Annemarie S. Kidder Knihy

In the hustle and bustle of modern life the word “solitude" may provoke a sigh of relief or the anxiety of loneliness. Dr. Kidder has found that a significant dimension of our spiritual lives is most deeply encountered in solitude. Married, single, or recently divorced -- all of us can find opportunities for solitude that offer a unique opportunity for personal growth and encounters with God. Themes include: romantic allure as a substitute for spirituality; the loner syndrome; cultural conditioning; coupling, co-habitation, and community; fear of loneliness; overachieving; the search for intimacy; the search for sexual fulfillment; Biblical roots; Jesus, the solitary person; Mary and the Annunciation; Mary Magdalene in the Gospels, the Gospel of Thomas, and the DaVinci Code; Augustine, Luther, and Calvin; evangelicalism; prayer, song, drama; spiritual direction; meditation; tending to the body; vows and covenants of temporary/long-term abstinence; and coping with opposition.

Exploring the Christian perspective on single life, this book emphasizes that being single is a valid and honorable choice for both men and women. It challenges traditional views on marriage, presenting the single life as a meaningful and fulfilling path that can lead to spiritual growth and personal development.

Through their own words and their stories, Ultimate Price highlights the witness of seven men and women who felt compelled by their Christian faith to resist the idolatrous Nazi regime.  Some of these seven martyrs are well known, others less so.  They include Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, imprisoned and executed for his part in a plot to overthrow Hitler; Jesuit Alfred Delp, executed for his role in the anti-Nazi Kreisau Circle; Franz Jaegerstaetter, an Austrian peasant who refused to take a military oath; Sophie Scholl, a young university student and part of the doomed White Rose conspiracy; hymn writer and novelist Jochen Klepper; Berlin's Cathedral provost Bernhard Lichtenberg; and recently beatified Jesuit preacher Rupert Mayer.