book reviews – Page 9 – REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES

Twelve Steps to Inner Freedom: Humility Revisited

Shortly after I was introduced to Benedictine spirituality in 2012, I found Joan Chittister. The title to this book was intriguing to me since I’ve been walking the recovery road for a while.

In The Twelve Steps to Inner Freedom: Humility Revisited Joan does a remarkable job breaking down Saint Benedict’s 12 steps of Humility into easily applied life principles. I’ve read this book twice and use it regularly as a resource. I also enjoy Joan’s blog and other books which you can find here: joanchittister.org.

Sr. Joan’s writing is beautifully descriptive. She is one of my favorite authors today.

I highly recommend everything by Joan Chittister!

The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See

by

Richard Rohr

Only recently introduced to Richard Rohr’s writing, I was pleasantly surprised to read concepts often represented by Eastern religions or New Age philosophies shown in our Christian traditions.

In The Naked Now Fr. Rohr literally teaches a new way to see. He helps us move from the all or nothing; either / or thinking, to more inclusive both / and views. An excellent book to help bridge the gaps we see so much in our culture today. I love that he isn’t afraid to quote other religious teachers: Zen Masters and The Dali Lama for instance.

One point he made that I have seen in my own life is that many Christian denominations focus so much on doctrine but don’t give us the vision or practices that can help us actually experience the truths. Most awesome is the appendixes that teach us how to practice The Naked Now!

What a fresh word! I’m ready to read this book again!