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Summary: Norris shows faith can recapture us.
Review: The vocabulary of faith is one of the barriers in the way of the on-going faith journey. Since words can heal, but words have hurt so many, the language we use is of vital importance in our faith journeys. Kathleen Norris shows why "story" is one of the most powerful ways to refurbish the faith. She creates new metaphors and images that renew and deepen my faith.
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Summary: Kathleen's done it again!
Review: Once again, Kathleen Norris has invited us into her spiritual journey. These all-too-familiar words of our faith life are brought into focus by Kathleen's personal reflections.
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Summary: Demystifies Emotionally Charged Words That Bother Us All
Review: This book is her best yet. It is especially helpfull to those of us who have been exposed to instituionalized religion that has left scars. This book attempts to expose not just the author's thougts and feelings about words that carry weight (negative and positive) such as judgement, redemption, grace, exoricism, etc. The book is written from a Christian perspective with liberal doses of empathy and intelligence shining through.
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Summary: A guide for your life.
Review: Great guide to live your life by.
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Summary: Breathtaking!
Review: Norris has a gift for cutting right to the heart of the matter. She says in two to ten pages what others need chapters to say. Each section of this book causes one to pause and reflect. I chose it as a Holy Week meditation exercise, and I count my blessing with every page turn.
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Summary: Amazingly Good
Review: This book impressed me immensely; well beyond what I had expected and I had read two previous books by Kathleen Norris. It is a marvelous format that works like a sort of "Day by Day" series of inspiring and/or compelling theological thoughts. Rather than follow a litergical order of verses, Norris uses different words and terms associated with Christianity to fuel her observations. I honestly was expecting a sort of academic treatise on what various terms meant. What I got instead was an illustration of the essence of the meaning of various aspects and perspectives of Christianity. From the very beginning I was inspired by what Ms. Norris was sharing. She has observed a lot through her years and has a remarkable ability to recall those observations into illuminating stories.
Part of the impression this book made upon me may have had something to do with the fact that I started reading it towards the end of a retreat I was on. It was at the Benedictine Convent and Abbey where Ms. Norris spent much of her time. I hadn't even considered the connection when I took the book along but I was quickly in tune with her comments about her experiences with the Benedictine nuns and monks. Part of the appeal of her book to me had to have something to do with so many events taking place in locales I am familiar with. However, the broader appeal of the book lies in her sincere devotion to the Benedictine Way while equally active in the main stream Protestant Church. She seems intent on exploring ways to find a closer and clearer meaning to her faith. Like Ms. Norris, I had experienced years apart from religion before returning to it with a sincere intention to become a "Good Christian". However, I needed to first understand what it is that comprises a "Good Christian". Kathleen Norris spoke to me in the voice of experience of someone who has gone quite a bit further than I. I say that even though my journey has led me to ordination as an Episcopal Priest. Ms. Norris shares a lot of her experiences as a somewhat reluctant lay minister in the Presyterian Church. I am satified that she has found her vocation.
Ms. Norris is a Poet in the literal sense because it is her real profession. I'm not one for poetry but I have always enjoyed the rare author who can write prose and leave the impression that one has read poetry. Her book, "Dakota" is a masterpiece of that style as is "Amazing Grace". I confess that I was not as drawn into her book, "The Cloister Walk". I think that is why I was a bit shy about starting "Amazing Grace". However, I am very greatful that I took it on that retreat. I would recommend this book to anyone who aspires to know more about the Christian faith. Those even mildly interested will find a voice that speaks in a clear, compelling and informative manner. Too many similar book instruct; Ms. Norris inspires.
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Summary: Finding grace in a "dictionary"
Review: Kathleen Norris explores the language of faith that often puts people off or leaves them feeling estranged. Her meditations are not definitions of grace, faith, sin and so forth, but in what was for me a suprisingly spiritual way, she brings the vocablary that puzzles and confuses even regular church attenders up the the present time and present words and concepts in a manner that can have meaning and resonance. She uses personal experience and stories that allow the reader to relate and identify.
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Summary: A poet uses religious words
Review: Kathleen Norris uses religious terms in this autobiographical work detailing a spiritual journey. Through use of the terms, the author is able to spiral through issues of societal and personal importance in a deceptively easy-going manner. The author's way of letting the reader enter into the work is masterly.She became a lay preacher of necessity when a small congregation of which she is a member sought to keep the church open for services as a new pastor was sought. She was told that as a poet she could function in the post. She felt that as a relatively new adherent to the religious way she was not a good choice, but she could hardly refuse in the sense that the community had to be maintained. She came to feel that poems were finished pieces of work, but sermons were ongoing, more of a matter of process and implicitly, in her case, growth. Use of humor prevents the work from becoming maudlin. Hard and careful explication creates a realistic and intelligent result. There is much in the book concerning monasticism which has bearing on the religious practice of an individual believer.
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