Several members of the diocesan community have recently published new books on topics ranging from desert spirituality to criminal justice to life-changing grace; understanding the Psalms to unpacking travel experiences.
Oblivion: Grace in Exile With a Monk Behind Bars
By the Rev. Dennis Gibbs
Brother Dennis Gibbs tells the story of his journey through decades of poverty, addiction, homelessness and incarceration into life as a monk who steps out of the monastery daily to walk with those living in exile in jails and prisons. From a history of family alcoholism and child abuse in a small southern Idaho town through twenty-five years of addiction to a hard landing in Los Angeles, Gibbs weaves his story into those of the incarcerated men and women he serves in a tale of suffering, grace and redemption. Gibbs, a founding member of the Community of Divine Love monastery in San Gabriel and a deacon of the diocese, is executive director of Prism Restorative Justice, a ministry in Los Angeles County jails and hospitals.
Imagining a Greater Justice: Criminal Violence, Punishment and Relational Justice
By the Rev. Samuel H. Pilsbury
Pilsbury, a deacon of the Diocese of Los Angeles, has written a book that challenges many deep-rooted assumptions about wrongdoing, as well as ideas about freedom and individuality and the obligations owed to strangers. Imagining a Greater Justice offers a well-informed look at violence, race, and restorative justice, including often-ignored moral and ethical issues. Pillsbury teaches criminal law, American legal history, criminal procedure, criminal practice and public speaking for lawyers. A former newspaper reporter, he has been a assistant U.S. attorney, criminal division, in Los Angeles. He joined the Loyola faculty in 1986. He is a volunteer chaplain at Men’s Central Jail and state prisons.
Trusting YHWH: Abiding Legacy of the Ancient Hebrew Psalms
By the Rev. Lorne Weaver
Weaver is a retired priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. He is a graduate of Gordon College, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary, and did post-graduate work at The Claremont School of Theology. He lives in Upland, California. The book also features a foreword by James A. Sanders, professor at Bloy House (Episcopal Theological School at Claremont).
Ordained by Angels: A Memoir of an AIDS Chaplain
By the Rev. Canon Jerry Anderson
A look at how the AIDS epidemic and Anderson’s struggle to be accepted as a gay priest shaped his personal and professional life. It delves into how he fought to keep his faith in a loving God and maintain his sanity in the midst not only of friends and loved ones dying, but the pushback by conservative elements of the church. Anderson served as a chaplain for 23 years, recently retiring as Good Samaritan’s director of pastoral care.
Desert Spirit Places: The Sacred Southwest
By the Rev. Brad Karelius
The iconic landscape of the American Southwest reveals the luminescent Mitten rock formations, looming rock arches, and vast sagebrush oceans made vivid and memorable by writer Tony Hillerman, artist Georgia O’Keefe, and director John Ford. Karelius guides the reader into hidden mysteries of the sacred as revealed by the Zuni, Navajo/Diné, Hopi, Hispanos, and desert mystics, seeking spiritual encounters in these desert spirit places. Karelius is an associate professor of philosophy at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo and rector emeritus of Church of the Messiah, Santa Ana. He is author of The Spirit in the Desert: Pilgrimages to Sacred Sites in the Owens Valley (2009) and Encounters with the World’s Religions: The Numinous on Highway 395 (2015).
After the Trip: Unpacking Your Crosscultural Experience
By Cory Trenda
A unique guide that helps individuals and teams to make the most of a crosscultural trip after returning home. Readers will find help with navigating the crucial reentry process, remembering and sharing key stories, interweaving new insights into everyday life, and engaging in continuing learning and service. Combining practical tips, reflections, and stories from Trenda’s decades of cross-cultural travel, this is a resource for organizations, churches, schools, and all travelers who want cross-cultural trips to be a catalyst for lasting good. The author, a member of St. John Chrysostom Church, Ranch Santa Margarita, helps lead World Vision’s Innovation Fund and serves major contributors in reducing extreme poverty around the globe.
These books are available at The Cathedral Bookstore (213.482.2040) and other booksellers.