The Grammar of Grace

This anthology is a collection of readings on the Christian life. They were carefully selected from every era of history and from across the spectrum of Christian traditions. They include letters, sermons, treatises and disputations, poems, songs and hymns, confessions, biblical commentary, and even part of a novel. In each case, the subject is life with God, life in God, life for God—life infused and enlivened by God’s grace.

The editors introduce each selection, highlighting relevant aspects of the author’s biography, spirituality, and historical context. Introductions are also provided for the major eras of the church which present theological, historical, and cultural perspectives to help the reader best engage the selections.

For individuals and groups, classrooms and seminars, this collection will generate dialogue between past and present, and between traditions familiar and unfamiliar. It is not merely a book on the Christian life but for the Christian life, making yesterday’s witness to life with God a resource for the Church today.

Kent Eilers is Professor of Theology at Huntington University (USA). He has authored and edited several books, including Theology as Retrieval, with W. David Buschart (2015) and Sanctified by Grace, with Kyle Strobel (2014). Ashley Cocksworth is Senior Lecturer in Theology and Practice at the University of Roehampton (UK). He is the author of Karl Barth on Prayer (2015) and Prayer: A Guide for the Perplexed (2018). Anna Silvas is adjunct research fellow at the University of New England (Australia). She is the editor and translator of Basil of Caesarea. Questions of the Brothers: Syriac Text and English Translation (2014) and The Rule of St. Basil in Latin and English: A Revised Critical Edition (2013).

Ashley Cocksworth is Senior Lecturer in Theology and Practice at the University of Roehampton (UK). He is the author of Karl Barth on Prayer (2015) and Prayer: A Guide for the Perplexed (2018).

Anna Silvas is adjunct research fellow at the University of New England (Australia). She is the editor and translator of Basil of Caesarea. Questions of the Brothers: Syriac Text and English Translation (2014) and The Rule of St. Basil in Latin and English: A Revised Critical Edition (2013).