Books

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A Kind of Solitude is a must read for pastors and anyone who is interested in the spiritual life. It is a story of death and resurrection, from darkness to light. There are very few brutally honest spiritual memoirs, and this is one of them. Life is difficult, and often, downright impossible, and Jamie’s story shows us how we can transform our pain into something beautiful. I am glad that he wrote the book and, quoting St. Augustine, “take and read” you won’t be disappointed. – William C. Mills, Eastern Orthodox priest and author of Losing My Religion: A Memoir of Faith and Finding

The book’s central insight comes through the author’s personal tussle with the wisdom of Abba John the Little, who observed how “we have abandoned a light burden, namely self-criticism, and taken up a heavy burden, namely self-justification.” Simple to say; hard to live. This story reveals glimmers of providence in the darkness of despair, a testament to the possibility of healing and renewal for all who earnestly seek it. – Doug Koop, Hospital Spiritual Health Practitioner and former editor of ChristianWeek.

In this story of a man with a broken heart and the healing power of an icon, Jamie Howison recounts how, with the aid of ancient spiritual insights and practices, and the faithfulness of an undergraduate Christian community in Halifax, a remarkable transformation took place in his life. This testimony will bring hope to others who long to see God while in a place of disillusionment and desperation.– Bishop Stephen Andrews, Principal, Wycliffe College, Toronto

For thirty years Steve Bell and Jamie Howison have shared a friendship rooted in their common love of words, music, and the stuff of faith. Combining Bell’s lyrics and songwriter’s notes with Howison’s theological reflections, I Will Not Be Shaken is a unique expression of a creative and lasting friendship.

This is the perfect way truly to HEAR the Psalms – with scholarship and music, with mind and heart, with intelligence and emotion, with our whole unified soul. – Marva Dawn, Author and Theologian

Jamie Howison’s tone is wonderfully conversational, gently firm, close to daily trials as well as breathing the psalms themselves. The whole combination of brief, pointed meditations and references to Steve’s song-writing, along with striking references to Updike, Bono, and Capon, has a lively in-touch-with-life, genuine bluegrass feel to it. – Calvin Seerveld, Professor Emeritus in Philosophical Aesthetics at the Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto

Published in 2015, and available from Signpost Music, with a companion CD.

As part of the growing literature on theology and the arts, this book explores the substantial theological insight expressed in the music of jazz legend John Coltrane. By attending to the traditions of theology and jazz criticism, and through a series of interviews with musicians, theologians, and jazz writers, the author draws the worlds of theology and jazz into an active and vibrant conversation with each other.

His understanding and love of Coltrane are amazing! – Cornel West

Howison has given us an original study showing the connections between jazz music and theological truths, bringing together a rare combination of musical and religious expertise. His book is a deeply personal look at the great music of John Coltrane and other jazz artists, showing how their creativity is an expression of the many facets of our humanity, from tragedies to triumphs. There is nothing quite like this in the literature. Must-reading for anyone who cares about the arts in relation to faith. – William Edgar, Westminster Theological Seminary.

Jamie Howison’s work on Coltrane is insightful and just what you’d hope for—a deeper, wider groove, a take on Coltrane that’s not been peddled to death. Read and be enriched. – Charlie Peacock, musician, producer and author

Published in 2012 by Cascade Books, and available in print and electronic versions from the publisher and from Amazon.

A book of daily readings for the season of Advent, produced by saint benedict’s table and published in 2012. The series of readings begins on November 27, which makes the book suitable for any year regardless of the date of the beginning of the Advent season.

Contributors to this volume:

• Jamie Howison
• Steve Bell
• Jaylene Johnson
• Rachel Twigg
• With poetry by Malcolm Guite

An affordable Kindle edition is available from Amazon, but the book is also available as a free PDF. If you’d like to have a copy emailed to you, please contact Jamie Howison

In a paper on the roots of Christian Fundamentalism in Western Canada, the noted church historian Bruce Hindmarsh pointed to the crucial role played by the Winnipeg-based grain merchant and church leader, Sidney T. Smith, noting that Smith was anything but a “typical or uncontroversial fundamentalist.” In this treatment, the author (who also happens to be Smith’s great-grandson) draws on sermon texts, interviews, archival materials, and published works to trace the story and significance of this unique figure.

Available in print from the author for $12 (postage included), or as a free PDF. Please use the Contact page.

This study offers a reflection on one community’s practice of an open communion table, and on its efforts to both articulate and embody a new understanding of the relationship between eucharistic hospitality and Christian initiation.

Absolutely the best case I’ve seen for open communion with serious respect given to baptism. You do a fine job of honoring this meal-baptism tension, [making] a beautiful statement about grace at the table in our time. – John Koenig, General Theological Seminary, New York.

Available as a free PDF by contacting the author through the Contact page.