Peacework: Prayer, Resistance, Community - Hardcover

Nouwen, Henri J. M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1570755930 ISBN 13: 9781570755934

Publisher: Orbis Books, 2005

Synopsis

Henri Nouwen wrote this book as his personal response in a time of heightening Cold War tensions.  Now, in a new era of fear and violence, his message becomes even more timely.

Peacework offers a three-fold path for Christians to embrace Jesus' ethic of peacemaking.  First, peacemaking is more than a matter of carrying placards or opposing war.  It must begin with a life of prayer, a movement from "the dwelling place" of fear and hatred and into the house of God.

Next, Nouwen urges us to "resist the powers of death" -- not just armies and armaments, but our everyday selfishness and bondage to destructive consumerism.

Finally, he shows us how to celebrate life and to build communities in which love, forgiveness, and compassion bind us in solidarity with a wounded world.

About this title

About the Author

Henri Nouwen was born in Holland in 1932 and ordained a Catholic priest in 1957.  He obtained a doctoral degree in psychology from Nijmegen University in the Netherlands and taught at Notre Dame, Yale, and Harvard.  He experienced the monastic life with Trappist monks at the Abbey of the Genesee, lived among the poor in Latin America, and was interested and active in numerous causes related to social justice.  After a lifetime of seeking, Henri Nouwen finally found his home in Canada, as pastor of L'Arche Daybreak - where intellectually handicapped people and their caregivers live together in community.

Henri Nouwen wrote over 40 books on spirituality and the spiritual life that have sold millions of copies and been translated into dozens of languages.  His vision of spirituality was broad and inclusive, and his compassion embraced all of humankind.

He died in 1996.  His work and his spirit live on.

From the Back Cover

"Nobody can be a Christian without being a peacemaker .... What we are called to is a life of peacemaking in which all that we do, say, think, or dream is part of our concern to bring peace to our world."
from the book

From the Inside Flap

Orbis Books endeavors to publish works that enlighten the mind, nourish the spirit, and challenge the conscience. The publishing arm of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, Orbis seeks to explore the global dimensions of the Christian faith and mission, to invite dialogue with diverse cultures and religious traditions, and to serve the cause of reconciliation and peace.

Edition details

• Publisher: Orbis Books
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1570755930
• ISBN 13: 9781570755934
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 127