The Wisdom of St. Patrick [Hardcover]

Greg Tobin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 1999

Inspirations from the Patron Saint of Ireland

Of all the saints through the centuries, St. Patrick stands out as the most universally beloved--and the symbol of all that is Irish. Although much of his life has been shrouded in myth and legend, two of his important writings have survived. St. Patrick's voice speaks to us clearly and compellingly in these documents. And from the well of his thoughts, consolation and understanding can be drawn.

The Wisdom of St. Patrick celebrates the life and the spirit of this remarkable individual, revealing a powerful, charismatic man whose thoughts are just as relevant today as they were more than a millennium ago. Accessibly arranged by spiritual topics ranging from honesty and grace to faith and prayer, St. Patrick's own words are enriched by commentary on his life and times, contemplations that tie into issues of daily life, and a meaningful prayer relevant to each quoted passage.

Nowhere has the wisdom of St. Patrick been so eloquently presented. This wonderful volume is a treasury of inspiration that will be a cherished gift, not only for the saint's feast day, but for every day of the year as well.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Wisdom of St. Patrick: Inspirations from the Patron Saint of Ireland, edited by Greg Tobin, collects excerpts from St. Patrick's surviving writings, topically arranged in chapters such as Honesty, Grace, Faith, and Prayer. The book begins with a biographical essay, and each chapter includes a brief commentary and a simple prayer in the spirit of St. Patrick's teachings. Although Tobin sometimes strives to universalize the relevance of St. Patrick at the expense of describing his innate Irishness (particularly the ways in which his belief in the primacy of scripture, the literalism of the Trinity, and his perseverance through extreme hardship have influenced the Irish), he's done an excellent job of making practical sense of this fifth-century saint's rather inaccessible writings. Most importantly, his biographical essay parses myth from fact with confidence and humility, allowing a saintly yet human Patrick to appear in fresh guise to contemporary readers. --Michael Joseph Gross

From the Inside Flap

Inspirations from the Patron Saint of Ireland

Of all the saints through the centuries, St. Patrick stands out as the most universally beloved--and the symbol of all that is Irish. Although much of his life has been shrouded in myth and legend, two of his important writings have survived. St. Patrick's voice speaks to us clearly and compellingly in these documents. And from the well of his thoughts, consolation and understanding can be drawn.

The Wisdom of St. Patrick celebrates the life and the spirit of this remarkable individual, revealing a powerful, charismatic man whose thoughts are just as relevant today as they were more than a millennium ago. Accessibly arranged by spiritual topics ranging from honesty and grace to faith and prayer, St. Patrick's own words are enriched by commentary on his life and times, contemplations that tie into issues of daily life, and a meaningful prayer relevant to each quoted passage.

Nowhere has the wisdom of St. Patrick been so eloquently presented. This wonderful volume is a treasury of inspiration that will be a cherished gift, not only for the saint's feast day, but for every day of the year as well.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1st edition (March 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0760763224
• ISBN-13: 978-0760763223
• ASIN: 0345432975
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,108,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For anyone who longs to return to a simple faith..., March 23, 1999

By 

Nancy Eckert (Bellefontaine, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Wisdom of St. Patrick (Hardcover)

The Wisdom of St. Patrick was written by a gentle man. Aside from Patrick's Confessions, we have Mr. Tobin's, which are very rich and without the "hip" level sometimes popular these days. Mr. Tobin's contemplations and prayers are genuine and with neither rim-shots nor treacle. In other words, simply from the heart.

This is a lovely book.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring Read, May 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wisdom of St. Patrick (Hardcover)

I am not Catholic, but have enjoyed this book immensely. I have always wondered about the "real" story of St. Patrick. I was inspired and encouraged. The prose was simple yet profound. Certainly after reading this book, I have a better understanding of the Irish's love of St. Patrick and his importance to them as well as all of Western civilization. I think St. Patrick needs to be taken out of "The Lives of the Saints' and put into mainstream American education. I will read more about St. Patrick. A good read. Worth your time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read whether Catholic or not, August 25, 2005

By 

J. Kevin Hartley Jr. - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wisdom of St. Patrick (Hardcover)

Greg Tobin does such a wonderful job with this book. He provides you with tremendous amounts of reasearched information in short space. It's a fast read, but a quality one. His translations of St. Patrick's works as well as those translations he cites are rather well and thought provoking. This is not a book to read just because, though. This is a book that you need to read when you have plenty of time to contemplate and think over what both St. Patrick and the author have said. The best parts are the little prayers at the end of each chapter and the latin works of St. Patrick in the Appendices. Also, very well documented sources lead you to want to go look up those sources for yourself. A great read whether you're Catholic or not. A must read for the Protestant contemplating converting to Catholicism...