A captivating collection for preachers, teachers, writers, and anybody who appreciates the power of great literature to open minds and move hearts.

What makes a book good? According to Mary Batchelor, good fiction 'rings true'. It encourages us to exercise our moral judgment, leads to greater understanding of ourselves and others, broadens our compassion, and expands our knowledge of life and of human strength and frailty.

Common Grace takes readers on a rich and stimulating journey through some of the world's finest literature-where the struggles and joys of life and faith are illustrated in timeless words and images. From Dante, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens to Graham Greene, C.S. Lewis, and Maya Angelou, this comprehensive anthology brings together some of the best literary writing from the Bible onwards. Ranging from imaginative excerpts both powerful and profound to delightful selections of humor and satire, it offers a literary feast for browsing, discovery, and growth.

The collection is divided into five topical sections reflecting the desires, sufferings, and searchings of human existence:

The World We Live In • Home
• Countryside and Animals
• Food
• The Church and its People

Being Human • Happiness, Laughter, and Recreation
• Giving and Self-Giving
• Suffering
• Grief and Loss
• Human Love

Knowing God • The Cross and the Resurrection
• Repentance, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation
• Prayer and the Presence of God
• Divine Love
• Last Things

Good and Evil • Angels and Devils
• Goodness and Strivings for Goodness
• Reaching out to Others
• Foibles and Vices
• Truth and Pretense
• War and Peace

The Cycle of Life • Birth, Childhood, and Youth
• Age
• Death and Dying - from Amzon