Nowadays, it is likely that all of us know at least someone, if not multiple persons, who have had their lives affected by cancer. For Anthony Maranise, author of the new book, Cross of a Different Kind: Cancer & Christian Spirituality, this is certainly true. Maranise, now in his twentieth year of remission from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, was diagnosed, treated, and cured at St Jude Children's Research Hospital, a worldwide leader in pediatric cancer and catastrophic disease research and treatment, located in the Southern United States from October 1994 to April 1997. To commemorate his twentieth year free-from-cancer, he has chosen to "give-back" to both the institution credited with saving his life as well as all others affected by cancer in a unique and informative way.
In November 2016, Maranise conceived of the idea to write a book which would address both the common spiritual and existential concerns facing all three groups of persons who face confrontations with the pains and sufferings of cancer, in any of its forms. Trained as a Christian theologian at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, TN, USA, he decided to draw upon his knowledge of Christian spiritual theology as well as his own knowledge, born of personal experience, to address the concerns of a) Those who have lost loved-ones to cancer and continue to grieve their loss, b) Those who are currently facing diagnosis and treatment in their own personal battle with cancer, and c) Those who have survived the cancer experience.
Eternal Insight Press & Media Group, the book's publishing outfit, agreed to move forward with the book project after researching other books also on the topics of cancer and Christian life, noting that no other book contained all three sections listed above in one treatment of the topic. Maranise himself said, "I wanted to roll all three groups of people who are ever 'touched' by cancer into the one book because as sad a fact as it may be, we live in a time where it is common for cancer-affected persons to experience more than one single brush with it. My book can be used in any phase or experience of the cancer journey, and I hope readers find in it both spiritual comfort and even strength to fight on."
Prior to the book's full-publication on 23 January 2018, the book was awarded a coveted 5-star seal award by Readers' Favorite, a national book competition in the United States, for content, marketability, presentation, and design.
Adding to the uniqueness of the new title, Maranise has directed that one-hundred percent of all proceeds from the book's sales be donated to St Jude Children's Research Hospital, the same place that saved his life from leukemia some twenty years ago.
