A well-designed guidebook with pragmatic instruction for spiritual retreats.
A Catholic author rediscovers traditional Jesuit Spiritual Exercises through the writings of Pope Francis.
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola have been the cornerstone of Jesuit meditation and prayer for half a millennium; they were designed especially for Catholics in religious retreats who seek to discern the will of God. At the peak of the 2020 Covid-19 lockdowns, Ivereigh—the lead organizer of a retreat for the British Province of the Jesuits—moved his group to a virtual setting where participants were “linked by screens and fellowship and the vulnerability we were feeling at that time.” This book’s eight chapters parallel the topics of that eight-day event, which particularly focused on the 21st century’s “crisis of nonbelonging”: “Restless, anxious, and insecure, people find it hard to build community.” The author emphasizes that isolation extends well beyond the context of pandemic-related social distancing, and he highlights the social ills of self-interest and the marginalization of migrants and refugees. The book draws heavily on the writings of Pope Francis, who, as the first Jesuit pope, has a special connection to the Spiritual Exercises, having served as “a formidable Ignatian spiritual director” in his pre-Vatican life. As the author of two biographies of Pope Francis, as well as co-authoring a bestselling book with him (2020’s Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future), there’s perhaps no better expert on the philosophy of Francis than Ivereigh. This well-researched book, which includes more than 20 pages of sources and bibliographic entries, offers readers excerpts from Pope Francis’ writings, many of which are presented here in English translation for the first time; the book even features a foreword by the pope himself that effectively contextualizes the Spiritual Exercises and retreats as one of the Catholic Church’s “channels of grace.” Designed for personal or group use, the book offers easily replicated retreat activities, replete with prayers, discussion questions, and readings for contemplation. The book’s backmatter provides a handy “User Guide” and other helpful materials to facilitate an event.
A well-designed guidebook with pragmatic instruction for spiritual retreats.Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9780829457919
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Loyola Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 5, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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