One of the most overlooked and misunderstood spiritual issues is what some might call a "crisis of faith" but which the mystics named "the dark night of the soul." Wrestling the Angel takes on the task of understanding what happens through the dark night experience, reinterpreting just a few of the many Biblical references to spiritual transformation and how this phenomenon shows up in the complex world in which we live today. Weaving together personal accounts from contemporary writers with the descriptions from classical guides like John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila, Wrestling the Angel analyzes the transformation of our most deeply held beliefs and values when the whole world of meaning-making gets turned upside down. What started out as a simple theological research project became a stabilizing beacon light as the author's life suddenly came under the same lens.
About the Author: With a background that spans over three decades of organizational consulting and executive leadership coaching, Kris Girrell marries his background of educational psychology, business leadership and coaching with a deep understanding of theology and diversity awareness. As a strategic consultant to a full cross-section of international business and industry (including high tech, manufacturing, microelectronics, pharmaceutical, as well as professional services like research, consulting, legal, and financial firms), Kris has helped companies to redefine their direction, function better as leadership teams and gain efficiencies across all aspects of their operations. In addition to the Greater Boston area, Kris has worked with firms in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. He has been an executive coach to top leaders in their respective firms in the C-suite and senior management. Using a combination of behavioral and personal assessments to map out a plan for both short- and long-term development, Kris' coaching has resulted in significant increases in their leadership and management effectiveness. Kris is an avid speaker and writer with publications in scholarly articles in journals such as CLO Magazine (Chief Learning Officer), CIO Insight, Talent Management, Baseline, and the Boston Business Journal, as well as books on a wide range of topics such as career decision-making, marriage success, and personal transformation. As a speaker Kris has been a recent featured speaker at TEDx, was a keynote speaker at the IHAF national conference in late 2016, and has delivered keynotes and trainings nationally and internationally. i Among the many high points of his career was being invited to consult with the Republic of South Africa, shortly after the dissolution of apartheid, on mainstreaming black leaders into organizational leadership from which they had been barred. He has coached over 70 of the world's top-ranked investment analysts, has created a sustainable succession planning program for the Federal Reserve Bank and has worked with three different pharmaceutical firms from their days as a discovery start-up to full commercialization as major drug manufacturers. Kris is and remains a life long learner and competitor. He recently added a Master's degree in Theological Research to his other degrees in Educational Psychology, Counseling and Experimental Psychology.