Customer Reviews

The Holy Way: Practices for a Simple Life

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

With our hectic lives it seems impossible to slow down, simplify, and deepen our spiritual relation with God. Author Paula Huston has been here with all the rest of us, but she has found, through her personal experiences, that you can move to a simpler, holier life without moving to a monastery and completely eschewing the modern world. Paula invites us to travel with her along her journey as she shares her experiences successes and shortcomings. She models her philosophy on some of the most prominent saints of the early Christian church including some of my favorites, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Ignatius, and St. Benedict. As she turned to these people she tried to practice the things that allowed them their holy walk with God. Some of the things she discusses include the need for and ability to obtain solitude, silence, asceticism, meditation and other practices of a simple life. Although she does not word it that way, it becomes obvious that part of what she is talking about is the ability to break free from the things that enslave us and keep us in such a state that we can't even keep our minds quiet for all the thoughts and worries that invade it.

Choosing to lead a simpler life so you can have a more peaceful, more holy life, may sound like an extreme sacrifice, but what is the price that you put on internal peace? Standing on the other side after having made these changes Paula finds it hard to understand why anyone would not do the same. Paula Huston is a role model for those who want to simplify their lives and clearly demonstrates that this path is available to anyone who wants to travel it. "The Holy Way" is a highly recommended book for any audience.

Paula Huston's The Holy Way has made a significant impact on my personal and spiritual life. In many ways our lives are parallel, and her spiritual longing for divine transcendence is mine as well. Her book met me on many levels, and has resulted in several changes in outlook and lifestyle for me. Her stories are very human, yet show how a mind open to God and re-creation can result in healing and wholeness. Thank you, Paula Huston.

This book practically fell off the shelf at the bookstore, like I was supposed to read it. This is a remarkable book by a remarkable woman. Like Paula, I am on the monastic-contemplative-mystical path. Unlike her, I have remained in the Lutheran tradtion, but like her, have learned a great deal about this path from the Roman Catholic monastic tradition. I've read a number of books by celibate monks, and many books on specific components of this path, such as fasting, celibacy, silence, meditation, etc. What makes Paula's book so helpful for me is that she is married, with kids and a career, like myself. Secondly, she presents a road map for this journey via the ten chapters, each one looking at a component of the path. I appreciated the few pages at the end entitled "How to Begin a Better Life". She is an excellent writer. She has done her homework about the monastic traditon and the saints she writes about in each chapter. Most importantly, she shares her own journey in an honest and vulnerable way. Clearly Paula heard a "call" to live a simpler life; and her book in an autobiographical way shows how she, God, and others are making that happen. This book, and my on-going desire to be a married contemplative/an urban monk, will be the topic of conversation next time I meet with my spiritual director.

I have way too many books on spirituality and the spiritual path in my library, all bought believing that it, as the next book, would finally have some answers. This one finally did. Paula Huston's book seemed to be written for me (a feeling evoked from all great books) to help and guide me through the spiritual path. I felt as if I was on the journey with her. Many authors write about the concept of the spiritual path; but few try to give a map and some lessons along the way. Paula does.

Paula Huston's book is not so much a "how to" book as it is a narrative of her search for a more simple life. A very easy to read book. She shares her successes and failures with her readers.

Its hard to summarize this book, so I won't. But it is a very good read (well-written, easy prose but not dumbed-down like a self-help book!). Huston is very introspective and doesn't mind pointing out where she went wrong. Its a good book about slowing down, finding out what is important, and seeing how she did it. Also--great section about silence and how important that is!!

This is a book that deserves to be taken seriously by everyone involved with spiritual formation in the Christian tradition.

In each of her ten chapters, Paula Huston lays bare an issue in her own spiritual journey and the lessons she has learned about this issue from the lives of saints from Christian history and from the monks of the New Camaldolese monastery in California.

The book is structured into five parts:
"Part I - Withdrawing and Taking Stock" - Sts. Anthony and Pachomius
"Part II - Cleansing and Finding Strength" - Sts. John Cassian and Augustine
"Part III - Discovering a New Community" - St. Benedict
"Part IV - Facing the Demons" - Sts. Aelred of Rievaulx, Francis of Assisi, and Catherine of
Siena
"Part V - Returning to the World" - St. Ignatius of Loyola and Dom Bede Griffiths

A brief, concluding eleventh chapter provides practical suggestions, drawn from Huston's experience and the lives of the ten saints studied, for implementing a life of practical, holy simplicity.

I found this book at times frustrating, confronting, encouraging, and opening my heart to a deeper walk with God. The Holy Way will reward a careful and meditative first reading, and it warrants a second conversational reading with a trusted friend.

SPiritual autobiographies can be a great way to focus in on what is happening in one's own life. Paula Huston's book gives inspiration to others seeking to deepen their own spiritual journey. I give this book to people who are just beginning a deliberate spiritual journey.

Paula Huston, almost crazed with her hectic life as a college instructor and a busy mom, sets out to simplify her life and deepen her spirituality, following the lead of great spiritual leaders of the past.

I actually gasped out loud when I read the chapter where Huston realizes that the more effort she put into her spirituality, the more judgmental she seemed to be about other people; yep, I saw myself.

While I liked some of Huston's ideas for simplifying and spiritualize-ing, I noticed that my mind kept wandering away from the pages of the book. Not sure why.

I ordered this book because I love simplicity. I think the author truly went through a transformation like many people on the spiritual path do, however I lost interest halfway through this book. Perhaps it's because I've read a lot about Simplicity in recent years and this story read like what I've already ready before in other books. If this book helps direct someone on their path, that's wonderful. However, I think there are much better books out there for people interested in simple living. I would recommend Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin. And I would recommend Simplicity by Richard Rohr for those who are on the spiritual path and drawn towards Simplicity.