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Loading... The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom (original 1996; edition 1999)by Henri J. M. Nouwen (Author)
Work InformationThe Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom by Henri J. M. Nouwen (1996)
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I've been meaning for some time to read Henri Nouwen, a Christian writer I've always associated with profound spirituality, intelligence and wisdom. This book might have been a weird one to start with, but it does make me want to read more of his work. It's a journal he kept during one of the lowest periods of his life. "Within me there was one long scream coming from a place I didn't know existed, a place full of demons." It was written for his eyes only, short entries he calls "spiritual imperatives" that he wrote after therapy sessions. The journal was not published until years later when friends convinced him to share it. I read a few of these "imperatives" each day, highlighted a lot, but in searching my notes, I don't know how much I can share that will make sense out of context. I did like this way of thinking about suffering. ...real healing comes from realizing that your own particular pain is a share in humanity's pain. And I liked what he said in his conclusion. There is hardly a day without some dark clouds drifting by. But today I recognize them for what they are without putting my head in them! I saw a bit of overlap in ideas with Pema Chodron's When Things Fall Apart, which I read earlier this year, and I found that interesting. This is definitely from a Christian point of view, and some segments resonate more than others, because he was also writing from the perspective of a spiritual leader. I'm glad I read it, and that it's in my kindle library so I can revisit my notes. Though a few of the entries really hit home with me, and I can appreciate the deeply personal struggles represented by Nouwen's journals, I couldn't relate to most of them. Maybe if I read this at another time in my life, I might like it more. Other than reading quotations by other authors (which I have often thought profound), this is my first exposure to Nouwen. Maybe this was a bad place to start. A very profound book but a difficult read. A nun-friend recommended this book when I was in one of my difficult periods in my life. And it indeed gave me comfort and brought light to my own darkness. It is to be read by bits; choosing the topic that can respond to your particular need so as to let Nouwen's writing relate well with your own journey in your spiritual life. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to Publisher SeriesHerder Spektrum (6754)
This is Henri Nouwen's "secret journal." It was written during the most difficult period of his life, when he suddenly lost his self-esteem, his energy to live and work, his sense of being loved, even his hope in God. Although he experienced excruciating anguish and despair, he was still able to keep a journal in which he wrote a spiritual imperative to himself each day that emerged from his conversations with friends and supporters. For more than eight years, Henri Nouwen felt that what he wrote was too raw and private to share with others. Instead, he published The Return of the Prodigal Son,in which he expressed some of the insights gained during his mental and spiritual crisis. But then friends asked him, "Why keep your anguish hidden from the many people who have been nurtured by your writing? Wouldn't it be of consolation for many to know about the fierce inner battle that lies underneath so many of your spiritual insights?" For the countless men and women who have to live through the pain of broken relationships, or who suffer from the loss of a loved one, this book about the inner voice of love offers new courage, new hope, even new life. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)282.092Religions Christian denominations Catholic Catholic Biography And History BiographyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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Highly recommended!!!!!
5 bones!!!!! ( )