The book was the author's attempt to settle on paper an understanding of spirituality for secular friends. I believe that it accomplishes that and much more. Though the book was prompted by questions, I found it to be of great comfort and efficacy to my own Christian walk.

Bible Study as well as personal study.

The view that each of us is truly beloved, especially by God, but also by those we love and love us. The author breaks down the path of our becoming beloved into sections: Taken, Blessed, Broken, and Given. In secular and spiritual realms people are broken and Nouwen helps to marry the two.

Henri J.M. Nouwen was new to me but from his background seems to be a prolific spiritual writer of our time.

I found it to be a valuable study asset in my own journey.

In the epilogue to the book, Nouwen is addressing the person who prompted his writing of the book with this realization, "Here the real irony of writing (this book) hit me. I had tried so hard to write something for secular people, and the ones who were most helped by it were searching Christians in Washington and London. I suddenly realized that without Fred I would never have found the words that were so helpful to believers. For me, there is more than an ironly here. It is the mystery of God using his secular friends to instruct his disciples."

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Created Oct 01, 2005 at 11:38pm • Submit your own review...