The Lure Of Saints: A Protestant Experience Of Catholic Tradition

by Jon M. Sweeney

All Christians share ancient traditions of making saints and practicing faith in the midst of a cloud of witnesses. They also share in the heritage of the Protestant Reformation and the sometimes radical change in attitudes toward saints that resulted from these upheavals. This enlightening book explores how these exemplary men and women have impacted both the Church and the world; includes profiles of ancient, medieval, and modern figures, East and West, the sublime and the unusual; and offers a profound respect for Catholic imagination and tradition.

Genres: Religion, Theology, Christian, Spirituality, Christianity

237 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2005

About the author

Jon M. Sweeney is an independent scholar and writer of popular history. He is married, the father of three, and lives in Montpelier, Vermont. He has worked in book publishing for 25 years: after co-founding SkyLight Paths Publishing, he was the editor in chief and publisher at Paraclete Press, and in August 2015 became editorial director at Franciscan Media Books.

He has written more than 20 books, seven about Francis of Assisi, including "When Saint Francis Saved the Church" and "The Complete Francis of Assisi." HBO has optioned the film rights to "The Pope Who Quit."

Jon's first 20 years were spent as an involved evangelical (a story told in the memoir "Born Again and Again"); he then spent 22 years as an active Episcopalian (see "Almost Catholic," among others); and on the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi in 2009 he was received into the Catholic Church. Today, Jon is a practicing Catholic who also prays regularly with his wife, a rabbi. He loves the church, the synagogue, and other aspects of organized religion. He would never say that he's "spiritual but not religious."

In all of his writing, Jon is drawn to the ancient and medieval (see "The Road to Assisi," and "Inventing Hell"). Many of his books have been selections of the History Book Club, Book-of-the-Month Club, and Quality Paperback Book Club.

Reviews

[Steven Tryon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A protestant looks at the saints and their roles in our lives. A most helpful book for this protestant trying to get his head around Roman Catholic spirituality. Beautifully written.

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this thorough and respectful overview of saints from a Protestant perspective which gave me a fresh appreciation of those who have been recognized as saints by the Roman Catholic Church as well as those unrecognized saints. The author's own experiences make the book personable and readable and having others from various Christian traditions share their own practices relating to the saints gives a broader perspective.

[Carmen]

Florian library 235.2
curious to read it after having read some excrepts