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Description
Lively, entertaining, and inspiring, THE SHAPING OF A LIFE is in the tradition of the beloved bestsellers by Kathleen Norris and Anne Lamott, an intimate, lyrical, and thought-provoking memoir from one of the most respected and admired writers on religion in America today.
In THE SHAPING OF A LIFE, Phyllis Tickle recounts her life with honesty and humor, richly conveying both the external events and the internal insights and emotions. She shares stories of her childhood in eastern Tennessee as the only child of the dean at the local college—including her first inkling of the power and comfort of prayer and her realization that prayer required a disciplined routine, that it is “best practiced by a composed mind and spirit.” She writes of the sense of freedom and independence she discovered at college, where she fell in love with the language and the teachings of The Book of Common Prayer and decided to leave the Presbyterianism of her childhood and join the Episcopal Church.
As Tickle chronicles her deepening understanding of prayer and the rewards of marriage, family, and a spiritual life, she reaches across the boundaries that separate one denomination from another and presents a portrait of spiritual growth and transformation that will appeal to devout practitioners and their less religious neighbors as well. Within a very personal story, Tickle reveals the keys that will help readers of all faiths find the path that leads from the everyday world of "doing" to the special place of simply "being."
Awards
Editor's Choice Selection 2001
– amazon.com
"one of the five best books
in non-fiction for 2001"
– Christian Science Monitor
"Best Books of the Year" listing
– Publishers Weekly
Reviews
"A deeply moving memoir by one of America's most accomplished spiritual writers of her journey toward God. With consummate skill, Tickle shows us how a busy outer life, filled with school, marriage, family, and a near-death experience, can give birth to an inner life of prayer and hope. A luminous book, one to be treasured."
— Philip Zaleski,
editor, The Best Spiritual Writing series;
author, Gifts of the Spirit
"Mrs. Tickle writes very well about American life in the mid-twentieth century, and I am sure that many readers will appreciate her spiritual journey. I hope the book will sell hugely!"
— Susan Howatch,
author, Penmarric, Glittering Images, Absolute Truths
"I have always loved Phyllis Tickle, and reading her personal story tells me why. She is real, honest, human, humorous, and deeply spiritual. Her book is a treasure."
— John Shelby Spong,
author, Here I Stand: My Struggle for a Christianity of Integrity, Love and Equality
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