In the eyes of God the human soul is a jewel of infinite worth, of more value than the whole world with all its splendor and majesty. But what do we think of the soul so highly prized by God? What do we know of our own soul?
The Human Soul, Abbot Vonier's first and most popular book, was written to open the eyes of readers to the tremendous frontiers of their true country: the immortal soul. Written with "a youthful freshness and vigor," it is a work of rare inspiration, "such as to make one hold one's breath at the beauty and grandeur of what we so lightly, without thought, call our soul."
Abbot Vonier was a Benedictine monk who lived from 1876 to 1938. He was elected Abbot of Buckfast Abbey, England, in 1906, and served in that capacity until his death. During his lifetime Vonier gained fame as the rebuilder of Buckfast, which had been left in ruins following the Reformation, and as the author of some 15 books of popular theology – works which developed “a vast company of admirers who welcomed every new book of his with enthusiasm.”
A bestselling author in England of the 1920s – that golden age of Catholic letters when Chesterton, Knox and Belloc flourished – Vonier was a gifted intellectual who regarded his literary activity as part of the mission with which Divine Providence had charged him. His great desire, and achievement, was to instruct in the Catholic Faith, to reveal its glories as available here and now to every Christian.
Zaccheus Press plans to bring Abbot Vonier’s finest works back into print for a new generation of Catholic readers.