The Spiritual Legacy Of Henri Nouwen
By Deirdre LaNoue (Continuum, 2000, pp.153)
If the year 1999 gave us one major work on Henri Nouwen (Wounded Prophet, by Michael Ford) and two anthologies, the year 2000 was reserved for a single major study: The Spiritual Legacy of Henri Nouwen by Deirdre LaNoue. This book promises to take a place of honor as a primary source in Nouwen studies for years to come. The author, Deirdre LaNoue, a Baptist scholar, wrote it for her doctoral dissertation as a graduate (1999) of Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Published in hardcover in November by Continuum, all 2600 copies printed quickly sold out in less than five months, leaving the publishers scrambling to beg their retailers to scour their warehouses for any unsold copies still in circulation, to meet the continuing demand for the now exhausted hardcover edition. Finally, pressed by unanticipated public response, 500 more hardcover copies were printed and sold easily within a few months. The book was released in paperback in September of 2001.
In the first of six chapters LaNoue situates Nouwen's writings in the broad context of twentieth century spiritual writers and guides who preceded him. With a nod to such well known names as Evelyn Underhill, Simone Weil and Thomas Merton, the author goes on to review in particular the history of spirituality in America in the years leading up to the appearance of Nouwen on the scene shortly after the death of Thomas Merton in 1968.
In the second chapter LaNoue leads her readers on an extended tour of Nouwen's major writings. Deftly weaving her narrative within the context of the major phases of Nouwen's life she provides the reader with a background and point of reference for succeeding chapters, exploring in depth, principal themes in Nouwen's writings.
In chapters 3, 4, and 5 LaNoue distills Nouwen's teachings on spirituality into three basic notions: relationship with God, with self and with others.
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD: Chapter three explores Nouwen's emphasis on the importance of laying and maintaining a foundation of an ever deepening relationship with God through prayer and related disciplines such as silence, solitude, contemplation, spiritual direction and worship, with special attention to the discipline of a continuous reading and meditation on Sacred Scripture, Word of God.
RELATIONSHIP WITH SELF: Throughout his writings Nouwen emphasizes the importance of being able to accept one's self as truly loved by God. It is this acceptance that sets one free to love and serve others as well as God.
RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS: The concept of COMMUNITY is pivotal in Nouwen's writings. To be Christian is to be called to live in community with others through compassion, caring, social justice, solidarity, forgiveness, gratitude and celebration. Integral to the concept of community is the role of the Christian minister.
Nouwen stresses the importance of the spiritual formation of the minister, the education of the minister and the roles of a minister in bridging the gap between ourselves and God. Ultimately, as a Christian community, we are all called to be ministers to one another.
In a concluding chapter LaNoue offers a summary of Nouwen's spirituality and her analysis of its special significance for modern American spirituality today. Significant among her summary statements:
Nouwen's effectiveness was founded in his ability both to challenge American culture and to accommodate it. Late-twentieth century Americans tend to understand life and relationships in psychological terms. By asking the psychological questions many Americans were asking, such as "Who am I? Who is God? What is my purpose for being?' Nouwen helped many Americans realign their worldview into one that was authentically Christian.
Nouwen's spirituality was experiential and personal. He used his own personal experiences to teach lessons about the spiritual journey. Recognizing the personal and unique nature of every human being's experiences, he shared his own experiences in the hope that others could relate in some way and glean insights into their own journeys.
That Nouwen succeeded in connecting with his readers might well be attested to by the number of copies of his books sold: over two million in North America alone. For a panoramic overview of the content of these books both new readers and old will find in Deirdre LaNoue's The Spiritual Legacy of Henri Nouwen an excellent guide.
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