Spiritual Formation - by Henri J M Nouwen (Paperback)

About the Book

"Henri Nouwen was one of the great spiritual masters of the modern age. His beloved writings have helped millions understand that no matter where we are, God can meet us there. Read this brand-new compilation of his writings and conferences, and let Henri Nouwen accompany you--with his trademark wisdom, acuity, common sense, erudition and, most of all, compassion--and help you encounter God more fully in your daily life." -- James Martin, SJ, author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything

Led by the writing of beloved, bestselling author Henri Nouwen (With Open Hands, Reaching Out, The Wounded Healer, Making All Things New), the authors of Spiritual Direction, return with the second work in this popular spirituality series on how to live out the five classical stages of spiritual development.

Book Synopsis

"Henri Nouwen was one of the great spiritual masters of the modern age. His beloved writings have helped millions understand that no matter where we are, God can meet us there. Read this brand-new compilation of his writings and conferences, and let Henri Nouwen accompany you--with his trademark wisdom, acuity, common sense, erudition and, most of all, compassion--and help you encounter God more fully in your daily life." -- James Martin, SJ, author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything

Led by the writing of beloved, bestselling author Henri Nouwen (With Open Hands, Reaching Out, The Wounded Healer, Making All Things New), the authors of Spiritual Direction, return with the second work in this popular spirituality series on how to live out the five classical stages of spiritual development.

From the Back Cover

Henri Nouwen, the world-renowned spiritual guide and counselor, understood the spiritual life as a journey of faith and transformation that is deepened by accountability, community, and relationships. Though he counseled many people during his lifetime, his principles of spiritual formation were never written down. Now, Michael Christensen, one of Nouwen's longtime students, and Rebecca Laird, one of Nouwen's editors, have taken his famous course in spiritual formation and supplemented it with his unpublished writings to create the definitive series on Nouwen's thoughts on the Christian life.

The first book in the series, Spiritual Direction, introduced readers to Nouwen's core concepts and how to live the ques-tions of the spiritual life. Now Spiritual Formation reveals Nouwen's sage advice on how to live out the five classical stages of spiritual development. Featuring a unique visio divina, a visual meditation, to help guide and focus prayer, this volume reveals Nouwen's profound wisdom on how to move from sorrow to joy, resentment to gratitude, fear to love, and how to live there in the center--the place where God dwells.

Review Quotes

"Henri Nouwen's words have spread through Christendom like a healing balm. His works are classics, and this is classic Nouwen--you can hear the whisper that you are beloved, you can be reminded that God's grace is bigger than our mistakes... and you can hear the gentle invitation to do something small and beautiful for God in the world." - Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution
"This is such a helpful and hopeful book! Helpful because it clarifies the major movements of the spiritual life. Hopeful because it explicates so powerfully one of Nouwen's most significant contributions: that seemingly disparate elements of the human experience--sorrow and joy, resentment and gratitude, fear and love, life and death--actually belong together as movements of grace in our lives." - Ruth Haley Barton, president, Transforming Center and author of Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation
"Christensen and Laird have performed a labor of love. They bring back to life one of the great spiritual writers of the 20th century and again let us hear his wisdom and inspiration." - William Barry, S.J., co-author of The Practice of Spiritual Direction
"Christensen and Laird have mined the spiritual treasure trove Nouwen left behind, enabling us to see more clearly the spiritual movements of a Christian way of life. For those seeking a vibrant connection with God, Spiritual Formation offers graceful and practical guidance toward a heart transformed by love." - Diana Butler Bass, author of Christianity for the Rest of Us
"I always knew I was in the presence of a spiritual master when I was with Henri Nouwen. Here are some simple, wise words that will allow the master to continue to teach." - Richard Rohr, O.F.M., author of Everything Belongs
"The rich lode of material in this book will appeal to individuals on a spiritual journey as well as to those who want to share their experiences of descending from the mind to the heart where all true wisdom resides." - Spirituality and Practice
"Lovers of the work of Henri Nouwen, and their number is justifiably legion, will welcome this latest work from the pen of one of the most celebrated spiritual writers of our era." - Lawrence S. Cunningham, John A. O'Brien Professor of Theology, The University of Notre Dame
"Spiritual Formation brings the wisdom of Henri Nouwen into a fresh and lively context for us today. It vividly and faithfully reflects the Henri Nouwen I experienced in our times together. I highly recommend this book." - Richard J. Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline and Streams of Living Water
"Henri Nouwen was one of the great spiritual masters of the modern age. His beloved writings have helped millions understand that no matter where we are, God can meet us there. Read this brand-new compilation of his writings and conferences, and let Henri Nouwen accompany you--with his trademark wisdom, acuity, common sense, erudition and, most of all, compassion--and help you encounter God more fully in your daily life." - James Martin, SJ, author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything
"A fine distillation of the spiritual movements. One of the book's many strengths is its integration of an area especially important to Nouwen, the contemplation of icons and other works of art--visio divina--in order 'to behold the beauty of the Lord.'" - Jim Forest, author of Praying with Icons and The Road to Emmaus: Pilgrimage as a Way of Life