Service Alert
July 1 - Canada Day
CELA will be closed on Tuesday, July 1st for Canada Day. Our office will reopen and our Contact Centre services will resume on Wednesday, July 2nd. Enjoy your holiday!
CELA will be closed on Tuesday, July 1st for Canada Day. Our office will reopen and our Contact Centre services will resume on Wednesday, July 2nd. Enjoy your holiday!
Showing 1 - 20 of 3082 items
By Jackson TerKeurst. 2025
War orphan Jackson TerKeurst&’s remarkable story of adoption and faith teaches us to notice God&’s presence in our lives so…
we can look toward the future with hope. The son of a town chief. The grandson of a witch doctor. An orphan, a war statistic, a nameless boy trying to survive gunfire and starvation during the Liberian Civil War. Jackson TerKeurst used to find his identity in scarcity and trauma. Today he finds it in knowing he is a child of God. Jackson came to America as a teenager with little education, was adopted by a Christian family, and then graduated college and started his own business. His incredible story has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network and the Today Show. Now, for the first time, Jackson shares his spiritual journey against the backdrop of his biography as he calls us to see how God can redeem the pain in our own lives. The Only Way Forward Is Back is a riveting account of perseverance, sacrificial love, and transformative grace. It invites us to view our personal stories through the lens of a literal and spiritual orphan who learned to hold fast to his identity as God&’s beloved child—and inspires each one of us to do the same.Now in paperback and featuring an interview with Ben Stiller; a guided group tour to concentration camps allows Stahl to…
confront personal and historical demons with both deep despair and savage humorIN SEPTEMBER 2016, JERRY STAHL was feeling nervous on the eve of a two-week trip across Poland and Germany. But it was not just the stops at Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Dachau that gave him anxiety. It was the fact that he would be traveling with two dozen strangers, by bus. In a tour group. And he was not a tour-group kind of guy.The decision to visit Holocaust-world did not come easy. Stahl’s lifelong depression at an all-time high, his career and personal life at an all-time low, he had the idea to go on a trip where the despair he was feeling—out-of-control sadness, regret, and fear, not just for himself, but for the entire United States—would be appropriate. And where was despair more appropriate than the land of the Six Million?Seamlessly weaving global and personal history, through the lens of Stahl’s own bent perspective, Nein, Nein, Nein! stands out as a triumph of strange-o reporting, a tale that takes us from gang polkas to tourrash to the truly disturbing snack bar at Auschwitz. Strap in for a raw, surreal, and redemptively hilarious trip. Get on the bus.In May 1964, Bill McAtee became the new minister at Columbia Presbyterian Church, deep in the Piney Woods of south…
Mississippi. Soon after his arrival, three young civil rights workers were brutally murdered outside Philadelphia, Mississippi. Many other activists from across the country poured into the state to try to bring an end to segregation and to register Black citizens to vote. Already deeply troubled by the resistance of so many of his fellow white southerners to any change in the racial status quo, McAtee understood that he could no longer be a passive bystander. A fourth-generation Mississippian and son of a Presbyterian minister, he joined a group of local ministers—two white and four Black—to assist the mayor of Columbia, Earl D. “Buddy” McLean, in building community bridges and navigating the roiling social and political waters. Focusing on the quiet leadership of Mayor McLean and fellow ministers, McAtee shows how these religious and political leaders enacted changes that began opening access to public institutions and facilities for all citizens, Black and white. In retrospect, McAtee’s involvement in these events during this intense period became a turning point in repudiating his past acquiescence to the injustices of the racist society of his birth. His personal account of this transformation underscores its meaning for him today and reminds the reader that no generation can ignore the past or rest comfortably on its progress toward tolerance, equality, and justice.By Eytan Bayme. 2015
Imagine a cross between Chelsea Handler and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer… but it's all true.High Holiday Porn is the…
story of an Orthodox boy in the Bronx who discovers masturbation during Passover dinner as a child, gets caught with porn on Yom Kippur, fantasizes about marrying his grade school classmate (if only he could get up the nerve to speak to her), and finally figures out that the way into a girl's pants is through her heart. But maybe the heart is all that ever mattered anyway.Eytan Bayme's hilariously honest memoir is the true story of how an anxious boy finally stops masturbating in public, gets the girl, grows up, and begrudgingly makes peace with the unfairness of life and love. It's a heartwarming, fantasy-laden, usually embarrassing, sometimes raunchy and always outrageous look at coming of age. Bayme's stories of young love, fitting in, and social pressure will resonate with anyone who ever felt awkward growing up.By Tim Pocock. 2025
When you are raised to believe that the person you are is unacceptable, you hide. And you stay hidden. If…
you are X-Men and Dance Academy star Tim Pocock, you become an expert at hiding - until you can't anymore. Tim Pocock was a born performer. At ten, he took to the stage as a professional opera singer. At twenty-two, he launched his acting career in the blockbuster X-Men Origins: Wolverine and went on to star in the beloved series Dance Academy.But Tim's biggest role was one he never auditioned for - the role he played at home as a devout, straight son. Raised in a conservative Catholic family and attending a school with links to Opus Dei, Tim always knew that being gay was out of the question. He was encouraged to become a priest and experienced gay conversion therapy to have his sexuality hypnotised out of him.After making a bid for freedom, Tim traversed the glitzy landscape of Los Angeles, navigated the pressures of the acting industry, and made chaotic forays into the gay dating scene - all while carrying immense trauma.With unflinching honesty, Tim reveals his journey toward healing and shows how we can set ourselves free.'A brave and important memoir that captures the nuance and struggle of people trapped by the beliefs of their loved ones' IAN THORPE OAMBy Sarah Kovac. 2014
Sarah Kovac was born with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC), a rare congenital birth defect that left her with arms that…
she could barely use. Growing up, she was the only one in her class with a disability, setting her apart as “different” and unpopular. Realizing her unique place in the world, Sarah began adapting, working to her strengths, and eventually learned to use her feet to do such activities as changing her son's diapers, making dinner, putting on makeup, and even typing on the computer--even as she grew in spiritual and emotional maturity and independence in exceptional ways. Picked up by national news network CNN, Sarah’s story went viral and she was suddenly presented with a platform from which to share her love for God. In Capable Arms brings readers on Sarah’s journey, crying with her through intense frustration and the desire to be perfect, cheering her through physical training and pain, and admiring her eventual spiritual surrender as she let go of her insecurities and let God use her . . . even her crippled arms. Sarah brings readers face to face with their own struggles, challenges them with questions about self-worth and fear, then offers guidance, wisdom, and inspiration for finding hope—and healing—in the arms of the One who loves them no matter what.By Sundo Kim. 2015
In 1930, Sundo Kim was born at Sunchun, Pyunganbukdo, North Korea. Standing at the crossroads of life and death, he…
experienced the living God numerous times and decided to become a pastor. In 1970, he was appointed as pastor toKwanglim Methodist Church in Seoul, Korea. Through the ministries of a positive application of the word of a new vision of life, spiritual healing, systematic and creative church administration, and special missions, he invited many souls to God and gave Christians new spiritual energy.By Robert Benson. 2013
"I am not ever going to get to go home, am I?," she said one day. This is the story…
of moving Miss Peggy to a new place to live, to a new way of life, to a new kind of reality. All of which became necessary because Miss Peggy had begun to live a life colored by dementia. All of us who love her have begun to live that new life with her. Some of that story is here as well. In Moving Miss Peggy we also meet the story of siblings, grown apart over years, with nothing in common except for a mother who in wrestling through her own challenges gave each grown child the gift of a deeply felt reunion, long years after any of them suspected there was a possibility of reconciling grace. Written with grace, candor and bittersweet humor, Moving Miss Peggy tells a story that many others are now facing, bringing strength and wisdom and inspiration to readers. We learn (and learn again) along with Miss Peggy and her family some of the very basics for living life well.By Roland H. Bainton. 1978
The Reformation of the sixteenth century was a vast and complicated movement. It involved kings and peasants, cardinals and country…
priests, monks and merchants. It spread from one end of Europe to the other, and manifested itself in widely differing forms. Yet in spite of its diverse and complex character, to start to understand the Reformation you need know only one name: Martin Luther. Roland Bainton’s Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther remains the definitive introduction to the great Reformer and is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand this towering historical figure.By Abingdon, John G. Innis. 2003
This is the life story of John G. Innis, bishop of the Liberia Area of The United Methodist Church. John…
Innis recounts his life from humble beginnings to the apex of spiritual leadership in The United Methodist Church in a vivid, dynamic style and with great spiritual fervor. Throughout the story, the reader finds clear evidence of the way God leads people when they listen to the still, small voice. Bishop Innis is committed to suffering servant leadership, and his vivid accounts--of injustice and righteousness, of violence and peace, of heartache and healing, of fellowship and leadership, of fear and faith--are capped by the experience of the Good News; of faith, hope and love.By E. Stanley Jones. 2222
"On the day that Mahatma Gandhi was killed, I arrived in Delhi just an hour and a quarter before the…
tragedy ... the greatest tragedy since the Son of God died on the cross." So begins this compelling account of Gandhi by E. Stanley Jones, the world-renowned missionary evangelist to India during 40 seething years of struggle. Based on an intimate knowledge and understanding, Jones's revealing interpretation was written in gratitude to Gandhi, who, although they often disagreed, showed Jones "more of the spirit of Christ than perhaps any other . . . in East or West.""Martin Luther King, Jr., told me he owed a debt to my father for his book on Mahatma Gandhi. He had read many books on Gandhi, read his writings, but it was that particular book of my father's that had triggered his decision to use the method of ... nonviolence in his civil rights movement for his people." --Eunice Jones Mathews"Highly recommended."--Library Journal"To understand the meaning of this great leader ... read this book of interpretation."--Kirkus"Jones ... possesses a great gift of sympathetically interpreting the East to the West."--[London] Times Literary SupplementBy Christina D'Arrigo. 2019
Recover, recharge, renew—your essential yoga guide to balancing chakras.Achieving physical and mental balance is beautiful and healing. But the journey…
to harmony can be challenging. Essential Chakra Yoga is an easy way for beginners, trained teachers, and everyone in between, to unblock and align their chakras, find balance, and heal both body and mind—one pose and one pranayama ("controlled breath") at a time.From simple Siddhasana ("accomplished pose") to the more advanced Salamba Sirsasana ("supported headstand"), Essential Chakra Yoga is a masterclass in breathing techniques, stretching, and sequencing various poses that can enhance your quality of life every day while boosting strength and flexibility. Take a deep, cleansing breath. It's time to body-bend your way toward bliss.This complete chakra yoga guide includes:Packed with poses—Master 56 essential chakra yoga positions and 8 stretching sequences for cleansing the 7 major chakras.Perfect for all levels—This educational chakra yoga book is a must-have for beginners and home practices, but it's also ideal for skilled teachers and practitioners too.Modern mat companion—Practice along with clear, color Illustrations that demonstrate each pose and get you on the path to chakra yoga mastery.Bring balance to your mind, body, and spirit with this healing chakra yoga guide.By Jeannie Light. 2014
"If you enjoyed the classic novel Christy and the bestselling Mitford series, then you'll love Beautiful on the Mountain, a…
real-life tale about serving God in unlikely circumstances. In 1977, Jeannie Light left her fine plantation home amid heartbreak and came to Graves Mill, a tiny hamlet in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Alone in an utterly new kind of life, Jeannie was determined to find the courage to make a fresh start. To Jeannie's surprise, she found herself called upon by her new neighbors to open the old, deteriorated country church, a place that had once united the fractured community of mountain folk. With no training, and no small amount of trepidation, she undertook the task. And as she embarked on an unforeseen series of adventures, from heartbreaking to hilarious, Jeannie would learn more than she ever expected about faith, loving your neighbor, and doing the work that God sets in front of you. Because sometimes, God calls us to go where there is no path ... and leave a trail." -- OCLCBy Nicholas K. Rademacher. 2017
Nicholas Rademacher’s book is meticulously researched and clearly written, shedding new light on Monsignor Paul Hanly Furfey’s life by drawing…
on Furfey’s copious published material and substantial archival deposit. Paul Hanly Furfey (1896–1992) is one of U.S. Catholicism’s greatest champions of peace and social justice. He and his colleagues at The Catholic University of America offered a revolutionary view of the university as a center for social transformation, not only in training students to be agents for social change but also in establishing structures which would empower and transform the communities that surrounded the university. In part a response to the Great Depression, their social settlement model drew on the latest social scientific research and technique while at the same time incorporating principles they learned from radical Catholics like Dorothy Day and Catherine de Hueck Doherty. Likewise, through his academic scholarship and popular writings, Furfey offered an alternative vision of the social order and identified concrete steps to achieve that vision. Indeed, Furfey remains a compelling exemplar for anyone who pursues truth, beauty, and justice, especially within the context of higher education and the academy.Leaving behind an important legacy for Catholic sociology, Furfey demonstrated how to balance liberal, radical, and revolutionary social thought and practice to elicit new approaches to social reform.By Walter Zev Feldman. 2025
Discover the vibrant journey of music from New York’s melting pot to the mystical shores of the BosphorusFrom the Bronx…
to the Bosphorus explores the vibrant, yet largely concealed, musical culture of New York, tracing its origins to a period when the city served as a crucible for immigrants and their diverse musical expressions. Walter Zev Feldman chronicles his journey through the musical landscapes of post–WWII New York—from the declining world of East European immigrant klezmorim to the dynamic environments of Greek, Armenian, and Caucasian musicians.These experiences culminate in the klezmer revitalization movement of the late 1970s. Feldman, whose father emigrated from Bessarabia—a region known for its rich interactions among Jewish, Roma, and Greek musicians—connects various musical worlds. From the local Turkish Sephardi synagogue and the Greek Orthodox cathedral in Washington Heights to the lively Armenian and Greek nightclubs of Manhattan, his interactions with a diverse group of musicians, including an Armenian virtuoso who once performed for Stalin and the Shah of Iran, enhance his understanding and appreciation of these interconnected cultures. Finally, at age twenty-five, in a sense he returned to his father’s shtetl and studied with Dave Tarras, the greatest living klezmer in America, who had learned his key musical lessons in that very same Bessarabian town following World War I. From the Bronx to the Bosphorus is not just a chronicle of music but a poignant examination of the power of music to connect cultures, transcend borders, and preserve the echoes of a nearly vanished world.An extraordinary opportunity to understand the vision of Pope FrancisPope Francis is a first in many ways: the first pope…
from the Americas, the first Jesuit, the first Francis, the first child of immigrants from the Old World, nurtured and transformed by the New World, and returned to lead the whole world. His eloquent homilies and speeches have inspired the faithful of Argentina for decades, largely through his gift of oratory, tracing back to his time as a bishop, archbishop, and cardinal in his home country. Published in English for the first time in their entirety and with contextual annotations, In Your Eyes I See My Words, Volume 1 collects his homilies and speeches from 1999 to 2004. Volume 2 spans from 2005 to 2008, and Volume 3, from 2009 to 2013, concludes with his prophetic last homily before his election to the papacy.This illuminating collection presents an extraordinary opportunity to understand the vision of a great pastor. His words bear witness to the deep experience of faith among God’s people while also showcasing his own extraordinary ability to connect with communities of faith. Through these homilies and speeches, Pope Francis humbly displays his abilities as a wordsmith, a patient and attentive teacher, an inspired and faithful theologian, and a sensitive pastor uniquely attuned to his people, offering ready guidance for their journeys, but also journeying with them.The first of a three-volume translation of Pope Francis’s theological, pastoral, anthropological, and educational thought provides rich insights into the mind and theological unfolding of a spiritual leader who has become beloved all across the globe. Within it we see Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio—later Pope Francis—ministering to the needs of the people while also engaging with the political, technological, and societal forces affecting their daily lives. Here is an ecclesial voice not afraid to challenge the politicians, the culture-makers, and media moguls—even his own ordained and lay church ministers—to live a life of faithfulness marked by justice, equality, and concern for the needs of everyone, urging all to rely on the “vitality of memory” and the “recovery of hope.” In Your Eyes I See My Words also provides a glimpse into the political, social, and religious environment of Argentina and Latin America, providing a unique perspective on the issues confronting the faithful and how those issues motivated and nurtured Pope Francis’s understanding of the Church’s mission to all segments of society—particularly to those underrepresented and on the margins of history.By Philip Berrigan. 2024
Experience the powerful legacy of Philip Berrigan’s nonviolent resistance to war and empireFrom the battlefields of World War II to…
the front lines of peace activism, Philip Berrigan evolved from soldier to scholar, priest to political prisoner. Confronting the fundamental nature of America’s military-focused culture, Berrigan took an unyielding stance against societal evils—war, systemic racism, unchecked materialism, and the baleful presence of nuclear weapons. Imprisoned by his government and ostracized by his Church, Berrigan’s life is a courageous example of nonviolent resistance and liberation in the face of overwhelming odds.A Ministry of Risk is the definitive collection of Philip Berrigan’s writings. Authorized by the Berrigan family and arranged chronologically, these writings depict the transformation of one revolutionary soul while also providing a firsthand account of a nation grappling with its martial obsessions.Threading the vibrant fabric of history with autobiographical insights, introspective theology, and a clarion call to activism, A Ministry of Risk offers both a living manifesto of nonviolent resistance and a journal of spiritual reflection by one of the 20th century’s most prophetic voices.By John G. Turner. 2025
From an award-winning biographer, a riveting and deeply researched portrait of Mormonism&’s charismatic founder Joseph Smith Jr. (1805–1844) was…
one of the most successful and controversial religious leaders of nineteenth-century America, publishing the Book of Mormon and starting what would become the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He built temples, founded a city-state in Illinois, ran for president, and married more than thirty women. This self-made prophet thrilled his followers with his grand vision of peace and unity, but his increasingly grandiose plans tested and sometimes shattered their faith. In this vivid biography, John G. Turner presents Smith as a consummate religious entrepreneur and innovator, a man both flawed and compelling. He sold books, land, and merchandise. And he relentlessly advanced doctrines that tapped into anxieties about the nature and meaning of salvation, the validity of miracles, the timing of Christ&’s second coming, and the persistence of human relationships for eternity. His teachings prompted people to gather into communities, evoking fierce opposition from those who saw those communities as theocratic threats to republicanism. With insights from newly accessible diaries, church records, and transcripts of sermons, Turner illuminates Smith&’s stunning trajectory, from his beginnings as an uneducated, impoverished farmhand to his ultimate fall at the hands of a murderous mob, revealing how he forged a religious tradition that has resonated with millions of people in the United States and beyond.By Dan Barker. 2008
One man shares the story of his transformation from evangelical Christian to atheist and examines the train of thought that…
brought him there.After almost twenty years of evangelical preaching, missionizing, and Christian songwriting, Dan Barker “threw out the bathwater and discovered that there is no baby.” In Godless, Barker describes the intellectual and psychological path he followed in moving from fundamentalism to freethought. Godless includes sections on biblical morality, the historicity of Jesus, biblical contradictions, the unbelievable resurrection, and much more. It is an arsenal for skeptics and a direct challenge to believers. Along the way, Barker relates the positive benefit readers will experience from learning to trust in reason and human kindness instead of living in fear of false judgment and moral condemnation.Advance Praise for Godless“Valuable in the human story are the reflections of intelligent and ethical people who listen to the voice of reason and who allow it to vanquish bigotry and superstition. This book is a classic example.” —Christopher Hitchens, author of God is Not Great“The most eloquent witness of internal delusion that I know—a triumphantly smiling refugee from the zany, surreal world of American fundamentalist Protestantism—is Dan Barker.” —Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion“Godless was a revelation to me. I don’t think anyone can match the (devastating!) clarity, intensity, and honesty which Dan Barker brings to the journey—faith to reason, childhood to growing up, fantasy to reality, intoxication to sobriety.” —Oliver Sacks, author of Musicophilia“In Godless, Barker recounts his journey from evangelical preacher to atheist activist, and along the way explains precisely why it is not only okay to be an atheist, it is something in which to be proud.” —Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic Magazine“Godless is a fascinating memoir and a handbook for debunking theism. But most of all, it is a moving testimonial to one man’s emotional and intellectual rigor in acclaiming critical thinking.” —Robert Sapolsky author of Why Zebras Don’t Get UlcersBy Alan Jacobs. 2006
The White Witch, Aslan, fauns and talking beasts, centaurs and epic battles between good and evil -- all these have…
become a part of our collective imagination through the classic volumes of The Chronicles of Narnia. Over the past half century, children everywhere have escaped into this world and delighted in its wonders and enchantments. Yet what we do know of the man who created Narnia? This biography sheds new light on the making of the original Narnian, C. S. Lewis himself.Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably the most influential religious writer of his day. An Oxford don and scholar of medieval literature, he loved to debate philosophy at his local pub, and his wartime broadcasts on the basics of Christian belief made him a celebrity in his native Britain. Yet one of the most intriguing aspects of Clive Staples Lewis remains a mystery. How did this middle-aged Irish bachelor turn to the writing of stories for children -- stories that would become among the most popular and beloved ever written?Alan Jacobs masterfully tells the story of the original Narnian. From Lewis's childhood days in Ireland playing with his brother, Warnie, to his horrific experiences in the trenches during World War I, to his friendship with J. R. R. Tolkien (and other members of the "Inklings"), and his remarkable late-life marriage to Joy Davidman, Jacobs traces the events and people that shaped Lewis's philosophy, theology, and fiction. The result is much more than a conventional biography of Lewis: Jacobs tells the story of a profound and extraordinary imagination. For those who grew up with Narnia, or for those just discovering it, The Narnian tells a remarkable tale of a man who knew great loss and great delight, but who knew above all that the world holds far more richness and meaning than the average eye can see.