Overview

"""""I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive"""" (Isa 41:19). This book explores pathways to renewal through the powerful metaphor of reforesting the desert places. The soul can sometimes be an arid, thirsty, desiccated place, becoming as exhausted and denuded as land that has been ravaged and stripped of its trees. God's promise is to reforest the wilderness and renew our fruitfulness. This book is a guided retreat, simultaneously enabling attentiveness to the soul while resonating with urgent ecological concerns. The rich symbolism of different trees both in the Bible and in the Christian tradition, including hymnody and poetry, leads us into meditation, reflection, and action. As land that is reforested holds the promise of new beginnings, so this book heartens us with pointers towards spiritual rejuvenation."

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9781666759693

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Reviews

"""In this book, Andrew Mayes invites us to move from an egocentric to an ecocentric view of the soul. Using biblical texts and spiritual writings combined with images of environmental harm and renewal, Mayes shows us how to replant and nurture our inner life. Stepping through the chapters, under the canopy of contrasting trees from the Bible, prayerful exercises help the reader reconnect with the world in a more sustainable way."" --Mark Betson, Church of England national public policy advisor, Lambeth Palace ""From the garden of Eden to the forested avenue outside the New Jerusalem, trees fill the Bible and the Christian imagination. Here Andrew Mayes invites us to see the parallels between our ecologically devastated landscapes and the deserts of our inner world. Drawing widely from the rich writings of saints, prophets, and poets, this delightful, timely and practical book will be refreshing guidance for those who long for the gift of re-creation. Read this and flourish!"" --Chris Webb, deputy warden, Launde Abbey ""Reforesting the Soul is stimulating and inspirational. The prayer exercises challenged me at a deep level and encouraged me to move forward and come to a new closeness to Christ. Praying with trees was a new experience for me, and the feeling of being embraced and challenged by the trees as I sat under them drew me to feeling loved and strengthened and brought to a new inner peace."" --Patricia Townshend, retreatant, Borderlands Retreats ""A deep dive into biblical forest reserves, stunning and moving metaphors, and wisdom teachers provides new inspiration and cleverly encourages the reader to reflect on the exciting possibilities of creating new forests, spiritual and physical."" --Tony Lane, chartered forester"

In this book, Andrew Mayes invites us to move from an egocentric to an ecocentric view of the soul. Using biblical texts and spiritual writings combined with images of environmental harm and renewal, Mayes shows us how to replant and nurture our inner life. Stepping through the chapters, under the canopy of contrasting trees from the Bible, prayerful exercises help the reader reconnect with the world in a more sustainable way. --Mark Betson, Church of England national public policy advisor, Lambeth Palace From the garden of Eden to the forested avenue outside the New Jerusalem, trees fill the Bible and the Christian imagination. Here Andrew Mayes invites us to see the parallels between our ecologically devastated landscapes and the deserts of our inner world. Drawing widely from the rich writings of saints, prophets, and poets, this delightful, timely and practical book will be refreshing guidance for those who long for the gift of re-creation. Read this and flourish! --Chris Webb, deputy warden, Launde Abbey Reforesting the Soul is stimulating and inspirational. The prayer exercises challenged me at a deep level and encouraged me to move forward and come to a new closeness to Christ. Praying with trees was a new experience for me, and the feeling of being embraced and challenged by the trees as I sat under them drew me to feeling loved and strengthened and brought to a new inner peace. --Patricia Townshend, retreatant, Borderlands Retreats A deep dive into biblical forest reserves, stunning and moving metaphors, and wisdom teachers provides new inspiration and cleverly encourages the reader to reflect on the exciting possibilities of creating new forests, spiritual and physical. --Tony Lane, chartered forester

Author Information

Andrew D. Mayes has served as spirituality adviser to the Diocese of Chichester and to the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf. He has lived several years in Jerusalem, firstly as a theological researcher and later as director of courses of St George's College, of which he is an associate professor. He is the author of thirteen spirituality books including the award-winning Learning the Language of the Soul; Beyond the Edge; and, from Wipf and Stock, Gateways to the Divine; Voices from the Mountains; and Climate of the Soul.

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