Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
31st out of 188 books
—
60 voters
The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry
The modern classic that interweaves the solitude, silence, and prayer of the fourth- and fifth-century Egyptian Desert Fathers and Mothers with our contemporary search for an authentic spirituality
Paperback, 96 pages
Published
May 10th 1991
by HarperSanFrancisco
(first published 1981)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
2,083)
The best book for blogging.
from Stuff Christians Like by Prodigal Jon
Sometimes people ask me for tips about blogging. I don't feel particularly qualified to answer that question even though I do blog a lot. What I can tell you though is the name of the best book ever written about blogging:
"The Way of the Heart" by Henri Nouwen.
Here are three things I can tell you about this book:
1. It is only 84 pages long.
2. It only costs $9.31 on Amazon so it's super cheap.
3. I underlined almost every line on...more
from Stuff Christians Like by Prodigal Jon
Sometimes people ask me for tips about blogging. I don't feel particularly qualified to answer that question even though I do blog a lot. What I can tell you though is the name of the best book ever written about blogging:
"The Way of the Heart" by Henri Nouwen.
Here are three things I can tell you about this book:
1. It is only 84 pages long.
2. It only costs $9.31 on Amazon so it's super cheap.
3. I underlined almost every line on...more
Henri Nouwen's "The Way of the Heart" is a mystic's diagnosis and prescription for an over-busied modernity. Though the application is universal, it seems that one of his primary targets are the clergy, whose m.o. has become too much like that of their secular counterparts in the business world.
The book, like much of Nouwen's work, could easily be said to be a collection of short essays collected into a book (albeit a short 75 pages). It is unified by its deference to the Desert Fathers, the ear...more
The book, like much of Nouwen's work, could easily be said to be a collection of short essays collected into a book (albeit a short 75 pages). It is unified by its deference to the Desert Fathers, the ear...more
I've had this book on my shelf for quite awhile but had not gotten around to reading it. A couple of weekends ago I was scheduled to take a "personal retreat" which I try to do 3 or 4 times per year. As I perused my two shelves worth of Christian spirituality, formation, etc...the title caught my eye so I stuffed it in my bag with 2 or 3 other books for the weekend.
It only took a few pages to realize Nouwen was going to nail me. He identifies greed and anger as two critical sins which tend to pl...more
It only took a few pages to realize Nouwen was going to nail me. He identifies greed and anger as two critical sins which tend to pl...more
3 likes · like · see review
Once there was a culture so malicious, yet banal that Christians felt they were drowning. The culture embraced them, persecution ended, but the violence of propaganda and the pagan way of life constantly assailed them. Many were sinking deeper and deeper into this poison culture. The spirit of the age was seductive and constant with its promises of happiness and material success. The constant refrain could be summed up as: "Keep your spirituality, that is something you enjoy ... just join us in...more
Originally posted in angelroman
I was dubious about reading this book, mainly because I did an online research about Nouwen’s life and finally found out that even though he respected his celibacy until his death he was struggling with homosexuality. Yet, I know He is respected among christians as a great teacher about spirituality and it’s not my intention to diminish his teaching or his life purpose.
With that being said, The Way of the Heart is about the story of the desert fathers (you can read...more
I was dubious about reading this book, mainly because I did an online research about Nouwen’s life and finally found out that even though he respected his celibacy until his death he was struggling with homosexuality. Yet, I know He is respected among christians as a great teacher about spirituality and it’s not my intention to diminish his teaching or his life purpose.
With that being said, The Way of the Heart is about the story of the desert fathers (you can read...more
Solitude, silence and prayer.
I purchased this book having spent a number of months seeking to do more of all 3. For too long I've thought communing with God was a reflection of how many experiences I have of Him, whatever form they may take. However, I no longer seek the experiences OF Him rather to experience Him.
Nouwen's reflections of the "Desert Fathers" ( who lived in the Egyptian desert during the 4th and 5th centuries) lifestyle are a wonderful summary of how we can experience more of Him...more
I purchased this book having spent a number of months seeking to do more of all 3. For too long I've thought communing with God was a reflection of how many experiences I have of Him, whatever form they may take. However, I no longer seek the experiences OF Him rather to experience Him.
Nouwen's reflections of the "Desert Fathers" ( who lived in the Egyptian desert during the 4th and 5th centuries) lifestyle are a wonderful summary of how we can experience more of Him...more
The Way of the Heart is Henri Nouwen's classic work on the Desert Fathers. The late Nouwen was an influential Catholic priest who left his post to care for a bed-ridden man who would never speak, eat, or walk.
In this book, Nouwen draws upon the wisdom of early monastic Christians. From their writings and lives, he illuminates three essential pillars of their faith--solitude, silence, and prayer.
This is a short work, less than one hundred pages, but what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up...more
In this book, Nouwen draws upon the wisdom of early monastic Christians. From their writings and lives, he illuminates three essential pillars of their faith--solitude, silence, and prayer.
This is a short work, less than one hundred pages, but what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up...more
A really well written, clear book. Written so that even I can understand it.
Takes you down the path using a 3 step process [his words, not mine]:
Solitude (learning not to be alone but to be alone with God)
Silence (the discipline by which the inner fire of God is kept alive)
Prayer (standing in the presence of God with the mind in the heart)
Now I know that sounds impossible in this day and age, but this books makes it not just possible but palatable as well. And don't let the word discipline/s pu...more
Takes you down the path using a 3 step process [his words, not mine]:
Solitude (learning not to be alone but to be alone with God)
Silence (the discipline by which the inner fire of God is kept alive)
Prayer (standing in the presence of God with the mind in the heart)
Now I know that sounds impossible in this day and age, but this books makes it not just possible but palatable as well. And don't let the word discipline/s pu...more
Henri Nouwen is a powerful teacher because he approaches his subject matter with such brokenness and hunger for God that he inspires rather than rebukes. This book offers great insight on age-old ascetic practices such as solitude, silence, and prayer. Especially in today's busy and noisy culture, the lessons he passed down (he had studied them from the desert mothers and fathers who are essentially monks from BC and recent AD eras) were like cool water to my thirsty soul. What was difficult abo...more
Silence, Solitude and Prayer. The disciplines that bring an anchor to the soul and allows us to stop long enough to hear the heart of God. They allow the thoughts of the mind to engage the heart and finally for the heart to take over praying where the mind could not.
This book calls us all to purposefully stop and to rest with the Father. It disregards the notion that silence and solitude will bring self-centered reflection by countering that it is the very ability to rest in who we are in God t...more
This book calls us all to purposefully stop and to rest with the Father. It disregards the notion that silence and solitude will bring self-centered reflection by countering that it is the very ability to rest in who we are in God t...more
This book promises (from the book jacket) "Within this one small book lies the most relevant and inspiring challenge that we shall ever face: to surrender the compulsive noise of the world for the way of the heart that leads us to God." This book delivered on what was written in the book jacket! I read this book very quickly and found myself wanting to withdraw from my daily life to a secluded spot somewhere so I could truly seek God with the hopes of hearing His words for me and my life. I woul...more
Good practical tips for meditation but the reasoning he uses throughout the book in order to make these topics sound like commands for everyday practice are weak. I was disappointed that he even changed words within scripture quotations to make his points sound supported by the Bible. I will give some grace knowing that his theology is Catholic and that he is referring to monks for a great part of the book, but their idea of fleeing from society to live in isolation in order to be closer to God...more
solitude. silence. and prayer. thus is the way of to be shaped by the Spirit, not by the world. Nouwen challenges us to live these three practices - and he outlines why and how with great detail - so as to become one with God, to have our heart melted and molded into the very heart of God.
life is full of busyness and chaos. i desperately desire times of solitude, silence and prayer. i think that is why i was drawn to this book.
some profound headers found in this book:
Solitude: the furnace of t...more
life is full of busyness and chaos. i desperately desire times of solitude, silence and prayer. i think that is why i was drawn to this book.
some profound headers found in this book:
Solitude: the furnace of t...more
For 15 years I have used this small book by Dutch priest and 20th century spiritual writer Henri Nouwen for my journeys through Lent. Though a relatively short book, 94 pages, each page is filled with wisdom and insight for contemporary ministry, arising from the desert spirituality of the early centuries of Christianity. Focusing on Solitude, Silence, and Prayer, Nouwen gleans the ancient ways of the monks and Church Fathers for the tools that can make our own ministry and life of faith deeper...more
The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen (Book Reaction)
Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry
The Desert Fathers and Mothers of early Christianity have always intrigued me. Their book of sayings is filled with a consoling yet perplexing spiritual guidance - words I've never read a parallel to. Yet, those words from the desert are laden with meaning, especially today.
The Desert Fathers and Mothers were prayerfully led to the desert right after the empiric absorption of Christianity into Rome (...more
Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry
The Desert Fathers and Mothers of early Christianity have always intrigued me. Their book of sayings is filled with a consoling yet perplexing spiritual guidance - words I've never read a parallel to. Yet, those words from the desert are laden with meaning, especially today.
The Desert Fathers and Mothers were prayerfully led to the desert right after the empiric absorption of Christianity into Rome (...more
This book will clear up some misconceptions that many people have. Solitude, from a spiritual perspective, is not merely being alone, but being alone with God---two different animals altogether. Another gem, "Solitude is the furnace of transformation." Keeping the first definition in mind, you can begin to see why that is true.
Then there is the *fruit* or purpose of solitude---what is to come out of it. It is not to just fill ourselves up or to be selfish with out time. We are to come away with...more
Then there is the *fruit* or purpose of solitude---what is to come out of it. It is not to just fill ourselves up or to be selfish with out time. We are to come away with...more
Parts of this book didn't resonate with me at all. Perhaps because I read it while 3 little boys wrestled beside me and constantly interrupted me with requests for assistance. I might have been just a tad too distracted to pick up on the deeper meaning. Still there were times when I almost put it down shaking my head in consternation.
To be truthful... I can get a bit put off by the desert fathers. Sometimes they seem just a bit... creepy? Maybe that's too strong a statement or maybe I'm just ner...more
To be truthful... I can get a bit put off by the desert fathers. Sometimes they seem just a bit... creepy? Maybe that's too strong a statement or maybe I'm just ner...more
The Way of the Heart summarizes the teachings of the Desert Fathers, monks who lived in the Egyptian desert in the fourth and fifth centuries. Henry Nouwen consolidates their teachings into three ideas: solitude, silence, and unceasing prayer.
I read through the book twice, trying to grasp its truths which seem more mystical than practical. In the end, I would not recommend this book because it was difficult to come to a biblical understanding of these topics from the way the information was pres...more
I read through the book twice, trying to grasp its truths which seem more mystical than practical. In the end, I would not recommend this book because it was difficult to come to a biblical understanding of these topics from the way the information was pres...more
Once again, a little 95 page book from Henri Nouwen finds a way to powerfully penetrate my heart and requires months of soaking, processing, and re-reading to reach the end. This little quirk of Nouwen's, by the way, is not at all a bad thing. In fact, it is the mark for me of a truly amazing, insightful book.
Compiled from a lecture series Nouwen taught regarding the Desert Mothers and Fathers, _The Way of the Heart_ describes in detail three qualities often lacking in modern Christian spiritua...more
Compiled from a lecture series Nouwen taught regarding the Desert Mothers and Fathers, _The Way of the Heart_ describes in detail three qualities often lacking in modern Christian spiritua...more
1 like · like · see review
I am re-reading this book. Here's a challenging paragraph:
"Anger in particular seems close to a professional vice in the contemporary ministry. Pastors are angry at their leaders for not leading and at their followers for not following. They are angry at those who do not come to church for not coming and angry at those who do come for coming without enthusiasm. They are angry at their families, who make them feel guilty, and angry at themselves for not being who they want to be. This is not and...more
"Anger in particular seems close to a professional vice in the contemporary ministry. Pastors are angry at their leaders for not leading and at their followers for not following. They are angry at those who do not come to church for not coming and angry at those who do come for coming without enthusiasm. They are angry at their families, who make them feel guilty, and angry at themselves for not being who they want to be. This is not and...more
Short, easy to read and very practical, this book is written for pastors and those in the ministry, but is still useful for lay people to read. Nouwen draws from the wisdom and practices of the Desert Fathers to explain how important silence and prayer are in our daily lives and how to implement these practices in our busy modern lives.
Using the Desert Fathers' commentary and practices as the basis for the book, Nouwen clearly outlines 3 disciplines that demonstrate a "desert spirituality": solitude, silence and prayer. It's a brief book-96 pages in all-but a valid reminder of disciplines often ignored but profoundly impactful in our Christian walk.
I also highly recommend Nouwen's Life of the Beloved.
I also highly recommend Nouwen's Life of the Beloved.
Nov 15, 2012
Jennifer
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
theology,
non-fiction
A short read split into three sections: solitude, silence, prayer. I chose to read one section a week to allow the words to plant within me. These are words that are not necessarily valued or upheld in our loud and busy world, but Henri Nouwen allows us to see how we can practically integrate them in our lives. Without practicing them, we will not be able to see the world as God wants his people to see it.
Aug 20, 2012
Ron
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
christian_life,
religion-philosophy
Nouwen hits another home run. This short, 95-page text guides the reader to connect with God through solitude, silence and prayer. It grew out of the inner denomination consideration of the wisdom of the Desert Fathers of the Christian church and has value even to those of other faith walks.
Sparse and to the point, much like the Desert Fathers and Mothers that inspired the spirituality it describes. However, the audience is clearly professional religious ministers, which is a draw back to this layperson. The occasional nod to us, "of course, everyone has a vocation to serve" doesn't convince me the author wasn't thinking exclusively of pastors when he wrote the book. Still, very insightful.
Jul 16, 2010
David Woods
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
religion-spirituality
This book has been such a blessing in establishing some good solitude/devotional times this summer. Nouwen says so little, but everything he says is so useful. Great book on solitude, silence, and prayer, breaking down the core foundations of the desert fathers and referencing some of Thomas Merton's work. I will be keeping it on my table for months to keep to keep referencing. I definitely recommend to anyone who is looking to revitalize their time w/ the Lord.
This is the kind of book I wish every religious non-fiction book was. It packed a serious punch and did it in a put together, well thought out way.
It wasn't even quite 80 pages long, but every word was necessary and meaningful.
Really good, really powerful stuff.
It wasn't even quite 80 pages long, but every word was necessary and meaningful.
Really good, really powerful stuff.
If you want a wonderful, short introduction to Christian desert spirituality and the practice of silence, solitude, and prayer than this is a book to pick up. Nouwen takes the wisdom of the ancients and makes it accessible to the modern day lay person.
Wonderful book. It's pithy, but in its brevity I found a lifetime of powerful truths to live by. If I'm not mistaken this was first published in the 80s, but the messages inside is still relevant today. Solitude, silence, and prayer. I will repeat phrase daily as if I'm repeating a mantra.
I read pieces of Nouwen's work in the morning - each day I'd focus on one discipline: solitude, silence and finally, prayer. Bottom line? I'll read this again. I've never read a book where I've been so deeply challenged to dwell in the presence of God.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen (Nouen), (1932–1996) was a Dutch-born Catholic priest and writer who authored 40 books on the spiritual life.
Nouwen's books are widely read today by Protestants and Catholics alike. The Wounded Healer, In the Name of Jesus, Clowning in Rome, The Life of the Beloved, and The Way of the Heart are just a few of the more widely recognized titles. After nearly two decades of...more
More about Henri J.M. Nouwen...
Nouwen's books are widely read today by Protestants and Catholics alike. The Wounded Healer, In the Name of Jesus, Clowning in Rome, The Life of the Beloved, and The Way of the Heart are just a few of the more widely recognized titles. After nearly two decades of...more
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“We enter into solitude first of all to meet our Lord and to be with Him and Him alone. Only in the context of grace can we face our sin; only in the place of healing do we dare to show our wounds; only with a single-minded attention to Christ can we give up our clinging fears and face our own true nature. Solitude is a place where Christ remodels us in his own image and frees us from the victimizing compulsions of the world.”
—
24 people liked it
“It is this nothingness (in solitude) that I have to face in my solitude, a nothingness so dreadful that everything in me wants to run to my friends, my work, and my distractions so that I can forget my nothingness and make myself believe that I am worth something. The task is to persevere in my solitude, to stay in my cell until all my seductive visitors get tired of pounding on my door and leave me alone. The wisdom of the desert is that the confrontation with our own frightening nothingness forces us to surrender ourselves totally and unconditionally to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
—
15 people liked it
More quotes…
Jul 31, 2012 03:15am