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Media Kit
Most of us, seeing a respectable lady shopping in London’s Bond Street, searching, let us say, for a sensible pair of new shoes, are hardly likely to suspect that we are looking at a God-intoxicated woman, comparable in her inner nature to a St. Francis of Assisi. So it was with the little-known Protestant Lilian Staveley (c. 1878-1928), one of the most remarkable Christian saints of recent times. The present volume is an edited compilation of Staveley’s three published books: The Prodigal Returns, The Romance of the Soul, and The Golden Fountain. Lilian speaks to ordinary men and women in the world, teaching us to combine an inner and hidden “blessed intercourse” with Jesus Christ, along with an outward life of everyday duties and correspondence with fellow-beings. She speaks directly from her heart and her wisdom is the wisdom of love.
About the Author(s)
Lilian Staveley
Lilian Staveley (c. 1878-1928) was an Englishwoman of the late Victorian era who led the life of a seemingly “ordinary soul” of the time. It was only after her death that her husband, Brigadier General John Staveley, and others, learned that she had anonymously published three books. These books (The Prodigal Returns, The Romance of the Soul, and The Golden Fountain) contained autobiographical passages of a soul’s mystic and private journey back to God, and insights and advice accessible to all readers seeking more knowledge of how to deepen our individual relationships with the Divine. World Wisdom has published the following books containing Lilian Stavely's work: UL REMOVED
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Joseph A. Fitzgerald
Joseph Fitzgerald has authored or edited several books on diverse world religions and philosophy that have won more than ten awards, including the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Award. The subjects include Buddhism, Hinduism, the American Indians, Christianity, the ecological crisis and the Perennial Philosophy. Fitzgerald studied Comparative Religion at Indiana University, where he also earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree. He is an adopted grandson of Thomas Yellowtail, one of the most honored American Indian spiritual leaders of the last century. For more than thirty years, Joseph has traveled extensively throughout the American Indian, Oriental and Islamic worlds. He has edited the following books for World Wisdom:
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Philip Zaleski
Philip Zaleski is an author and editor of works on spirituality, with a particular focus on prayer and the practice of spiritual life. He is the author of The Recollected Heart and Gifts of the Spirit: Living the Wisdom of the Great Religious Traditions, and coauthor (with his wife Carol) of Prayer: A History. Mr. Zaleski is the editor of The Best Spiritual Writing series, and is a senior editor at Parabola magazine. He teaches religion at Smith College and has been a visiting lecturer in literature at Wesleyan University. His writing on religion and culture regularly appears in national publications including The New York Times, Parabola, First Things and Reader’s Digest.
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Reviews
- The book is a gem. I was very happy to see it published with such great care.… This story will appeal to a Christian market and also is also appropriate for women’s studies… The first two chapters demonstrated spiritual awakening by the author. Her challenges, conflicts and testimony confirmed the devout struggle she hid from others. The remaining chapters are an attempt to reconcile daily tasks and relationships with strong spiritual belief in God. One interesting facet is how the author kept her spiritual beliefs hidden from others, including her husband. Conflicts between men’s and women’s faith and public actions highlighted cultural differences between the genders.
Midwest Book Award Judging Panel
- Lilian Bowdoin Staveley, (1878-1918), published three accounts of her spiritual life: The Prodigal Returns, The Romance of the Soul, and The Golden Fountain or, the Soul’s Love for God: Being Some Thoughts and Confessions of one of His Lovers. Staveley’s spiritual journey speaks to the serious scholar of the Christian mystical life and theology as well as to others who desire a rich spiritual life and the practice of contemplation. Her writing is especially meaningful to Christians not called to the vocation of a cloistered life, but rather to outward, public responsibilities requiring daily engagement with family, local community and the wider world. Staveley provides a clear example that authentic contemplative life is also a fully practical life. Her model of spiritual life evidences that the mundane aspects of everyday engagement with practical matters fit within the call to contemplation and are inclusive to a life of prayer — not outside of it.…
Though not lacking in the intellectual and theological aspects of Christian spirituality, Lilian Staveley’s autobiographical trilogy provides a profoundly intimate, experiential account of her spiritual development and life of faith; one that provides a meaningful and encouraging message to believers desiring authentic spiritual growth.Dr. Mara Lief Crabtree, from a review on the Regent University online Library Link (posted July 18, 2012 in Collection Spotlight)
