These book reviews present different spiritual writings, both primary and secondary, which I have personally felt to be valuable. In other words, if you’re looking for books which help you dive deeper into the life of the spirit, then try some of these writings out!
Sin, the Examen, and Daring Greatly Sin is a difficult topic to consider. Interestingly, sin is something that every person thinks about – at least from time to time – but no one really likes others to talk about. Sin may have an aspect of willful rebellion, but it also can simply mean a mistake, Read More …
This book by Karen Armstrong is a bit different from the general vein of books that I review. While her most popular work is definitely A History of God. this book explores her personal journey. It is a first-person narrative biography, and it is an example of a growing genre: deconversion. Armstrong spent seven years as Read More …
The spiritual path is not meant to be walked alone. The practice of spiritual direction has been developed over the millennia in light of this truth. Spiritual direction (also known as spiritual friendship, mentorship, discipleship, accountability, etc.) can take many forms, but it is necessary for anyone who is serious about a fully spiritual — Read More …
Have you ever heard of the Enneagram? If not, you might go here for a little background. Simply stated, the Enneagram is a personality typing system, but it is not like Myers-Briggs Type. Most personality systems look at cognition — how do you think and how do others think differently. That information can be immensely Read More …
This is one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors. Teilhard de Chardin was a controversial priest, geologist, and paleontologist in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of his works were only published posthumously because they were censored by the Catholic Church during his lifetime. What was his revolutionary idea? Read More …
This book is a masterful introduction to the practice of mindfulness. It also includes oodles of research and case study information on how mindfulness has been successfully implemented in clinical situations to reduce stress and promote well-being. Mindfulness itself is another way of speaking about the practice of becoming aware of where you are right Read More …
I’d like to offer up another book by Rowan Williams. This little book is the best introduction to the sayings of the Desert Fathers that I’ve encountered (particularly for Anglicans and Protestants). Who are the Desert Fathers? Well, in the third and fourth centuries AD, Christianity was gradually growing in acceptance within the ancient world. Read More …
No, not that Thomas More. As a change of pace, I thought that I would offer a few comments about a recent book. In A Religion of One’s Own, Thomas Moore speaks to the needs of spirituality within our very secularized world — and also about the need of secularity in our overly ossified religious Read More …
This book is a compilation of the Gifford Lectures which William James delivered at Edinburgh in 1901-02, and it is a seminal text for the philosophy, psychology, and sociology of religion. However, I would like to first say a few words about William James. You might already know his name, or perhaps his brother Henry, Read More …
Have you ever prayed with an icon? If not, this short book is a great place to start, or you could start here as well. Williams takes three specific icons of the Virgin Mary and walks the reader through the process of praying with them. As he writes, you get a glimpse of how an Read More …
