Description
Drawing on the powerful histories of the saints and her own personal experience, Paula Huston, a fiction writer, professor, and monastic oblate, gives practical guidance for achieving spiritual simplicity in a complex and troubling world. In The Holy Way, she examines a variety of disciplines in the Christian tradition–for example, solitude, purity, and generosity–that can ultimately lead to a more integrated life. The chapter-length descriptions of each practice, complemented by the stories of particular saints, are interwoven with Huston’s compelling personal narrative.
From St. Anthony, the third-century desert hermit, to Bede Griffiths, the twentieth-century Benedictine monk who established a Christian ashram in India, the lives of those who have tried to follow the simple path of Jesus are not merely celebrated but plumbed for their wisdom. Though written from the perspective of a serious Catholic, The Holy Way offers an open door to seekers of all faiths and creeds.
Reviews
“Paula Huston has much in common with Kathleen Norris and Henri Nouwen, two major stars in the constellation of contemporary writers on the spiritual journey. Huston appears to have the insight and originality to make her own important contribution as a credible witness to what happens when God is chosen as the center of one’s life.”
(America: The National Catholic Weekly)
“With honesty and an open-armed embrace of her own fallibility, Huston pulls readers in, showing how odd and downright contrary it can feel to engage in a monastic discipline–and yet how fulfilling.”
(Los Angeles Times)
“Using the Christian tradition of solitude, silence, and contemplation as her foundation, Huston offers one of the best books available on living the simple life.”
(Publishers Weekly, starred review)
“Books about the spiritual life, about prayer and meditation and about ‘the simple life’ fill many shelves in bookstores across the land. But one thing is certain. The Holy Way stands apart. It is no quick fix and no quick read. It is a book that you will keep for a long, long time.”
(Catholic Book Club book of the month review)