Divine Sparks

A gem of a book.' Graham Tomlin, Bishop of KensingtonMany of our everyday encounters in the world are touched by the divine, if we were only aware of it. We may find it impossible to miss God in the great interruptions of human existence, but God often finds a humbler dwelling-place . . . Donna Lazenby was in a packed underground carriage when it was taken siege by a group of musicians ripe to start a ceilidh. The eruption into dull passivity of joy seemed a herald of the Kingdom of God. And so she began to write a series of reflections, some prosaic, others more poetic in tone, that open up ways of seeing light in darkness; love in places of desolation; in-breaking life when all seems tired and old. But the coming of this Kingdom is also revealed in protest, in the world’s cry against a pervasive sense of alienation, while an allegedly ‘secular’ culture steals and presents the claims of the Gospel as its own. And so, Divine Sparks calls us to be prophets: visionaries able to discern and proclaim God’s incoming Kingdom, as it arrives by day – and night. Praise for the author’s A Mystical Theology (Bloomsbury, 2014):‘[Written] with elegance and originality’ Catherine Pickstock, Professor of Metaphysics and Poetics, University of Cambridge

This is a gem of a book. It offers something new and intriguing – a sharp, theologically astute reading of some icons of contemporary culture, showing that our culture is not half as secular as it thinks it is., [On A Mystical Theology, Bloomsbury, 2014] In this engaging study, Donna Lazenby indicates both the promise and the limits of post-Christian attempts to grasp the mystical . . . [Written] with elegance and originality., The book merits reading slowly… give yourself time to mull over what Lazenby is sharing and allow the poetry of her writing to soak into you It is as though Lazenby is inviting us to share in her most intimate reflections. It shows a brave and generous vulnerability- which makes many of the reflections deeply affecting… The book is prophetic… read this book, be inspired, and discover your inner prophet

The Revd Dr Donna J. Lazenby is an Anglican Priest. She is Director of St Mellitus College, South West, and Lecturer and Tutor in Spirituality and Apologetics. She is the author of A Mystical Theology: Transcendence and Immanence in the Works of Virginia Woolf and Iris Murdoch (Bloomsbury, 2014). Donna’s PhD won the John Templeton Award for Theological Promise 2011. Alongside lecturing and tutoring, she continues to exercise her priestly ministry as Lead Minister of The Hayes Church, Kenley.