What does it mean to pray without ceasing? Is it really that important to pray as the early Church did?In this installment of The Ancient Practices series, Robert Benson presents a structure for our lives where we can live in continued awareness of God’s presence and reality. A pattern for worship and prayer that is offered to God at specific times throughout the day, the daily office is meant to be prayed by all the faithful so the Church may be continuous and God...

"Lord of the World" is a dystopian novel written by Robert Hugh Benson and published in 1907. Set in a future world where humanity is divided between two opposing ideologies – secular humanism and religious faith – the novel explores themes of religion, politics, and the struggle for power.

A lovely Caribbean island and its people awaken in author Robert Benson a sense of place and home. The islanders’ warmth and welcome prompt a new understanding of ideas of beauty, community and spiritual belonging.“We live in a world where such welcome and gentleness and civility are increasingly rare. Most of the conversation between strangers is terse and quick and far too often, it is cold and rude. It can even be that way, more often than we care to admit, among people who ...

Lord of the World is a prophetic science fiction novel by Robert Benson that centers upon the reign of the Anti-Christ and the End of the World...A masterful apocalyptic science fiction tale woven by a master of the genre, Robert Benson!

“I can remember the words people said that meant so much to me and my own sense of who I was and who I might become…. You know you have heard such a sentence when you hear inside a corresponding Yes. The Yes is an echo of sorts, or at least it is the same voice as is the Echo that you have come to count on. Such a sentence takes your breath away…. It tells you something about yourself that you suspected or hoped, something you glimpsed but were too shy or uncertai...

The Body Broken is an honest and moving meditation on the Gospel imperative to love one another as brothers and sisters, even as we choose to live and express our faith in differing ways.A lifelong Christian and seeker, Robert Benson has shared the prayers, rituals, conversations, and practices of many different denominations. His broad range of ecumenical experiences have led to moments of great joy and deep fellowship, but they have also opened his eyes ...

One man's story of his journey through spiritual uncertainty to a newfound understanding of his relationship to God.For those who have questioned their Christian faith, Robert Benson offers an account of his sojourn in a season of trouble and his journey back to God. In this spiritual self-portrait, Benson's experiences--battling depression and re-examining the deep Christian faith in which he has been immersed since childhood--become poignant testament of one believer's struggle w...

A compelling combination of advice and inspiration, Dancing on the Head of a Pen will challenge and encourage writers, artists, musicians, painters—anyone drawn to a life of artistic expression.Digging deeply into his own writing habits, failures, and successes, Robert Benson helps you choose the ideal audience for your work, commit to it, and overcome the hurdles that inevitably confront both aspiring artists and accomplished professionals. Extending beyo...

"I taught undergraduates for forty-five years (the last thirty at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee), and for most of those years I spent as much time as possible outside.  I hunted as much as I could, and I fished some.  I also spent time in the woods of Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi just walking around looking at things that caught my eye and trying to understand.  Outdoor life and academic life for me have been intimately connected, and this collection of essa...

We do not, and cannot, by definition, know much about the kingdom to come. But the “One Who Came Among Us” not only came to reassure us of the gift of the kingdom that is yet unseen but to proclaim the presence of the kingdom is already among us—even when we cannot see it and we cannot hear it.Sometimes we cannot see much evidence of the kingdom that is already here. How do we find it, not lose sight of it, and even share its message of hope with others in the darkness?In P...

Why is it important to prepare your heart for Holy Communion? Holy Communion (also known as the Lord's Supper, service of Word and Table, or Eucharist) is an act of worship that Christians are called to offer to God, Robert Benson believes. "[The observance of Communion] is a critical part of our life together," he notes. "It seems critically important that we approach this act of praise and thanksgiving with some measure of reverence." Benson invites us to take a fres...

In the spirit of Field of Dreams, a remarkable book about baseball and the meaning of life. A game between the Iowa Cubs and the Nashville Sounds at an AAA park in Nashville provides the lens through which Robert Benson explores the game of baseball and the meaning of life in The Game. It is an ordinary week night game in the early part of the season between two teams that will finish far out of first place in the Pacific League. But Benson shows us how in this average game of bas...