Dating God: Live and Love in the Way of St. Francis [Paperback]

Daniel P. Horan O.F.M. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2012

How can we deepen our most important relationship?

The experience of dating provides us with a helpful image to explore Christian spirituality with a fresh lens. Replete with emotional ups and downs, euphoric highs and depressing lows, energy, affection, and fear, our everyday experiences of getting to know another in an increasingly more intimate manner might help us to envision our relationship with God in a new and ever-deepening way.
From the Introduction

The journey to God, says Br. Dan, is a lot like dating. You have to get to know God in the same way and in a similar process as you would with someone you date, when you want to explore another person's truest self.

Dating God is not an answer book or a schema providing easy steps or instructions to have an ideal spiritual life. Rather, it offers a new look at the timeless condition of human longing for a deeper relationship with the Creator. And, contends Br. Dan, the Franciscan tradition, which includes Francis and Clare of Assisi and those men and women who followed them, is perhaps the best model for this deepening relational experience with the Divine.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fresh new voice in Christian spirituality who reminds us that the Creator is active in every moment of our lives and shows how our lives are filled with, as the Franciscans say, pax et bonum: peace and goodness." -- James Martin, S.J., author, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything.

"...explores how to maintain a loving, lifelong relationship with God, other human beings, and all creatures" -- Murray Bodo O.F.M., author, Francis: The Journey and the Dream

"Dating God is the perfect primer on Franciscan spirituality" -- Beth Knobbe, author, Party of One

"Spirituality doesn't get any better than this! A splendid book!" -- Michael Leach, author, Why Stay Catholic? 

"Weaving modern cultural references with rich Franciscan tradition and using clear, straightforward language, Horan ensures a wide appeal to his joyful call to prayer and reflection -- Liguorian magazine (July/Aug 2012)

"...clear, concise and insightful. Dating God is a rich treasure of Franciscan spirituality for a world in need."-- Ilia Delio, O.S.F., author, Compassion: Living in the Spirit of St. Francis

"The idea of 'dating God' may be a little jarring at first, but in Brother Dan Horan's hands it becomes an inspired way to find and channel our longing for God. He has done a remarkable job of bringing the wisdom  of St. Francis into the Facebook age." -- Paul Moses, author, The Saint and the Sultan

Have you ever been on a date with God? It may seem a strange concept, but Horan, a young Franciscan friar and popular lecturer, invites consideration of the question, especially for young adult believers. To be on a date with God requires, first and foremost, that technology and many other distractions of contemporary life be set aside in order to delve deeply into the relationship. This is not an unrealistic invitation--the author does not expect anyone to enter a hermitage to contemplate for weeks. It is, however, an invitation to prioritize our spiritual life and to look for brief moments to become more aware of God's presence. The author does a great service by revealing the rich and beautiful Franciscan tradition for a new generation of believers. There is much to learn from St. Francis, St. Clare, and their followers, and Horan, through weaving in popular culture references and using clear, straightforward language, will undoubtedly reach many young adults....The joyful call to prayer and reflection...will have a wide appeal. --Publishers Weekly, January 9, 2012

About the Author

Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., a Franciscan friar of Holy Name Province, has taught in the department of religious studies at Siena College near Albany, New York. He currently serves on the board of directors of the International Thomas Merton Society and has published more than thirty articles and book chapters. His article in Spiritual Life, "Digital Natives and Franciscan Spirituality,"earned a first-place 2011 award from the Catholic Press Association. He writes regularly at the blog DatingGod.org.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: St. Anthony Messenger Press (February 7, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1616361360
• ISBN-13: 978-1616361365
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #361,341 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M. is a Franciscan friar of Holy Name Province (New York) and is currently a Ph.D. student in systematic theology at Boston College. Fr. Dan studied at St. Bonaventure University where he earned a B.A. (Honors) degree in theology and journalism. He entered the Order of Friars Minor in 2005, made his first profession of vows in 2007 and was ordained a priest in 2012. During his studies as a friar, he earned an M.A. degree in systematic theology in 2010 and a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree in 2012, both from the Washington Theological Union. Fr. Dan has previously taught in the department of religious studies at Siena College (2010-2011) and has been a visiting professor in the department of theology at St. Bonaventure University during summer sessions (2012, 2013). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Thomas Merton Society.

The author of many scholarly and popular articles, Fr. Dan received a 2011 Catholic Press Association first-place award for his writing on spirituality. He is the author of several books, including Dating God: Live and Love in the Way of St. Francis (2012) and Francis of Assisi and the Future of Faith: Exploring Franciscan Spirituality and Theology in the Modern World (2012). In addition to his column in America, Fr. Dan is a regular contributor to Give Us This Day (Liturgical Press) and The Huffington Post. To learn more about his writing and speaking engagements, visit his website: DanHoran.com. He blogs at DatingGod.org and you can also find him on Facebook and Twitter (@DanHoranOFM)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dating God: Live and Love in the Way of St. Francis February 3, 2012

By Gilbert Brady

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a leadership consultant I found this book to be immensely rewarding to read. As we are seeing world wide, there is a shift in leadership relationships. For far too long we have looked at leaders as good parents-which has resulted in an unhealthy dependency on the part of followers. In addition, when the good parent does not "protect" us from the unpredictability of life, we grow angry and often denigrate that same person we had previously admired. This book helps to articulate a relationship with God that is truly one where we bring our true and adult self into relationship with God. Through this book we begin to see a relationship with God in which our voice is important. God does not only command us to be- he also lovingly listens to us as we search for the fullest expression of our true self in relationship with others. I am thankful for this book on many levels, but most importantly this book provides a beautiful description of a rich, mutually respectful, mutually loving relationship with God. One that is becoming more necessary as the world begins to recognize the interdependency of each person and each country throughout the world.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Hermitage experience February 7, 2012

By Carol Blank TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

Daniel P. Horan, O.F.M., is a Franciscan Friar who has published numerous articles, led retreats, and lectured across the U.S. and Europe. In Dating God he compares the human experience of establishing a close relationship with another person to that of developing greater knowledge and understanding of our Creator. Dating God is divided into eight chapters consisting of reflections on Franciscan spirituality, personal observations, a list of points to remember and reflection questions.

For example, in the "Making a Date with God" chapter, Horan discusses solitude in the context of a hermitage experience he shared with his classmates while in the novitiate. The event took place in eastern Pennsylvania in the middle of winter. For 10 days, the novices would spend 23 hours a day in solitude, praying, reading in their cells, or walking in the woods. Each evening they spent an hour together, attending Mass and eating dinner. The retreat was designed to allow the novices to set aside time and space for solitude with God as their companion.

Horan admits that as an extrovert he found the prospect scary. His first reaction was one of isolation that reminded him of solitary confinement or the childhood punishment of "time out." He recalls the old question of a tree falling in the forest when no one was around to hear--did it fall? At the hermitage, with no Facebook or Twitter, no one to speak to him, did he actually exist?

Initially Horan tried to distract himself with reading, then walking in the woods where, he writes, he rediscovered the connections within all of God's creation. The experience was similar to that of seeing on old friend after a long separation. This friend was God, and for Horan, it seemed like a date. Though he felt awkward at first, he soon realized that his presence was all that God desired. He writes of a form of transcendence that occurred as he walked among and as part of creation with his Creator. Reflection questions for this chapter address the difference between being lonely and being alone; finding time for silence and solitude; and creating a hermitage experience amid the demands of ordinary life.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Read February 5, 2012

By Julianne Wallace

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is great for anyone looking to bring new life into their relationship with God. While the metaphor of "dating" God would seem strange at first, Horan connects all the dots and gives us a great way to understand our relationship with God. I especially enjoyed all the stories from the lives of Franciscan saints and stories from the author's own life. Horan weaves these stories together seamlessly, creating a cohesive and easy read for all to enjoy. As a Campus Minister at a Franciscan University, I look forward to sharing this book with my students and helping them understand their own relationship with God and with others.