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Held in God's Gaze: Keeping Company with the Saints and Mystics
Discover the wisdom, prayer, and spiritual insight of saints and mystics across Christian history in Held in God's Gaze. This book is an invitation to share the authors' experience of becoming friends in faith with the saints and mystics.
Those who feature reflect the wide sweep of Christian spiritual several are from the ancient and Celtic background; several reflect medieval spirituality - including women's spirituality; there are the so-called 'Spanish Mystics', and some from more recent times.
Jill Duff and Nicholas Heale invite readers to share in their experience of friendship with holy figures, from ancient and Celtic saints to medieval mystics, women spiritual leaders, the Spanish Mystics, and modern voices of faith.
Through short, engaging chapters, the authors explore how these saints encountered God through prayer, scripture, and devotion, offering reflections that help readers grow in spiritual maturity. Each chapter concludes with study questions, perfect for individual meditation or group discussion.
Ideal for Christian spirituality enthusiasts, devotional readers, and anyone interested in saints, mysticism, prayer practice, and spiritual growth.
Learn from the past to inspire transformation in your faith and daily life.
Those who feature reflect the wide sweep of Christian spiritual several are from the ancient and Celtic background; several reflect medieval spirituality - including women's spirituality; there are the so-called 'Spanish Mystics', and some from more recent times.
Jill Duff and Nicholas Heale invite readers to share in their experience of friendship with holy figures, from ancient and Celtic saints to medieval mystics, women spiritual leaders, the Spanish Mystics, and modern voices of faith.
Through short, engaging chapters, the authors explore how these saints encountered God through prayer, scripture, and devotion, offering reflections that help readers grow in spiritual maturity. Each chapter concludes with study questions, perfect for individual meditation or group discussion.
Ideal for Christian spirituality enthusiasts, devotional readers, and anyone interested in saints, mysticism, prayer practice, and spiritual growth.
Learn from the past to inspire transformation in your faith and daily life.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 19, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I’ve set a goal for myself to read more British Christian authors from denominations other than my own, and Held in God’s Gaze by Jill Duff and Nicholas Heale was a rich place to begin.
This book invites readers to keep company with the saints and mystics — not to idealise them, but to learn from their long obedience in the same direction. It calls us into silence, stillness, humility, and steady perseverance. Again and again, the message feels disarmingly simple: be still, let God look upon you, and allow yourself to be loved.
Some of the figures were familiar to me — Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena, Saint Patrick, John of the Cross, and the Desert Fathers. Others, like Gertrude the Great and Isaac of Nineveh, were new acquaintances for me. I appreciated how accessible the authors made these voices without flattening their depth or distinctiveness.
One of the strengths of the book is its honesty about the spiritual life. It doesn’t promise quick transformation. The Desert Fathers’ counsel to simply “get up again” after every fall reframes failure as faithfulness in motion. The reminders that humility takes decades, that dryness in prayer is not unusual, and that darkness can coexist with love, all felt steadying rather than discouraging.
There is also a healthy balance throughout. It acknowledges emotional expression in prayer while warning against spiritual exhibitionism. It encourages thoughtful faith — heart and mind held together — rather than shallow intensity or detached intellectualism. That integration felt especially valuable.
Practically, the format works well for either individual reflection or group study. Each chapter includes Scripture readings, questions, and prompts for prayer. You won’t agree with everything (I certainly didn’t), but that’s part of the gift. The book leaves room for discernment while inviting genuine openness.
Most of all, it reminded me that spiritual growth is rarely dramatic. It is slow, hidden, and often forged in wilderness seasons. But we are not left alone there.
If your heart is open, you will find more than “a thing or two” to learn from these companions of the past.
A thoughtful, stretching, and quietly formative read.
A special thank you to SPCK Publishing for providing me with a copy of Held in God’s Gaze. It was a deeply enriching read, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to explore the wisdom of saints and mystics.
This book invites readers to keep company with the saints and mystics — not to idealise them, but to learn from their long obedience in the same direction. It calls us into silence, stillness, humility, and steady perseverance. Again and again, the message feels disarmingly simple: be still, let God look upon you, and allow yourself to be loved.
Some of the figures were familiar to me — Teresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena, Saint Patrick, John of the Cross, and the Desert Fathers. Others, like Gertrude the Great and Isaac of Nineveh, were new acquaintances for me. I appreciated how accessible the authors made these voices without flattening their depth or distinctiveness.
One of the strengths of the book is its honesty about the spiritual life. It doesn’t promise quick transformation. The Desert Fathers’ counsel to simply “get up again” after every fall reframes failure as faithfulness in motion. The reminders that humility takes decades, that dryness in prayer is not unusual, and that darkness can coexist with love, all felt steadying rather than discouraging.
There is also a healthy balance throughout. It acknowledges emotional expression in prayer while warning against spiritual exhibitionism. It encourages thoughtful faith — heart and mind held together — rather than shallow intensity or detached intellectualism. That integration felt especially valuable.
Practically, the format works well for either individual reflection or group study. Each chapter includes Scripture readings, questions, and prompts for prayer. You won’t agree with everything (I certainly didn’t), but that’s part of the gift. The book leaves room for discernment while inviting genuine openness.
Most of all, it reminded me that spiritual growth is rarely dramatic. It is slow, hidden, and often forged in wilderness seasons. But we are not left alone there.
If your heart is open, you will find more than “a thing or two” to learn from these companions of the past.
A thoughtful, stretching, and quietly formative read.
A special thank you to SPCK Publishing for providing me with a copy of Held in God’s Gaze. It was a deeply enriching read, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to explore the wisdom of saints and mystics.
Displaying 1 of 1 review