The Discerning Heart: Exploring the Christian Path » (1st Edition)

Wilkie Au, MDiv, PhD, is professor of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University, where he teaches in the area of spirituality and pastoral ministry.

Noreen Cannon Au, Ph.D., is a graduate of the University of Southern California and the C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles. She is a practicing Jungian analyst and a faculty member of the C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles. She is a former member of the editorial boards of Psychological Perspectives, a journal of Jungian thought and of Human Development, a quarterly journal featuring current knowledge from the fields of psychiatry, psychology, medicine, and spirituality.

Integrating the wisdom of Christian tradition and recent psychological findings on effective decision-making, this book presents a view of Christian discernment that honors the body-spirit unity of the person and the broad and mysterious ways we can be led by the spirit of God in our life-choices.

Going beyond discernment skills and concrete practices, this book presents a coherent theoretical understanding of discernment that grounds the many spiritual practices used by Christians today. By providing a broad and inclusive understanding of the multiple ways God can provide guidance to individuals, this book helps individuals to honor the unique and idiosyncratic way that they receive divine guidance, as well as provides guidelines that guard against possible self-deception and personal blind-spots.

While including anecdotal accounts and practical elements of Christian discernment, this book provides a conceptual understanding of discernment that will be helpful for those training to be professional ministers, pastors, priests, religious counselors, and spiritual directors. It is unique in applying Christian tradition and contemporary psychological insights to the process of discernment.

	Introduction : discernment and Christian growth	1
I	The discerning heart	19
II	Refining the acoustics of the heart	46
III	Spirit-led in many ways	73
IV	Images of God and discernment	104
V	Desires and discernment	131
VI	Dreams and discernment	165
VII	Embracing our personal path	195
	Epilogue : a matter of searching and finding	225