Hope and the Nearness of God - Print

Hope and the Nearness of God
The 2022 Lent Book

By Teresa White FCJ

[1 copy only in stock at this reduced price 1 July 2026.
We will not be re-ordering this book when it has sold.]

A beautifully simple and spiritually wise Lent companion that invites readers to rediscover Christian hope as courage, clarity and trust in the nearness of God.

This book will help you:

• Reflect deeply on hope as a theological virtue rather than mere optimism.
• Journey through Lent with a thoughtful and accessible spiritual companion.
• Find courage in times of pandemic, conflict, political turbulence and personal struggle.
• Understand how hope can coexist with grief, anger, uncertainty and sorrow.
• Draw encouragement from Scripture and classic Christian spiritual writers.
• Explore God’s solidarity with humanity in times of suffering and distress.
• Prepare for Easter with renewed trust in the presence and nearness of God.

Features

• The official 2022 Lent Book from Bloomsbury Continuum.
• Written in a clear, simple and direct style.
• Explores hope through Scripture, theology, spirituality and lived experience.
• Draws on writers including St Augustine, Julian of Norwich, Karl Rahner, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Henri Nouwen.
• Suitable for personal Lenten reading, parish groups, spiritual reflection and retreat use.

Paperback, 224pp
5.96 x 0.6 x 7.84 inches
ISBN 9781472984197
Bloomsbury Continuum (2022)

Description

Hope can feel fragile in a world marked by pandemic, war, political instability, poverty, hunger, family breakdown and seemingly endless conflict. Yet Christian hope is not the same as easy optimism or wishful thinking. It is deeper, stronger and more demanding.

This Lent book invites readers to explore hope as one of the theological virtues: a gift from God that enables courage, endurance, truthfulness and faithful action even in troubled times.

Written with simplicity, clarity and spiritual depth, this book offers a reflective path through Lent and beyond. Teresa White FCJ does not hide behind technical language or abstract theology. Instead, she speaks directly to readers who may be tired, anxious, disillusioned or searching for signs of God’s presence in a wounded world. Her reflections show that hope is not denial. It does not pretend suffering is unreal or injustice is insignificant. Rather, it allows people to face reality with courage because God is near.

One of the book’s central insights is the relationship between hope and courage. Hope strengthens courage, and courage in turn nourishes hope. Drawing on St Augustine, the author also explores the surprising place of anger in the life of hope. Anger, rightly understood, can sharpen discernment, clarify spiritual perception and move people toward compassionate action. In this way, hope becomes not passive comfort but a living force that helps Christians respond to sorrow, injustice and struggle.

The book is richly grounded in Scripture while also drawing inspiration from a wide range of spiritual and literary voices, including Julian of Norwich, Karl Rahner, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Henri Nouwen. It is ideal for individual Lenten reading, parish study, retreat reflection or anyone seeking a faithful way to resist despair. Gentle but substantial, it offers an antidote to pessimism and a renewed vision of God’s presence with us.

About the Author

Teresa White FCJ belongs to the Faithful Companions of Jesus, an Ignatian religious congregation founded by Marie Madeleine d’Houët in France in 1820. A former teacher, she has worked in retreat centres and has lived in several European countries. She is the author of a history of her congregation as well as numerous articles on spirituality. Her writing reflects a deep concern for prayer, discernment, Christian hope and the presence of God in ordinary and difficult human experience.

Contents

Introduction to hope in a troubled world
Hope as a theological virtue
Hope beyond optimism and wishful thinking
Scriptural reflections for Lent
God’s nearness in sorrow and struggle
Hope, courage and faithful endurance
The role of anger in discernment and spiritual clarity
Reflections inspired by St Augustine
Insights from Julian of Norwich, Karl Rahner, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Henri Nouwen
Hope in the face of poverty, conflict and family breakdown
Spiritual encouragement for Lent and beyond
Reflection on the journey toward Easter