This book mines the history of the church for spiritual disciplines that have been largely forgotten in the practice of Christianity. After introductory material that considers the human longing for spirituality and setting a working definition of the term, there is a historical and theological exploration of sixteen different ancient practices.

Table of Contents Foreword.....6 Acknowledgements.....9 Part I: Introduction......11 1. The Quest for God.....13 2. What is Spirituality and How Do You Practice It?.....25 Part II: Via Contemplativa: Contemplative Approaches to Spirituality.....33 3. Silence and Solitude.....37 4. Sacred Reading.....47 5. The Jesus Prayer......59 6. Centering Prayer......69 7. Meditation.....77 8. The Ignatian Examen.....87 9. Icons.....97 10. Spiritual Direction.....107 11. The Daily Office.....117 Part III: Via Activa: Bodily Approaches to Spirituality.....125 12. The Labyrinth.....127 13. Stations of the Cross.....135 14. Pilgrimage.....149 15. Fasting.....159 16. The Sign of the Cross and Other Bodily Prayers.....169 17. Sabbath.....179 18. Service.....189 Epilogue: Developing a Rule of Life......195 Notes......201 Resources......213 1. Book Resources.....214 2. Web Resources.....218 3. A Short List of Christian Spiritual Classics.....221