A deep prayer life is not just something for mystics or religious specialists. It’s for everyone, and everyone has a capacity for it. There is a great thirst for spiritual depth among Christians and seekers.

This is a popular introduction to prayer and the spiritual life – a guide for Lent and the rest of the year – in the tradition of Ignatius Loyola. Simmonds also explores Ignatian influence on the life of the seventeenth-century Yorkshire woman, Mary Ward. The Ignatian tradition is hugely adaptable to different approaches. At its heart is personal encounter with Jesus, so ‘The Way of Ignatius’ will help people to pray with the Scriptures in an imaginative way. It includes questions to aid reflection and discussion at the end of each chapter, and also looks at the way in which the Passion and resurrection of Jesus are woven into the patterns of human life.