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<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br><p>Sociology professor and spiritual director Susan Phillips walks us through our circuslike cultural landscape to invite us into a cultivated life of spirituality and attentiveness. God extends to us an invitation to live in the garden of grace, and these pages unfold the spiritual practices that can lead us into a new and delightful way of living.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><ul> <li>Dallas Willard Center 2016 Book and Research Award Finalist</li> <li>Hearts Minds Bookstore's Best Books of 2015, Spirituality and the Devotional Life</li> </ul><p>This is a book written specifically for those of us who are assigned the task of developing an imagination for living the Christian faith with insight and skill in and for a society that is disconnected from the biblical revelation and the Jesus incarnation, writes Eugene Peterson in the foreword of <em>The Cultivated Life.</em> But it is equally useful for all of us who are committed to following Jesus with our families and coworkers and neighbors. Sociology professor and spiritual director Susan Phillips walks us through the circus of our cultural landscape to invite us into a cultivated life of spirituality. If we want to accept the invitation to return to the garden, then we must face down the temptation to live life as spectators of the circus that plays on around us. We want to be rooted and grounded in Christ, but are pushed toward constant work, alternating between performance and spectacle. Cultivation requires a kind of attentiveness that is countercultural to our age of distraction. These pages unfold the spiritual practices that can lead us into a new and delightful way of living. Are you ready to leave the circus?</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br><p>Phillips' academic exploration of cultivating Christian spirituality is told through great stories and vivid word pictures of life in a circus versus a garden atmosphere. She concludes each chapter with a reflective study and provides extensive guidelines for practicing contemplative living, Sabbath living, lectio divina, finding a spiritual director, and cultivating friendship.</p>--Donna Watson, CBA Retailers + Resources, July 2015<br><br><p>Susan Phillips, a noted sociologist, not only challenges us to 'leave the circus' of fast-paced mainstream culture, she offers a compelling vision of how we can begin to embody the rich joy and attentiveness of Jesus.</p>--Relevant Magazine, July/August 2015<br><br><p>Susan Phillips's book issues a gentle invitation, accessible to all, to run away from the circus and to cultivate our spiritual gardens.</p>--Lynne Baab, Radix 38, no. 4<br><br><p>Susan S. Phillips has written a beautiful work in <em>The Cultivated Life </em>. She gives many detailed descriptions and options for spiritual practice and discipline that can help in the cultivation of our lives as we seek after God. Cultivating is hard work and it can become monotonous. Her goal in this book is to remove the monotone and give way to a beautiful flourishing canvas of color and life.</p>--Micah Andrew Hasty, Brave Daily, December 1, 2015<br><br><p>The book is a helpful resource for an adult education class. The appendix, in particular, is a hands-on resource for the how-to of developing these navigational tools. I could see this book being used at my own church in an eight-week study on Christian practices with the goal of helping folks in my community navigate their way into the garden while living in the circus. Thank you, Susan Phillips, for such a practical and fresh look at ancient practices.</p>--Emily Berman D'Andrea, The Presbyterian Outlook, August 31, 2015<br><br><p>This would be a great book for a Lenten study or other adult study or book group, definitely a slow thoughtful read.</p>--Anne Metzler, The Lamplighter<br><br><p>We all struggle in the circuslike culture of contemporary society, which often causes difficulties in attention and healthy attachment in the midst of yearning for the spiritual life. Susan Phillips provides us with ways to cultivate the contemplative life by examining spiritual practices within the Christian tradition such as spiritual direction, <em>lectio divina</em>, listening and friendship. I believe the author's use of stories-- stories that have emerged from her practice of attentive listening--will affect readers deeply.</p>--Jung Eun Sophia Park, assistant professor of religious studies and philosophy, Holy Names University<br>

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