The Sacred Gaze: How do we live in a world ‘addicted to velocity’? How do we resist the seductions of a culture that invites us to define ourselves by what we consume? Eight hundred years ago, Clare of Assisi advised a correspondent to gaze into the mirror of the crucified Christ and study her own face within it. A hundred years ago, Charles Horton Cooley said we can know our self only as it is reflected to us by others. In The Sacred Gaze, Alain Lea explores how to dismantle the false self that is created by distortions in the mirrors around us. Drawing from the mystical and contemporary influence of Gregory of Nazianzus’ traditions; with practical suggestions for how to begin, Alain shows how gazing into the face of Christ can reveal to us who we really are. When the true self is known, and known as God’s beloved, the way is opened to radical freedom and joy. After reading this book, you will then know “you” fully, just as “you” have been fully known by God. Enjoy a fiercely honest and probing ‘guide for the perplexed’ that brings together sharp spiritual insights with the ancient wisdom of the Christian spiritual tradition. This book is about the recovery of radiance, the sheer wonder and amazement of being loved and accepted.