The Disciplined Heart: Love, Destiny, and Imagination [Paperback]

Caroline J. Simon (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1997

Often what passes for love is a product of self-deception and wishful thinking. Genuine love, according to philosopher Caroline J. Simon, must be based on knowledge of reality, and Christianity affirms that reality includes not just who people are but the unfolding story of who God intends them to be. Taking the use of narrative seriously, The Disciplined Heart draws on works of literature to display a Christian understanding of love in its various forms: love of self, love of neighbor, friendship, romantic love, and marital love. Using instances of love and its counterfeits in novels and short stories by such authors as Flannery O'Connor, Leo Tolstoy, George Eliot, and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Simon constructs an account of love's joys and obligations that both charms and instructs. Learned, astute, and elegantly written, The Disciplined Heart is a groundbreaking work at the intersection of theology, philosophy, and literary analysis.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Simon's book is not only a lucid philosophical examination of love but also an important contribution to contemporary philosophical and theological discussion of narrative. It is accessibly written and will appeal to a broad general audience; but it will also be of interest to specialists concerned particularly with the influence of Anders Nygren in Protestant theology and with discussion of both love and narrative in such philosophers as Martha Nussbaum and Iris Murdoch. Readers will appreciate Simon's perceptive discussion of fictional works by Flannery O'Connor, Leo Tolstoy, William Kennedy, F. Scott Fitzgerald, George Eliot, Wallace Stegner, and Isak Dinesen, as well as her discussion of correspondence between Leslie Marmon Silko and James Wright. The book is a delight, both for Simon's insights and for her pointers to others who have participated and are participating in a lively conversation about love and friendship. Steve Schroeder

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802842062
• ISBN-13: 978-0802842060
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,004,707 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Caroline J. Simon is a philosopher and ethicist. Her books and articles use stories, narratives, and images in reflecting upon human choices and character. She is the author of "Bringing Sex into Focus: The Quest for Sexual Integrity" (IVP Academic. 2012) and "The Disciplined Heart: Love, Destiny and Imagination" (Eerdmans. 1997). Her publications include many articles on moral knowledge, virtue ethics, friendship and sexuality; the most recent of these are "Just Friends, Friends and Lovers, or..." in "Sex, Love and Friendship," edited by Adrianne Leigh McEvoy (Rodopi. 2011) and "Lewis on Love" in "Cambridge Companion to C. S. Lewis." (Cambridge University Press. 2010). She is a Professor of Philosophy at Hope College in Holland, MI.