Our Hearts Are Restless
The Art of Spiritual Memoir
-
-
3.0 • 1 Rating
-
-
- $25.99
-
- $25.99
Publisher Description
A guided tour of spiritual autobiography that grants readers new insights and appreciation of the genre
The genre of spiritual autobiography has flourished ever since Augustine essentially invented it in the fourth century. In Our Hearts Are Restless, Richard Lischer--himself the author of two spiritual memoirs--takes readers on a guided tour of the genre, examining the life writings of twenty-one figures from the expected (Thomas Merton) to the surprising (James Baldwin); from the sublime Julian of Norwich and Emily Dickinson to the outrageous Anne Lamott.
Lischer is a perceptive reader and an engaging guide in the art and craft of spiritual writing. Our Hearts Are Restless shows readers how history's most brilliant spiritual writers have sought and found a pattern of meaning in the face of tragedy, conflict, and the responsibilities of daily life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lischer (Just Tell the Truth), a professor emeritus at Duke Divinity School, examines the genre of spiritual memoir in this eloquent and discerning analysis. Unpacking mostly Christian writings by the likes of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John Bunyan, Harriet Jacobs, and C.S. Lewis, Lischer suggests that spiritual autobiographies usually resemble one or more of seven narrative arcs, which include the "battle between belief and unbelief" and pilgrimages to discover "something larger" than oneself. Augustine's Confessions, which Lischer credits with inventing the spiritual memoir, exemplifies the "search and surrender" story in its candid reflections on how Augustine's travels across Europe helped him discover his faith. Other narratives hinge on revelation, such as Julian of Norwich's account of watching Jesus's blood flow on a priest's crucifix as she lay on what she thought would be her deathbed. Lischer's deep love for his subject shines throughout, and his examples capture the "richness and diversity" that the genre has to offer, as when he provides a provocative reading of James Baldwin's account of attending church in Harlem, or when he sensitively interprets the writings of Holocaust martyr Etty Hillesum. As Augustine once wrote, "Pick it up and read."
Customer Reviews
A few good points, but overall cannot recommend this
First of all, it is sad that there is such a shortage of quality published spiritual autobiographies or memoirs that this author had to stretch the definition and include Emily Dickinson, for example, who wrote letters, not a memoir. (It is also a matter of debate what Dickinson’s spiritual beliefs were with no clear answer.) I would have liked more discussion of what a spiritual memoir is and the difference between a good and a great one or even how to write one. There is only one chapter that talks about memoirs—the rest is a collection of book reports. Perhaps this volume would be useful if (1) you were teaching a college course and intended to lecture on what was not included here. Or (2) if you were either very young or not much of a reader and these well-known writers were brand new for you.