible is a record of that journey. It represents the inspired attempt to become wise at the deepest level, living harmoniously with ones community, the earth, and the Creator. Through their inspirational teachings, the sages of the biblical wisdom tradition offer time-honored advice about some of lifes most difficult concerns, including the problem of pain, the suffering of the innocent, the nature of...

About the Contributor(s):
Robert P. Vande Kappelle is College Chaplain and Professor of Religious Studies at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. He is the author of numerous books, including his ""Adventures in Spirituality"" trilogy: Love Never Fails (2006), The Invisible Mountain (2010), and Into Thin Places (2011). His most recent titles are Beyond Belief (2012), a theological gestalt, and Iron Sharpens Iron (2013), its discussion guide (2013). He is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Mistakes, disappointments, suffering, and heartbreak can prevent us from growing physically, emotionally, even spiritually, or they can propel us to a new way of life. Building on the contributions of therapists, holistic healers, and spiritual mentors such as Richard Rohr, James Hollis, Elizabeth Lesser, Bill Plotkin, Ken Wilber, and Thich Nhat Hanh, Dark Splendor takes us on a journey into ""depth"" spirituality, exploring the two halves of life, noting how the perspectives and experiences of the first half of life either leave us frozen emotionally and spiritually, or serve as stepping...

About the Contributor(s):
Robert P. Vande Kappelle is College Chaplain and Chair of Religious Studies at Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including the volumes that comprise his ""Adventures in Spirituality"" trilogy--Love Never Fails (2006), The Invisible Mountain (2010), and Into Thin Places (2011)--and his most recent volume Beyond Belief (2012). He is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Humans are happiest when they live virtuously. Building on the premise that the purpose of life is happiness conducive to the equitable flourishing of all humanity, Living Graciously on Planet Earth argues that the appropriate way to regard our abilities and moral opportunities is as gifts for the common good, to be used for the glory of God, guided by the biblical principles of stewardship and community. Utilizing a biblical approach and a Trinitarian perspective, while maintaining an appreciative eye to the contributions of the worlds living religions, Dr. Vande Kappelle argues for a...