The Divine Heart of Darkness by Catherine Bird

The Divine Heart of Darkness by Catherine Bird

There is a universal assumption that associates darkness with fear and evil. Why is it that light has come to be exalted, venerated--worshipped even--whilst darkness has become demonised and feared? As a devoted lover of the dark, Catherine Bird seeks to ask how we can use the experience of darkness to lift our spirits, challenge our hearts and minds, and draw us closer into the heart of God.

Drawing on material not only from Biblical and religious studies, but also from anthropology, biology, sociology and the creative arts, The Divine Heart of Darkness offers a new way of understanding darkness and invites you to enter a new realm in which light and darkness co-exist and complement each other, both with beautiful and life-affirming qualities, and both with challenging and negative qualities--not reflecting a dichotomy of good and evil, but rather a balanced universe in which God's nature is revealed in all things which are healing and affirming of life.

Catherine Bird is the Superintendent of the Hackney Methodist Church in London. She is a popular speaker at the Greenbelt festival, where she draws enormous crowds. Catherine was ordained as a Presbyter in the Methodist Church in 1997, after working in the volunteer sector in social policy and research. She was a member of the World Methodist Council for 15 years, chairing the Committee on Social and International Affairs, and is an experienced Spiritual Director and retreat leader, having led retreats for Embrace (previously Biblelands) in 2013. Cathy is a seasoned liturgist and hymn writer whose work has been included in publications such as The Preacher (Journal of the College of Preachers), Magnet, and the Methodist Recorder. She is also the author of study materials for Applecart, a story-telling initiative.