How Big Is Your God?: The Freedom to Experience the Divine (Book & DVD) [Hardcover]

Paul Coutinho SJ (Author), Father Richard Rohr OFM (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007

Do you have a real relationship with God, or do you just have a religion? Do you know God, or do you just know about God? In How Big Is Your God? Paul Coutinho, SJ, challenges us to grow stronger and deeper in our faith and in our relationship with God—a God whose love knows no bounds. To help us on our way, Coutinho introduces us to people in various world religions—from Hindu friends to Buddhist teachers to St. Ignatius of Loyola—who have shaped his spiritual life and made possible his deep, personal relationship with God.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Coutinho, a Jesuit priest who has lived much of his life in India, once was told by a theology teacher at an American university that he was a heretic. He had merely posed a what if, asking what the man would do if scripture scholars should determine that Jesus never existed as a historical figure. The teacher said he would have to abandon his work as a priest because he could never base his life on a myth, but Coutinho countered that he would still die for the myth. Conversant with India's Hindu and Buddhist traditions, Coutinho effectively uses this story to illustrate the differences between the Western and Eastern understandings of truth (one, he writes, sees truth as a set of beliefs while the other views it as an experience). Throughout this volume of short essays, Coutinho draws on Eastern religious traditions, blending them with his own Catholic practice to challenge and deepen readers' understandings of God. Besides asking questions like Can you be religious without knowing God? and Are you running for fun or for your life? he offers practical advice as well, including a PQR (Pause Question Respond) formula for handling difficult situations and BAD (Basement Attic Disposal) days for helping Westerners get rid of consuming possessions. Readers who favor spirituality over religion will most enjoy this book. (Oct.)
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Book Description

Deepen your experience of God by moving from religion to relationship.

Paul Coutinho, SJ, is an Indian Jesuit priest with a genial sense of humor and a penchant for asking deeply thought-provoking spiritual questions: Do you have a real relationship with God, or do you just have a religion? Do you know God, or do you just know about God? Do you worry about the smallest things, or do you trust God to help you through even the biggest things? Have you ever considered believing in a God without limits, a God powerful enough to enable you to think, love, and live differently?
In How Big Is Your God? Fr. Coutinho challenges us to grow stronger and deeper in our faith by embracing a God whose love knows no bounds. To help us on our way, Coutinho introduces us to his Hindu friends who put him on the path to mysticism; to his Buddhist teachers who broke open his limited views of the divine; to Viktor Frankl, Desmond Tutu, and other enlightened guides who led him to a far more meaningful spiritual life; and to St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose Spiritual Exercises continue to shape his reflection and prayer life.
Each short chapter in this book will draw readers with an open mind and a longing heart into a closer relationship with God and will encourage them to experience the infinite breadth of God in a deeply personal way.
 

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Loyola Press; First Edition, First edition (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0829424814
• ISBN-13: 978-0829424812
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Fr. Paul Coutinho, SJ, is an internationally recognized Ignatian scholar, author, and speaker who brings an Eastern flavor to Western spirituality. A native of India and a Jesuit from the Bombay province, he frequently leads retreats, gives spiritual direction, and trains people to lead the Spiritual Exercises. Coutinho currently creates and runs programs in Ignatian identity and mission for Saint Louis University's Mission and Ministry office, he is the editor of Ignis--the South Asian Ignatian spirituality journal--and also shares his gifts as the director of Ignatian Spirituality Programs for South Asia. He resides in St. Louis and divides his time between India and the United States.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How Bis Is Your God?, October 27, 2007

By 

Michael E. Suden (St. Louis, Mo.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How Big Is Your God?: The Freedom to Experience the Divine (Book & DVD) (Hardcover)

Fr. Coutinho, a Jesuit priest from India, gives us different way of deepening our relationship with God. His joining of East and West in how we perceive God is creative and will open our minds and hearts to start a deeper journey towards God. This book is not for the narrow-minded. St Teresa of Avila once said, "Lord, spare me from sour-faced saints". If one is of this ilk, he/she will neither enjoy the book nor be spiritually transformed. My wife, a Catholic school principal, has purchased several copies to give as gifts to her teachers, several of whom are conservative, but not rigid. The chapters are short and to the point, with many practical helps on how one should grow closer to God. As a convert to Catholicism, this book answered many of my concerns about my relationship with God. A must read.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Played havoc with my day -- but worth it, November 25, 2007

By 

Owen Phelps (Durand, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How Big Is Your God?: The Freedom to Experience the Divine (Book & DVD) (Hardcover)

This book played havoc with my day -- and incredibly enriched my life! When I picked up my new copy it was to just fill 15 spare minutes. But I finished it in one sitting. Can't recall when that's ever happened before. What an incredible journey! I am almost breathless, and yet so full of energy. What's a half day balanced against the rest of a life? This book is both challenging and affirming. More than that, it's so encouraging and insightful. And the little stories -- I am going to steal every last one of them if only I can recall them in the right circumstances. Heck, if I remember only one just once in my life, the world will be better for it. As I turned the pages I found myself making a list of family and friends with whom I have to share this book. Thank you, Paul Coutinho.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Breath of God, November 4, 2007

By 

Angela C. Menard - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How Big Is Your God?: The Freedom to Experience the Divine (Book & DVD) (Hardcover)

Jesus taught us by telling stories. Paul Coutinho does the same in this wonderful book. The brief chapters are understandable and thought provoking-perfect for daily or weekly reflection. I look forward to reading How Big Is Your God over and over again. It is good to be reminded that we are the breath of God.