God Drops and Loses Things

McDonnell OSB, Kilian

ISBN 10: 0974099244 / ISBN 13: 9780974099248

Published by Liturgical Press (edition ), 2009

About this Item

It's a well-cared-for item that has seen limited use. The item may show minor signs of wear. All the text is legible, with all pages included. It may have slight markings and/or highlighting.

Seller Inventory # 0974099244-11-1

Bibliographic Details

• Title: God Drops and Loses Things
• Publisher: Liturgical Press (edition )
• Publication Date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0974099244
• ISBN 13: 9780974099248
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

Out of a lifetime of familiarity with the great biblical narratives, Kilian McDonnell draws a portrait of the biblical God charged with vitality, at once prodigal in mercy and ruthless, thunderous, and painfully silent. It is dangerous to love this God, who exacts of the God-mad Abraham" a faithfulness beyond sanity: "If God makes a covenant in blood with you, why are you surprised to see your flesh upon the altar?" Despite our longing, such apparent capriciousness can be reconciled only in the mysterium tremendum invisible to human eyes; for Father Kilian, such is "fire's absolute autonomy that scolds me / for putting dirty sandals on glowing cinders, / but invites me to approach barefoot." Equally compelling is the character of Jesus Christ as a true son of God hungry for human contact, who likes hanging out with a fallible humankind and often happens to drop by at mealtime. The children of God who people these poems have God's own murderous prodigality in their genes. They are jealous, weak, and proud. They compete, lie, steal, cheat, betray, repent, and despair; and God loves them. Conscious of their dignity as children of God, they are quick to take exception. Father Kilian says of the poems themselves, "I am contending with God." In God Drops and Loses Things, his third collection, the poems are by turns edgy, affectionate, gentle, deeply moving, and always compassionate.

About the Author

Kilian McDonnell, OSB, (1921–2025) was a priest, theologian, and monk of Saint John’s Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota. He received his STD from the theological faculty of Trier, Germany, and taught at the Saint John’s University School of Theology. He was the founder of the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research at Saint John’s University and the author of several books, including five volumes of biblical poetry published by Liturgical Press.