Adrienne Von Speyr (1902–1967)

Adrienne von Speyr discusses the moral and practical aspects of this sacrament in great depth. The most complete spiritual treatise on confession ever written, the book covers conversion, scruples, contrition, spiritual direction, laxity, frequency of confession, confessions of religious and lay people, and even confessions of saints.

The most intriguing element in von Speyr's understanding of confession, fully developed in this volume, is its trinitarian and christological basis. The Cross show more is the archetypal confession, and Christian sacramental confession is thus an imitation of Christ in the strict sense. Confession examines the enormous fruitfulness of this dogmatic basis from many perspectives, giving a wealth of suggestions that both the theological expert and the layman will find very helpful. Its practical applicability to one's own confession emerges from every page. show less

In Man Before God, the mystic Adrienne von Speyr offers her reflections on this personal encounter with the God who is eternal love. Acknowledging the limitations of man in the face of the boundlessness of God, she considers both the various ways God continues to speak to man-through his Word in Scripture, through his Son in the sacraments, though saints and neighbors-as well as the necessity for man to respond. Through her guidance, we come to see every circumstance as an invitation to show more encounter and worship God. show less

This book is the introduction to a comprehensive work on the missions of the New Covenant that will appear later and be based essentially on the same methodological presuppositions: consideration and contemplation.

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