Library & Online Resources
The Rev. Dr. L. Roger Owens is Professor of Christian Spirituality and Ministry. He received his Ph.D. in theology from Duke University where he was awarded a Lilly Fellowship for the Formation of a Learned Clergy. Before that he completed his M.Div. at Duke Divinity School. 
As an undergraduate he studied philosophy and Bible/religion at Anderson University in Indiana. Owens is an ordained elder in the North Carolina Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. In North Carolina he served both urban and rural churches for eight years as co-pastor with his wife, the Rev. Ginger Thomas, before coming to Pittsburgh Seminary in 2013.
The author of several books, Owens recently published Everyday Contemplative: The Way of Prayerful Living (Upper Room Books, 2022). Read an excerpt from the book here.
Library Resources by Subject
Click on the links below to perform subject/author searches in the library catalog:
Select Bibliography
The links below will take you to either Bookshop.org (which supports local bookstores) or Amazon.com, where you can purchase the book.
Eastman, Dick. The Hour that Changes the World: A Practical Plan for Personal Prayer. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2002.
Owens, L. Roger. Everyday Contemplative: The Way of Prayerful Living. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2022.
Books in Barbour Library
Print books below may be checked out by PTS students, faculty, and staff, as well as local area patrons who have library accounts (requires an annual fee). Ebooks are indicated by asterisks, and are available to current PTS students, faculty, and staff only.
For a complete list of titles, see the Display Bibliography, below.
Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction by Call Number: BV5053 .P48 1993ISBN: 9780802801142Publication Date: 1993-10-22
Embracing Contemplation: reclaiming a Christian spiritual practice by Call Number: BV5091.C7 E43 2019ISBN: 9780830852307Publication Date: 2019-02-26
Everyday Contemplative: The Way of Prayerful Living by Call Number: BV5091.C7 O94 2022ISBN: 9780835819916Publication Date: 2022-02-01
Love Your Bible: Finding your way to the presence of God with a 12th century monk by Call Number: BS617.8 .H36 2015ISBN: 9780986412400Publication Date: 2015-02-06
New Seeds of Contemplation by Call Number: BX2350.2.M57 N4 1972ISBN: 9780811200998Publication Date: 1974-11-01
On the Road with Saint Augustine: A real world spirituality for restless hearts by Call Number: BR65.A9 S625 2019ISBN: 9781587433894Publication Date: 2019-10-01
Sanctuary of the Soul by Call Number: BV210.3 .F68 2011ISBN: 9780830835553Publication Date: 2011-08-08
Display Bibliography
Click the file below for a complete list of books used for a display at Barbour Library to support this event!
Select Bibliography
The articles below without links are not available in the Barbour Library journal collection - please check your local library for interlibrary loan services in order to obtain copies of these.
Owens, L. Roger. "From mindful to contemplative: An invitation for Christians to take the next step." Presbyterian Outlook. May 4, 2022
Articles in Barbour Library
Articles that are available online have links, and are only available to current PTS students, faculty, and staff. Articles without links are in the print journal collection.
Dubie, Emily. 2021. “Caregiving, Self‐Care, and Contemplation: Resources from Thomas Aquinas.” New Blackfriars 102 (1099): 384–400.
Keller, David. 2007. “Reading Living Water: The Integral Place of Contemplative Prayer in Christian Transformation.” Sewanee Theological Review 50 (3): 409–26.
McParland, Philip. 2017. “A Contemplative Path for All.” The Way 56 (2): 41–47.
Muto, Susan. 2013. “Living Contemplatively and Serving God in the World: Two Sides of the Coin of Christian Ministry.” Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care 6 (1): 82–92.
Olson-Smith, Clark. 2011. “Becoming Contemplative Worshippers: Attending to Our Communal Heart.” Currents in Theology and Mission 38 (4): 272–83.
Wilhoit, Jim. 2014. “Contemplative and Centering Prayer.” Journal of Spiritual Formation & Soul Care 7 (1): 107–17.
- Academy for Spiritual FormationSince 1983, The Academy has offered a sacred place for spiritually hungry pilgrims, both clergy and lay. The Academy is an experience of disciplined Christian community emphasizing holistic spirituality — nurturing mind, body, and spirit. The program is ecumenical in nature and fosters spiritual rhythms of study and prayer, silence and liturgy, solitude and relationship, rest and exercise. Each Academy celebrates the Creator’s blessing, delights in the companionship of Christ, and witnesses to the power of the Holy Spirit to transform lives, churches, and the world.
- Faith & LeadershipA learning resource for Christian leaders and their institutions from Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
- The Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality (Blog)The Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality (SSCS) exists to promote research and dialogue within the community of persons interested in the field of spirituality. The SSCS is ecumenical and strives to be inclusive of the widest possible range of expressions of Christian spirituality. Its work is interdisciplinary, encouraging the application of diverse critical approaches to the study of spirituality.
- The Upper RoomThe Upper Room® is a global ministry dedicated to supporting the spiritual life of Christians seeking to know and experience God more fully. From its beginnings in 1935 as a daily devotional guide, The Upper Room has grown to include publications, programs, prayer support, and other resources to help believers of all ages and denominations move to a deeper level of faith and service.