Our written words carry weight. Unfortunately, in today's cultural climate, our writing is too often laced with harsh judgments and vitriol rather than careful consideration and generosity. But might the Christian faith transform how we approach the task of writing? How might we love God and our neighbors through our writing?This book is not a style guide that teaches you where to place the comma and how to cite your sources (as important as those things are). Rather, it offers a vision for expressing one's faith through writing and for understanding writing itself as a spiritual practice that cultivates virtue. Under the guidance of two experienced Christian writers who draw on authors and artists throughout the church's history, we learn how we might embrace writing as an act of discipleship for today-and how we might faithfully bear the weight of our written words.

List of IllustrationsForeword by Anne Ruggles GereOpening Meditation: At the GalleryIntroduction: At the ThresholdPart One: Humble Listening1. Entering the Study2. On Humility3. Humble Listening in Local Writing Communities4. Humble Listening in Discourse CommunitiesPart Two: Loving Argument5. The Law of Charitable Writing6. On Argument7. On Charity8. Charitable Writing as Love's Banquet9. Beastly Feasting10. Making Space at the TablePart Three: Keeping Time Hopefully11. Slow Writing12. Liturgies of WritingClosing Meditation: At the GalleryAfterword by Alan JacobsAcknowledgmentsAppendix A: Practicing Charitable Writing: Discussion Questions and Writing PromptsAppendix B: Teaching Charitable Writing: Choosing a Via Nova, by Jeffry C. DavisAppendix C: Writing as a Spiritual Discipline, by Stephanie PaulsellBibliographyGeneral IndexScripture Index