Susan Muto – författare

To have known Adrian van Kaam in person is to have loved him for reasons human and spiritual. His kindness to everyone is as legendary as his fidelity to the mystery in all the peaks and valleys of daily life. His humility is the fire that enkindles his original vision of formative spirituality. His gentle, joyful spirit radiates on every page of this retelling of his life story. In it he takes us to the heart of his thinking in the fields of psychology and spiritual formation. He welcomes us wholeheartedly into the intimate corners of his family, his friendships, and his pastoral and professional life. He brings us into a little known arena of world history, the infamous Dutch Hunger Winter of 1944--1945. We travel with him from that bleak period through the renewal of his life''s work in the United States to its crowning phase in the Epiphany Association, co-founded with his colleague and editor of this unforgettable work of love, Dr. Susan Muto.

Understanding Our Story presents a concise introduction to the original, transformative thinking of Adrian van Kaam, CSSp, PhD (1920-2007). While many books are available on "spiritual formation" and "Christian disciplines," no other author of our time has offered such a holistic and comprehensive explanation of Christian formation and its relationship to the human spirituality of all persons.Understanding our Story culls the most seminal ideas and vocabulary from van Kaam''s eleven volumes on formation science, formation anthropology, and formation theology, and provides examples of his theoretical-practical research drawn from everyday life, Scripture, Christian writers, and van Kaam''s life story itself. In doing so, it makes his extensive work available to scholars in the field of spiritual formation, and gives all readers the opportunity to utilize his insightful thinking to more fully understand the myriad ways in which God reforms and transforms lives into the image of Christ. In the pluritraditional world in which we live, where so many faith and formation traditions demand our attention, van Kaam''s formative spirituality provides a means of respectful dialogue with formationally relevant truths from others and of wise appraisal of ideas that are (and are not) conducive to, and compatible with, the Christian revelation.

Winner of a first-place award in spirituality from the Catholic Media Association. Renowned scholar Susan Muto presents her spiritual legacy with a rich introduction to thirty Christian masters. These voices from the ancient, medieval, and modern Church have been the focus of Muto’s work for more than forty years and the trusted guides of her own spiritual life. Masters such as Benedict of Nursia, Clare of Assisi, Thomas Merton, and Teresa of Avila will help answer your most pressing spiritual questions and satisfy the deepest cravings of your heart.

From the simplicity and solitude of the desert mystics and other ancient masters to the practicality and prayerfulness of medieval saints such as Julian of Norwich and Catherine of Siena to the relatable sensibilities of modern masters such as Evelyn Underhill and Thomas Merton, Susan Muto—executive director of the Epiphany Association and dean of the Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality—draws deeply from the well of the Christian spiritual tradition to address some of our most pressing spiritual hungers:

The Desert Fathers teach us how to hear God above the noise of everyday life.Augustine of Hippo acknowledges the restlessness that precedes spiritual growth.Julian of Norwich reflects on the universality and purpose of suffering.Jean-Pierre de Caussade explores what it means to have a heart fully surrendered to God.Thérѐse of Lisieux shares her little way of spiritual childhood.

In each chapter, Muto introduces a spiritual master who she finds helpful in meeting a particular condition or challenge commonly faced in the Christian life and places that master within the historical and spiritual contexts of their time. Muto then introduces a classic work associated with that master, identifying key themes or principles to apply to your own life. Each chapter concludes with reflection questions to ponder individually or discuss in a group setting.

Rich yet accessible, this book will fortify your soul with time-tested spiritual insight and practical wisdom so you can enter more deeply into the mystery of spiritual union with God.

Then God Said teaches us to open our eyes and behold the gifts of creation that unfold before us in all their splendor. We abide in awe before the generative forces of the universe. We delight in the splendor of created things and thank God for this outpouring of gifts from the beginning of time. Each chapter of Then God Said invites us to contemplate the first revelation in creation--from water and sky to cattle and creeping things. We ponder, page by page, the power of the Father, the presence of the Son, and the productivity of the Holy Spirit. We behold anew the majesty of this planet and the merciful dispensation of the Divine under which we live day by day. We celebrate the beauty of the earth and the sheer majesty of each minute trace of the transcendent. Readers are encouraged to find the footprints of love that move the sun, the moon, and all the stars. Creation not only reminds us of God''s glory; it offers us a sacramental understanding of all that we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell, thereby increasing our ecological sensitivity and our commitment to foster respectful stewardship over all that we survey.

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13–14)

If life is a portal to paradise, then how we get there should be everyone’s concern. Our Christian call is to know, love, and serve God in this world that we may be happy with him in heaven. In our day-to-day lives, this means finding and keeping to the narrow way that Jesus describes as the path to heaven.

Fortunately, we have a vast collection of Christian classics to help us on our way, and one of the greatest is Saint Benedict’s Rule. In Enter the Narrow Gate: Saint Benedict’s Steps to Christian Maturity, Susan Muto draws from Saint Benedict’s twelve steps to humility, showing how these steps give us a road map to the narrow way. Rooted in timeless spiritual principles, this book offers guidance and encouragement to find and stay on the narrow path, no matter how attractive the easy road may seem.

The choices we make each day have eternal ramifications, and there can be no compromise between the narrow way and the easy road. Ultimately, each of us must face — and answer — this all-important question: Are we willing to enter through the narrow gate and follow the narrow way all the way to heaven?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Muto, Ph.D., is executive director of the Epiphany Association and dean of the Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality. She holds a doctorate in English literature from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Muto has been teaching the literature of ancient, medieval, and modern spirituality for over forty years. She has written more than thirty books, and in 2014 she received the Aggiornamento Award presented by the Catholic Library Association in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the ministry of renewal modeled by Pope St. John XXIII.

Thomas Merton once described the Precautions and Counsels of St. John of the Cross as "e;the most detailed and concrete and practical set of rules for arriving at religious perfection I have ever seen."e; Yet many today need assistance in discovering the treasures these brief works contain. In this book, Susan Muto continues her efforts to open up the riches of John of the Cross for modern audiences. She shows how these challenging texts, first written for sixteenth century friars and nuns, are firmly rooted in the values of the Gospel, and offer essential practical and spiritual wisdom for contemporary men and women of every age and way of life. Also included are a translation of the Precautions and Counsels by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D., as well as a preface by the translator.