God Underneath : Spiritual Memoirs of a Catholic Priest

Rating:
Summary: If God is underneath, I want to go deeper
Review: I loved this book and highly recommend it! Fr. Beck allows us to see his human side, a rarity among priests. this book is funny and insightful. From the Peoria story to the touching friendships, we come to see a man, who loves the Lord, loves the Lords people and doesn't take himself too seriously. His descriptive story telling makes you feel like you are sitting with him on the bench by the ocean and feeling the presence and awesomeness of Gods power and creation. May God continue to bless Fr. Beck.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I was drawn in by the positive word-of-mouth on this book, but now wish I'd saved the [price]. Many of the stories seem to exist for the sole purpose of Father Beck's self-aggrandizement, often at the expense of his colleagues (the "gabby nun", the seminary classmate described as "a diminutive man who walked like a penguin", not to mention the several people Father Beck disparages for being overweight-- not exactly comments in the spirit of Christ). Lest anyone question my motives in writing this review, I'm hardly a Catholic hardliner, but rather a former Catholic who has left the church looking for a more inclusive, compassionate Christian theology. For those readers in search of truly generous, inspirational, and enlightening spiritual memoirs, I highly recommend Anne Lamott's "Traveling Mercies" and Kathleen Norris' "The Cloister Walk."

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I was drawn in by the positive word-of-mouth on this book, but now wish I'd saved the [price]. Many of the stories seem to exist for the sole purpose of Father Beck's self-aggrandizement, often at the expense of his colleagues (the "gabby nun", the seminary classmate described as "a diminutive man who walked like a penguin", not to mention the several people Father Beck disparages for being overweight-- not exactly comments in the spirit of Christ). Lest anyone question my motives in writing this review, I'm hardly a Catholic hardliner, but rather a former Catholic who has left the church looking for a more inclusive, compassionate Christian theology. For those readers in search of truly generous, inspirational, and enlightening spiritual memoirs, I highly recommend Anne Lamott's "Traveling Mercies" and Kathleen Norris' "The Cloister Walk."

Rating:
Summary: Not What I Hoped It Would Be
Review: My initial excitement over this book quickly turned to disappointment. Being a priest and a member of a religious order I thought it would be great to read the memoirs of a priest my own age. However, I found very little insight in the book. It seems to me that Father Beck goes to great lengths to tell us about the people in his life yet he reveals very little about himself. Even his musings about God and spirituality at the end of each chapter seem shallow and condescending. Perhaps the writing of memoirs is best left to those who are well seasoned.

Rating:
Summary: Not What I Hoped It Would Be
Review: My initial excitement over this book quickly turned to disappointment. Being a priest and a member of a religious order I thought it would be great to read the memoirs of a priest my own age. However, I found very little insight in the book. It seems to me that Father Beck goes to great lengths to tell us about the people in his life yet he reveals very little about himself. Even his musings about God and spirituality at the end of each chapter seem shallow and condescending. Perhaps the writing of memoirs is best left to those who are well seasoned.

Rating:
Summary: I don't get it
Review: Perhaps it's because I'm not Catholic (though I am a Christian) and therefore don't rever priests, or perhaps I was looking for something a little deeper, but I just didn't find a thoughful priest writing this book. The little stories with their Sunday school endings, the misplaced angst, and the name dropping of Carly Simon just don't rise to the level of suggesting that this is a man on a difficult spiritual journey. While I can appreciate his continued questioning of the demands of his calling, that is part of the maturation process, not necessarily unique to a priest. I felt cheated by the time I finished this book, for I have known Catholic missionary priests who've lived hard lives who would find absolutely nothing in common with Fr. Beck. I think he thinks he's wasted his life and this is his apology for it.

Rating:
Summary: Intensely Personal and Frank
Review: The biggest surprise of this book is how intensely personal the stories are and how open Father Edward is to sharing his innermost thoughts and feelings. Some of the stories made me cry, both with sorrow and joy. Most of all, they made me want to experience the Spirit in my life as intensely and in such a meaningful way. Father Edward's intent in sharing these stories is to show how the people in his life have shown him the way to find the Spirit beneath, and he succeeds wonderfully in doing the same for the reader. In giving us a peak into his private spiritual life, he magnificently shows what it means to be human in the best sense, to be drawn by the Spirit ever more deeply to that special relationship which gives hope and salvation. This is a book worth savoring and rereading.

Rating:
Summary: Intensely Personal and Frank
Review: The biggest surprise of this book is how intensely personal the stories are and how open Father Edward is to sharing his innermost thoughts and feelings. Some of the stories made me cry, both with sorrow and joy. Most of all, they made me want to experience the Spirit in my life as intensely and in such a meaningful way. Father Edward's intent in sharing these stories is to show how the people in his life have shown him the way to find the Spirit beneath, and he succeeds wonderfully in doing the same for the reader. In giving us a peak into his private spiritual life, he magnificently shows what it means to be human in the best sense, to be drawn by the Spirit ever more deeply to that special relationship which gives hope and salvation. This is a book worth savoring and rereading.

Rating:
Summary: truth sets one free
Review: there are many complicated issues facing priests, brothers,sisters and lay people today...what Beck does he faces the issues directly and says what he honestly thinks, THIS IS SO REFRESHING , AND HAS THE RING OF TRUTH. I liked especially his experience in Peoria and how he dealt with it in a mature but painful way. Similar situations are going on in many parishes today and all of us need to stand up and be counted.Also his experiences with cancer patients is deeply moving, especially the cancer of his mother...good read, it kept me up all nite.

Rating:
Summary: A Gift of Spirit in Everyday Life
Review: Through a series of twenty one stories, Fr. Edward L. Beck highlights the God in every day life through a particularly refreshing voice within Catholic spirituality, a reclaiming of the spirit that forms the basis of the Catholic faith. Fr. Beck's candor and honesty afford us a level of intimacy with a Catholic religious seldom available but highly welcomed. Through eloquent, heartfelt narratives Fr. Edward leads us into a journey where we are invited to find the Spirit present in the travails of daily living: love, family, friends, work, personal loss, turmoil, trials, and tribulations. The book is an open invitation to share the bittersweet paths of life in the comfort of knowing that underneath all that surrounds us, God is ever present.