Introduction to the Spiritual Life
About this ebook
Introduction to the Spiritual Life is, by author Louis Bouyer’s own description, a manual for practical use. Much more than just a work of “spirituality” or “apologetics,” it is a hybrid of both, produced with an expertise and confidence borne of a lifetime of prayer and study. It aims to cultivate interior growth through a thoughtful, reasoned meditation on the spiritual meaning of the Gospel as proclaimed by the Catholic Church. Catholics who read Introduction to the Spiritual Life will better appreciate how a life of prayer can be shaped and enriched by sound Christian doctrine.
About the author
Louis Bouyer (1913–2004) was a member of the French Oratory and one of the most respected and versatile Catholic scholars and theologians of the twentieth century. A friend of Hans Urs von Balthasar, Joseph Ratzinger, and J.R.R. Tolkien, and a cofounder of the international review Communio, Bouyer was a former Lutheran minister who entered the Catholic Church in 1939. He became a leading figure in the Catholic biblical and liturgical movements of the twentieth century, was an influence on the Second Vatican Council, and became well known for his excellent books on history of Christian spirituality. In addition to his many writings, Bouyer lectured widely across Europe and America.
Msgr. Michael Heintz is a priest of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend who teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in Theology at the University of Notre Dame.
David Fagerberg is associate professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame. He also served as director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy and is the editor of the center's journal, Assembly. Professor Fagerberg’s area of study is liturgical theology: its definition and methodology.
