A Year with the Classics - by Jon M Sweeney (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A yearlong introduction to the twelve greatest classics of Christian spirituality, making timeless wisdom accessible to today's seekers

Across two millennia of Christian tradition, certain spiritual writers have shaped the soul of faith--calling believers to humility, contemplation, and love. In A Year with the Classics, award-winning author and scholar Jon M. Sweeney serves as a wise and welcoming guide through twelve of these foundational works, from Augustine and Teresa of Avila to Julian of Norwich and The Cloud of Unknowing.

Each chapter offers an approachable "beginner's class" on a spiritual masterpiece--exploring its origins, the life of its author, its impact over time, and what it can still teach us today. Alongside insightful commentary are simple daily and weekly practices drawn directly from each text, turning reflection into lived experience.

Perfect for individual use or small groups, A Year with the Classics invites readers to slow down, read deeply, and discover the enduring beauty and relevance of Christianity's most beloved spiritual teachers.

Review Quotes

"Jon Sweeney is the Rick Steves of Christian mysticism: winsome, wise and well-traveled. An essential guide for contemporary pilgrims." -Rev. Matt Laney, author of the forthcoming Second Arrow

"In an age of spiritual noise and quick fixes, A Year with the Classics offers something deeper: rootedness. Sweeney doesn't present these ancient texts as museum pieces but as companions for those navigating doubt, longing, discipline, and desire. Whether you are rebuilding faith or deepening it, this book compellingly reminds you that you are not the first to wrestle with the big questions and that you are not alone." -Brandan Robertson, author of Queer & Christian

"Jon Sweeney's new book invites the reader to a year of personal deepening into the wisdom of some of the great Christian teachers. Through a highly engaging and accessible summary and inspiring practice suggestions, this book will take you on a meaningful journey and create a circle of soulful companions to support you long into the future." --Christine Valters Paintner, online Abbess of Abbey of the Arts and author of A Book of Everyday Blessings

"This is a soulful book. Sweeney's summaries are engaging, informative, and lead us into the deeper waters of the tradition. Writing like a wise counselor and a spiritual friend, he guides us through formation toward spiritual exploration, and then into the interior life with grace and generosity. This is a rare gift for the contemporary spiritual pilgrim." --James Ishmael Ford, author of Zen at the End of Religion: An Introduction for the Curious, the Skeptical, and the Spiritual but Not Religious

"Jon Sweeney has a real gift for making old texts feel worth your time--breathing new life into classics that you may think you already know, while at the same time gently nudging you to finally pick up the ones you've been putting off. A genuinely enjoyable read. The kind of book that earns a permanent, necessary spot on your shelf." --Thomas Skowron, OFM Cap., Chaplain of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Detroit, Michigan

About the Author

JON M. SWEENEY is an independent scholar and an award-winning writer. He is a biographer of St. Francis of Assisi and translator of his writings, and his books on Franciscan subjects have sold more than a quarter million copies. Jon is the author of more than forty books, including The Pope Who Quit, which was optioned by HBO. He edits the magazine Living City, is a partner at Monkfish Book Publishing, and books editor at SpiritualityandPractice.com. He's appeared on CBS Saturday Morning and numerous other programs, and speaks regularly at universities, churches, and retreat centers. Jon is a Catholic married to a rabbi; their interfaith marriage has been profiled in national media. He's the father of four, and lives in Middlebury, Vermont.