https://daveybooks.com Davey Books Mon, 13 Dec 2021 10:58:39 +0000 https://daveybooks.com en https://daveybooks.com/Books-that-beckon-or-call-us-to-the-good-way Wed, 08 Dec 2021 04:03:07 +0000 Davey Books https://daveybooks.com/Books-that-beckon-or-call-us-to-the-good-way “Stand at the crossroads,&nbsp;and look and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies;&nbsp; and walk in it, &nbsp; and find rest for your souls.” Jeremiah 6.16 Books that beckon us to the “good way.” ⟶ https://daveybooks.com/Mobile-Menu Tue, 07 Dec 2021 10:24:05 +0000 Davey Books https://daveybooks.com/Mobile-Menu DaveyBooks —Books Authors Context Contact https://daveybooks.com/Books Mon, 13 Dec 2021 09:29:43 +0000 Davey Books https://daveybooks.com/Books <img width="1892" height="1892" width_o="1892" height_o="1892" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2497cd4b5d6fd79e716c3018112157a8763c6deb2141bfaeb255ea3af5f2d0ad/Walking-the-Line-display.jpg" data-mid="127250345" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2497cd4b5d6fd79e716c3018112157a8763c6deb2141bfaeb255ea3af5f2d0ad/Walking-the-Line-display.jpg" /> <img width="1892" height="1892" width_o="1892" height_o="1892" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/029a7dabfeb10970b3ef5a9808df155b752c5ff8fdaea8c960ad2ef98b6c53b4/The-Passionate-Bride-display.jpg" data-mid="127250344" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/029a7dabfeb10970b3ef5a9808df155b752c5ff8fdaea8c960ad2ef98b6c53b4/The-Passionate-Bride-display.jpg" /> <img width="1892" height="1892" width_o="1892" height_o="1892" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/4ce2fc8b0534ff67d4e8f92c46b4047dc4d6af29a594850b73524f945c94d2c4/Abba-s-Whisper-mockup.jpg" data-mid="127250341" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/4ce2fc8b0534ff67d4e8f92c46b4047dc4d6af29a594850b73524f945c94d2c4/Abba-s-Whisper-mockup.jpg" /> <img width="1892" height="1892" width_o="1892" height_o="1892" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cd930124d89074a353434c776b0e2a9924578cc408acd74eb25793847d5d1dea/A-Persevering-Witness-display.jpg" data-mid="127250340" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/cd930124d89074a353434c776b0e2a9924578cc408acd74eb25793847d5d1dea/A-Persevering-Witness-display.jpg" /> <img width="1892" height="1892" width_o="1892" height_o="1892" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/525290ff63b3214bd6632821caf9520bedc3fc5d6ce38d926bdbfee752b8066a/Climbing-the-Spiritual-Mountain-display.jpg" data-mid="127250343" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/525290ff63b3214bd6632821caf9520bedc3fc5d6ce38d926bdbfee752b8066a/Climbing-the-Spiritual-Mountain-display.jpg" /> https://daveybooks.com/Authors Mon, 13 Dec 2021 10:40:25 +0000 Davey Books https://daveybooks.com/Authors <img width="1200" height="1200" width_o="1200" height_o="1200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2c3e7a7536c58b3614f67e3bcb23ad94d540190450f4e8aa100cc461e080d979/Alan.jpg" data-mid="127253487" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2c3e7a7536c58b3614f67e3bcb23ad94d540190450f4e8aa100cc461e080d979/Alan.jpg" /> Alan Davey is the senior pastor of Weston Park Baptist Church, an inner-city church in Toronto, Canada, and Adjunct Professor of Christian Spirituality and Worship at Tyndale University and Seminary. His educational background includes a DMin from Bethel Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota; a ThM from Toronto School of Theology; an MDiv from Tyndale Seminary, Toronto; an Hon BA from York University, Toronto; and a 3-year diploma in music from Humber College, Toronto. He is also a musician—singer and guitarist. He is co-author of Climbing the Spiritual Mountain (Wipf &amp; Stock, 2014), Abba’s Whisper (Wipf &amp; Stock, 2017), and The Passionate Bride (Wipf &amp; Stock, 2019). Walking the Line (Wipf &amp; Stock, 2021) has just been released. Follow Alan’s newsletter on Substack here⟶ <img width="1200" height="1200" width_o="1200" height_o="1200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a65ffb1a624edf282052959ee8f751b595af81303c230098d8d104df4ef8b55d/Elizabeth.jpg" data-mid="127253488" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/a65ffb1a624edf282052959ee8f751b595af81303c230098d8d104df4ef8b55d/Elizabeth.jpg" /> Elizabeth Davey is Professor Emeritus of English at Tyndale University in Toronto, Canada. Her educational background includes a PhD from the University of Wales, an MA from York University, Toronto; an MA from the University of Washington, Seattle; and a BA from Seattle Pacific University, Seattle. She is also a professional organist and pianist. She is author of A Persevering Witness: The Poetry of Margaret Avison (Pickwick Publications, 2016). She is co-author of Climbing the Spiritual Mountain (2014), Abba’s Whisper (2017), and The Passionate Bride (Wipf &amp; Stock, 2019). https://daveybooks.com/Context Mon, 13 Dec 2021 10:32:51 +0000 Davey Books https://daveybooks.com/Context Years ago at Regent in Vancouver, where we met, we embraced the philosophy of Jim Houston in his vision for Regent College—to aid professional people to be as educated in their Christian faith experience—i.e. their biblical and theological and spiritual understanding—as they are in their academic/career disciplines.That vision has remained with us as we have studied and taught over the last 40 years—Alan in pastoral ministry and theology and Elizabeth in her world of English literature. More than ever, we are passionate about the need to engage Christians in an intentional awareness of the life of the unseen and the eternal. We spend so much energy and time in a political and professional environment that makes us anxious and ineffective and even depressed, in spite of our activity and achievements. We sometimes spend more time defending God than listening to Him! Each of our books touches on familiar topics of scripture reading, prayer, solitude, praise—but defamiliarizing the discussion with questions at the end of the chapter that probe our actual practice. All through the years Alan has been an avid reader of classic spiritual writings in both Catholic and Protestant traditions. Writers such as Evelyn Underhill, David Stendl-Rast, Peter Van Breemen, Karl Rahner, Edward Farrell, Esther DeWaal have shaped his thinking and made their way into insights expressed in his books.He takes quality films to heart; he’s a serious scuba diver and lover of nature—all elements that shape the content of his writing.Elizabeth, of course, has been immersed in literary texts and music that have funded her imaginative and spiritual life, and a few of those works have made their way into each book. https://daveybooks.com/Contact Mon, 13 Dec 2021 10:58:39 +0000 Davey Books https://daveybooks.com/Contact For inquiries, please use the contact form⟶ Links Press release for Walking the Line⟶ Alan Davey on Substack⟶ Chapter-by-chapter discussion of Walking the Line⟶ Reviews &amp; Press Tyler Gallagher, “Alan Davey: How Each Of Us Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our Overall Mental Wellness,” Authority Magazine⟶Tom Moller, “Managing Distractions brought on by the Busy-ness of Life,” Along the Way (94.7 FM The Word KRKS)⟶Alicia Bell, “Reignite Your Spiritual Connection in 2022,” Train It Right⟶“Interview with Alan Davey,”&nbsp;The Power Hour⟶Liz Charlton, “Pastor Alan Davey releases book to ‘Reignite Your Spiritual Conviction in 2022,’”&nbsp;ATV Today⟶Dr. Dravon James, “Walking the Line with Alan Davey,”&nbsp;Everyday Peace (Unity Online Radio)⟶Dr. Jeanette Gallagher, “Alan Davey shares insight into God, religion, dogma, and beliefs through Jesus’s words in Matthew's Gospel,” Wellness Radio with Dr. J (Spreaker/iHeart)⟶ Tom Sumner, Interview with Alan Davey, The Tom Sumner Program⟶ Daniel Cullen, Review in Christ Centered Gamer⟶ https://daveybooks.com/Walking-the-Line-Embracing-the-Imperatives-of-Jesus Mon, 13 Dec 2021 08:41:45 +0000 Davey Books https://daveybooks.com/Walking-the-Line-Embracing-the-Imperatives-of-Jesus <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fee56cba13474dea17138f7efb1ec0936b8197d96e5a7f4f3e60e32ed8f0444a/Walking-the-Line.jpg" data-mid="127244457" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/fee56cba13474dea17138f7efb1ec0936b8197d96e5a7f4f3e60e32ed8f0444a/Walking-the-Line.jpg" /> Links Wipf &amp; Stock⟶ Amazon⟶ Press release⟶ Artwork by Joy Kim⟶ The rule of Jesus articulated in Matthew’s Gospel is neither obscure nor archaic. Jesus’ imperatives speak powerfully to the contemporary issues of our day, and do so, by illuminating a way of clarity, simplicity, and love. Where populism demands separation, Jesus promotes unity; where institutionalism extols hierarchical power, Jesus encourages humble service; where individualism lauds immediate gratification, Jesus asserts the path of sacrificial love. Indeed, as the Gospel of Matthew lays out, the pathway that Jesus defines is one of awareness, self-knowledge, and personal growth. It is a way of generativity, fruitfulness, and abundance. As we travel with Jesus in intimate conversation, we walk the line in a rhythm that fosters advancement, enjoyment, and soulful acceptance.Endorsements “Davey is a pastor, professor, musician, and scuba diver. While he prefers swimming in the ocean depths amongst coral and sea life, I swim in a pool. On the bottom of the pool is a black line that helps me swim straight and count the number of strokes before I hit the wall. I swim the line. Davey suggests we ‘walk the line’ and follow the rules of Jesus as taught in Matthew’s Gospel. With insightful commentary and illustrations from movies, art, classic rock, and spiritual writers, he provides imperative reading on the imperatives of Jesus. Jump into the waters with him and be challenged to swim the line.”⸺ Daniel Scott, Moderator of the 146th General Assembly, The Presbyterian Church in Canada “Walking the Line really challenged me to examine my own walk and relationship with God. I enjoyed Davey’s insights on the importance of a consistent and authentic faith rather than seeking the ‘spiritual highs.’ The questions provided at the end of each chapter are thought-provoking and well suited to include as part of a journaling exercise. This is also an excellent book for a small group study and discussion.”⸺ Tony Kong, Executive Director of a global management consulting firm Reviews &amp; PRESSTyler Gallagher, “Alan Davey: How Each Of Us Can Leverage The Power Of Gratitude To Improve Our Overall Mental Wellness,” Authority Magazine⟶Tom Moller, “Managing Distractions brought on by the Busy-ness of Life,” Along the Way (94.7 FM The Word KRKS)⟶Alicia Bell, “Reignite Your Spiritual Connection in 2022,” Train It Right⟶“Interview with Alan Davey,”&nbsp;The Power Hour⟶Liz Charlton, “Pastor Alan Davey releases book to ‘Reignite Your Spiritual Conviction in 2022,’”&nbsp;ATV Today⟶Dr. Dravon James, “Walking the Line with Alan Davey,”&nbsp;Everyday Peace (Unity Online Radio)⟶Dr. Jeanette Gallagher, “Alan Davey shares insight into God, religion, dogma, and beliefs through Jesus’s words in Matthew's Gospel,” Wellness Radio with Dr. J (Spreaker/iHeart)⟶ Tom Sumner, Interview with Alan Davey, The Tom Sumner Program⟶ Daniel Cullen, Review in Christ Centered Gamer⟶ Discussion Chapter-by-chapter discussion⟶ https://daveybooks.com/The-Passionate-Bride-The-Church-in-Ephesians Sun, 12 Dec 2021 08:00:16 +0000 Davey Books https://daveybooks.com/The-Passionate-Bride-The-Church-in-Ephesians <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/30c5470812eafc64db68d12300b4d244fdbbce3f929d884a16462eaa785ff6d6/The-Passionate-Bride.jpg" data-mid="127173124" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/30c5470812eafc64db68d12300b4d244fdbbce3f929d884a16462eaa785ff6d6/The-Passionate-Bride.jpg" /> Links Wipf &amp; Stock⟶ Bookshop.org⟶ Amazon⟶ St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians is a bold declaration of love. We were in the ruminations of Abba before the stardust formed into galaxies or the earth coalesced into its present shape. Indeed, Abba’s dream for his people already existed in those primordial days. Today we have the opportunity to wake up and embrace his dream with enthusiasm and intentionality. As members of His church, individually and collectively, we want to embrace God’s desire for a dynamic people infused with his passionate love. The church as the bride of Christ is a powerful metaphor engaging the apostle as he writes his letter. Paul’s passion becomes ours as we meditate on his words evoking spiritual desire. It is in this relationship of love that the central purpose of our lives is found. As we gratefully receive Christ’s amity, and as his bride return it, so the entire earth is enflamed with the fires of his love. At the same time, we recognize it is a mystery—this love between Abba and His church. When we receive and reflect Christ’s overtures of love as a community of faith, a synergy is created and released through the interconnectedness of our gifts, talents, and zeal. The church contains the spiritual energy of a nuclear explosion, and when it detonates, it releases a fallout of love, mercy, and compassion, bringing healing to the world and drawing others to the divine presence. Endorsements “St. Cyprian said that those who did not have the church as their mother could hardly have God as their father. The church, after all, was already the fourth ‘I believe’ in the primitive Creed, after the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But the Daveys plunge us further back, into the Ephesian letter of St. Paul, probing his deep and rich metaphors for the church and pointing us back to what we have been losing: not ‘fresh expressions’ or organizations or institutions or consultants—but the local church. Entirely refreshing!”⸺ Paul Friesen, St. Paul’s Church, Halifax, and Atlantic School of Theology “Alan and Elizabeth invite us on a joyful journey to listen to the music of Paul’s ancient letter for shaping our lives in the community of faith. There’s mystery, contemplation, and wisdom in gentle abundance.”⸺ Norm Allen, Touchstone Ministries, Toronto Area “Reading The Passionate Bride is a richly rewarding way to hear Ephesians again, as if for the very first time. As one familiar from multiple readings of this text, Alan and Elizabeth surprise me as they creatively mine the bride metaphor. Challenged, encouraged and then lifted in faith, they give energy to the text and hope to the reader. For example, we are told that ‘If we are feeling overwhelmed, it is an indication that we are either adding extraneous dimensions to our calling or are drifting away from what is essential.’ Their style of mixing personal stories with insights from great literary and life-serving people gives texture to the biblical material, always with grace, pointing us to the Lord Jesus, in whom we are ‘rooted and established in love.’”⸺ Brian C. Stiller, Global Ambassador, The World Evangelical Alliance https://daveybooks.com/Abba-s-Whisper-Listening-for-the-Voice-of-God Mon, 13 Dec 2021 08:10:30 +0000 Davey Books https://daveybooks.com/Abba-s-Whisper-Listening-for-the-Voice-of-God <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/31edaa8cb8c8e118230806a0c6a79028c768fc83e7037fdedb401fc8f194b0e4/Abba-s-Whisper.jpg" data-mid="127243484" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/31edaa8cb8c8e118230806a0c6a79028c768fc83e7037fdedb401fc8f194b0e4/Abba-s-Whisper.jpg" /> Links Wipf &amp; Stock⟶ Bookshop.org⟶ Amazon⟶ There is a longstanding tradition that God whispers in our ears. He does not shout. It is in “the holy whisper” writes the Quaker mystic, that we hear Abba’s voice, not in the noise of clamoring crowds or the incessant barrage of social media. To hear the voice of God is an awesome thing—to know his thoughts, to intuit his love, to participate in his good pleasure. It is both gift to be received and art to be cultivated. It can call to us when we least expect; but we can train ourselves to become receptive listeners. We need help to separate the cacophony of voices calling to us from the quiet whisper of Abba—barely audible. Since our wordy world masks the quiet, respectful voice of God, we need to recognize the primary ways that Abba communicates with his creation. We must embrace practices that move us out of lives of distraction and exchange old patterns of living with new ways of seeing and hearing. From our deep Christian past we hear the voice of St. Augustine murmur, “Whisper in my heart, I am here to save you. I shall hear your voice and make haste to clasp you to myself.” Endorsements “In this beautifully written book, the Daveys gently call us to cultivate our receptivity to the whisper of Abba. They draw on a stunningly rich variety of sources to guide the inner journey: poetry, literature, artistic drawings, scripture, personal story, ancient wisdom, theological truths, spiritual writings, and practical guidance. This volume is nourishment for the soul that both satisfies and leaves you yearning for more.”⸺ Janet Clark, Senior Vice President Academic, Tyndale Seminary, Toronto “Written by two people whose lives and vocations have been lived out in the rhythms of a large cosmopolitan and multicultural urban setting, Abba’s Whisper causes you to pause, listen, and to wait. Alan and Elizabeth Davey, however, are not proposing a simple contemplative journey; they want us to learn to be attentive so that the intimate soft whispers of God are felt and in turn elicit response.”⸺ Gary V. Nelson, President, Tyndale University College &amp; Seminary, Toronto; Author of Leadership in DisOrienting Times https://daveybooks.com/A-Persevering-Witness-The-Poetry-of-Margaret-Avison Mon, 13 Dec 2021 08:27:02 +0000 Davey Books https://daveybooks.com/A-Persevering-Witness-The-Poetry-of-Margaret-Avison <img width="1200" height="1800" width_o="1200" height_o="1800" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9e37c768dd62051906b4855dfc82505d1a9eb4288feea91047eaab9926d40b0b/A-Persevering-Witness.jpg" data-mid="127243729" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9e37c768dd62051906b4855dfc82505d1a9eb4288feea91047eaab9926d40b0b/A-Persevering-Witness.jpg" /> Links Wipf &amp; Stock⟶ Bookshop.org⟶ Amazon⟶ Margaret Avison, one of Canada’s premier poets, is a highly sophisticated and self-conscious writer, both charming and intimidating at the same time. She calls to mind her more famous predecessors—the religious poets George Herbert, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and T. S. Eliot—as she vigorously engages both heart and intellect. “She has forged a way to write against the grain, some of the most humane, sweet and profound poetry of our time,” write the judges of the 2003 Griffin Poetry Prize.Becoming a Christian in her mid-forties, her life and her vocation are transformed and her lyrics record that shift. In “Muse of Danger,” she writes to Christian college students, “But in His strange and marvelous mercy, God nonetheless lets the believer take a necessary place as a living witness in behavior with family and classmate and stranger, in conversation, or in a poem.” How she blends her twin passions of poetry and Christian faith becomes a story of a kind of perseverance. Readers who respond with understanding and empathy recognize both the distinctive mystery of poetic witness and the mystery inherent in Christ’s saving work to which it points. Her enduring witness becomes an implicit call for us to persevere in what Avison identifies as the “mix of resurrection life and marred everyday living.” Endorsements “Margaret Avison, in the very best sense a regional writer, is deeply rooted in a specific community which has nourished her thought and shaped her deepest meditation week by week. Elizabeth Davey, herself an intimate of that community, expertly situates Avison’s poetry in the rich milieu of her religious and communal life, and in so doing helps the reader understand the acute angularity and spiritual resonances of Avison’s verse. For many readers it will be most helpful that Davey shows how thoughtfully Avison reads and innovatively evokes biblical language and thought in her poetry.”⸺ Davids Lyle Jeffrey, FRSC. Distinguished Professor of Literature and the Humanities, Honors Program, Senior Fellow, Baylor Institute for Studies in Religion, Baylor University “Elegant, sensitive, inspiring, and challenging. As the reader journeys into the poems of Margaret Avison with Davey they are in the company of an expert guide to and commentator on both the spiritual and the literary possibilities of Avison’s poetry. No dry literary criticism here, but life-enhancing interpretation and response to Avison’s often oblique call to Christian witness. Meticulously researched and beautifully written. Davey serves both Avison and the reader very well indeed.”⸺ Bernard C. Farr, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford Centre for Mission Studies