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Title: Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life
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Manufacturer: Image
List Price: $10.95
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| Customer Reviews: |
| Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life by Image Spirituality Articulated |
| This book puts the spiritual life into words in a profound way. The authors weave the different components of spirituality together from compassion, patience, prayer,and action to confrontation. I found it both affirming and challenging. This is a great book for those involved with spiritual direction. |
| Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life by Image Some Pretty Nice Material. |
| Well, I can't quite place this book on the same level as Father Brown's "A Crucified Christ In Holy Week," Bishop Richard Holloway's "The Killing," or Bishop John Spong's "Rescuing the Bible From Fundamentalism." Nevertheless, it is still a nice book with some worthwhile matierial. One time the priest who sponsored me at my confirmation (Father Wood) gave a sermon where he said that being a Christian means more than believing Christ is the son of God. He explained that even the devil will say that Jesus is the son of God. To some extent, this book seems to follow what Father Wood said. One of the things this book points out is that sympathy and compassion are NOT the same thing. For compassion to be real, it requires empathy. (Meeting the person on his or her level.) One crucial thing this book points out is that it is tempting to think of Jesus as someone who just performed great and wonderous deeds. (Such as healing lepers, the blind, and a paralyzed man.) But this book points out that it was more than that. Jesus actually brought himself to their level through compassion and empathy and healed them. One harsh reality the 3 authors of this book point out is that true compassion and empathy are often at odds with our competitive drives. In fact, this is proven by an enemy of Chrisitians. He is quoted as saying that his problem with Christianity is that it is "...sided with all that is weak and base, with all failures; it has made an ideal of whatever contradicts the instincts of strong life to preserve itself...at the bottom of Christianity is the rancour of the sick instinct directed against the healthy and health itself." Reality check; doesn't that sound like something Al Pacino (as the devil) would have said in "The Devil's Advocate?" Another really valid point made in this book is that our careers often diminish our Christian values. This point was made quite well in Al Pacino's "The Devil's Advocate" and Jen Garner's "13 Going On 30." Some other interesting points that these authors make are that impatience often causes us to waste time, that rigid patterns we fall into often kill us spiritually, and that in our hopes for the future we forget the present. This book is crowned with something that applies to us all. Often, we become selective in what we will do and what we don't do because we want to be liked. All in all, this is a nice book that has some worthwhile moments. |
| Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life by Image Compassion for guys (ladies welcome!) |
| When I was done, I'd highlighted a serious fraction of the text for future, frequent review. Excellent start into why compassion is important for some individuals, not everyone. Nouwen writes prose with poetic lyricism, so this is a relatively easy book to stay with if you're interested in the topic |
| Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life by Image Spirituality Lite |
| This book is the perfect spiritual "pick-me-up" when you're just having a bad day or want to spend a few minutes reflecting on life in a positive way. The author lays out a substantial banquet, but always in manageable portions. Well worth your time, money and consideration. |
| Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life by Image One of the best |
| One of the best books on Christian spirituality ever written. No other book encompasses the true sprit of the work of Jesus Christ like this one. If you like this book, I also recommend Walter Wink's "Engaging the Powers." |
| Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life by Image Product Description |
| A provocative essay that places compassion at the heart of Christian life as a counterbalance and a challenge to a world governed far too long by principles of power and destructive control. |
