The Passionate Journey: Walking into the Darkness Towards the Light of Easter

There are 41 devotions - 40 for the days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday (excluding Sundays) and one for Easter. For the six Sundays that are not a part of the Lenten observation, you are provided with a Scripture, reflection, and prayer, but in observance of the Sabbath day of rest, there is no journaling space. Hardcover.

MARTY A. BULLIS is a fresh, provocative voice in Christian literature. A graduate of Milligan College and Claremont Graduate University, he is a former minister and has taught philosophy and religion at a number of colleges, including Azusa Pacific University and Juniata College. He is author of The Miraculous Journey. Marty and his wife, the Reverend Tracie Bullis, reside in central Pennsylvania with their two children.

    Tell us a little about yourself.  I’m a professional philosopher who writes about the philosophy of time, culture and the spiritual life. I am a graduate of Milligan College (B.A. in Biblical Studies) and Claremont Graduate University (M.A. & Ph.D. in Philosophy). I’ve taught philosophy and religion courses at Azusa Pacific University, The College of New Jersey, and James Madison University. Currently I live in central Pennsylvania with my wife and children, where I enjoy hiking, welding, stargazing and teaching at Juniata College.

    What was your motivation behind this project?  Western society is dominated by voices that are opposed to Lent. Lent is a contemplative death- march that Christians perform each year in order to stay attentive to the sacrificial work of God. We pick up our crosses, letting our selves die a bit each day that Christ might live more fully within us. Society offers us little help in living this type of sacrificial life. Rarely do we hear about death except in tragic terms. Advertisers, politicians, and entertainers train us to be self-interested consumers not disciples. This book is a personal attempt to return to the basics of our salvation. It’s a Christian version of "raging against the culture’s machine" in order to live more like Jesus. I hope it will help others live out Jesus’ counter-cultural, revolutionary calling.

    What do you hope folks will gain from this project?  Lent is a 40 day gift of time during which Christians consider Jesus’ gift—-his sacrificial death on our behalf. It’s a time of remembrance and contemplation, when we walk toward death with Christ. We relive Jesus’ Passion by rereading the Gospel accounts. We anticipate our own deaths and pray that our journeys will be faithful, reflecting Jesus’ obedient journey to the cross. The Passionate Journey is designed to help the reader embrace this gift of time and renew Christ’s call to sacrificial living.

    Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists?  Here’s a list of people whose work I value: Eugene Peterson, Robert Inchausti, the Desert Fathers & Mothers, Albert Borgmann, Billy Collins, Paul Cezanne, T. S. Eliot, Sylvia Plath, Robert Bly, Ted Kooser, Czeslaw Milosz, James Merrill, John McGahern, Robert Fisk, Noam Chomsky.

    Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know:  If you enjoy "The Passionate Journey" you may enjoy my Advent book, which looks at the four Gospel accounts of Jesus’ birth. The book will be out fall 2007.

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