Watch a child at play. They seem absorbed in a source of vitality and joy drawn from simply being in the moment. As the child grows into adulthood they seem to lose connection with that source of vitality. Even though they may still experience extraordinary moments of vitality, ongoing connection is often hindered by the pressures, routines, responsibilities and challenges of everyday living. What is the source of vitality in daily life? What hinders our connection? What assists our connection?

According to Thomas Merton, "our greatest journey in life is interior." Such an interior journey is named as a spiritual journey. Even though the spiritual journey requires us to journey within, the focal point of such journeying is the way we live and act in our daily life; our outer world.

Many, many people experience belonging within a current world religious tradition. A religious tradition which offers them a coherent Story of meaning from which they find identity, purpose and belonging. However, for a growing number of people this is no longer the case; they no longer find their place of belonging within a particular religious tradition. Even so, they long for a faith community in which they too may belong.

The title of this essay arose within me while I was on a flight from India to Melbourne. At the time, I was reflecting on the place of grace in relation to God’s action within humanity. The face of an Indian girl I had witnessed floated across my mind. Tears welled in my eyes and gently rolled down my cheeks. Her face had left an indelible impression upon me. He face personified human woundedness, which then compelled me to wrestle with the question of God’s grace in the face of woundedness.

The question is posed: “Is Bernard Lonergan’s Method in Theology merely relevant for the halls of academia?” In other words, is the study and application of Lonergan’s method solely the prerogative of theologians? Theologians, who write and publish books which other theologians read, critique and then publish their own findings. Theologians, who lecture student theologians within theological institutions; students who one day hope to become theologians! If, as Lonergan asserts, the Method is actually a universal pattern of human consciousness, why is it imprisoned within the academic institution? Why not bring Lonergan’s Method to life in the local faith community? It is these questions which have prompted the writing of this book.

Foundational to the topic of this thesis is the question, “Can major depression be a true spiritual dryness through which we may takes steps towards God?” The question is posed by Madeleine Kelly in Life on a Roller-Coaster: living well with depression and manic depression.

"We're off to Mongolia." Finally we had made the decision and could tell people. "Why Mongolia?" was the usual reply. Why indeed, for we knew little about the place. However, there was a reason. The reason was a photo. A photo we'd seen in the travel section of a newspaper. A photo taken in Mongolia.

The call to practice gratitude within daily life continues to gain momentum within mainstream western society. However, what does it mean to practice gratitude? Is gratitude simply a matter of verbalizing thankfulness for needs and wants met? While the practice of giving thanks is important, such words may be nothing more than platitudes if they do not arise from an inner orientation of gratitude.

We are now experiencing a turning point in human history; a turning point in which the old Story of how we humans viewed ourselves-in-the-world has been broken open and a new Story is emerging. A new Story no longer revolves around questions of sin, redemption, and the afterlife. Therefore, does a new Story of human meaning making, render the term grace redundant? Does grace need to be laid to rest, or can the term be reclaimed by way of reimagining another layer of meaning which is coherent with a new Story?