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Leadings: A Catholic's Journey Through Quakerism

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'The vision I offer is at heart a plea for unity.' Irene Lape makes this assertion in her introduction, before leading the reader on a circuitous but ultimately satisfying journey through her own spiritual trek. Raised in the Episcopal church, she joined the Catholic church in college, left the church and her faith behind for a time before discovering faithful influences and impulses in connection with Quakerism, which led her back to her early chosen Catholic identity.

This is not a story of one faith or system being better than another, but rather gives good insight into the kinds of discernment processes we all have been invited to go through in our own lives. We may not all have the same experiences (indeed, few of us will have the specific experiences that Lape had). Her experiences as a child in the Episcopal church remind me of what I've heard over and over again: 'I enjoyed church - the stained glass, the dark, candle-lit interior, the flowers, the music, the sixteenth-century language of the liturgy.' However, there was something not quite there about God's presence, or rather, God's presence was larger than one being in the confines of the church.

Lape's experience traces through many religious influences - in many ways, this is fairly typical of American families and communities. She recounts friends and relatives who were of different religious and philosophical persuasions; one read the works of Mary Baker Eddy regularly, another introduced her to James Joyce and T.S. Eliot. However, it was the Quakers, who didn't advance any kind of doctrine or dogma, but rather looked for the indwelling spirit in all people, that awakened her to greater possibilities within her own life experience of religion and spirituality.

Lape develops chapters of her life overlapping with the ways in which Quaker ideas see scripture, personal testimony and stories, and discernment processes. What Lape really has done in this text is to show her life-long progress in discernment. Lape is also influenced by the narrative theologian Stanley Hauerwas (and narrative theology is one of my particular prefernces in theological method). Lape finally explores what it means to her to be Catholic 'again', delineating her areas of agreement and disagreement with the Quaker sensibilities and practices in a gentle and conversational way.

This is a wonderful, personal spiritual autobiography that can give insight to the reader on his or her own journey through spiritual life.

I'm a sucker for a spiritual journey and this this one is unlike any I've read. Ms Lape's wildly interesting path toward Christ is complicated, powerful and thoroughly human. Her love for patient process and shared devotion makes for great reading. Ms Lape's arrival back to the Church is a powerful story of the practicality and intense mystical power of G-d's love. For me, "Leadings" offered an insightful and loving link between the two "official" religions of my life. Hats off (or wait, should I keep it on?) to Ms Lape.

Simpley breathtaking! If you have ever waivered from your faith you will be able to relate with this book. Good job Irene, when is your next book coming out? I can hardly wait.