Spiritual Masters for All Seasons (Anthony de Mello, Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, John O'Donohue)

Every age needs figures of spiritual inspiration, but in times of recession and uncertainty they are essential in helping us to rise above despair and to search for God deep within ourselves. In this new book, Michael Ford invites four spiritual masters onto the same stage for the first time and shows how they speak, not only to our own times, but for all seasons. Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, Anthony de Mello and John O'Donohue all died suddenly at the height of their fame as spiritual masters, but they continue to have immense followings. What was their secret and why do their legacies endure? Through unpublished interviews with some of the authors themselves, encounters with their friends, and reflections from readers who have been inspired by their writings, Michael Ford journeys across the United States and Europe to assess their place in the world of contemporary spirituality. He goes behind the scenes of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky to hear first hand from monks who were novices under Merton; visits Lambeth Palace in London to discover Merton's influence on the Archbishop of Canterbury; talks to people about how Nouwen, the proverbial wounded healer, helped them through depression because he had suffered himself; speaks to Jesuits who worked with de Mello in India and tries to find out how close the international storyteller came to Buddhism; and takes a walk with O'Donohue through landscapes in rural Ireland that feature in such books as Anam Cara and discusses the appeal of Celtic spirituality. Blending the spiritual with the journalistic, Michael Ford presents four unique writers as "Spiritual Masters for All Seasons." †

Every Age Needs figures of spiritual inspiration, but in times of difficulty and uncertainty, they are essential in helping us to rise above despair and to search for God deep within ourselves.

In this book, Michael Ford invites four spiritual masters-Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, Anthony de Mello, and John O'Donohue-onto the same stage to show how they speak, not only to our own times, but for all seasons. In particular, he examines their legacy against the background of America and the world in recession, showing how their message of nonviolence, compassion, and inner integrity is much needed, not only in the "remaking of America" under Barack Obama, but also through the example the United States' president has set for the rest of the world.

Through unpublished interviews with these spiritual masters, encounters around the world with their friends, and reflections from readers who have been inspired by their writings, Michael Ford journeys across the United States and Europe to assess their place in the world of contemporary spirituality Included in his journey is a visit to Lambeth Palace in London to discover Thomas Merton's influence on the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Blending the spiritual with the journalistic, Michael Ford presents four unique writers as "spiritual masters for all seasons."

Prelude Unmasking the self : the faces of Thomas Merton The monk and the archbishop : a conversation about Merton with Dr. Rowan Williams Trusting the heart : the dynamics of Henri J.M. Nouwen The monk and the professor : conversations about Merton and Nouwen Deconditioning the mind : the awakening of Anthony de Mello Befriending the soul : the landscapes of John O'Donohue Postlude. Prelude Unmasking the self : the faces of Thomas Merton The monk and the archbishop : a conversation about Merton with Dr. Rowan Williams Trusting the heart the dynamics of Henri J.M. Nouwen The monk and the professor : conversations about Merton and Nouwen Deconditioning the mind : the awakening of Anthony de Mello Befriending the soul : the landscapes of John o'Donohue Epilogue.