Ignatios Loyola using the parable of the treasure found in a field for which a man sells everything to aquire.

If I have got the wrong end of the stick, perhaps someone would enlighten me or direct me to another book that might have a better chance of starting me on a journey. If Gerard Hughes had expressed during the Inquisition what he'd written here, he would surely have been branded a heretic. As such the book might be particularly attractive to those of a more studious or introspective bent. It's not a spiritual method of which I am a great fan but this book undoubtedly introduces it well and with great care.It's a great book for people who dismiss spirituality out of hand because of prominent religious extremists and lumping most of the world in with them. In terms of content and presentation the book is very good and will give you an awful lot to think about, it certainly changed my view on a lot of topics, especially the seeking guidance chapters. The 2022 edition of this evergreen classic comes with a new foreword written by Margaret Silf and is presented in paperback with a contemporary cover design and French flaps. We move towards the field and dig towards the treasure through the decisions we make in everyday life. The author, a Jesuit, clearly and effectively expounds the basic methodology of the Spiritual Excercises of St.

That’s a long way removed from my own evangelical charismatic background, so I’m impressed how well Hughes is able to present his message to the church as a whole, even though quite a lot of it is based on the teachings of Ignatius of Loyola. This identification is done by the means of examining the quality and fruit of those felt desires, categorising them as either creative or destructive, and consolatory or desolatory. But he is careful to define that treasure as experienced unity with Christ, a goal any Christian ought to hold. I read it through once, pondering over paragraphs, pages, perspectives and ideas, rolling them around in my heart and mind and applying them to my everyday life. Yet it has provided a highly accessible way for readers to be introduced to the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises without having to go the usual route of attending a retreat under the supervision of a spiritual director.It is a pity that Hughes never mentions the great value of asking others for help and companionship in one's spiritual journey. Gerard Hughes goes back to the basics on how faith/our relationship with God and our spirituality should be. Above all, it is a useful book – a book to be used by those who find it hard to forgive themselves: the stumblers and agnostics who hardly dare believe that God is within them.

I had a Christian education (Anglican, not Roman Catholic)but Christianity never really 'caught' for me. The remainder of his thesis is essentially a guide to a personalised and internalised adaptation of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises as a way of `finding' this hidden treasure. Written for ‘bewildered, confused and disillusioned Christians’ as a guide for the inner spiritual journey in which we are all engaged, God of Surprises has much to say to those who have a love/hate relationship with the Church to which they belong or once belonged.The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products.

Our inner selves can tell us the direction our lives should take and supply the inspiration and energy to take it.In this chapter the author expresses his inner feelings regarding nuclear war and beautifully presents the Christian approach to nuclear weaponry and warfare. The exercises given at the end of each chapter helps to interiorize and work on the insights gained. The booklet includes extracts from the original book plus new material written by Hughes for the course, and ends with suggestions for different ways of praying.