Going on Retreat: A Beginner's Guide to the Christian Retreat Experience

Covers such information as why people go on retreats, what types of retreats are available, what role the retreat companion plays, how people prepare for retreats and subsequently sustain their retreat experience, and how to find a retreat center that is nearby. Original.

What kinds of retreats are available for Christians? How much do they cost? What is "spiritual direction"? Once I am on a retreat, how in the world am I supposed to fill the hours? Margaret Silf provides answers to these questions and more in Going on Retreat: A Beginner's Guide to the Christian Retreat Experience. The book is heavily weighted toward a more liturgical Christian experience, with a separate chapter on the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius; most of the retreat centers listed in the appendix are Roman Catholic or Anglican (Episcopalian). Silf is a fine writer and the book is full of wise spiritual counsel as well as practical tips.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

This is a useful, practical guide for anyone-whether clergy or laity, theologian or neophyte-contemplating a retreat. The author of several books on prayer and spirituality, Silf offers advice that is fairly generic-though as the subtitle aptly suggests, this book is best suited for the Christian community. Most of the book focuses on a structured retreat experience, generally at an established center, but Silf also defines a retreat as any break from everyday life spent in solitude, prayer, or meditation. In addition to describing what readers can expect on a retreat, Silf provides a list of such centers in 25 states, many of which are affiliated with the Catholic Church. Members of Protestant denominations might locate other centers through their local church or by word of mouth-which, as Silf points out, is a good source since such recommendations are based on personal experience. Suggestions for preparing for retreats and for returning to one's workaday world afterward are included, as is a recommended reading list. Very suitable for public and church libraries.
Mary Prokop, Savannah Country Day Preparatory Sch., GA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.