Held in God's Gaze

"The way of Jesus Christ is a journey of personal transformation in which the saints are our unseen companions on the road. Their writings and sayings constitute a treasury of wisdom that is sadly often neglected. In this illuminating series of reflections, Jill Duff and Nicholas Heale share the insights they have gleaned from engagement with these heroes of the faith and make their wisdom more accessible. As the authors reveal, the saints have profound things to teach us about being a Christian in the world today." -- The Rt Revd Robert Atwell, former Bishop of Exeter
"This book will help you unearth deep spiritual treasures drawn from across two millennia of the Christian faith. Studying the saints and mystics holds much value for those wanting to go deeper with their faith. Through it we can draw from deep spiritual wells of wisdom and practice that have proved their worth through centuries and millennia. Held in God's Gaze beautifully tackles this often-ignored area of study in the Western Church. It allows us to clamber up and stand on the shoulders of spiritual giants, to see further into God's word and learn important lessons for how we should live as Christians today." -- Kevin Bennett, Chief Executive, Premier
"There is so much in this book to feed both heart and soul. I never knew I needed Isaac of Nineveh; contemplations about stillness, silence, hiddenness and the hermitage of our hearts; living life on a slow path through a narrow gate and embracing the draw of the desert. It reminded me to never fear the pain or avoid the wounds. A huge thank you to Bishop Jill and Father Nicholas for bringing the saints to life and making them so relevant to today." -- Professor Lady Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome, President of St John's College, Oxford
"Jill and Nicholas remind us that Christian faith is much more than a series of beliefs. It is a lived community - a family - in which there is shared experience and delight. They introduce us vividly to our shared inheritance, and to the members of the family who can guide and inspire our own faith." -- Gregory K. Cameron, Bishop of St Asaph
"In this gentle and accessible but profound book, Jill Duff and Nicholas Heale enter into conversation with each other about some of the great figures of the Christian tradition. Their distinct perspectives season the conversation, and their shared delight in the saints draws us in to discover these distant figures as vibrant conversation partners for ourselves." -- The Revd Canon Dr Joanna Collicutt, Supernumerary Fellow, Harris Manchester College, Associate Tutor in Psychology, Ripon College Cuddesdon
"Bishop Jill Duff and Nicholas Heale reflect together on some of our spiritual ancestors, whose simple, but not simplistic, faith cultivated lives of prayer that led to humility, kindness, wisdom and moral integrity." -- Nicky Gumbel, Alpha International
"This beautiful and intimate book allows us to overhear a conversation between two unlikely but close friends. They talk compellingly to each other about their friends, the saints, and as they do so, each is challenged to go deeper and discover something fresh about being friends with Jesus. As you read their conversation, enjoy making friends with some great giants of the faith. And in meeting them, prepare to be astonished afresh by the extraordinary privilege of being a friend of Jesus." -- The Rt Revd Philip North, Bishop of Blackburn
"Bishop Jill Duff and Revd Nicholas Heale have combined to write a beautiful, personal and practical book for anyone seeking to deepen their relationship with Jesus. From her earliest days, the Church has recognised and reverenced the lives of certain disciples of the Lord, holding their examples and writings as inspirations to Christians in every age. The saints do not get in our way as we search for Jesus. They bring us to him and show us how it is possible to remain loyal to him - to remain in love with him - even in our own complex times. May Held in God’s Gaze become well known and used across the denominations as a gift of the Spirit in the work of ecumenism. I am happy to commend it." -- The Rt Revd Paul Swarbrick, Roman Catholic Bishop of Lancaster
"At a time of rapid change, we need the wisdom of those who have walked the Christian path before us, and here we are introduced to some who have trodden that path with more determination and clarity than most. This book is a gem. It is also intensely personal, as we are privileged to watch both authors interact honestly with each other as they discover these great saints and spiritual guides of the faith." -- The Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin, Editor-in-Chief of Seen and Unseen, President of St Mellitus College