In this episode of Christianity for the Everyday we speak with author and professor Jerry Sittser about his profound book A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss, in which he recounts his experience of losing his wife, his daughter and his mother in a tragic accident and the journey from despair to hope that followed. We also talk about his desire to be a bridge between the academy and the church; the major landmarks along the road of suffering and loss; the necessity of being attentive to our present experience; having a deep root system in Scripture and practical spirituality; memorising the Psalms and other scriptures; the human capacity to live in tension; the spiritual life as pilgrimage; the way our souls grow as we learn to carry our wounds and find we become able to help others carry theirs; and to choose life, especially amidst the darkness.

Notes:

• Jerry’s books mentioned: A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows through Loss, and Resilient Faith: How the Early Christian “Third Way” Changed the World (as Gerald L. Sittser).
• We are giving away two copies of A Grace Disguised to one person who can then give the second copy to and read with a friend. To stand a chance to win, head over to and join our Facebook group and let us know who you would like to read the book with. We will then select a winner, notify and get the package to you. Note: The giveaway will run for a week from Friday 14 October to Friday 21 October 2022, and is only for participants residing in the USA.
• Issue 04 of KLC’s The Big Picture magazine explores the theme of “Difficult Hope”, touching on many of the issues raised in this episode. You can read online or download the PDF for free on our website.
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• Website: https://kirbylaingcentre.co.uk.
• Intro and outro music: “Order” by ComaStudio from Pixabay.
• Podcast cover art image by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash.

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