Mere Spirituality: The Spiritual Life According to Henri Nouwen

Discover Henri Nouwen's authentic, spacious spirituality of being deeply beloved.

"When we are at one with our self, it becomes effortless for us to welcome and embrace the same self where God resides, the self that God loves with the fi rst love, preceding all human love. With Nouwen, we are able to carry our own beautiful, deeply loved self in our heart."
—from the Introduction

Henri Nouwen’s compelling spirituality of the heart is at once simple and complex, accessible but deeply profound. For this beloved Catholic theologian, whose ecumenical writings continue to inspire Christians of all denominations and levels of involvement, spirituality is, at its most basic, simply “attention to the life of the spirit in us.”

This insightful distillation of Nouwen’s vast literary legacy invites our tender hearts to take courage and be still, creating space for God and our true selves. It is in this place of trust and solitude that we discover our belovedness and our capacity to love God and others.

A scholar and spiritual director intimately acquainted with Nouwen’s understanding of the spiritual life, Wil Hernandez, PhD, Obl. OSB, offers an elegant synthesis of Nouwen’s main themes, inspiring us to embrace the power and vulnerability of mere spirituality.