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Tending the Holy: Spiritual Direction Across Traditions

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Every spiritual director soon recognizes that the paths to God are multiple and individuals describe their journeys with varying images, language, and theological foundations. Norvene Vest reflects Spiritual Directors International's (SDI) mission of "tending the holy around the world and across traditions" in her book title, and offers a collection from some of the world's great spiritual traditions, as well as more recent approaches. Each piece is written by a recognized expert or practitioner in a system. Writers include Tejadhammo, Chapple, Weiss, Cowan, Myers, Plattig, Howard, Mostyn, Mabry, Vest, and Santmire, most of whom are Spiritual Directors International members.

Part I is about global faith traditions: Buddhism, Sufi mysticism, Indian religions in the person of the guru, and Judaism. Part II presents some classic Christian traditions: Ignatian, Carmelite, Benedictine, and the less frequently articulated Evangelical. Finally, "Special Spiritual Perspectives," focuses on contemporary concerns: nature, the poor, institutional direction, "care and feeding" of Gen-Xers, and feminist direction. Bibliography and footnotes provide additional resources for each topic. Several contributors approach their subject by building

on autobiographical foundations: both Benedictine and Sufi writers address the impact on their lives of being participants in each tradition. Some essays are more introductory descriptions of a tradition and its underlying spiritual assumptions, language, and imagery of the spiritual journey. Other essays, namely those on Judaism and the Evangelical Christian path, concentrate on spiritual trends within a tradition that impact the dynamics of direction. Authors integrate their overviews

with a look at practical implications for directors. Though written by experts, the book aims at a broad-based audience. As a result, the text is a valuable resource for those wishing to broaden their insights into

basic concepts of traditions other than Christianity, for those who are participants in spiritual direction training programs and want introductions to some classic paths, and for those who want to reflect on recent developments and social concerns. The text can also help an

individual seeking a language and tradition in which to

express his or her own spiritual experience. A number of themes cross the varied traditions in their understanding of the ministry of spiritual direction: an openness to truth, the need for a transparency of spirit, a commitment to the ongoing nature of spiritual maturation, and an orientation that moves one toward community and the world are recurring elements seen as essential. The essays clarify for readers and directors the diverse ways that people relate to direction, and how culturally

conditioned spiritual practices and ways of articulating God experiences can be. The image of directors being "practitioners who have plunged into the depths" themselves is another consistent thread woven through differing traditions. Given the caliber of writing and content of these essays, one can hope that subsequent volumes including additional spiritual traditions will follow. This volume is the first to bear the

Morehouse- SDI joint imprint. '

Joy Milos, CSJ, is Associate Professor of Religious Studies

at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. She also directs

the ecumenical spiritual direction training program,

"Hearing God's Voice," at Gonzaga.

A good portion of this book is available to read online via Google Books, so the reader may get a very good sense of it before ordering. The chapter on spiritual direction for the Gen-X soul should have been as respectful in tone as it was in content. (And the author failed to realize that "PoMo" is always an adjective, not a noun.)

The interfaith scope of the entire book is very helpful for those needed to know: what is Spiritual Direction? could it be for me? how might it work for ____?

Norvene Vest has done an excellent job of compiling a broad spectrum of people who participate in a variety of types of spiritual direction. It is vital for the spiritual director to have at least a basic understanding of a variety of generations seeking direction. This book offers that very clearly. Post modern directees differ greatly in need and reaction and expectation from moderns and even from their younger counterparts. It is vital to know this, and Vest does a good job of gathering those authors who can explain and clarify what the director must know of new directees before beginning a relationship. Anyone assuming all people come to spiritual direction for the same reason or with the same understandings as themselves needs to read this book.