Spiritual Direction and the Encounter with God: A Theological Inquiry

by William A. Barry

Is what we call "the encounter with God" merely a depth experience of the psyche or does it have a specific theological character? In this revised edition of his best selling book, William Barry shows how it it possible to understand an encounter with the Triune God in this world, and how that process can be interpreted and aided by a spiritual director. Using the insights of John Macmurray and John Smith, Barry describes how a relationship with God develops and how one can discern whether a particular experience is from God or not. This understanding of religious experience comes from a theology of community, communal discernment and ministry in the church. This book will be helpful to spiritual directors, educators and theologians, as well as all educated seekers desiring a deeper relationship with God. In this revised edition, the author has added reflections on God's presence to suffering and evil and to evildoers, updated the bibliography, and freshened his examples for the 21st-century reader. †

128 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1992

About the author

William (Bill) Barry, a distinguished spiritual director and author, was born in Worchester, MA. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1950, studied philosophy in Germany from 1953 until 1956, and was at Weston College for theology studies from 1959 until 1963. Ordained a priest in 1962, Barry went on to earn a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan in 1968.

In 1969, he began teaching psychology at Weston School of Theology, Cambridge, MA, and in 1971 was named director for the Center for Religious Development. He served in both capacities until 1978, when he was put in charge of formation for the New England Jesuit Province. Barry was the Assistant Director of Novices for the Province (1985-88) when he was named Rector of Boston College.

From 1991 to 1997, he served as Provincial of the New England Jesuits. Following that, he was named co-director of the Jesuit Tertianship Program. Barry directs retreats at Campion Center in Weston, MA.

Despite such a busy and committed life, Barry found the time to write 15 books, including The Practice of Spiritual Direction, God and You, Finding God in All Things, Spiritual Direction and the Encounter with God, Who Do You Say I Am?, With an Everlasting Love, and A Friendship Like No Other.

Barry has the rare ability to present complex spiritual issues in clear, well-written prose. He is one of the most influential Ignatian commentators at work today.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A companion book to Barry's The Practice of Spiritual Direction (co-written with William Connolly), this book presents a comprehensive of love, community, and God's purpose in the creation of the universe. Barry sees the role of the spiritual director as helping people overcome their fear and resistance and open themselves to real, self-giving love. This book integrates philosophy of personhood (and our experience of ourselves in the world), theology of creation, ecclesiology and, finally, the role of the spiritual director in a very helpful and encouraging way.,

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first chapter is a little difficult to engage, but the book just gets better from there.

[Brian Hohmeier · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is virtually everything false about the title set, most especially inasmuch as a psychologist's patchwork musings on Macmurray, Smith and Erikson hardly form a "theological inquiry." We'll leave aside the fact that if the reader fundamentally departs from Macmurray (or has not the least interest in his tortured philosophy), one will have no traction whatever for most of this short book. What's more, Barry scarcely inquiries into "the encounter with God" beyond the doctrine of divine simplicity (actus purus) and the image of a tuning fork. Finally, we arrive at "spiritual direction" only through the laborious work of the first six chapters, the sum of which never struck me as necessary for Barry's destination. I can only imagine he was fulfilling a publisher's agreement as best as he could. For Barry on spiritual direction simply, rather see "The Practice of Spiritual Direction."