Seeing and Believing

Synopsis: In a cinematic culture where multiple visions of reality "play" at the same time, it is critical that Christian believers know how to confidently identify and "discern," among other stories, the Jesus-story that defines their most important commitment in life. Using the optical metaphor of the "eye of faith," the author identifies the spiritual life as a "visual life." Through themes such as "looking through Jesus' eyes," the bible as a "visionary text," and the church as a "wide-eyed people," he builds a connecting bridge between the seeing-soul in Christian spirituality, and the twenty-first century as the "age of the eye." The key words for this exploration are spirituality, discipleship, insight, luminescence, and optical "therapy." The author proposes the need for a "catechism of the eye" that will lead to the renewal of Christian ministry, spirituality, discipleship, and identity. Endorsements: "Spirituality is about seeing more clearly, and in this book the author gives readers new lenses to improve their vision. Scripture tells us to 'taste and see.' This book will allow you to 'look and see' that we have been in God's presence all along." --Dean Nelson Point Loma Nazarene University "Theologically informed and passionate, Stuart Devenish offers us a spiritually insightful reflection on the nature of seeing and not just looking. Clearly a Christ-centered paradigmatic imagination is important to a vital and authentic Christian spirituality in our time. A worthy read." --Alan Hirsch Author of Untamed: Revitalizing a Missional Form of Discipleship "The Church is called to develop a 'catechism of the eye' to enable God's people to adopt a God's-eye point of view. This book is a rich and highly readable resource that shows us how to train the inner eye to be faithful. It is for men and women of faith everywhere who are interested in engaging more deeply in the nurture of souls." --Robyn Wrigley-Carr Lecturer and researcher in Christian spirituality PhD candidate, St. Andrews University Author Biography: Stuart C. Devenish is a teacher, practitioner, researcher, and consultant in the field of Christian spirituality. He holds a PhD in the meaning of religious experience, and is author of Knowing Otherwise and editor of Beyond Well-Being.