What do you think?
Rate this book
Celebrating the Single Life: A Spirituality for Single Persons in Today's World
CELEBRATING THE SINGLE LIFE is a book that tells how to have a seriously committed, spiritually grounded single life. For the fifty million people in the United States who live alone -- whether by choice or circumstance -- the author suggests concrete dynamic ways in which single men and women can live fully human, fully Christian lives.
The single state is the foundation of all human formation, notes Susan Muto. We are born single (that is, unique) and we die single... God calls [all] to give witness temporarily or for a lifetime to the originating uniqueness that is His gift to every human being. This encouraging book goes far in dispelling often held presumptions or stereotypes concerning singles as outsiders in a family- or community-oriented culture. Muto demonstrates that the single life-style is not incompatible with warm, loving relationships or with a happy and rewarding life. Her book covers such topics as solitude vs. loneliness; silence, service, and caring for others; resisting the workaholic phenomenon; single parenting; singles and the Church; the essentials of single spiritual living.
CELEBRATING THE SINGLE LIFE breathes fresh air on a subject of immense interest and importance in the modern age. As such, it is both challenging and insightful reading for all serious Christians no matter their chosen life.
The single state is the foundation of all human formation, notes Susan Muto. We are born single (that is, unique) and we die single... God calls [all] to give witness temporarily or for a lifetime to the originating uniqueness that is His gift to every human being. This encouraging book goes far in dispelling often held presumptions or stereotypes concerning singles as outsiders in a family- or community-oriented culture. Muto demonstrates that the single life-style is not incompatible with warm, loving relationships or with a happy and rewarding life. Her book covers such topics as solitude vs. loneliness; silence, service, and caring for others; resisting the workaholic phenomenon; single parenting; singles and the Church; the essentials of single spiritual living.
CELEBRATING THE SINGLE LIFE breathes fresh air on a subject of immense interest and importance in the modern age. As such, it is both challenging and insightful reading for all serious Christians no matter their chosen life.
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1982
10 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 15, 2013
This book is about Christians who are single by choice, as a calling. To the author, I think, singles are not just people in a certain demographic box, but they're almost their own personality type. They are altruistic, introverted, individualistic, thoughtful, aesthetic and generous. Perhaps she was generalizing from herself, but for me, someone living this lifestyle and drawn to this vocation, I see myself as being basically exactly the same, and so perhaps there's something to the notion.
In one sense, I found this book refreshing and interesting, in that it came from a perspective that I feel has been left out of a lot of the evangelical Protestantism I'm used to. I'm not sure exactly how to express it. On the other hand, many of the chapters were hard to read because the language was abstract. Maybe a typical evangelical Protestant book would have avoided that kind of abstraction. If you begin this book and find yourself wanting to give up out of a sense that the book is a burden on your attention, skip to chapters 6, 7, and 8 which are a relief. Chapter 5 isn't too bad either. Of course, some readers (perhaps those who are single as a vocation) are readers by vocation, and should read even the burdensome parts, as a desert experience.
The bibliographies, one per each chapter, contain brief "human readable" summaries of each book. This is a good thing for non-fiction books to do.
Things I learned, or hadn't considered before:
Singles get to give more of their life socially, so they also need to spend more time in solitude than other people.
Singles tend to be looked on by other people as the people to do extra work because they don't have "good excuses" to be at home (i.e. families). Solitude is devalued, considered a self-indulgent luxury.
Therefore singles tend to wind up working too hard in order to overcompensate for this perception of self-indulgence.
Singles develop refined tastes and heightened understanding (because of their solitude) which must be fed, and protected from people who don't understand. Non-singles have a tendency to try to level singles.
Everyone is single, everyone has an individual life. We all are born single and die single. Vocationally single people understand the uniqueness of people more of the time.
In one sense, I found this book refreshing and interesting, in that it came from a perspective that I feel has been left out of a lot of the evangelical Protestantism I'm used to. I'm not sure exactly how to express it. On the other hand, many of the chapters were hard to read because the language was abstract. Maybe a typical evangelical Protestant book would have avoided that kind of abstraction. If you begin this book and find yourself wanting to give up out of a sense that the book is a burden on your attention, skip to chapters 6, 7, and 8 which are a relief. Chapter 5 isn't too bad either. Of course, some readers (perhaps those who are single as a vocation) are readers by vocation, and should read even the burdensome parts, as a desert experience.
The bibliographies, one per each chapter, contain brief "human readable" summaries of each book. This is a good thing for non-fiction books to do.
Things I learned, or hadn't considered before:
Singles get to give more of their life socially, so they also need to spend more time in solitude than other people.
Singles tend to be looked on by other people as the people to do extra work because they don't have "good excuses" to be at home (i.e. families). Solitude is devalued, considered a self-indulgent luxury.
Therefore singles tend to wind up working too hard in order to overcompensate for this perception of self-indulgence.
Singles develop refined tastes and heightened understanding (because of their solitude) which must be fed, and protected from people who don't understand. Non-singles have a tendency to try to level singles.
Everyone is single, everyone has an individual life. We all are born single and die single. Vocationally single people understand the uniqueness of people more of the time.
February 3, 2022
It is intended to individuals whom have chosen to be single as a vocation. The spiritual principles of prayer, medication, reflection, the word applied to all aforementioned, are spot on!. I believe this can be a good study for young adults who are single and not choosing that vocation because of these principles. Indeed “we are restless until our hearts find rest in you” Great for to small groups specially chapters 4-7. The additional reads, by the author as well, are excellent choices.
December 11, 2017
An old book, but still good advice for making singlehood a vocation.
Want to read
April 8, 2009from spring '09 VOM
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews