Why was I born? What's important in life? How do I know the right thing to do? What does it mean to "make a difference"? What's wrong with me - why can't I change? Such questions are so deeply human that they transcend time and place, religions and cultures. In the thirty chapters of this inviting book, Joan Chittister presents the insights of others from different cultures throughout history who have grappled with the same kinds of life questions that plague us here and now. Through stories and wisdom literature from all of the major religious traditions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - Chittister highlights practical, universal truths and deftly shows how each spiritual tradition brings a special gift to the art of living a meaningful, spiritually aware life. This is a book for anyone who wants to grow spiritually and to become more fully human.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Chittister, a Benedictine abbess, popular lecturer and prolific spirituality writer (Called to Question; Transformed by Hope; etc.), returns with a probingly helpful guide to life's most pressing questions. Spurred by letters from fans who often pour out their hearts and seek advice from her, each chapter tackles a separate existential question such as Where is God? or What does it mean to be a spiritual person? She begins each of the 25 chapters with a description of a particular person's struggle to find meaning amid hardship, moving the narrative toward a wisdom story or parable from one of five religious traditions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. A concluding meditation rounds out each section. Ecumenical readers will find that the God that lies behind these stories is acutely aware of human misery and helps us in surprising and meaningful ways. Chittister writes, If the question is, Where is God? The answer is distressingly uncomplicated: God is wherever we know God to be, wherever we bring God to be, no more and no less at any time, anywhere, or in anyone. This refreshing book will be welcomed by Chittister's many admirers and is sure to win new ones as well. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Although each person is unique and lives in a different time and culture from those of his or her predecessors and successors, Chittister insists that all humans have something in common. Drawing on the stories and heritages of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, she explores this commonality with great insight and compassion. She discusses specific issues through the prism of particular religious traditions. She looks at aging and letting go of the past with Hindu wisdom; at doing the right thing and the meaning of success with Buddhist enlightenment; at idealism and feeling stuck with Jewish communitarianism; at getting away from it all and the purpose of life with Christian love; and at the existence of God and happiness with Islamic submission. "Life," she says, "is simply the responsibility of each of us to make our own contribution to the on-going co-creation of the world." Exemplary inspiration from one of the foremost contemporary writers on spirituality. Sawyers, June
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More About the Author
Joan Chittister, OSB (1936- ) is a Benedictine Sister of Erie, PA. She is the author of over 45 books--twelve of which have won Catholic Press Association Awards--two in 2012: Monastery of the Heart and Happiness. Her three books released in 2012 are: Following the Path from Random House and The Art of Life and Aspects of the Heart from Twenty-Third Publications . Her book, The Monastery of the Heart: an invitation to a meaningful life, is prelude to a movement for all seekers: Monasteries of the Heart, recently begun by her Benedictine community. Sister Joan is an international speaker who inspires both her audiences and readers with her passion for justice, for equality and for peace, especially for women in both society and the church. She is a regular web columnist for the National Catholic Reporter (ncronline.org) and Huffington Post (Huffingtonpost.com). Her PhD is from Penn State University in Speech-Communication Theory, her masters from the University of Notre Dame. She serves as Executive Director of Benetvision, a research and resource center for contemporary spirituality. (joanchittister.org)
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
36 of 37 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
FROM THE EXCELLENT CO-AUTHOR OF THE ECUMENICAL TENT OF ABRAHAM, ANOTHER GEM OF CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY
October 18, 2007
Format:Hardcover
For a generation or more American Benedictine Sister Joan has produced for our comfort, consolation, counseling and certain spiritual guidance works of great wonder and wisdom, and this one no less.
Based only upon her life's work writing, she should receive a degree as Doctor of Theology honoris causi. Who knows - perhaps she already has earned one through coursework and dissertation but does not wear it upon her sleeve as others do. In any case her writing is always outstanding and well received and above all helpful.
Within the thirty chapters of this generous book she addresses questions from letters sent to her by her readers. These questions include Where is God? What does it mean to be a spiritual person? What's wrong with me - why can't I change? as well as questions regarding the meaning of life, aging, happiness, community, etc. She draws for each of these questions from the deep wells of the world's religions which she has closely studied, and, as a Benedicitne nun, intimately lived almost all of her long and fruitful life.
We are fortunate to find her wisdom so generously shared with us here as she addresses questions from correspondents, the real questions which concern every one of us, answered with the universality of human spirituality and traditions. She answers not as Dear Abbey nor Anne Landers answers, but with the depth of the wisdom of our universal religion, not nit picking and exiling, but drawing all of us together enclosed in her warming embrace and contemplative wisdom. Each response therefore is not so much an "answer" to life's persistent questions but a meditation for us all to share as we struggle towards ultimate meaning, as we struggle to love even our enemies as we are commanded to do. Sister Joan makes that difficult path straight; like the Wise Virgins her lamp is well lit.
A valuable gift for all who search, thus for everyone. An excellent gift for your closest friends and family whom you love, and for those whom you do not, as well, in order to establish the peaceful ground for loving.
Sister Joan is a blessing for us all. Please read her books.
Based only upon her life's work writing, she should receive a degree as Doctor of Theology honoris causi. Who knows - perhaps she already has earned one through coursework and dissertation but does not wear it upon her sleeve as others do. In any case her writing is always outstanding and well received and above all helpful.
Within the thirty chapters of this generous book she addresses questions from letters sent to her by her readers. These questions include Where is God? What does it mean to be a spiritual person? What's wrong with me - why can't I change? as well as questions regarding the meaning of life, aging, happiness, community, etc. She draws for each of these questions from the deep wells of the world's religions which she has closely studied, and, as a Benedicitne nun, intimately lived almost all of her long and fruitful life.
We are fortunate to find her wisdom so generously shared with us here as she addresses questions from correspondents, the real questions which concern every one of us, answered with the universality of human spirituality and traditions. She answers not as Dear Abbey nor Anne Landers answers, but with the depth of the wisdom of our universal religion, not nit picking and exiling, but drawing all of us together enclosed in her warming embrace and contemplative wisdom. Each response therefore is not so much an "answer" to life's persistent questions but a meditation for us all to share as we struggle towards ultimate meaning, as we struggle to love even our enemies as we are commanded to do. Sister Joan makes that difficult path straight; like the Wise Virgins her lamp is well lit.
A valuable gift for all who search, thus for everyone. An excellent gift for your closest friends and family whom you love, and for those whom you do not, as well, in order to establish the peaceful ground for loving.
Sister Joan is a blessing for us all. Please read her books.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
According to Chittister, "The truth in every age lives with questions in progress."
The one thing that is never in question for me is that a Chittister book is inspiring, insightful and seems to make a positive contribution in my life.
In this book, Joan deals with some rather universal questions in each chapter - questions common to all inhabitants of this planet. She addresses these questions with insights from other cultures and 5 different faith persuasions.
I recommend this book. It was a blessing for me.
The one thing that is never in question for me is that a Chittister book is inspiring, insightful and seems to make a positive contribution in my life.
In this book, Joan deals with some rather universal questions in each chapter - questions common to all inhabitants of this planet. She addresses these questions with insights from other cultures and 5 different faith persuasions.
I recommend this book. It was a blessing for me.
41 of 51 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good in some ways, but clearly better for some readers than others
September 4, 2007
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is the first of Joan Chittester's books I've read and, as a Roman Catholic, I am well aware of the discussions -- that's a charitable term, because some of the talk on all sides is quite acrimonious -- about her writing. I picked up this title because I was interested in the syncretic approach implied by the subtitle: "universal spiritual insights distilled from five religious traditions".
Each religion is dealt with in historical sequence and, within each section, the writer poses big quesions -- "How do I know the right thing to do?" "Where is God?", for example -- that she thinks can be addressed by the wisdom of a particular religious tradition. She relates stories of the various traditions and, in broad strokes, describes the touchstones, the primary beliefs. With regard to her descriptions of the primary beliefs, particularly as she summarizes these in the epilogue, it is probably important to emphasize that she shares her view of what constitutes those beliefs.
And that's a sticking point, I think, for some who might pick up this book. It seems unlikely to me that formal authorities in any religion would confer a "nihil obstat" (a statement that a book is without errors) on this title. Although my interest was not in parsing (and certainly not in contesting) any of her statements about Christianity, there were some things that gave me pause and thus caused me to pull back a bit from becoming fully absorbed in her discourse. Put differently, it was easier to relate to her treatment of questions in the context of other religions than in the context of my own. A caution, then, that this book might serve better as a window on other religions than as a statement or reflection of one's own religion.
Of course, this is problematic for the Roman Catholics who believe that Roman Catholics have a duty to present a narrowly constructed version of the faith. Those people certainly will not benefit from this book and in the strongest possible terms I would advise that they avoid it. Speaking directly: you already know what you think of Sr Chittester; this book will do nothing other than to confirm your views.
This is not a hard book to read. The writing is straight-forward and, in places, elegant. It does, however, end with a thump: a summation of the author's view of each of the religions and -- well, that's it. The final sentence: "Islam sets out to be the community of God on earth and struggles with every breath of every day to be it." All right, then, lesson taken on board: we are not supposed to think that the September 11th hijackers showed their religion, truly. But for the book to end there seemed abrupt, almost as if the author has been called away to the phone.
For me, three stars means I'm on the fence about a book; five is an unreserved endorsement. I'm glad to have read up -- i.e., not on the fence -- and, to some, I recommend it. But if your view of your religion, whether Hindu or Buddhist or Jewish or Christian or Muslim -- is a narrow one, this book is probably not for you.
Each religion is dealt with in historical sequence and, within each section, the writer poses big quesions -- "How do I know the right thing to do?" "Where is God?", for example -- that she thinks can be addressed by the wisdom of a particular religious tradition. She relates stories of the various traditions and, in broad strokes, describes the touchstones, the primary beliefs. With regard to her descriptions of the primary beliefs, particularly as she summarizes these in the epilogue, it is probably important to emphasize that she shares her view of what constitutes those beliefs.
And that's a sticking point, I think, for some who might pick up this book. It seems unlikely to me that formal authorities in any religion would confer a "nihil obstat" (a statement that a book is without errors) on this title. Although my interest was not in parsing (and certainly not in contesting) any of her statements about Christianity, there were some things that gave me pause and thus caused me to pull back a bit from becoming fully absorbed in her discourse. Put differently, it was easier to relate to her treatment of questions in the context of other religions than in the context of my own. A caution, then, that this book might serve better as a window on other religions than as a statement or reflection of one's own religion.
Of course, this is problematic for the Roman Catholics who believe that Roman Catholics have a duty to present a narrowly constructed version of the faith. Those people certainly will not benefit from this book and in the strongest possible terms I would advise that they avoid it. Speaking directly: you already know what you think of Sr Chittester; this book will do nothing other than to confirm your views.
This is not a hard book to read. The writing is straight-forward and, in places, elegant. It does, however, end with a thump: a summation of the author's view of each of the religions and -- well, that's it. The final sentence: "Islam sets out to be the community of God on earth and struggles with every breath of every day to be it." All right, then, lesson taken on board: we are not supposed to think that the September 11th hijackers showed their religion, truly. But for the book to end there seemed abrupt, almost as if the author has been called away to the phone.
For me, three stars means I'm on the fence about a book; five is an unreserved endorsement. I'm glad to have read up -- i.e., not on the fence -- and, to some, I recommend it. But if your view of your religion, whether Hindu or Buddhist or Jewish or Christian or Muslim -- is a narrow one, this book is probably not for you.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Welcome to the Wisdom of the World
I am of Sister Chittister's same generation and her first book I read was The Gift of Years and I loved her writing and as a self improve guidance in aging well. Read more
Published 2 months ago by M.Godoy.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Welcome to the Wisdom of the World and Its Meaning for you;
I just finished reading this book. I could hardly put it down. I am an avid reader and have read many religious books,None better than this one. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Daysie
5.0 out of 5 stars
So enjoyed this book!
Although, at times, I thought the author showed a few biases, overall, the book provided a lot of food for thought, a criteria that I use to rate almost every book.
Published on November 2, 2010 by DMS
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent purchase
The book is an excellent thought-provoking presentation that is a great jumping off place for lively discussions. Read more
Published on September 1, 2009 by Tired traveler
5.0 out of 5 stars
Each page an inspiration
I read this book straight through and knew it was a "keeper" meaning I keep it on my reading table near my bed for rereading. Read more
Published on August 28, 2009 by Barbara L. Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars
great service!
This book, "Welcome to the Wisdom of the World," is wonderful!! It arrived very quickly, and looks like it is absolutely brand new! Read more
Published on March 24, 2009 by N. Lyons
5.0 out of 5 stars
World wisdom from a wise woman of our own time
This exploration of five of the world's wisdom traditions is readable and interesting, written by a religious woman who has shared own search for wisdom in several writings. Read more
Published on January 7, 2009 by Ana
5.0 out of 5 stars
CSLA award nomination
WELCOME TO THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD been nominated for the 2009 Rodda Award sponsored by the Church and Synagogue Library Association (CSLA), an international organization serving... Read more
Published on January 5, 2009 by Joyce E. Henneman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rodda Award Nomination
WELCOME TO THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD has been nominated for the 2009 Rodda Award sponsored by the Church and Synagogue Library Association (CSLA), an international organization... Read more
Published on December 29, 2008 by Mary Lou Henneman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Helped me appreciate major world religions
Of a few books that I have read about religion and spirituality, I believe this is a great book to start. Read more
Published on January 27, 2008 by M. Jain
