On Loving God (Cistercian Fathers Series) [Paperback]

of Clairvaux (Author), Saint Bernard (Author), Emero Stiegman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Cistercian Fathers Series | Publication Date: January 1, 1995

"We are to love God for Himself, because of a twofold reason; nothing is more reasonable, nothing is more profitable." On Loving God is first a touching description of God's love for us as unmistakenly demonstrated in the death of His Son. Second, it is a call for us to joyfully respond to God like the child who runs and embraces her father whose love is sure. As St. Bernard writes, "They love all the more because they know themselves to be loved so exceedingly."

Product Details

• Paperback: 214 pages
• Publisher: Cistercian Publications (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879071141
• ISBN-13: 978-0879071141
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #442,797 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stiegman on Bernard of Clairvaux, March 26, 2001

By 

michael p. aparo (Wethersfield, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Loving God (Cistercian Fathers Series) (Paperback)

I just finished reading the richly rewarding "On Loving God by Bernard of Clairvaux, Emero Stiegman." It was serendipitious for me, as I was only looking for the author [an old lost friend and my daughter's godfather] on the internet. When I found out he wrote this book, I just had to read it.

It was not easy. Only 42 pages of Bernard's text and another 108 pages of commentary, [plus notes, bibliography and index] make up this slim volume. But don't be fooled: what it lacks in size is more than balanced by its density. It took a long time to read, even though Emero's style is gentle and fluid. But each sentence is packed with solid meat, and one needs time to digest. My conclusion is that Bernard is a genius whom I never really appreciated until I met him again through Emero's eyes and heart. Emero is also a genius for being able to digest and interpret Bernard so lucidly and lovingly.

Emero's conclusion to his commentary reveals much about the two men: In speaking about Bernard's treatise on loving God, he says: "In the strength of its fidelity to the most elemental truths of consciousness this interpretation of the data of experience is justly prized by the phiolospher, who is satisfied in the unity of its vision, and by the theologian, who discovers in it, not applications of doctrine but a source of doctrinal clarification. The philosopher and theologian in everyone who reads Saint Bernard has succumbed to him, What wins attention is not so much his personality - though history agrees he was a charmer - or his style - though his craft was finely honed - but a powerful simplicity in his perception of the human struggle. Breaking though the successive barriers left by cultural evolution to reappropriate this vision is a richly rewarding task. What the man or woman of the spirit, or the student of spirituality finds in it is the reassurance and guidance of a clear witness to God's presence in human life." To which I can only add a resounding "AMEN"

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Short, but rich, December 11, 2005

By 

L. Bond, Jr. (Lakeland, FL, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Loving God (Cistercian Fathers Series) (Paperback)

This brief book On Loving God is a wonderful summary of God's love for humanity. It is a rich text, studded with support from biblical passages. The running theme throughout this book is, appropriately, love. The book will raise some interesting questions in your mind, such as why you love that which you love. For instance, he mentions that if you love a certain being for what it offers, it is actually that object which it offers that you love, and not the being himself. There are many other fine expositions on the subject of love. . . but I will leave them for you to digest on your own, as I will not be able to relate them to you sufficiently in this review.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spiritual Masterpiece, May 4, 2011

By 

Dr. Bojan Tunguz (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: On Loving God (Kindle Edition)

St. Bernard of Clairvaux was a French abbot and a reformer of the Cistercian monastic order. He is also one of the most influential Catholic saints. Hir spiritual insights have garnered her such a strong reputation and the following that he was recognized as one of the "Doctors of the Church," a group of 33 holy men and women who have over the centuries made an important impact on Catholic spirituality and theology. The list includes some true intellectual giants, such as St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. The depth and the breadth of their works have probably not been surpassed by the thinkers in any field of human intellectual endeavor. On the other hand there are those Doctors of the Church who may not have written much, but their particular insights and visions have proved to be so important and influential that their contributions deservedly need to be held in the highest esteem. Even though he has not written as many works as St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Bernard's writings are as inspirational, insightful and elegantly written as anything coming from those two giants. "On Loving God" is a perfect example of this great saint's insights, intellectual depth, and clear and sophisticated writing style.

Love is one of the central Christian theological virtues. In fact, it could be argued that the entire message of Christianity can be summed in one short phrase: God is Love (1 Jn 4:16). However, the kind of love that God is, and how it relates to our human love can sometimes be very hard to grasp. St. Bernard aims to answer these questions in a systematic way that relies on Scripture, Tradition, and philosophical insights. The most important questions that he tries to answer have to do with our love of God: what does it mean to love God, how can limited human beings love an infinite God, and why does God "need" our love. St Bernard provides some brilliant and inspiring insights, and while reading this book I found myself reaching for the highlighter innumerable times. A few of my favorite quotes are:

"It is plain, therefore, that dignity without wisdom is useless and that wisdom without virtue is accursed. But when one possesses virtue, then wisdom and dignity are not dangerous but blessed."

"In His Death He displayed His mercy, in His Resurrection His power; both combine to manifest His glory."

"So, all the more, one who loves God truly asks no other recompense than God Himself; for if he should demand anything else it would be the prize that he loved and not God."

For a book that is this short, "On Loving God" contains an inordinate amount of wisdom and insight that are as relevant today as they are when these words were first written down. This is one of those rare books that I keep going back to well after I've finished reading it. It has become one of my treasured spiritual books.