Listening Together - by Timothy Radcliffe (Paperback)

About the Book

"The full collection of conference talks from Pope Francis's appointed retreat master, Timothy Radcliffe, heard first during the historic October 2023 General Assembly of the Synod on Synodality.The Synod on Synodality held in Rome in October 2023, gathered Catholics from all over the world to listen, pray, and reflect on a new way of being Church. Dominican priest Timothy Radcliffe, the official retreat master and spiritual advisor for this assembly, was appointed by Pope Francis to deliver a series of retreat talks and meditations to the delegates during the assembly of the Synod on Synodality. In Listening Together, Radcliffe's talks not only set the spirit for this historic synod gathering, but now, in written form, will open up the possibility for individuals or groups to read and continue to reflect on this synodal journey we all share. Listening Together serves as a powerful reminder of the themes of enduring relevance included in Radcliffe's retreat talks and synod meditations. In entertaining and engaging prose, Radcliffe's reflections encourage readers to think about conflicting hopes; different visions of the Church as home; the need for unity, friendship, and above all, the importance of listening, discernment, and mission as a means for this synodal journey to continue to succeed. In these pages, Radcliffe offers a 'spirituality of listening' that can take us forward together on a journey of discovery and communion"--From the publisher.

Book Synopsis

The full collection of conference talks from Pope Francis's appointed retreat master, Timothy Radcliffe, heard first during the historic October 2023 General Assembly of the Synod on Synodality.

The Synod on Synodality held in Rome in October 2023, gathered Catholics from all over the world to listen, pray, and reflect on a new way of being church. Dominican priest Timothy Radcliffe, the official retreat master and spiritual advisor for this assembly, was appointed by Pope Francis to deliver a series of retreat talks and meditations to the delegates during the assembly of the Synod on Synodality. Those talks are offered here, as well as Radcliffe's further reflections on our current challenges and where we could be headed as a church. He then provides a specific Dominican experience as an example of synodality-in-action.

In Listening Together, Radcliffe's words not only set the spirit for the historic synod gathering, but now, in written form, they open the possibility for individuals or groups to read and continue to reflect on this synodal journey we all share. Listening Together serves as a powerful reminder of the themes of enduring relevance included in Radcliffe's retreat talks and synod meditations. In entertaining and engaging prose, Radcliffe's reflections encourage readers to think about conflicting hopes; different visions of the church as home; the need for unity; friendship; and above all, the importance of listening, discernment, and mission as a means for this synodal journey to continue to succeed. In these pages, Radcliffe offers a "spirituality of listening" that can take us forward together on a journey of discovery and communion.

Review Quotes

"This is a great book, a must-read for anyone interested in the Synod on Synodality, or the life of the church. And it is a profoundly beautiful reminder of the communal nature of our faith. Reading it, I had the sense that I was encountering something sacred, a new way of seeing God's people, God's church, my neighbor, and myself. This is one of the most important spiritual books of the year and possibly the best insight any of us will get into the meaning of the Synod on Synodality."
Catholic Library World-- (10/1/2024 12:00:00 AM)

"Listening Together is easy to read and offers a valuable mini-retreat on synodality. Rather than providing formal instruction, this book prayerfully invites readers to hear anew and to understand true listening as a form of Christian spirituality."
Catholic Books Review-- (9/4/2024 12:00:00 AM)

"Listening Together is easy-to-read and offers a valuable mini-retreat on synodality. Rather than providing formal instruction, this book prayerfully invites readers to hear anew and to understand true 'listening' as a form of Christian spirituality. A Church that defines itself as walking the road with one another on a common journey is a Church with a listening heart, able to discover the gift of unity the Lord desires."
Catholic Books Review-- (7/1/2024 12:00:00 AM)

"I am so glad these talks are now available! I found them to be just extraordinary, especially his highlighting the idea that friendship is a requirement for dialogue, in the Synod and elsewhere. Radcliffe quoted St. John Paul II, who said, 'Affective collegiality precedes effective collegiality.'"
James Martin, SJ-- (2/14/2024 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Timothy Cardinal Radcliffe, OP, retreat master and spiritual advisor for the Synod on Synodality, is a member of the community at Blackfriars, Oxford, and was master general of the Order of Preachers from 1992 to 2001. He is the only member of the English Province of the Dominicans to have held the office since the Order's foundation in 1216. He is the author of Surprised by Hope: Further Meditations on Synodality and Listening Together: Meditations on Synodality, as well as a number of popular books on theology, including his book with Lukasz Popko Questioning God (Bloomsbury, 2023). He is an editorial advisor and contributor to Give Us This Day, published by Liturgical Press.