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Love, Henri: Letters on the Spiritual Life…
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Love, Henri: Letters on the Spiritual Life (edition 2016)

by Henri J. M. Nouwen (Author), Brene Brown (Foreword)

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1175231,636 (4.07)None
Christian Nonfiction. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. HTML:Seven million copies of his books in print! This collection of over 100 unpublished letters from the bestselling author of such spiritual classics as The Return of the Prodigal Son and The Wounded Healer offers deep spiritual insight into human experience, intimacy, brokeness, and mercy.

Over the course of his life, Henri Nouwen wrote thousands of letters to friends, acquaintances, parishioners, students, and readers of his work all around the world. He corresponded in English, Dutch, German, French, and Spanish, and took great care to store and archive the letters decade after decade. He believed that a thoughtful letter written in love could truly change someone's life. Many people looked to Nouwen as a long distance spiritual advisor. 

Love, Henri consists of over a hundred letters that stretch from the earliest years of Henri's career up through his last 10 years at L'Arche Daybreak. Rich in spiritual insights the letters highlight a number themes that emerged in both Henri's work over the years, including vocation, solitude, prayer, suffering, and perseverance in difficult times. These deeply spiritual letters, sometimes poignant, sometimes funny, ulimately demonstrate the rich value of communicating with God through others.
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Member:Jimbookbuff1963
Title:Love, Henri: Letters on the Spiritual Life
Authors:Henri J. M. Nouwen (Author)
Other authors:Brene Brown (Foreword)
Info:Convergent Books (2016), Edition: First Edition, 384 pages
Collections:Your library, Currently reading, To read
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Tags:to-read

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Love, Henri: Letters on the Spiritual Life by Henri J. M. Nouwen

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This is a lovely book of spiritual writings but I found it a bit too old time antifemale to continue with. It's not a message I am comfortable with in the current environment and I'm too stressed to take on the mental arguing I would do while reading it. Recommended for firm Catholics, not wobbly ones like me. ( )
  Dabble58 | Nov 11, 2023 |
Savor is the best way to describe my experience of the letters of Henri Nouwen. For weeks this collection of notes and missives has been part of my morning ritual and the gentle, personal, hopeful messages written to an astonishing array of people often held insights and encouragement for me.

Now that I've read all of the letters I feel personally bereft; I shall miss Henri's tender, honest, vulnerable voice.

Recommended for readers interested in going deep vs. going fast.
( )
  rebwaring | Aug 14, 2023 |
There was a time I didn't know who Henri Nouwen was. His name wasn't bandied about very often in the church I grew up in. I was in my twenties before I discovered him. He had already passed away. I was in a Christian bookstore and saw a cardboard cut out of a middle-aged man with disheveled hair and aviator-framed bifocals. It was a display for a book of remembrances from those touched by Nouwen's life.

I didn't buy the book but I got hold of some Nouwen's other books (they are called legion for they are many). I read Reaching Out, and a couple of his shorter works. My appreciation for Nouwen continued to grow. Books like The Return of the Prodigal Son, The Wounded Healer, Making All Things New, and In the Name of Jesus have stamped themselves on my heart and I return to them each every so often. I've appreciated the depth of Nouwen's spiritual insight, his warm pastoral concern and the vulnerability of his reflections.

Love, Henri: Letters on the Spiritual Life reveals a less public and polished Nouwen (the one with the disheveled hair). This collection of letters, collected and edited by Gabrielle Earnshaw, reveal Nouwen at three distinct stages of life. The letters in Part I (December 1973-1985) are from the period where Nouwen taught at Harvard and Yale but felt called away from academia to L'Arche, a community of care sharing life with the profoundly disabled. Part II (1986-1989), has letters from Nouwen's early days at L'Arche, his interpersonal struggles, and his fight with depression and anxiety. Part III (1990-1996) contains letters from Nouwen's final years where he felt freer and more at ease.

There is a big range in these letters. Some of them are addressed to readers or folks whom he led in retreat asking for spiritual life or overcoming struggles. Some letters were to friends whom he has shared life with and confidants he trusts. Some letters were from colleagues and fellow authors with whom he shares an affinity and mutual academic interest who he wished to encourage. Some letters were for people he was planning a retreat or conference with. Nouwen is attentive to each type of recipient. Several times he sent along a copy of one of his books.

I like books of letters and have read several. Letters reveal some of the thinking behind an author's published works and clarify their ideas. They give us a glimpse of how a person cares for those in their sphere of influence. I really appreciate this collection for the way it reveals Nouwen to me and clarifies his thinking. Some of these letters describe the angst Nouwen felt as he struggled with his sexuality and his desire to remain faithful to his vocation (Nouwen was same-sex attracted but called to the celibate priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church). Other letters reveal Nouwen sharpening his thought in conversation with friends, or clarifying his thinking for inquirers.

One gem I unearthed reading this was his response to Sister Anna Callahan (letter dated October 31, 1988) about a paper where he clarifies his Wounded Healer concept, "You write, 'Nouwen would agree that we minister best out of our needs and our wants[sic].' This is incorrect. It doesn't really represent my thinking. My opinion is not that we minister best out of our needs and wounds but that we minister best when we have recognized our needs and have attended to our own wounds"(195).

I highly recommend this book for Nouwen fans. Readers of Nouwen will be familiar with many of Nouwen's ideas, but seeing how he responds to readers who contact them in the midst of their own dark night, or colleagues who are struggling with their vocation, showcase Nouwen's pastoral skill and deep love for people. I give this book five stars.

Notice of material connection: I received this book from the publisher through the Blogging For Books program in exchange for my honest review. ( )
  Jamichuk | May 22, 2017 |
This collection of Henri Nouwen's letters is not only faith filled, but full of common sense and wisdom. One of the things that struck me when I was reading this book, was the evolution of faith and thought in Henri Nouwen's own life that was evident in his letters. The book is divided into 3 time periods and arranged chronologically. As I began the collection of letters, I was not terribly impressed by Nouwen's responses. That changed as I read further, and I began to recognize the changing view and experiences that had came to him as he matured. Since I am now in my late 50's, I appreciate some of the same growth and maturing in faith Henri exhibited through his letters.
Nouwen's book on the Prodigal Son is a favorite of mine. I found out that it was one of his later books. This makes a lot of sense as it shows much of this growth too. His experiences allowed him the ability to look at the story from such an interesting perspective and draw so much meaning from the beauty and passion of DaVinci's painting.
These letters bears witness to Henri's desire to anyone in need, and his great love for his fellow man. He was a humble and simple servant, but he was blessed with kindness and an eye for the heart of God that shines through in his life and words.
I thank the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. ( )
  c.archer | Jan 6, 2017 |
The publisher gave me an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. In short, I think it is wonderful. The letters are "dense" in the most positive way, and I read this book in bite-size pieces, if you will. I have been a Nouwen fan since I read "The Wounded Healer" back in the early 1970s. He and Anthony Padovano had enormous influence on the young me who was trying to find a spiritual path in the turmoil of the Catholic Church post Vatican II. You do not need to be Catholic to benefit from these letters. Henri was very catholic, universal, in his love for people and his friends included in this collection include strangers moved by his writing, as well as Senator Mark Hatfield, Mr. Fred Rogers (oh, to have been witness to one of their conversations!), as well as the fallen-away Jewish NY Times reporter who interviewed him and became his life-long friend. (And who found his way back to practicing his Jewish faith.)

Henri was a prolific writer, in addition to his priestly work and speaking engagements. The book is filled with references to his own writings as well as the books that influenced him. The reader is given a magnificent bibliography of spiritual writing within these pages. Thomas Merton, Van Gogh (Henri was Dutch after all) were two who had significant influence on Henri.

Near his 50th birthday he was confronted with his same-sex orientation and fell in love with a younger man who came to the community for the mentally handicapped where Henri was living at time. Henri's letters to Nathan show his deep feelings for this young man and his anguish at what to do with these feelings. It was at a time when marriage for Catholic priests was a “hot topic” and many priests and nuns were leaving the church, although not all for marriage. Ultimately, Henri chose celibacy because of his deep love and regard for the priesthood and the Catholic Church. He addresses this several times in different letters, speaking of his love for both the priesthood and the church.

In addition to revealing the stages of Henri's adult life/priesthood, the letters reveal his great love for humanity, his anguish at the brokenness that was so prevalent in many societies at various times. From a wealthy family who gave him all the advantages including a first-class education, Henri's life was a whirlwind of activity. He was on the faculty at both Harvard and Yale Divinity Schools, worked and lived in South America, with L'Arche, a community for mentally handicapped people, in Europe and in Canada. Always finding time to write, no matter how busy he was. Those books are his legacy to the world.

His responses to inquiries were always loving, never confrontational even when standing firm in his own viewpoint, he did it with love. If you are looking to read about an interesting person, are interested in how people can concretely apply religion and/or spirituality to their lives, I highly recommend this collection of letters. Touch the beautiful spirit of this remarkable man and be touched in return. ( )
  MaggieG13 | Aug 16, 2016 |
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Christian Nonfiction. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. HTML:Seven million copies of his books in print! This collection of over 100 unpublished letters from the bestselling author of such spiritual classics as The Return of the Prodigal Son and The Wounded Healer offers deep spiritual insight into human experience, intimacy, brokeness, and mercy.

Over the course of his life, Henri Nouwen wrote thousands of letters to friends, acquaintances, parishioners, students, and readers of his work all around the world. He corresponded in English, Dutch, German, French, and Spanish, and took great care to store and archive the letters decade after decade. He believed that a thoughtful letter written in love could truly change someone's life. Many people looked to Nouwen as a long distance spiritual advisor. 

Love, Henri consists of over a hundred letters that stretch from the earliest years of Henri's career up through his last 10 years at L'Arche Daybreak. Rich in spiritual insights the letters highlight a number themes that emerged in both Henri's work over the years, including vocation, solitude, prayer, suffering, and perseverance in difficult times. These deeply spiritual letters, sometimes poignant, sometimes funny, ulimately demonstrate the rich value of communicating with God through others.

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