Charles M. Murphy

Somone had left this book behind on the sale shelves at Powells and I thought "what an interesting and lucky find!" Unfortunately, I began reading it and found the author was a Catholic who assumed Stevens' spirituality meant God, with a capital G, when in fact there is a bunch of doubt about his 11th hour deathbed conversion. I found this book very redctive and so didn't really read it at all to be honest. I did scan the whole thing and did find a few interesting anecdotes about his life and some comparisons to other (albeit Catholic) interesting thinkers. Personally, if any capital-G god finds outlets in his poetry I is closer to many Eastern spiritual eliefs. The one thing I did get out of this is that it got me to pick up The Necessary Angel again, which is superb.… (lisätietoja)

Somone had left this book behind on the sale shelves at Powells and I thought "what an interesting and lucky find!" Unfortunately, I began reading it and found the author was a Catholic who assumed Stevens' spirituality meant God, with a capital G, when in fact there is a bunch of doubt about his 11th hour deathbed conversion. I found this book very redctive and so didn't really read it at all to be honest. I did scan the whole thing and did find a few interesting anecdotes about his life and some comparisons to other (albeit Catholic) interesting thinkers. Personally, if any capital-G god finds outlets in his poetry I is closer to many Eastern spiritual eliefs. The one thing I did get out of this is that it got me to pick up The Necessary Angel again, which is superb.… (lisätietoja)

Monsignor Murphy, former Rector of the North American College in Rome, highlights the key markers of the life St. Francis of Assisi, his relevance in the Middle Ages and today particularly with regards to Pope Francis and his mode of evangelization. Francis’ abandonment of material goods and attachments is stark and certainly was a repulsive oddity to the establishment of clergy and civic leaders of his day including his own family. His rapprochement with the Sultan is the stuff legends are made of and yet his engagement in loving dialogue is a mode the current Pope Francis appears to emulate. St. Francis was not out to change doctrine but to energize the Church by reminding it of the Gospel message it professes to practice. This is worthy reading for anyone of principle regardless of religious confession or lack thereof.… (lisätietoja)