Product Description

This spiritual classic began as a simple request from one friend to another. Fred Bratman, a secular journalist and writer, asked friend and reowned author Heri Nouwen to write a book explaining the spiritual life in terms that he and his friends could understand, avoiding theology and technical language. "Speak to us about a vision larger than our changing perpectives and about a voice deeper than the clamorings of our mass media. Speak to us about something or someone greater than ourselves. Speak to us ...about God."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3243 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780824519865
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"A beautiful and sensitive book that reaches out to the believer." -- Church and Synagogue Library Association

"Anyone who is searching for the Spirit of God in the world today will benefit from reading it." -- Horizons

"For those unfamiliar with his work, this volume is a wonderful place to begin. Another significant achievement." -- Circuit Rider

"Gentle and searching. This Crossroad book is a spiritual primer for anyone seeking God." -- The Other Side

From the Publisher
Over 200,000 copies in print! When Nouwen was asked by a secular Jewish friend to explain his faith in simple language, he responded with his greatest legacy, Life of the Beloved, which shows that all people, believers and nonbelievers, are beloved by God unconditionally.

From AudioFile
What is our place in the world in God's eyes? How can we blend service and spiritual worship with the harshness of the everyday world? How can we, imperfect and each broken in our own way, feel beloved by the Almighty? Nouwen ponders these topics in an open letter to a troubled friend. Methodically, the former instructor at both Harvard and Yale walks us through analogies and insights that bring us to a place of feeling beloved. His comments on his final years serving as pastor to the mentally disabled of L'Arche Daybreak community in Toronto serve as counterpoint to his theories. D.J.B. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

Can be Mind Altering
Life of the Beloved is among the final books published by Nouwen, and in that way is kind of a culmination of much of his life and thought and is thought by many to be his "flagship" work. Truly, it doesn't get much better than this. Reading this book as a Christian can be a mind and, hence, life altering experience. It was written to some of Henri's non-Christian friends about how much God loves them (which is certainly true!). And from the way Henri's life consistently pointed towards Jesus and the Gospel, I am sure that his friendship, love, and words to them in conversation were used by God for the good of the hearers. On that note, I would caution using this book alone as something to give to your non-Christian friends; because as Henri used it, it is best backed up by your life, love for your friends, and pointing them towards Jesus in your day to day life, and not as a gift without a relationship.

The book is clear, and ultra-concise (you could probably read it in a day or two); yet, the message, of how to live as the Beloved of God amidst a world where there are lies about your identity at every turn, could not be more fundamental to how a Christian lives their life. I wholeheartedly recommend and in fact strongly encourage all Christians to read this book.

A Word of Joy
There is so much in our every day lives that tries to make us believe that we are no good; we do not count; we don't measure up. Many of us have begun to learn those messages as a small child. Henri Nouwen has a way of letting you know that you do matter and are precious in God's sight. In spite of the fact that I have studied theology, I found that when stressed, a feeling of emptiness often overcame me that I could not explain. I knew that God loved me. I knew that God loves everyone. However, that knowledge was in my head. At a continuing education event, a new friend gave me a copy of this book, urging me to "read it soon". The knowledge that I was loved beyond my wildest imagination sank from my head into the rest of me. I felt joy and love like I had never known before. A silly feeling that I wasn't entitled to all that love was quickly dispelled by the knowledge that God has more love for each of us than we can imagine - even when we become overwhelmed and feel "like bottomless pits of human need". What a liberating word of joy that continues to fill my very being. Read it! You'll be glad you did!

An easy-to-read, yet profound explanation of God's Love
Henri Nouwen's Life of the Beloved provides the reader with a look at how we are all blessed, broken, and given in the Name of the Lord. He originally wrote the book for a friend who asked him about God and spirituality. Nouwen provides the reader with an insight into how God's choosing each one of us as His beloved does not necessarily mean anyone is excluded, a paradox which our society fails to understand and thus rejects. A very insightful book, that is very imporant to me in my journey of faith. Nouwen was a Catholic priest, and I recommend his works to all, especially Catholics.