The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom (Paperback)

by Henri J. M. Nouwen (Author) "There is a deep hole in your being, like an abyss..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom is a collection of passages from Henri Nouwen's journals, written during a period when his self-esteem evaporated, his energy to work disappeared, and God seemed entirely unreal. This is not a book to be read straight through: each short chapter takes time to digest, because, like the following passage, each of Nouwen's thoughts has the raw complexity of real honesty:

Your body needs to be held and to hold, to be touched and to touch. None of these needs is to be despised, denied, or repressed. But you have to keep searching for your body's deeper need, the need for genuine love. Every time you are able to go beyond the body's superficial desires for love, you are bringing your body home and moving toward integration and unity.

--Michael Joseph Gross

From Publishers Weekly
Nouwen, Catholic priest and popular author (The Wounded Healer, 1972), hit a six-month spiritual and mental crisis at the end of 1987 during which he "wondered whether I would be able to hold on to my life. Everything came crashing down?my self-esteem, my energy to live and work, my sense of being loved, my hope for healing, my trust in God... everything." This book is his personal journal written during his time of anguish. For years, Nouwen felt his experience was too personal to share with the world, but on advice from friends, and in the hope that these insights would help nurture others, he published his journal entries. Although there are occasional gems here, most of these meditations are rather generic. Perhaps this generic quality may make Nouwen and his work more human to a public that has come to view him as a spiritual giant.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Image Books (January 19, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385483481
• ISBN-13: 978-0385483483
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #12,287 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #6 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Authors, A-Z > ( N ) > Nouwen, Henri
  #21 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Catholicism > Inspirational
  #74 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality > Inspirational

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a reference book to be used many times over., September 15, 1999

By A Customer

This book is an honest journey of the human experience and enables one to understand the meaning of life. It is very useful to all adults whether one is dealing with first hand depression or someone close to you is. He is able to reach the inner most sensitive parts of every human being and give comfort where there is pain. This is a book that needs to be kept out so one can read it at anytime, any chapter. It shows how going through very painful periods in this physical world lead to peace and valuable information that needs to be shared. It looks at life through very healthy eyes with God as our director. I don't think anyone could possibly read this book and not feel hopeful afterwards.

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keep this one close, March 20, 2000

By A Customer

You do not have to be Catholic to learn from and appreciate what Henri Nouwen has to say. He will touch your soul. Demonimational differences are moot. You do not have to be suffering from personal anguish to relate to Nouwen's words. His hunger for relationship with others and God are part of the common human experience. This book is a gift of "words". Words we have, at one time or another, tried so inadequately to find to explain our hunger to ourselves. Read it piece by precious piece and keep going back to it. It will keep you in touch with your own humaness, sensitive to the humaness of others, it will sand away the callouses of life and help you to focus on what is really of value.

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars His journey is our journey..., March 24, 1999

By	David H. Johnson "human being" (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Inner Voice of Love (Hardcover)

Once again, Henri Nouwen brings us closer to his own heart and to the heart of God. His journey, a journey of anguish, leads ultimately to freedom. As he wrestles with the God who formed him, with the inner struggles that shape him, with the world that confines him, he struggles to fuller understanding of self, and in the process, a fuller understanding of God. For this reader, I am fortunate to have spiritual guides like Nouwen who have led me through the valley to the bright morning of renewed strength, of victory over the darkness of the closet, and of freedom in the spirit of Christ. When I read the chapter on 'Bringing your Body Home to God,' I had the most intense spiritual experience of my life, as I brought what I had seen, up to that time, as my imperfect body, the body of a gay man, home to God and had him receive me "Just as I Am," His child, created to enjoy His world and His gifts.

There is no question that one of those gifts is Henri Nouwen. I encourage any reader who is suffering the anguish of darkness in his or her spirit -- pick up this little book and let your journey move forward to resolution. Freedom has a price, but the joy far outweighs the costs!