Sharon G. Thornton

A Circle in the Dark

Bible Studies & Devotionals

“Rachael Keefe offers individuals and communities of faith a fresh, timely, and authentic invitation to the season of Advent. Her readers will find thought-provoking verses with references and images that confirm the complexity of modern life. Through her poetry that resonates with Scripture, she opens up multiple layers of a lived faith that keeps hope alive in the midst of doubt. Readers will find the courage to dream again. This book is a valuable resource for personal reflections and public worship.”

Broken yet Beloved

Counseling, Grief & Mental Health

“I begin with the confession that the most profound expression of this hope for transformation is the political cross of Christ. Here, the pain of God interprets human suffering. Here, in the truth of the cross, where the cry of the tortured and suffering righteous One rent the temple veil, is where hope for justice and healing in the divine-human community begins.”

Mighty Stories, Dangerous Rituals

Church Leadership & Ministry

“Mighty Stories, Dangerous Rituals is a benchmark text for communities of faith and the academy. Already a classic, this masterful wedding of liturgical sensibilities and pastoral practices continues to speak to the needs of people today. Ministry students as well as religious leaders consistently rank this tender yet profound text as a most valuable resource. It will continue to be foundational in my classes.”

Negotiating the Shadows

Bible Studies & Devotionals

“"In Negotiating the Shadows Rachael Keefe offers poetry for today and a prophetic word for tomorrow. Opening up this small volume of poems and meditations, the reader will find that she is holding in her hands a missive of hope, a gift borne by a writer who has traversed the shadows, finding precisely there the blessing of the Beloved. From the silent depths she brings words drenched with holiness, offering them to those who hunger for something good and true and yes, bittersweet. Her words bring comfort and challenge to those reaching out for new life. This book is truly a rare gem!”

Precious Precarity

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Helen Boursier's book Precious Precarity will break your heart and lift you toward a new appreciation for life, love, and the possibility of a future worth living. Using Ecclesiastes to ground and frame what she calls the "spirituality of dissent" at the border, she interprets what it means to live a hope-against-hope life in an unjust environment. Boursier uses migrants' own words to communicate their experiences of death and relentless suffering as they seek a new life on the other side of the border. Their words show how tenaciously they cling to their trust in a God who is with them and protecting them; a faith that sustains their quest for sanctuary and transforms those who meet and support them. The book is a clarion call to religious leaders and other practitioners of the Global North to leave our functional patterns of indifference and apathy to what is happening at the border since, in truth, our lives and futures are deeply intertwined with these asylum seekers. This is a timely work that can speak persuasively to our shared time of precarious living. Practical theologians, pastors, and secular volunteers will find the stories and insights compelling and inspiring. The visual illustrations are remarkable and help bring the text to life, while the incredible number of quotes and references invite the reader to explore more deeply the themes and questions raised in the text. The bibliography is a treasure in itself.”