Customer Reviews

Enduring Grace

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have read this book several times just for myself, and was enchanted with it. I have used it with theology students (university level) who respond well to it and like it very, very much indeed. A good introduction to women in the Christian tradition and in the mystical tradition, one recommended to anyone, especially the intrigued non-specialist.

A wonderfully inspiring book that makes one hungry for more! There is enough here to provide a good picture of each of the women described, but inevitable, you will want to go out and get more material on your favorite one or two (in my case, Teresa of Avila and "crazy" Mechthild.) The work is not at all full of feminist "prejudice" (though its modern perspective was obviously too much for fearful conservative "Frances" below). On the contrary, it shows excuisite respect for the full potential of a compassionate, truly "Catholic" -- all-embracing -- Christianity.

Enduring Grace presents the special contributions of women mystics. It gives a clear and realistic discription of the women, their lives and the times in which they lived. In doing this, they come alive as real people who faced day to day difficulties, no different than the modern day reader. In regard to some of their more unusual behavior, Flinders encourages the reader to view the mystics with compassion and understanding. Flinders illucidates how very ordinary women transformed themselves into extraordinary individuals who made extraordinary contributions. She further illistrates how these women belong to us all and gives every female reader a legacy which she can claim as her own.

as a quick glance at the other reviews will demonstrate, this book can elicit widely varying responses from readers. why so much disagreement among reviewers? i can't say for certain, but here's my guess.

on the plus side, this is a short and informal introduction to seven brilliant female mystics of the middle ages. there are few books that bring together the lives of such compelling and powerful women under one cover, as any one of them can--and have--form the basis for a detailed individual biography. in fact, at least one of my stars reflects the importance of and accessibility to these phenomenal mystics. it is clear that the author deeply (and rightly) respects and admires each of these magnificent women, and has done a good deal of homework in learning about their lives and times. she writes with an amiable voice and attempts to give a flavor of the process involved in historical research.

on the not-so-plus side (or is it?), the author is not a scholar of either medieval history or feminist theory, though these are the main scholarly fields from which she attempts to draw a picture of her subjects. if you enjoy a more casual approach to learning about people in history, you may group this point with the pluses. although the chapters are not overlengthy (the whole text itself is not much more than 200 pages), there is less organization and more meandering than is the norm in biography. again, this informal arrangement may be a plus for some readers, a no-no for others. although there is not a great deal of fresh insight concerning the lives of these remarkable mystics, and not a wide sampling of their writing, you do get an initial taste (this is meant to be an introduction, after all). the writing style is not the most inspired or graceful (and sometimes the author's intended use of vocabulary seems to get away from her), but some readers may prefer a more plain approach. one more significant con: there are, as another reviewer noted, plenty of generic feminist ideas sprinkled about. while an informed and involved feminist view would be fitting in this context, here there appears not to be much independent reflection behind the statements, and so they add little of import and at times feel a bit tacked on.

in a nutshell, this is a congenial, but not profound, book about truly life-altering women, which can make a big impact on those seeking concise portraits and who prefer a less formal and scholarly approach. if this is what you seek, you may feel like a well-informed and intelligent friend dropped in to chat with you about some truly great people. on the other hand, this is not the book for those who seek revelatory insights into the mystics, masterful writing, or a practical framework for bringing a mystical understanding into one's life. if this is what you seek, you may feel instead like you are reading a book report by an enthused, diligent, and well-intentioned friend. (for those who would like to incorporate selections of women mystics' writings into a spiritual practice, Mary Penrose's "Refreshing Water from Ancient Wells: The Wisdom of Women Mystics" is one good starting point).

This book provides inspiring insights into two subjects which are rarely given fair analysis: (1) women saints and (2) the mystical experience. By definition the mystical experience is difficult to explain or analyze in words, but the author's approach and beautiful references help make the experiences of these saints come to life -- and these saints are not the life-denying, intellectual complex, emotionally stunted type, but the divinely inspired type. I would not call the author's perspective feminist but one free of conventional masculine/church biases. I will reread this book often.

I read this book for the first time several years ago, and find myself pulling it off my shelf time and again. I've recommended it to several friends, and am just now ordering a copy to be sent to my sister for her birthday. As a clergywoman and spiritual writer, I find this book inspiring, challenging, and comforting on the journey. I fell in love with Teresa of Avila as a spiritual "mentor" in these pages, and have gone on to read several of her works.

I will admit to getting upset when any book of this caliber seems somehow to lose ground so to speak. It is one of the few books among thousands out there that has the capacity to transform your perspective of yourself and the world not to omit your faith in God. Too many books on the subject of Beloved Saints seem to only focus on their masterful greatness to which I could never relate on any level [as a woman being so terribly flawed (yet devoted to my faith of Catholicism)]. This book ever so eloquently and exquisitely reads like a dream and shows how these spectacularly popular Saints had trials and troubles aplenty within-and-without as mortals just like you and me. My favorite cameo is of one Saint who regretted that: she could not bring good will to good works....This is a stunner of a book. A classic for all time. Thank you, Carol Lee Flinders. I believe I am a-little-bit-better of a person - because of your book.

Reading through the book Enduring Grace was quite a treat. In it we are exposed to seven women who each in their own way experienced the spiritual life in a profound way. Sadly, the tendency for Christian History is to focus on major events, or on the major influence of a male leader. We hear of the church fathers, the reformers, the men who sacrificed themselves, who added great wisdom to the life of the church. We do not hear as much about the women who have been such an integral part of the Community of Christ. Yet, one cannot help but think that women have been as important to the development of the church as have men from the very beginning. Through their prayers, their wisdom, their courage, and, yes, sometimes their teaching the church has moved forward and has matured in its understanding of the Triune God.
The seven women mystics which are discussed give to us an understanding how the Spirit works in the lives of all believers. We find that there is not a single "type" of person that seems to exhibit a spiritual intensity. Rather, we are shown that a variety of personalities and temperaments all have a place in the spiritual life. What is common to all, however, is a burning desire to come close to God, and experience the fullness of his life in every way. It was interesting to read the initial description of each woman, hearing of their backgrounds and the circumstances of their entering a convent (which was essentially the only spiritual office open to women). As the particulars end, however, we get a sense of a common experience, one which seems to be influenced by the era and locale in which they lived, but has a timeless characteristic. They are women who forsake utterly the trappings of this world and find their way into Eternity while still living. Their thoughts, desires, writings seem to express the longing for what they have been given a taste of, and the ability to fight and overcome those encumbrances which might draw them away. This fight, however, is not seen as onerous, but rather there is almost a natural grace to be spiritual people. In other words their lives do not seem to reflect the result of intense battles to achieve spirituality, rather they seem to be people whom the Spirit chooses to work through and gives them grace to live as they do. This is not to say that their lives were without struggle, for we read also of their refreshing humanity and difficulties in living this life as holy people. It seems as though there is an inner storm which drives these women to seek further the place of Christ in their lives. But, the taste of heaven which these women have been given allows them to overcome any hindrance and seek further contact with the Divine. This taste of heaven leads each mystic in a slightly different direction and emphasis, one as a visionary, one as helper of the sick and needy, one as a spiritual leader for communities, but it is the yearning for the fullness of life which drives these women and helps them to overcome without regret the offerings of this world.
My own tendency is to relegate the experiences and thoughts of these women to a separate category of Christian life, to say that they were the products of their own religious climate and while inspirational, they are not models for life. Yet, as I reflect on this I begin to sense that these woman are not totally unique in the life of the church, and that even today there are those who reflect the qualities which were exemplified in these women. Definitely, there are points at which I might disagree with their theology, but their lives offer a call to each and every Christian, female and male. They show us the fullness of life even in and through suffering which comes from being fully devoted in every aspect of life to the life and love of Christ. They encourage us to work through the often mundane experiences and seek how God is working in our own hearts. These women were not simply historical curiosities, but rather they exhibit how the Spirit works outside of our own societal boundaries in every time to raise up people to be lights to those around them. Certainly, these seven women were influenced by their own eras and contexts, but we see that the Spirit in them was not, and worked and continues to work in the lives of those who seek after God with all their hearts, minds, and souls.
While I am personally wary about how these women can be applied to some kind of nebulous "spirituality", for certainly what defines them is their distinctly Christian beliefs, this book is an enormously good introduction to these interesting women. To know them, though, is to share what they all believed, lacking that leaves a bit out in their final analysis, which is my only critique of Flinders.

If you read "Five Stages of the Soul" and were fascinated by his reference to the women mystics of the Rhineland, "Enduring Grace" will give you a ggood overview of how they all developed. These women mystics are fascinating. Prepare for major life changes to occur while you read this book and open yourself up to their lives. Depending on your search, this book can be all you need or a great staring point for more information.

I will start by saying that, although I was raised a Christian, I am not one now. So I approached this book with some caution. However, it is well written and makes the medieval world that these women dealt with very vivid. It also makes what they did and wrote very accessible. I have found a lot to think about in this book and it made me want to learn more about some of the things discussed. That said, it is not a book to sit down and read all at one go. I read it a bit at a time, taking it on trips with me and keeping it in the kitchen between times. It was well worth the thought I had to put into the reading.