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This is a new, comprehensive and encouraging guide to Catholic pastoral care. With its deep and overt foundations in the ministry and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth and on a Catholic tradition of caring that has marked its identity since the earliest days of Christian community, the book deeply reflects on the meaning of care. It also confronts a challenging question for our time: Why have we lost the ability to care? Thus, the author's insistence that Catholic pastoral care begins not with those who need our caring, but with our relationship with God revealed in Christ because in Christ we have already experienced and known love and hope, compassion and mercy. Assuming that relationship, the book offers reflections and informed commentary on various models of caring, the reality and meaning of suffering, the qualities of carers, and the need for acceptance (and love!) of oneself as a forerunner to caring for others. Then follows extensive, detailed information and practical guidance on pastoral occasions where care is required in response to the real needs of our fellow humans: times of crisis, serious illness, death and grieving. Behind the text is the assumption that people matter; that current Western society's emphasis on the material as the primary criterion for valuing individuals is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ. In such a society that measures worth on the criteria of success, wealth and popularity, Catholic pastoral care is counter cultural, whether its focus is young people growing up, discovering what matters in life or older people experiencing the consequences of our 'throw away' society that no longer values them. The book is about caregiving that involving physical effort, practical assistance, spiritual wisdom, relationship development, faith nurturing, justice seeking; about growing together and, in the light of the Jesus tradition, making the world we live in a more welcoming, forgiving and caring place.

In 1 Peter 3:15, we are commanded Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you.In our current age when there is a deepening sense of loss around notions of God, truth and reasons for being, the call of 1 Peter call has a new and wider urgency, requiring fresh ways of presenting the Gospel tradition in a more public forum.Public theology, therefore, certainly belongs within a tradition that is as old as the Christian community called church. But unlike older forms of apologetics that were generally addressed to individuals, public theology addresses the moral and social concerns of political structures and systems of power within governments, corporations and ecclesial institutions.Faith and the Political in the Post Secular Age offers a religious and spiritual contribution to the political space and engages in transparent and publicly accessible dialogue with those beyond the immediate faith communities.This collection of essays challenges widespread public scepticism, offering an optimistic account of the human person. An ecumenical work, the authors challenge the current polarising rise of aggressive atheism and closed-truth fundamentalisms, both religious and economic.Faith and the Political in the Post Secular Age is mindful that a Gospel inspired prophetic voice seeks to persuade rather than coerce, to strike a balance between individual autonomy and the protection of the common good. Appealing to those of faith and none, written by leading scholars, yet in a conversational style that is accessible to the modern reader, Faith and the Political in the Post Secular Age opposes the growing cultural dominance of 'fake news' and advocates for rigorous 'truth-seeking.'Grounded in a concrete social and ecclesial reality, the collection presents Christian humanism at its best, as a hope-filled way of living. It is foremost a call to action, one that openly challenges controlling, dominating interests, unambiguously speaking truth to power. The authors present a hope in God that is built upon a pragmatic foundation of moral, social, political and economic action. In so doing, they effectively challenge contemporary cultural narratives of individualism and division, providing an inspirational Gospel vision of hope for human solidarity.Contributors: Anthony Maher, Elaine Graham, Bob Dixon, Andrew Cameron, John Warhurst, Terry A. Veling, Brendan Long, Frank Brennan

This is the story of the part one man played in the origins, development and general acceptance of Australia's policy of Multiculturalism.James Houston traces his role in Multiculturalism's earliest formulation. In 1973, strategically located in the Immigration Department - and contrary to the views of its officials - he distilled his vision for Australia's future into a speech written for Al Grassby, Minister for Immigration in the Whitlam Government. He drew on the convictions of some visionary academics and Melbourne migrant activists, as well as his own four-year Australia-wide field research with ethnic community leaders.Following the Dismissal, in the face of the Fraser Government's disinterest and grudging funding, he recounts the heroic seven-year struggle by the puny Office of Community Relations to implement the new Racial Discrimination Act. Houston's 'simple' role was to reshape community attitudes towards the discrimination experienced by Aborigines and migrants! In the process, his Christian convictions about social justice would be sharpened.So how did the son of an unemployed labourer, born during the Great Depression, find himself in this role? Benefiting from quality education in NSW for gifted but poorer students and accessing Sydney University through scholarships, he became a modern languages teacher - in NSW, UK and Germany.On a lighter note, the book evokes a 1940s childhood, a dawning awareness of the wider world and a fascination with language, culture and travel - each a lifelong passion. It traces a long and purposeful life marked by creative endeavours, delight in travels worldwide and a love for tutoring university students in China. Ordained to the Anglican ministry in later life, he served as vicar in Melbourne's neediest parish and, later, as Director of Cross-Cultural Ministry for the Diocese.The closing chapters offer a Christian commentary on life in Australia today and the search for meaning in a fractured world. The Memoir describes a life-embracing journey of faith and self-discovery with God as gracious companion.

There is general agreement that Christianity in the West is facing a major crisis, with research confirming that there is a rapid decline in church membership, especially among young people.Why is this happening? And does the crisis present opportunities for the church in its evangelising mission? Why has the life and teachings of Jesus - the way of Jesus - become so complicated?Based on a key New Testament text that the Spirit 'blows where it wills', the author argues that part of the problem is that so much of Church doctrine, structure and life is based on a world view that no longer makes sense. In faith, he reflects on how the Jesus tradition can be presented to a world where scientific discovery makes us aware of our planet within a vast universe and the interconnectedness of every living thing in the cosmos.He asks what are the implications of this new cosmic awareness for the Christian story in the third millennium? He well understands the experience of those many people who have abandoned traditional church communities yet express deep longings for spiritual sustenance and support to lead a good life; and to find meaning in their Christian heritage or recover something of a lost faith heritage.He calls for serious and sustained renewal in the church, attentive to the Spirit, learning to trust, listen, study, celebrate, act and above all, discern the most authentic paths to experience the presence of a living God in our ever-evolving world.This call includes a series of 'what if' questions to stimulate thought, reflection, discussion and planning. It includes spiritual renewal and meditation, the recovery of lectio divina, the strengthening of prayer and meditation, a renewed appreciation of the arts and music, an attitude of wonder and thanks for the beauty and complexity of our cosmos.

Geoffrey Lilburne is a Minister of the Uniting Church in Australia, a theologian and poet, with qualifications in counselling and professional supervision.Joy Interrupted is his memoir of a life lived with depression. It is an honest, occasionally harrowing account of his experiences of depression and anxiety that affected his private and professional life; and of the various treatments offered to help him live with the difficult stresses of mental illness. It details what worked, and what didn't; what professional advice proved useful, and what was less effective. It records the development of medications and therapies that were available in his lifetime as well as the attitudes and reactions of others to his condition.It traces his life as student and academic, in Australia and the United States, his growth and development as theologian and minister, his work as a senior member of the Uniting Church's Assembly team and significant failures at various times in his personal life as well as in the academy and ministry. But more significantly, it relates how his discovery of prayer and spirituality enriched his life and helped him find ways of negotiating the various difficult symptoms of mental illness. His experience encourages him to share his insights and to offer to others realistic ways of coping with depression. He offers practical guidelines about the illness and its treatment and asks questions about how we night might move towards a holistic understanding of a condition that impacts brain chemistry, social interaction and the very spirit of a person. From a holistic definition of depression, he points to ways in which the treatment of the condition might need to be reshaped in practice. Based on the memoir and his reflections on his life, he traces a pathway to the rediscovery of joy that will help others as they seek to live with their depression and rediscover their joy.

"Extraordinary book to which all students can relate. The author did a fantastic job of connecting with readers to empower them to do better in their own lives. The five-minute to-do list and 45 techniques are extremely useful and will not only help you in college, but also in real life." MARQUIS GAUBATZ, Sophomore, Public Relations, University of Texas, San Antonio. "This helpful and humorous collection of tips can foster the perpetually busy student's success in and outside the classroom. The book is a quick read, yet packs in the necessary information. The candor and wit are refreshing." SOPHIA MOSSBERG, Freshman, Barnard College, Columbia University, NY. "This book is the perfect prescription for anyone looking to get his or her life on track by setting appropriate priorities and planning a college schedule accordingly. The most significant characteristic of this book that makes it so easy to read is the humor. This book is hysterical! I have one piece of advice: JUST READ IT!" MATTHEW EVINS, Graduate Student, Miami University, OH. Are you scrambling to keep up with all of your work and gasping for more time to do it all? Are you spinning out of control? Do you have five minutes to spare? Then this is the time-management solution for you and all undergraduate and graduate students, especially freshman. The five-minute to-do list alone will increase free time by 20% or more. There are 45 other effective techniques, adapted from best practices in business and industry, which can easily be incorporated into your daily routine to streamline studying, test preparation, and personal appointments. Imagine the feeling of being ahead, relaxed, and in control with time to squander; instead of being behind, unprepared, and playing catch-up all of the time with the accompanying stress, tension, and frustration.

"The definitive guide for injecting humor into the workplace. This is the ultimate step-by-step manual, designed to give you control over your work culture. With humor, laughter, and play, you can create a work environment that will attract the very best people and coax the very best performances out of them." KARYN BUXMAN, President, Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, and Publisher, The Journal of Nursing Jocularity. This is your manual for infusing humor into your business, corporation, college, or university to create a fun work environment. You are probably laughing right now and thinking: Fun in my organization? You must be kidding. You do not know the people I work with. They end sentences with prepositions all the time. It is written expressly for corporate leaders, such as HR directors, managers, and trainers, and college administrators and faculty. Unlike available books on the topic, this one reveals 45 tips that are critical to the success of humor in the workplace and in the classroom, K-college: choosing the right stuff, delivering humor like a pro, practicing your performance, considering the most important characteristics of your audience, and creating an atmosphere conducive to fun. The author presents specific guidelines for setting standards for appropriate humor and also out-of-bounds offensive humor, such as put-downs, sarcasm, ridicule, and sexual content and innuendo. In these turbulent financial times, can you afford to ignore the bottom line? Humor can boost productivity, increase retention, improve recruitment, decrease absenteeism, improve morale, and decrease stress, tension, and anxiety, plus 20 other individual and relational benefits. It is a WIN-WIN proposition. A BONUS CHAPTER is also included on how to create TV, movie, and Broadway parodies you can use in meetings, workshops, team-building exercises, and teaching and training.