Spiritual Legacy of Henri Nouwen - by Deirdre Lanoue (Paperback)

About the Book

In 1969, the year following the death of Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen published his first book. Who, reading Intimacy: Essays in Pastoral Psychology, at the time could have guessed that its 37 year old Dutch priest-author would become one of the most popular spiritual writers of the 20th-century?Unlike Merton, whose strictly spiritual writings appealed almost exclusively to Roman Catholics, Nouwen had an enormous following among Protestants as well as Catholics. What was it about this man and his work that so resonated with the American psyche over the past thirty years?In The Spiritual Legacy of Henri Nouwen, Deidre LaNoue analyzes Nouwen's voluminous writings in the context of his life and times, providing a key to his more than forty individual books as well as a cogent summary of his contribution to the spiritual lives of millions of people. The book includes a complete bibliography of Nouwen's writings as well as a Scripture index of his books.

Book Synopsis

In 1969, the year following the death of Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen published his first book. Who, reading Intimacy: Essays in Pastoral Psychology, at the time could have guessed that its 37 year old Dutch priest-author would become one of the most popular spiritual writers of the 20th-century?Unlike Merton, whose strictly spiritual writings appealed almost exclusively to Roman Catholics, Nouwen had an enormous following among Protestants as well as Catholics. What was it about this man and his work that so resonated with the American psyche over the past thirty years?In The Spiritual Legacy of Henri Nouwen, Deidre LaNoue analyzes Nouwen's voluminous writings in the context of his life and times, providing a key to his more than forty individual books as well as a cogent summary of his contribution to the spiritual lives of millions of people. The book includes a complete bibliography of Nouwen's writings as well as a Scripture index of his books.

Review Quotes

"this book is a valuable resource for understanding the relation of [Nouwen's] books to his life and for showing the development of major themes of his spirituality."
The Living Church, March 9, 2003

"LaNoue gives a convincing account of what must have inspired Father Nouwen, and a plausible account of what may have motivated him to exceed at so many academic, literary, and pastoral tasks." The B.C. Catholic, February 26, 2001

"Author Deirdre LaNoue gives Henri Nouwen's many readers a great gift with this highly interesting biography and succinct analysis of his works....LaNoue's analysis of Nouwen's works is sensitive and positive." - Provident Bookfinder

"This is the first major attempt to assess Henri Nouwen's writings, contextually and comprehensively. . . . Catholic readers will be enriched because [LaNoue] speaks to some of Nouwen's themes from her own Evangelical perspective and shows great respect."-Catholic New Times

"What this biography does is inform you 'about' Henri Nouwen, effectively putting all the pieces together, linking what was happening in his personal life with his maturing faith and what books he was writing at the time. The result is a well-researched revelation of his North American odyssey from marching in Selma to working with L'Arche, a community that cares for the disabled. But this is more than a biography .LaNoue goes deeper."
- The Dallas Morning News, March 17, 2001

About the Author

Deidre LaNoue, who holds a Ph.D. in religious studies from Baylor University, teaches at Dallas Baptist University.