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Title: Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying With Icons
ISBN: 1594711364
Author:
Henri J. M. Nouwen
Publicate Date: 2007-09-15
Publish: 2007-09-15
List Price: $14.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $8.60
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $9.77
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Spiritual, emotional, and scholarly perspectives
Henri Nouwen's book on praying with icons features the spiritual, emotional, and scholarly perspectives of the author, a priest, psychologist, and academic. The integration of these viewpoints provides something for every reader. Those interested in academics will benefit from the historical background and list of resources. Those wishing to begin or improve their prayer practice will be drawn to the author's description his own encounters with the icons. Those who don't get around to acquiring, learning about, and praying with icons can profit from the spiritual insights that Nouwen discovered during his prayer and study. And everyone will appreciate the full color reproductions of the chosen icons: The Holy Trinity, The Virgin of Vladimir, The Savior of Zvenigorod, and The Descent of the Holy Spirit.
In his description of The Virgin of Vladimir and The Descent of the Holy Spirit, Nouwen mentions the subjects' line of vision. He was at first disconcerted that he could not "make eye contact" with the Virgin, who seems not to be looking directly at the painter or viewer. Nouwen suggests that the iconographer deliberately portrayed the Virgin as looking inward to the heart of God and also outward to the heart of the world, "thus revealing the unfathomable unity between the Creator and creation." Meditating on The Descent of the Holy Spirit icon, Nouwen points out that the 12 disciples form "a perfectly harmonious community," though they are not interacting with one another in any way. Rather, Nouwen observes, "they are listening together to the God within." They are united not by their common psychological make-up, he writes, but by the Holy Spirit descending upon them.
In addition to careful examination and meditation on the four icons, Nouwen looks at the relationship among them. Each individually and all together, "they give us a glimpse of the house of love prepared for us by Jesus and invite us to experience, even now, the joy of living there." Henri Nouwen's "Behold the Beauty of the Lord" can bring some of that joy to every pray-er, reader, and student.
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2: Good Resource
I've read some of his other books and have always appreciated his writing. I purchased this book to be a resource for a Retreat I will be leading. It's a wonderful resource. Has lots of great information in it.
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3: Where are the icons?
As an Orthodox Priest, I did not agree with Nouwen. He does not give correct information about the icons he is reviewing. He is not qualified to interpret icons.
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4: A Spiritual Gem
I first read this book in the late 80s, just before a period of return to the Catholic tradition of my youth, and I was reminded of it this past Sunday while gazing at stained glass windows in a local church.
The book is a wonderful introduction to Christian iconography, from a spiritual master and healer. In addition, it is very effective as a first step toward sitting and gazing as a spiritual practice. Indeed, sitting, and seeing, becomes a profound experience of prayer in itself, and Nouwen's little book will be appreciated by those seeking a retreat from the agitation, clamor and distraction of daily life.
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5: Nouwen Invites Us Into His Mind & Heart
This isn't a dogmatic book that tells the reader what one must get out of praying with icons. Nouwen simply relates an experience he had over a course of several years while visiting l'Arche, a community for people with mental handicaps, in Trosly, France. Each year, when he visited, a different icon was placed on the table of the room where he stayed. Nouwen simply records the fruits of his meditations for us to read.In doing so, he aptly teaches the reader more about praying with icons than any "how to" book ever could. This book came at a perfect time for me in my spiritual journey. I was just beginning to open up to the world of praying with icons, when Nouwen lit a fire within my soul. I hope the book does the same for you. NEGATIVE: I will offer only one negative point concerning this book. The glue on my copy was defective and the front portion of the cover pulled away from the book. It has been my experience that what happens with one book, may happen with many. Still, I feel completely comfortable recommending it.
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