Philip Sheldrake is vice-principal of Sarum College in Salisbury, England, and associate editor of The Way. In this trenchant paperback, he salutes the contemporary reintegration of theology and spirituality. He sees the latter as a corrective to the former's overemphasis upon abstract, disengaged, and rationalistic thought. Or to put it more simply — "true knowledge of God concerns the heart as much as the intellect."

Spirituality has replaced the older disciplines of ascetical and mystical theology. It has also moved on to bold interfaces with ethics (moral theology), science, and psychology. Sheldrake's vision of Christian spirituality is based on the Trinity. He uses the writings of Julian of Norwich, Ignatius of Loyola, and George Herbert to probe spiritual freedom and growth in the Holy Spirit. He also examines the dialogue between theology and spirituality in the works of Karl Rahner, Jurgen Moltmann, and various feminist and liberation theologians.

Near the end of the book, the author calls for a spiritual appropriation of place and challenges churches to do more with spiritual formation in adult education programs. He concludes: "The challenge of Christian spirituality is to show how its vision of God may contribute powerfully to the desire to find communion with others, express compassion for others and transform the world."