I don't believe there is any follower of the Christian faith who wouldn't benefit from reading this classic of spiritual direction written by the Venerable Louis of Granada.

For the beginner and layman it provides a very useful overview of the Christian life rooted in the practice of virtue. For the proficient and the advanced, I think it serves as a good reminder of the basics of our faith and reminds them of the need for humility and simplicity.

The structure of the book is very systematic, and the prose I found easy to read. I'm not sure if the Aeterna Press version is a direct translation - if it is, it's amazing how easy this is to read for a 400 year old book. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Firstly, Ven. Louis lays out some motives which 'oblige' us to practice virtue and serve God. He then goes on to expound upon the privileges of virtue and the folly of those who continue in sin. Next, he takes the seven deadly sins and gives some advice as to remedies for each of these. Finally he talks about our threefold obligation to virtue - the obligation to God, to ourselves and to our neighbour.

As for the author, Jordan Aumann O.P. wrote that "Louis of Granada stands without a peer among Dominican ascetical writers, and throughout the seventeenth century his writings were a constant source of inspiration and education for Christians throughout the civilized world. He reached his maturity during the Council of Trent and at the high point of the Golden Age of Spain. He died in 1588, when the imperial supremacy of Spain was beginning to wane.

Both as a preacher and a writer, Fray Louis dedicated himself assiduously to the indoctrination and spiritual formation of the common people. A contemporary writer stated: "Water girls carried his books under their arms and the market women read them as they waited to sell their merchandise." But another contemporary said of him with disdain that he wrote for the "wives of carpenters," forgetting, perhaps, that the wife of a carpenter was the Mother of God and the Queen of angels and saints.

Long before St. Francis de Sales appeared on the scene, Louis of Granada was preaching the traditional, orthodox doctrine of the universal vocation of all Christians to the perfection of charity. He was a theologian for the laity, but in addition to the rank-and-file Christians, the books of Fray Louis were read with great profit by some of the great saints of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. We mention only the following: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Peter Alcántara, St. Rose of Lima, St. Francis de Sales and St. Louise de Marillac."

Says it all really. ( )

ESP-065

Narration: Was a good fit for the [academic/religious] text. Recommended Speed 1.25x

This is pretty much what you would expect in something written by a devout religious circa 1567. Ven. Louis presents a number of theological examinations that explore why we should (motive) practice virtue, and what benefits (privilege) we receive when we do so. As perhaps expected, these maxims are intended to guide for christian meditations more than an apologetic, so the "Pretty Prose" probably won't mean much to anyone looking for ration persuasion. It will however, provide points on which the faithful can think about in order to enrich an already existing (even if newly formed) faith. It should come as no surprise that the text has a more Catholic point of view given the time it was written and the affiliation of the author with the Dominican Order of Preachers (which was actually why I was interested in it). In that it does exactly what I expected it to do, it rates well, but not quite earn the top score ... still ... highly recommended for any who wish to explore their own christian faith.

Motives for Practicing Virtue.
• The Perfection of God
• Gratitude for Creation
• Gratitude for Providence
• Gratitude for Redemption
• Gratitude for Justification
• Gratitude for Election
• Thought of Death
• Thought of Judgment
• Thought of Heaven
• Thought of Hell

Privilege of Virtue
• Care of the Father
• Grace of the Holy Spirit
• Knowledge to Virtuous Souls
• Consolations of the Holy Spirit
• Peace of the Conscience
• Confidence of the Just
• Liberty of the Just
• Efficacy of Prayers
• Assistance with Afflictions

Follies
• Deferring Conversion
• Trusting in Mercy
• Taking the Easy Path
• Material Attachment

Remedies
• Resolution against all sin
• Against Pride
• Against Covetousness
• Against Lust
• Against Envy
• Against Gluttony
• Against Anger/Hatred
• Against Sloth

Duties
• Venial Sins
• Deadly Sins
• Fullness of Justice
• Duty to Neighbor
• Duty to God
• Obligations of State

I was given this free review copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#AudiobookBoom #TheSinnersGuide #GeorgeEllington ( )

Es un privilegio para la literatura española haber tenido autores como éste, que hacen sentir los valores en medio de los que España llegó al culmen de su historia y que tantos admiran, que a tantos llevan al buen obrar y al buen sentir, pero que otros envidian, y no falta quien, por mediocridad o adoctrinamiento desde los envidiosos, pretende destruir y olvidar este legado en aras de una supuesta "memoria" para desmemoriados. ( )

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