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    Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World
    Unavailable
    Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World
    Unavailable
    Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World
    Ebook102 pages1 hour

    Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World

    By Henri J. M. Nouwen

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    About this ebook

    Initially written for a Jewish friend, Life of the Beloved has become Henri Nouwen's greatest legacy to Christians around the world. This sincere testimony of the power and invitation of Christ is indeed a great guide to a truly uplifting spiritual life in today's world.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThe Crossroad Publishing Company
    Release dateOct 1, 2002
    ISBN9780824520632
    Author

    Henri J. M. Nouwen

    Henri J. M. Nouwen (1932–1996) was the author of The Return of the Prodigal Son and many other bestsellers. He taught at Harvard, Yale, and Notre Dame universities before becoming the pastor of L’Arche Daybreak near Toronto, Canada, a community where people with and without intellectual disabilities assist each other and create a home together.

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    Reviews for Life of the Beloved

    4/5

    180 ratings11 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A thoughtful book on spiritual living for Christian and nonChristian alike.
    • 3/5
      I picked this up at a book sale because it's written by Nouwen and he's an author I always grab if I can. I read it because it was chosen by The Facebook Method. I hated it. It's fluffy, saccharine and weak. I get that he is writing for secular Jews. I get that it's not for Christians. But seriously, it's so fru-fru. There is nothing about WHY we need Christ. I agree that it is nice to hear God loves us, and how much He loves us. But this sort of nonsense is what let's people think they can be Christian without facing sin and repentance. This isn't to say there weren't some good points and quotes. But not enough to redeem this work. I would not recommend this unless someone specifically told me this is what they struggled with. I'm sure there are people who would find this book to say just want they need to hear about God. But for me, I think there are better works out there.
    • 5/5
      This was originally written by Henri Nouwen for a secular Jewish friend of his. He wanted not to 'convert' him, but to help him understand how much God loved him, to sense that he was a beloved child in a broken world.

      The writing is powerful and moving, using as themes for individual chapters the four words: Taken, Blessed, Broken and Given. Nouwen examines what these concepts have meant to him over the years, and how he has - very slowly - come to accept the love of God no matter what his circumstances.

      It's honest and often moving, and reads very much like a letter to a friend, although at times I forgot that there was a specific audience. There's a prologue and epilogue which talk more about it, but the bulk of the book - barring a few specific comments about the friendship - are relevant to anyone.

      It's a short book, but very thought-provoking, so I didn't want to read too much at one time. I read just a chapter (or less) per day for nearly two weeks. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      This book is beautiful, so many parts made my heart smile.
    • 3/5
      I have to admit that while I enjoyed reading this, I could also identify to some degree with "Fred", who basically said this was so far beyond his experience and that of his friends that he couldn't really get that much out of it. I'm sure I got more out of it than Fred did. But, that doesn't mean I grasped - really grasped - what Nouwen was trying to convey, either. I also noted that Jesus, the Christ, did not come up in the book. Just God. Maybe this was deliberate, as Nouwen was writing this for a secular Jew and his friends. I don't know. But wouldn't it have been better to preach the Gospel as part of his explanation of the spiritual life?
    • 5/5
      We read this recently for a small group discussion. It’s excellent. Most people, myself included, found they had highlighted and noted extensively throughout this extended epistle to the young people Nouwen was trying to inspire.
    • 3/5
      I've heard people rave about this and other works by Nouwen many times, but I have to admit that I have never been able to get through this short little book. I'm not sure why, because he writes well. I guess I've always picked it up at times in my life when it wasn't what I needed to hear? But I would recommend it to someone craving reassurance of God's love for them; the book is intended to speak to both Christians and non-Christians.
    • 1/5
      I love Henri Nouwen’s writings! This book in particular took me back to some basic truths that I needed to remember about the spiritual life with Jesus. Beautiful truths wrapped in a relatable manner. Being the beloved is the foundation of our spiritual journey.This book is a definite treasure!
    • 4/5
      This is my second read of this book, which offers a healthy reminder to hold onto what is good.
    • 2/5
      Attempting to offer a spirituality that would be accessible to his non-Christian friends, Nouwen pens this personal letter fleshing out the theme of being, becoming, and living as the “beloved” of God. Nouwen identifies four movements (following the movements of the Eucharist) toward becoming who we truly are, the Beloved of God: taken, blessed, broken, and given. Although I am usually edified by Nouwen’s perspective, this work provides little. Rather, it offers an Oprah approach to the spiritual life – full of one-sided self-affirmation, devoid of content, watered-down - D.
    • 4/5
      Nouwen is asked by his non-religious Jewish friend to write a book for him, versus his typical theological writings. This is Nouwen for those of us who want to have an informal conversation with him and not an academic one. This is a short read and one you shouldn't miss.