The Holy Longing: The Search for Christian Spirituality

Rating:
Summary: This is a really great book for thinking people
Review: This is a really great book for thinking people who want to improve the deep roots from which they live their lives. It is also a great book for wounded people who may be ready to leave behind more of the baggage from their lives and move on. Fr. Rolheiser writes two chapters later in the book which will be my reasons for keeping it for many years to reread. This is not a Catholic book. It is a book for human beings no matter what their belief system. He writes about how each of us has a responsibility to work for peace and justice in whatever ways we can in a world that seems obsessed with greed and power but doesn't much care who gets stepped on in the process as long as "I get what I want when I want it." The second chapter I found powerful was the chapter on sexuality approached from a reverent perspective that gets to the heart of who each of us is as a person and how we should act if we truly respect the sexuality of another, not from the genital perspective of which we are bombarded daily. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Rating:
Summary: Deserves To Become a Classic
Review: This is easily one of the best pieces of writing about Christianity that I've seen come down the pike in a long time. A sharp and engaging reflection on Christian spirituality which steers clear of both the vague, New Agey blather and humorless Evangelicalism filling Christianity sections of bookstores these days. Rolheiser is a Catholic priest, but the book is written with a wide audience in mind, and should be quite appealing to people who, like myself, come from another Christian tradition. The fact that I took issue with some of Rolheiser's arguments only increased my admiration for the book since it simply encouraged more reflection and never caused me to stop reading on. I heartily recommend this book to anyone looking for thoughtful guidance on what living an authentic Christian spirituality actually involves.