Do you know this “eat this, not that” series of books? The idea is to help you make good choices in food and drink to avoid hidden calories that will tank your health. Well, Rosie had the thought that we could do something similar with books for the Library Project*.
Today I thought I'd look at spiritual reading, since so many of our readers do ask me for suggestions. Sometimes I'm at a conference with all the booksellers or even just walking by the table at the back of the church, and I just feel like fainting at the sheer quantity of unnecessary and clearly unhelpful stacks of spiritual reading. Sadly, so much of publishing has become putting out new material, whether it's worthy or not.
Usually I simply pay no attention. It's all a matter of trust, and why would I trust just any old book to be my spiritual reading? After all, this is my soul we are talking about! But a while ago Leila Miller (of Little Catholic Bubble) posted on Facebook about a hugely popular (and hugely promoted) book by Matthew Kelly called Rediscovering Catholicism. She took the book to task for a serious theological defect, found in his prologue, in the form of a sort of parable that leaves the reader with the mistaken idea that Jesus did not willingly die, but was unwillingly sacrificed by the Father.
I agree with Leila Miller. I would not read this book on that basis alone and neither should you. Her post made me start thinking of what you should read instead.
Read tried-and-true books to discover what the Church teaches. It's just all too easy for a zealous author to allow error to creep into his work if he's not steeped in authentic and tested theology (and philosophy for that matter — we have an interesting discussion going on in the comments of this post about our Book Club's reading of Ratzinger's Spirit of the Liturgy; did you know that the admirable Dietrich Bonhoeffer was unable to prevent a Kantian modernism to take hold of his theology? Imitate his courage, perhaps, but not his thought!).
If you are looking for inspiration, be sure to read books that are either by saints or clearly base what they are saying on the words of saints and Scripture and the Church Fathers! (In our book, The Little Oratory, we take great pains to show you that what we write about is traditional and grounded in Church teaching.)
So, here is a short list of my favorites — books that are my real bosom friends — in foundational spiritual reading. As always, if you buy from our Amazon affiliate links, we get a little cash. Thanks!
- Edited: When I wrote this, Pope Francis had not changed a perennial teaching of the Church on capital punishment. Therefore, I would now recommend obtaining a Catechism of the Council of Trent, or perhaps this new series called Tradivox (which I have not perused) that collects many ancient catechisms in one place. I still do recommend the following one, but with that caveat.
Pope John Paul II had his own project to help you rediscover (or discover) Catholicism, and that seems like a better bet, hmmm? The Catechism of the Catholic Church sounds like just another dry tome that wouldn't interest you, but on the contrary, you will love it. You can certainly look up any question that you are wondering about (e.g. “What does the Church teach about stealing?” or “What are Sacraments?”), but I really suggest simply starting at the beginning. Until you do, you just can't imagine how beautifully this book presents Salvation History, entwining it with what Reason can discover about man and his journey to God — and God's work in saving us. The section on prayer is a masterpiece. And everything in between is a masterpiece. Read this instead of that other one! (I've linked to the paperback edition because it's the only one I'm sure contains the footnotes and complete text. I think you would be wiser to invest in a hardback version, but mine is so old that it no longer corresponds to what I see on Amazon, and what I see is confusing. This one seems right… If you can buy it in person, that would be great — you want to be sure you have all the references!)
- The heart of Catholicism is the Mass. Of course, read Romano Guardini's The Spirit of the Liturgy (and read along with us!). And Ratzinger‘s as well (ditto!). I highly recommend Scott Hahn's The Lamb's Supper for an extended Biblical treatment of the Mass.
- Would you like to pray, but just can't? Maybe you just don't get what prayer is? Difficulties in Mental Prayer by Dom Eugene Boylan will help. I've read it many, many times over. It sits by my bed. It isn't just about prayer. Very gently, Boylan helps you prepare your soul to pray, and then shows you what prayer is.
- This Tremendous Lover. Is Jesus a feeling? This book, also by Dom Eugene Boylan, helps you discover where you find the real Jesus. It gets you out of your head, by which I mean feelings!
- The Soul of the Apostolate, by Jean-Baptiste Chautard. This book helped me discover the interior life. We know we must be charitable — “do apostolate” or “ministry” (although I don't like that word, because ministers are ordained, but we all have to evangelize) — go out and “be Christ” to others. But how? What is the key? Without the interior life, we are mere activists, and more, what we do ends up being just for show or to make us feel good. We need the interior life.
- Of course, The Interior Castle is the classic on this topic. St. Teresa of Avila is a wonderful guide.
- Introduction to the Devout Life, by Francis de Sales. How to live as a Christian in the world!
- The Story of a Soul, by Thérèse de Lisieux. Did you know that “The Little Flower” — as she is called — is a Doctor of the Church? The deceptive simplicity of her spirituality contains the key to holiness.
- Perhaps this book can help us understand the previous two, or serve as an introduction: Searching for and Maintaining Peace, by Father Jacques Philippe. My thought is that this tiny, unassuming book is the real “mom's book of spiritual help” we are looking for. With great affection and gentleness, Fr. Philippe helps us be reconciled with our defects — without which we would be incapable of receiving God's grace!
- Or, if you just don't get St. Thérèse (but think there's something about her you should get — and there is!), try this: I Believe in Love, by Fr. Jean C. J. d'Elbée. Sappy title, strong content. This book is a series of meditations, so it can be a good “self-led” retreat for you if you want to do something like that.
- For a compact guide to the church's treasury of wisdom regarding the spiritual life , read The Spiritual Life and Prayer by Abbess Cécile Bruyère.
- Saint Joseph, Shadow of the Father, by Andrew Doze. I recommend this deep meditation if you wonder about God the Father and your devotion (or lack thereof) to Him. Especially recommended for you if you have a father-wound, a sadness that's the result of a lack of relationship with your father.
- For continual inspiration, much of it keyed to the liturgical year, I recommend the sermons of St. John Henry Newman. After a while you get the hang of his dense, rich prose, often hailed as the very best in the English language, but undoubtedly a stretch for the contemporary reader. But worth the effort! A full collection can be found here, from Ignatius Press: Parochial and Plain Sermons. It's almost two thousand pages of sure guidance (with a ribbon!). A small collection, carefully curated to follow the seasons of faith has recently been published: Festivals of Faith (available at Sophia Institute Press and at the Silverstream Abbey if you would like to support them directly).
- I wrote here about how Robert Hugh Benson's writing reminds me of the careful spiritual direction of Newman. I highly recommend The Friendship of Christ if you are experiencing dryness. Both of them rescue us from “motivation porn” — the self-serving “dynamic” approach of today's empire-building prophets. Yes, they are harder going, in terms of reading, but Benson and Newman (and all time-tested spiritual guides) offer the sure path of more love (with suffering), not more novelties. They guide us away from a state of insensibility without getting us addicted to ever more emotional jolts. We will always need recollection and renewal, but it's a fine line we need to toe. (The Friendship of Christ is also available on Audible, which might be very helpful.)
(All Amazon links are affiliate links. A small amount of change comes our way when you use them, thank you.)
I could go on and on, and probably will revisit this list. If you are ever at a book sale and find this gem, which is out of print, snatch it up: The Well of Life, by Georges Chevrot. Not only is this an amazing book for spiritual reading, but it will pattern you for reading Scripture in a deeper way: Can you imagine, a whole book on the one meeting of Our Lord with the Woman at the Well? (Joh 4: 1-42) Beautiful.
Angelique says
Love it!
The Soul of the Apostolate is one of my favorites.
I’ve always wanted to read Interior Castles but I never make it past the first few chapters…Auntie Leila Book club hint hint? 😉
Elizabethanne says
I have tried to read Interior Castle at least four times. I was an English major, love to read and think deeply, but. .. it just wasn’t happening. I’d be willing to try again, especially along auth lmld, but I do think there are books, spiritual reading and otherwise, that are just better suited for different personalities.
Leila says
Yes, Elizabethanne — very true! One should never force spiritual reading. There’s simply no reason to. We have Scripture. We have the Catechism. There are so many wonderful classics in spiritual reading that we can choose from, for all sorts of temperaments and personalities.
Kaitlin @ More Like Mary says
I’ve also tried four times! Thank you for this reply!!
Elizabethanne says
Here’s a question I hesitate to ask for fear of sounding rude, but I’ll ask anyway: There are obviously Catholics in need of spiritual reading who really aren’t deep thinkers or maybe just the sort to need concepts spelled out a bit more. ..obviously not everyone is going to “get” Thomas Aquinas, for example, so. .. how do we encourage them? What books do we share with them?
Jana says
Sometimes a different translation can open up a previously obfused book. A quick note on the Catechism – be sure to get the second or later edition! *Not* the first edition that keeps popping up at library sales. (You know, that horrible beige-colored paperback one?) Also, the Catechism of the Council of Trent is matchless for clarity, especially helpful for teaching Catechism to yutes. As for St. Therese, Von Balthazar’s biography of her, in a book called “Two Sisters in the Spirit”, really gives a key that opens up the “Little Way”, and her whole life.
Kristi says
Yes, yes! I just read Searching for and Maintaining Peace and it is great! The author’s Interior Freedom is great, too!
Also, I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the Catholic Catechism it — it is a joy to read, full of truth beautifully stated. (I’m a new convert and started reading it from the beginning a few months ago — I agree, that is the way to go!)
And St. Teresa: I would start with her autobiography — I found it a good foundation for Interior Castle.
Thanks for the recommendations — looking forward to reading the ones I haven’t yet.
Kevin McDermott says
Absolutely spot-on (as usual) Leila! The Catechism of the Catholic Church is, for my money, the Second Greatest Book ever written. I will always remember the thrill I experienced, standing in a bookstore, on seeing and leafing through the first copy I saw…I realized immediately what a remarkable document the Church had produced. Not that it contains anything new — anything but! It’s the FORMAT in which the information is presented that was so revolutionary: every Catechism up to then had been Q&A (and nothing wrong with that); but this STARTED there, and then when on, layer by layer, explaining WHY the Church teaches “whatever,” and then supplying all the documentation: Scripture; Fathers; Church documents…on and on, allowing the user to dig as deeply (or as shallowly) as they wish (it’s even better on-line, where all those documents are a click away). Here’s a book that few will wish to read from beginning to end — although I know many who have! — but a book that EVERYONE should have, for those moments when you wonder “what does the Church teach about [fill in the blank]?” And one of the many wonders of Catholicism is — there’s an answer to that, and you’ll find it between the covers of this book. Which DOES leave one wondering why you hear so much absolute lunacy spread about concerning “what the Catholic Church teaches” — often by people who really, really, should know better…. Keep up the good work, Auntie Leila! And please pray for the Ordinariate!
Cajuntexasmom says
I just read “Searching for and Maintaining Peace,” and came away having highlighted 1/3 of the book. SO many great nuggets! I just started “Introduction to the Devout Life” this weekend.
Thanks for the tidbit about “Rediscovering Catholicism.” I got about 1/3 of the way through and just couldn’t finish it, and I couldn’t put my finger on why. Like you, I am somewhat wary of spiritual books that weren’t written by saints or respected clergy (ie, Fulton Sheen.) I’m not saying there’s not sound material out there, only that with my limited time to read in the first place, I try to be as discerning as possible when selecting books!
Thank you!
Clara says
Love these suggestions. I am adding several to my “Auntie Leila Recommends” Amazon wish list. 🙂
The Catechism is really amazing! Not stodgy at all, but wonderful! I don’t read it often enough, (little kick in the pants) but when I do, I’m always impressed with how beautiful the language is.
This is a great idea Rosie! Thank you! I often feel a little uneasy at all the “new” spirituality books out there for Catholics, so I am happy for your advice of some tried and true.
Annie says
Great list! Might I add that translation can make a big difference? For instance, the Peers’ translation of the Interior Castle you have pictured here is excellent. But I unfortunately read a translation by a woman named Mirabai Starr first. I found it, at best, nearly incomprehensible. When I later read the Peers’ translation, I could hardly believe it was the same book!
Leila says
Annie, good point about translation. Particularly with a lively saint like Teresa, a lot can get lost. I’m glad I chose the right cover to picture!!
Kaitlin @ More Like Mary says
Fingers crossed that this is my problem!
Jana says
OK- read down and saw this, sorry for the previous redundancy. (Is that even possible?)
Emily D. says
Yessss, gotta watch the translations! I love Interior Castle.
Disliked Rediscovering Catholicism. I actually dislike a lot of the things he writes. Generally, I look at publishers–Ignatius, Tan, Sophia–those are generally good guys to pick from.
I can’t read Thomas Aquinas. And I’m a Dominican! That entire way of thinking–it just kills me. I can’t do it. I’ve tried different translations, but none of it works.
Rosemary says
I am almost finished with The Essence of Prayer, by Ruth Burrows. It is so, so good, and grounded firmly in the spirituality of the Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and Therese of Liseux. I highly recommend that one, as well!
sibyl says
I so agree with the caution about the Matthew Kelly book. On the one hand, he is a faithful Catholic, trying hard to reinvigorate people who are far from the Church, and that’s good. But on the other, he is at heart a motivational speaker, and the whole thing from start to finish has a very huckster-like tone, one that immediately raises the hackles — it’s presented as too simple and sounds like he’s selling something. I find it sad that this was the book that our entire diocese used as a year-long book study; the Catechism would have been far better, except that it’s huge and expensive. And some people don’t have smart phones to dial it up and read it that way…
What do you think about The Reed of God, by Caryll Houselander? I found it one of the few books of Marian meditations that didn’t seem sappy or overly pious.
Leila says
sibyl, The Reed of God is lovely.
Dixie says
I want to second the recommendation of “I Believe in Love.” Good for the wounded at heart who want to trust God but do not believe God loves him/her. It really opened my heart.
Clara says
I want to also recommend St Louis de Montfort’s Manual for Total Consecration to Mary (published by the Saint Benedict Center). Great read. It is spiritually simple, yet challenging at the same time.
Laurel says
Excellent, excellent list! The only other book I could think of right now is St. Josemaria Escriva’s little tomes of short paragraphs that hit right to the heart. I find them especially good when I am short on time for spiritual reading.
elizabeth k says
THIS! (Thought I alone felt this…) “I just feel like fainting at the sheer quantity of unnecessary and clearly unhelpful stacks of spiritual reading”
Eva Lyons says
Re: The CCC online, the US Bishops have a new, super user friendly version of the second edition, green cover copy here: http://ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/index.html.
Margaret says
Someone gave a Matthew Kelly book once, and I couldn’t get past the back cover description. It is really necessary to get registered trademarks for all of your catchphrases? He veers way too close to using the Church to build his personal brand.
On another note, I feel like a lot of what you say in this post applies to C.S. Lewis. I know he’s enjoyable to read and has inspired many people, but he was a lifelong anti-Catholic, and anything he’s said has been said better by a canonized saint.
Leila says
Margaret, I agree about Kelly. I have been looking at some other things of his and it all makes me wary.
As to Lewis, I can’t agree! Of course, one should keep in mind that he is not Catholic. However, his greatness is undeniable! Why, even Pope Benedict loves him!
https://bradbirzer.com/2016/03/04/pope-benedict-xvi-on-c-s-lewis/
Lewis is a great artist, I am convinced, as well as an inspired apologist and philosopher. He is a rare genius whose mind encompasses philosophy and literature; and he produced enduring works of his own. His work cannot be distilled into a “message” that is equally well expressed by someone else. It’s unique.
Even if one can see his faults (and I do — poor man, he received such a blow, early on, that he never recovered, and I am convinced that his wariness of the Catholic Church is pretty much entirely emotional in nature, and thus he could never, except practically subconsciously, allow the Virgin Mother into his work; this defect mars his scholarship, I will agree — yet, she is there in his fiction sometimes!), one remains in awe of his achievements.
The issue at hand is not that Kelly isn’t Catholic. He is. The issue is that he commits a serious error of Christology in a work intended for catechesis.
There are many non-Catholics whose works remain inspirational, who are revered for their contribution to the culture and to the faith. What about Bach? We could never dispense with him! What about Jane Austen? What about Tolstoy? Come on…
Jenna says
Thank you for such a great list! I would add “Uniformity with God’s Will” by St. Alphonsus Liguori–I read that simultaneously with Searching for and Maintaining Peace and it was such a comfort. It’s also available for free online in multiple formats.
Auntie Leila, I would love to see a fiction version of this list! I love to read but often struggle to find good, true, and beautiful books. I started reading Rumer Godden from a recommendation you gave many posts ago and absolutely loved In This House of Brede…I would be so interested to see what other recommendations you have!
Amelia says
Thank you! I hadn’t heard of the Dom Eugene Boylan books, but they sound like exactly what this overthinker needs right now! It is always extremely helpful to hear you weigh in on book recommendations. Many of us just don’t know what the tried and true stuff is.
Greta says
Thank you, thank you for a terrific list. I really appreciate these from trusted sources.
ashley.elise says
Excellent recommendations! The Catechism is truly a hidden gem that doesn’t get nearly enough attention! There’s a great little resource called “From Blessing to Blessing” by Sean Innerst that gives an introduction to reading the Catechism. Very helpful for approaching it as more than a reference book!
Dawn says
Dom Lorenzo Scupoli’s Spiritual Combat has changed my life! I have recommended it so many times.
Ellen says
I read and learned from the matthew Kelly book. I mostly gained from it the idea that we can stop being defensive of our church and instead be proud of her gifts to the world. Now I should probably go back and the part you mention.
Melisa says
I’m enjoying reading these comments… Might I recommend a few excellent spiritual books? Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade was suggested to me by my spiritual director. I’m on my second reading of it. Also, anything by Father Jacques Phillippe is helpful and solid. I had the opportunity to see/hear him speak at a local parish. A sweet, gentle man he is (not wanting to sound sappy, but that’s the best way I can describe him). The Imitation of Christ will always be close to my heart. Upon reading through it, I found myself highlighting many parts. Something about it awakened something within me, as it were. Good, solid stuff – easy to read in bits and pieces (for this busy mom of 8). I’ve even read aloud some to my children. Last, but not least… My Spirit Rejoices: The Spiritual Diary of Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur. A true treasure. Elisabeth’s husband Felix was an atheist, and tried everything to pull her away from her Catholic faith, but she still clung fiercely to it (in addition to fulfilling her duties as a faithful wife). Read it to see how it all ends! Elisabeth had the most PHENOMENAL interior life, in my opinion. Love her.
That’s all I can think of for now!
Mrs. B. says
We can’t forget The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis – though our pastor recently said, half tongue-in-cheek, to read it only if you’re already absolutely certain of God’s love for you, because reading it is like scrubbing ourselves clean with a steel brush!
I love two other books by Guardini, The Art of Praying and Meditations Before Mass (which has been published also as Preparing Yourself for Mass): many themes from The Spirit of the Liturgy are also found here, but in a more simple and practical way, since it’s a collection of talks he gave one year right before celebrating the Mass.
Anything, absolutely anything by Ratzinger/Pope Benedict is golden, like his Jesus trilogy. I even like the interview books he did with Peter Seewald, because you can see how he engages “the world”, how he presents the faith to it, and how he responds to its common objections. I also love the books collecting his audience talks, and the meditations he wrote for the Way of the Cross in 2004. There is also a superb little gem called The Yes of Jesus Christ, a wonderful meditation on Faith, Hope, and Love which was born as retreat talks.
I think I should read St. Augustine’s Confessions…
And if I were rich, I’d buy Dom Prosper Gueranger’s Liturgical Year volumes in a heartbeat and keep them on my nightstand. They are available for free online, but I wish I owned the books!
Angelique says
I know this is a children’s book, but I’d add “The King of the Golden City.” It’s like advanced spiritual direction for you, interesting read aloud for your kids, best of both worlds!
Jessica Cope says
It’s not heavy lifting, but I recently enjoyed “Holiness for Housewives.” That’s about my pace for spiritual reading these days. Have you read it? What did you think? I’ve been pondering the old-fashioned idea of obedience lately and would love to know your take on obedience as a wife. (Although maybe I’m missing it in the archives?)
Leila says
Jessica, Rosie says she really loves Holiness for Housewives (although she hasn’t finished it). I have not read it but we have very similar tastes.
I have written about obedience for wives — I wrote a series about the best encyclical about marriage, Casti Connubii:
http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/2013/04/what-we-do-in-here/
and in this post http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/2013/03/two-tough-bits/
addressed that issue as best I could.
Tell me what you think.
Robin says
Sorry to comment late, but wanted to add a hearty “amen” and “thank you”! I had the professor read this post and he really appreciated knowing that he’s not the only one frustrated by the sheer volume of mediocre-to-downright-heretical material being produced and marketed. He had the opportunity in our parish to choose against confirmation material by Matthew Kelly, the gist of which was “following Church teaching will help you become the best version of yourself.” Bleh.
On a more positive note, since I didn’t think I could keep up with the Spirit of the Liturgy for Lent, I decided to finally read Searching For and Maintaining Peace by Fr. Philippe, and read it slowly instead of just breezing through because it’s so short. Wow! It was just amazing. Everyone really does need to read that one. I do hope to revisit the Spirit of the Liturgy one of these days, though! I did read and enjoy several of the posts and their comments.
Love from Wichita!
Leila says
Thanks so much, Robin! Yes, when I looked at some quotes from Matthew Kelly, literally one of them was about becoming the best version of yourself.
You know, Jesus Christ, Son of God, did not die on the cross for that! He died to pay the wages of sin and so that we might share in His divine life! As the Fathers teach us, He became man that man might learn to be God with Him!
Leila says
To Elizabethanne’s question (just so that the comments don’t get too imbedded, I’m answering out here), if someone really isn’t a reader, sometimes a study group really helps — especially if you actually just go ahead and read the book out loud together.
Some of the ones I’ve linked to are very simple. The Catechism is a big heavy book but taken a bit at a time, it’s doable and written in plain language.
To make a distinction, spiritual reading is to feed prayer, and then there is the genre of apologetics, which can overlap but maybe is more about study. Maybe the same people who find the latter hard going will yet be able to read the former.
The Imitation of Christ is simple spiritual reading that certainly has stood the test of time. As Mrs. B says, you have to be a hardy soul — or at least really understand the faith — but you certainly don’t have to be a great reader.
It’s important to remember that spiritual reading actually SHOULD be done slowly, a little bit at a time. I think we do a good service if we encourage our friends to try the classics — at least some of them.
Gina says
Great thread and great suggestions. Can you expand a bit about the part on Bonhoeffer? Any recommendations to help understand his Kantian/modernist bent?
Leila says
Gina, have you read my posts on Guardini’s Spirit of the Liturgy? In particular, this one:
http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/2016/03/lifes-center-of-gravity-the-spirit-of-the-liturgy-a-lenten-book-club/
There I said this:
You see, there came to be a divide that fell between man and that which is beyond man. We can often feel that philosophy has nothing to do with our everyday lives, yet that is not true. What we think about things really matters. And in the West, many centuries ago, the very greatest thinkers began to doubt that there is a connection between the material world and the immaterial world, or that the immaterial world is even real; and most importantly, that words have meaning connected to what they are — that they are not simply random things we have agreed on.
(It would really be good to read the chapter, too.)
This divide between ancients and moderns was solidified by certain modern philosophers. Kant in particular doubling down on the Will — that it’s man’s effort that gets him to God — rather than what the Ancients thought, that Love draws us to itself (Himself). Think of Dante’s last words in the Divine Comedy: the love that moves the moon and the stars. We, in our time, being modernists, think of this movement as a kind of mechanism. But Dante did not — he agreed with Aristotle and Aquinas that God, love, is attractive in the literal sense — that there is something outside of us that ineffably draws us to Him by sheer love.
This can’t, then, be located in the Will, in DOING. It has to do with beholding, with seeing, with KNOWING.
Luther detached the Mass from knowledge, and Bonhoeffer was his son. Bonhoeffer is a good example of a man who desperately wanted to worship, but couldn’t accept the givenness of worship. Don’t get me wrong, I admire him! But he made life hard for himself in terms of knowing God’s will.
Laura says
I as a protestant (and rather ignorant of Catholic teaching, but I hope very grounded in theology, as my hubby is a Bible student and we have spent our 15 year marriage discussing TONS of theology), Matthew Kelly’s book seemed almost a Catholic equivalent to Joel Osteen’s idea of “Your Best Life Now”. I snagged Kelly’s book at a flea market, and since I read on LMLD a lot, I thought, “oh, maybe this could shine some light on their thinking, so I know more of where they are coming from”, but I don’t really think it did. There were definitely some good nuggets. He points out the importance of celebration (which protestants don’t really know how to do), he made some pretty sound points about the nature of work and striving for virtue, but the whole “best version of yourself” and his idea that somehow people want to be good and are drawn to goodness throughout the book seemed to miss the depravity of man, and nowhere did I see any mention of “repent, and believe!” or that what the Gospel is is God’s work of reaching down to humanity and making a way for us to be reconciled unto Him through Christ and His work on the cross. It very much smacked of self-help and earning salvation or being worthy of it….
Leila says
Laura, I would hope that it did not “shine a light on our thinking”! other than that we don’t hold with those things, obviously!
I can’t understand the current infatuation with this author, other than it’s catchy and apparently free for parishes to put his books on their tables, and I guess they need something. But it would be better to have bare tables, in my opinion. The more I see of his books, the more dangerous I think they are.
Mignon Thurow says
Leila, Thank you so much for this invaluable list. I’ve been rummaging around in your archives today, getting spiritually fed by so much goodness here. I’m excited to read some of these recommendations. Blessings to you and your family! And may my family be blessed by your wise words.