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Summary: A spiritual guide for true Christian devotion.
Review: A spiritual masterpiece for all Christians, Introduction to the Devout Life is rich with spritiual reflections and excercises. It mandates a slow, reflective read. The book focuses the reader on their past and present life rallying them to purge themselves of past sin and affection for present sins. St. Francis recommends spiritual exercises to avoid future spiritual decline, and unites the reader's future devotion with GOD. Introduction to the Devout Life is a "life" changer.
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Summary: Draws you into His presence
Review: Although this original text was written in the 1600's, it is as timely in todays modern world as ever. If anyone is looking for spiritual guidance and a way to grow closer to God, this book may help. Many of De Sale's examples are drawn from nature and help us to see our own sin and need for a loving God. The author provides insights on areas such as our own creation, on God's benefactions, on sin, on death, on paradise and our election and choice of heaven. It has changed my life and could change yours....
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Summary: first treatise of lay spirituality
Review: By Jordan Aumann, O.P., Christian Spirituality in the Catholic Tradition (1985)The doctrine taught by St. Francis de Sales was not new, but he did present spiritual teaching in an original manner and he deserves credit for removing Christian spirituality from the monastic framework in which it had been confined for many centuries.... The Introduction to the Devout Life...was written precisely for the laity and perhaps St. Francis de Sales is the first spiritual writer to compose a treatise of lay spirituality. As he states in his preface, those who have written previously on the spiritual life have done so for the instruction of persons who have given up association with the world or they have taught a spirituality that would lead persons to do so. The intention of St. Francis, however, is to give spiritual instruction to those who remain in the world, in their professions and in their families, and falsely believe that it is impossible for them to strive for the devout life. What does St. Francis understand by the devout life or true devotion?... True devotion, which for St. Francis de Sales is the same as Christian perfection, is the fulfillment of the twofold precept of charity enunciated by Christ (Mt. 22:34-40)....
Although he mentions the good works that flow from true devotion, St. Francis is insistent that the devout life is essentially an interior life.... Immediately after stressing the universal call of all Christians to perfection, St. Francis de Sales insists on the need for a spiritual director.... The first task facing the soul is purgation from sin, and here St. Francis follows the teaching of St. Ignatius Loyola, proposing meditation on the last ends and a general confession. Then, there must be a complete renunciation of all attachment to sin, without which there can be no lasting conversion and no progress in perfection.... In the second part of the Introduction St. Francis proposes a daily schedule of spiritual exercises in which the practice of mental prayer holds a central position.... In the third part of the Introduction St. Francis considers the practice of virtue, selecting those which are particularly necessary for the Christian layman. Of all the virtues treated we could say that, after charity, the predominantly Salesian virtue is meekness....Finally, in the last two parts of the Introduction St. Francis treats of temptations, sadness, consolations, and aridity and concludes the work with a series of self-examinations and considerations whereby the soul can judge its progress in true devotion. Thus, in its totality the Introduction to the Devout Life provides a complete program for the spiritual advancement of the laity.
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Summary: One of the best introductions to mental prayer!
Review: Francis de Sales, who later recieved the title of "Doctor" from the Church due to his wisdom, wrote this book to advise people who live ordinary lives, and don't have the walls of a religious community (nor the support) to help them keep temptation at bay. There are chapters for any issues, conflict or spiritual difficulties that you may experience in life.
I particularly enjoyed the first section of the book. So many saints (like Teresa of Avila, Margaret Mary, Catherine of Siena, Gerturde of Helfta) have written how valuable mental prayer is to spiritual development. Few have provided a "how to" guide in their writings. And none has provided a more succint or accessible approach. the book is worth it for this page or two alone. Like many great wirters, De Slaes, reminds us often of the need to be charitable in all we do, reassures us of God's mercy and has lovely advice about it not being our role to judge (it usurp's God's authority), unless we are a parent or officer of state who has such responsibility over individuals by law.
Other valuable topics inlcude handling difficutlies of "spritual dryness," when you don't feel inspired to pray or do wht you know your soul needs and how to deal with the world's comments about your religious practices (very pertinent with people asking why go to Church or why this mroal stand). Chapters on approved leisurely activities talk about avoiding activities (he specifies gambling, which gets an extra chapter) that encourage of communication, isolation form community, and moodiness. How well this can apply to certain video game addicts! The chapter on anxiety is very helpful for people going through tough times.
The section on "fond relationships," is a bit problematic, and is the only time that I thought the book seemed to demonstrate the date of its writing. One the one hand, it offers great advice for people trying to recover from a hurtful relationship, when he talks about how to end "fond relationships" with people. On the other hand, if women followed all of the advice about not ever forming such relationhips, then no one would ever marry, because Francis tells us earlier that women don't usually choose their husbands, and accordingly, there is no moral reason for them to meet men as friends with potential for more in Francis' time period.
I thought his writing style was much dryer than that of Catherine of Siena or Teresa of Avila, whihc made it difficult for me to concentrate at one point (think it was the relations bit), but over all this book is amazing becuase of the scope of topics it covers and how pertinent they are to people today. True sign of great wisdom: it's timeless! Every one should own a copy as a reference.
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Summary: I agree!
Review: I can't say it any better than JMark does below, but I feel strongly enough about this book to echo some points. I knew the book was a few hundred years old and was more or less expecting some datedness in the description of religious practice and in the writing style. What took me completely by surprise was how USEFUL de Sales' advice still remains. He was, as already mentioned, a gentle, wise and thankfully down-to-earth spiritual director. He did not expect over-night transformations and did not advise extreme measures in the spiritual journey. His writing is encouraging and immediately applicable. When my husband was worried about dryness in prayer, I found the section in this book dealing with spiritual dryness and read it to him. He, although not much of a reader before then, immediately grabbed the book, read the section again himself, and told me that was exactly what he had been experiencing. He has taken permanent possession of the book (to my delight), and has gained a lot of reassurance and practical wisdom from it. This is an excellent book for persons just embarking on a deeper spiritual life. Once you adjust to the vocabulary he uses, you will understand why Saint Francis de Sales was considered one of the best spiritual directors of his day, and is considered one of the Doctors of the Church. I wouldn't be surprised if, like so many other readers, you find yourself growing downright fond of him.
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Summary: Still accurate, still powerful, still useful!
Review: If you think that a book several hundreds years old is going to offer only "dated" theology, think again: Christianity is a revealed religion that claims to be given by God to humanity--and therefore no Christian doctrine can be changed. This book will seem strange to modern, post-Vatican-II Christians only if they don't understand their Faith. Vatican II changed no Church teaching, and in fact encouraged us to look to the great saints of the past for guidelines to our own development. Along with St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Alphonsus of Liguori, St. Francis de Sales is among the most accessible, most reliable, and most immediately useful Catholic authors, and this is a fine edition. Get it! Read it! Learn what your Church teaches about life, and why.
Rating:
Summary: Still accurate, still powerful, still useful!
Review: If you think that a book several hundreds years old is going to offer only "dated" theology, think again: Christianity is a revealed religion that claims to be given by God to humanity--and therefore no Christian doctrine can be changed. This book will seem strange to modern, post-Vatican-II Christians only if they don't understand their Faith. Vatican II changed no Church teaching, and in fact encouraged us to look to the great saints of the past for guidelines to our own development. Along with St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Alphonsus of Liguori, St. Francis de Sales is among the most accessible, most reliable, and most immediately useful Catholic authors, and this is a fine edition. Get it! Read it! Learn what your Church teaches about life, and why.
Rating:
Summary: Still accurate, still powerful, still useful!
Review: If you think that a book several hundreds years old is going to offer only "dated" theology, think again: Christianity is a revealed religion that claims to be given by God to humanity--and therefore no Christian doctrine can be changed. This book will seem strange to modern, post-Vatican-II Christians only if they don't understand their Faith. Vatican II changed no Church teaching, and in fact encouraged us to look to the great saints of the past for guidelines to our own development. Along with St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Alphonsus of Liguori, St. Francis de Sales is among the most accessible, most reliable, and most immediately useful Catholic authors, and this is a fine edition. Get it! Read it! Learn what your Church teaches about life, and why.
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Summary: Still the Best
Review: If you want a closer walk with Jesus, but are not sure how to begin or whether it's even possible for ordinary folks, this is the book for you. Contains practical, usable advice to help people who cannot enter a monastery or convent can grow in holiness where they are. There are other great spiritual handbooks, but I don't think any of them are as accessible as this one.
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Summary: Terrific advice for secular folks
Review: S. Francis de Sales was reknowned even within his lifetime for his abililty to reach common people - those burdened with jobs and families. He famously converted a substantial region of rural France back from Calvinism, through his preaching, pamphleteering, and robust, public defense of the Catholic Faith. The Introduction to the Devout Life is compiled from advice he gave in letters, and is rather well-organized, considering the source. His advice is entirely relevant and accessible to modern readers who wish to practice sanctity in everyday life. The Vintage Spiritual Classic edition is part of a pan-religious fufu series, encompassing texts from Buddhism to Catholicism to Sufi Islam, but the translation is clear, and the book itself durable. I'd recommend as a less expensive alternative an edition from any Catholic publishing house, like Tan, Sophia, or Ignatius Press
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