{"product_id":"tools-matter-for-practicing-the-spiritual-life","title":"Tools Matter for Practicing the Spiritual Life","description":"\u003cp\u003eFunk turns to the wisdom of the desert fathers for the means of removing obstacles to spiritual growth  which include thoughts of food  sex  possessions  anger  dejection  and pride  among other preoccupations. Redirecting thought away from such weeds in the garden of the spirit can lead to a greater awareness of God. This somewhat Zen-like method to mental discipline may seem impossible at first  Funk admits  but those who succeed at it are rewarded with a liberating experience as they come to observe and control individual thought processes. Drawing on the writings of the fifth-century monk John Cassian  Funk goes on to explore deeply using such tools as memory  imagination  and rational thinking-tools right out of early Christianity-to work on inner healing. She also explains how other positive tools  such as ceaseless prayer  manual labor  and isolation  may lead to uncluttering the mind and purifying the heart.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44966508068917,"sku":"ByrdShop_0826416551","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780826416551.jpg?v=1770565742","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/tools-matter-for-practicing-the-spiritual-life","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}