Romancing the Holy: Gateways to Christian Experience

In these penetrating meditations, Farrington, manager of the Graduate Theological Union Bookstore in Berkeley, Calif., examines from a practical and personal perspective the social and individual forces that underlie the contemporary sea change in religious experience. ""In my line of work,"" she writes, ""I see lots of folks who are searching."" In this book, she sketches a map for their journey, a description of the ""gateways"" through which inner-directed, independent-minded seekers may enter into Christian experience. These gateways include classical disciplines such as spiritual direction, retreats, prayer groups and spiritual reading, as well as contemporary approaches such as online spirituality. Those who fear that the demise of old-line religion has left a whole generation rudderless will take heart at Farrington's evidence not only of spiritual fervor but also of a growing desire for community. (Apr.)