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John R. Mabry
author / songwriter / spiritual director
Books—Nonfiction
Soul Journeys: Christian Spirituality and Shamanism as Pathways for Wholeness and Understanding (2020) / A collaborative project of three spiritual guides who are ordained ministers.This is a unique conversation bringing to light two great spiritual traditions and the powerful spiritual gifts these traditions offer us. Christian spiritual practices for healing and discernment and core shamanism’s healing methods and divination practices are explored in depth. The book introduces readers to Christian spirituality and Core Shamanism; and then draws on each guide’s knowledge and personal experiences to show readers the importance and reality of the spiritual realm in our everyday lives. Readers learn how helping spirits, attested to in both Christian and shamanistic traditions, can assist us in our healing needs and provide guidance and knowledge for our living. Buy paperback or ebook.
Starting Spiritual Direction (2017) / In spiritual direction, two or more seekers enter sacred space to dream, explore, and discern a path toward personal wholeness and deeper intimacy with the Divine. This book is written specifically for new clients. In it you will find everything you need to know before stepping into a spiritual direction session for the first time. By the time you finish it, you will have a good grasp on what this ministry is about, what a typical session is like, what you can expect from your spiritual director, and how to make the best use of your time. Buy paperback, ebook, or audiobook.
A Christian Walks in the Footsteps of the Buddha (2014)​ / From December 2013 through March 2014 Christian pastor John Mabry went on a most amazing pilgrimage—to visit the most significant sites of the Buddha's life and to reflect deeply on what he saw, in conversation with his own faith. From there, his journey took him to Nepal, Thailand, Taiwan, and back to India as he followed the distribution and development of Buddhism around the world. Part travelogue, part history lesson, part comparative theological reflection, this record of that adventure captures both the frailty and profundity of the human religious quest. Buy paperback or ebook.
Spiritual Guidance Across Traditions (editor and contributor, 2014) / This comprehensive resource offers valuable information for providing spiritual guidance to people from a wide variety of faith traditions. Covering the world's faith traditions as well as interfaith, each chapter is written by a spiritual guidance professional from that tradition or who works extensively with people from that tradition. Each chapter provides an overview of the tradition, including basic beliefs, methods for spiritual guidance honored in that tradition, common spiritual problems encountered by people of that tradition, and tips, techniques and practices. Buy paperback or ebook.
Growing Into God: A Beginner's Guide to Christian Mysticism (2013) / For many people, the word "mysticism" conjures up occult, secretive rituals held after midnight in some dark cave. But true mysticism isn’t at all sinister or secretive. In fact, mysticism is at the heart of an authentic Christian life. It is nothing more and nothing less than the pursuit-and enjoyment-of union with God, which is the goal of all Christian spirituality. Christian mysticism is the discipline of growing the soul into God—shedding illusory identities, deepening prayer, seeing God in all things, and acting as Christ in the world. Buy paperback, ebook, or audiobook.
Faithful Generations: Effective Ministry Across Generational Lines (2013) / Faithful Generations provides a hopeful and helpful guide to the different adult generations alive today, discussing the events that formed them and the issues important to them. Most importantly, it describes their spiritual distinctions the particular needs, gifts and concerns that drive these different generations. With a basic understanding of how other generations think and what drives them spiritually, ministers and congregations can not only avoid conflict, but also put those distinctions to work in order to minister more effectively and create harmony in our religious communities." Buy paperback or ebook.
Sermons that Connect: A Beginner's Guide to Crafting and Delivering Powerful, Excellent Sermons (2011) / ​A simple, nuts-and-bolts guide, it provides preachers with a simple and effective model for powerful and effective sermons. As a beginner’s guide, it provides in one sitting everything someone will need to create awesome sermons for years to come. For those who have been preaching for a while, it will be equally instructive, helping preachers polish their sermons into even more effective works of art, providing invaluable sugestions for recognizing and articulating the essential elements of good sermons. Buy paperback or ebook​.
The Monster God: Coming to Terms with the Dark Side of Divinity (2010)​ / The God of anger and judgment has been with us since the dawn of time, and surfaces widely today in the theology and experience of believers of all kinds of faith. This personal memoir provides a reflective, easy to read theological and philosophical analysis of how this god came to haunt our collective imaginations, how we can come to terms with him and where we go from here. It covers the nature of evil, the gods of wrath, betrayal and genocide, and the shadow side of God, Satan. It examines the implications of the monster God for people of faith, and attempts a reconciliation of God with us. Buy paperback or ebook.
People of Faith: A Companion to the Revised Common Lectionary (2009)​ / The Lectionary provides the readings that most Western Christians use for their Sunday services: one reading from the Old Testament, one reading from the Psalms, one reading from the Epistles, and one reading from the Gospels. This collection provides a fourth reading, from a non-Christian religion—for instance, from the Tao Te Ching, the Upanishads, or the Buddhist Sutras—for each Sunday of the 3-year Lectionary cycle. Each reading is thematically related to the Gospel reading for the appointed Sunday. Good for helping Christian congregations see themselves as part of a larger family of faith. Buy paperback or ebook.
Noticing the Divine: An Introduction to Interfaith Spiritual Guidance (2007) / ​An essential textbook for beginning spiritual directors, Noticing the Divine utilizes wisdom from the religions of the world to teach the basic skills needed to offer spiritual direction to people of all traditions. It introduces the foundational concepts and techniques needed to responsibly and professionally practice the art of spiritual guidance. Buy paperback or ebook.
The Way of Thomas: Nine Insights for Enlightened Living from the Secret Sayings of Jesus (2007) / ​The book highlights the differences between the teachings of Thomas' Jesus and Paul's. For the Jesus of Thomas is not a savior come down from heaven, but a man who has awakened to the truth of the interconnectedness of all things. The parallels to Buddhism are numerous. It is in this lost Gospel that Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism meet as a single, coherent message. This book consolidates these forgotten teachings into nine inspiring, easy-to-grasp insights that make this ancient book a practical guide for contemporary spiritual seekers of any-or no-tradition. / Buy paperback, ebook, or audiobook.
Faith Styles: Ways People Believe (2006) / ​People hold faith in a wide variety of ways—even within the same religion. This book explors the six primary ways that people of various religions hold faith, offering insight for those doing spiritual guidance and pastoral care. / Buy paperback or ebook.
God Has One Eye: The Mystics of the World's Religions (2006) / ​Mystics are not popular amongst the orthodox of any religion. In fact, almost every one of the religious leaders who founded world religions began their careers as mystics who spoke about what they had seen, and were promptly declared heretics. Just think of the Buddha, of Jesus, or of Muhammad. All of them were heretics, all of them were mystics, and all of them changed the way we view reality. Once the mystical vision hits you, you realize that everything you thought you were is a lie, that the universe you thought you were living in is gone, and that all the rules and structures by which you ordered your life are meaningless. It is disorienting and painful. There is no lazy man's path to enlightenment, because once enlightenment hits, the lazy man no longer exists, and the luminous being which has taken his place is beyond recognition, even to himself. / Buy paperback or ebook.
God is a Great Underground River: Articles, Essays & Homilies on Interfaith Spirituality (2006) /​ I began writing on interfaith spirituality with the "Deep Ecumenism" column in Creation Spirituality magazine. Those columns are collected in this volume, along with many other essays, articles, and homilies, each of which contrast and illumine the wisdom of various faith traditions. / Buy paperback or ebook.
I Believe in a God Who is Growing: Process Perspectives on the Creed, the Sacraments and the Christian Life (2006) / Process Theology is one of the most compelling and exciting movements in contemporary theology, and it is taught in nearly every seminary in the United States. But very few people in the pews have ever heard of it. Why is this, and can ordinary Christians benefit from its unique insights? In this series of sermons, the Rev. Dr. John R. Mabry provides an entertaining and coherent introduction to process thought and interprets the most fundamental aspects of Christian theology-including the Apostles' Creed and the Sacraments-in light of its unique perspective. / Buy paperback or ebook.
Who Are The Independent Catholics? An Introduction to the Independent and Old Catholic Churches (co-authored by John P. Plummer; 2006) / Independent Catholics are the fastest-growing variety of Catholic in the West. They are found in every city of every state in the U.S. and Mexico, every Province of Canada, and throughout Australia, Europe, and South America. A compact and concise introduction to the movement, this book is friendly and easy-to-read, focusing on the most common varieties of Independent Catholicism in hopes of providing a short, useful orientation to the newcomer. Buy paperback or ebook.
Crisis & Communion: The ReMythologization of the Eucharist (2005) / Every time the church has encountered crises, its understanding and performance of the Eucharist has shifted to help it meet that crisis. This book documents those shifts and asks the important question: what crisis is the church facting today, and how must the Eucharist change again to meet the challenge? / Buy paperback or ebook.
Heretics, Mystics & Misfits: A Sermon Cycle (2004) / The history of Christianity if filled with misfits. This collection of sermons intruces us to heretics and mystics from the very earliest church to the present day, including the Gnostics, Origen, Julian of Norwich, Michael Servitus, Emanuel Swedenborg, Soren Kierkegaard, Madame Blavatsky, Teilhard de Chardin and many, many more. With humor and compassion for these misunderstood characters, John Mabry explores their teachings and how they can speak to us today, helping us be better people of faith, regardless of one's denomination or even religion. / Buy paperback or ebook.
Tao Te Ching—The Book of the Way and Its Power: A New Translation (2004) / ​The Tao Te Ching is a book of Chinese philosophical poetry, written sometime between the seventh and the fourth centuries BCE. According to tradition it was written by a quiet librarian named Lao Tzu, and describes a way of life that is free of strife and stress. The principle scripture of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching, consisting of just 5,000 Chinese characters, is one of the most sublime, meaningful, and downright practical works of mysticism in the human canon. This new translation by John R. Mabry is simple, poetic, and profound. Cleaving closely to the Chinese text, this translation succeeds in being not only readable and accurate, but beautiful as well. Buy paperback or ebook.
God As Nature Sees God: A Christian Reading of the Tao Te Ching (2004) / What can Christians learn from other religions? A great deal. A new and lucid translation reveals how closely the Tao Te Ching parallels Jesus' teachings, and also illuminates core elements of the Christian faith that we often overlook or ignore. This ancient Chinese classic hauntingly echoes the Christian gospel thorughout, expressing trueths we are supposed to konw but often do not. In showing us how the world perceives its Creator it reveals the Gospel as more compassionate, relevant and universal than we ever imagined. / Buy paperback, ebook, or audiobook.
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