In this insightful episode of Henri's Bookshelf, host Wendy VanderWal Martin is joined by her daughter Renate Carson to dive deep into Henri Nouwen's powerful work Peacework. The episode explores how Nouwen’s teachings on peacemaking—rooted in prayer, resistance, and community—remain relevant in today's divided world. Renate, a theology and culture student at St. Stephen University, shares her personal journey of connecting with Henri's ideas and how they resonate with her generation's search for meaning in a fractured society.

In this episode, host Dr. Wendy VanderWal Martin is joined by Rev. Dr. Kyle Norman for a rich and reflective dive into one of Henri Nouwen’s most enduring works: Reaching Out. Together, they explore Nouwen’s spiritual vision of the inner journey — from loneliness to solitude, hostility to hospitality, and illusion to prayer.

Many of Henri Nouwen's deep spiritual insights arose from experiences of anguish. In the Inner Voice of Love, Nouwen penned spiritual imperatives for himself during the most difficult period of his life. Meant to be a deeply personal journal, friends encouraged him to offer it as a gift of consolation for those who live through the pain of broken relationships and immense loss.

In this episode, Wendy and Sandy expand on Henri Nouwen's wisdom in his book, Aging: The Fulfillment of Life. Their conversation considers the opportunities and challenges for those in the third act of life in our current context. Sandy shares insights and reflections from her work in accompanying others through conscious aging. Sharing stories and reflections on death and dying round out this engaging episode. No matter your age, you will glean tidbits of wisdom for intentional self-reflection and heart-felt connection with the elders and wise sages around you.

In Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life, Henri Nouwen invites us to learn to listen deeply to the voice of the Spirit. In this episode, we speak with Sam Cooper, a pastor who has accompanied a local community of faith for over 30 years. Through stories of listening and obeying, Sam and Wendy celebrate a long journey of discernment leading a community to participate with God in making things right.

The last manuscript of Henri J.M. Nouwen, left unfinished at his sudden death in 1996, recounts his transformative friendship with a traveling trapeze troupe, the Flying Rodleighs. Nouwen thought his trapeze story could become his most important book. Author Carolyn Whitney-Brown, Henri's colleague and friend, was invited to take the unpublished material...

Henri Nouwen gave a series of lectures on the importance of following Jesus in an age of anxiety which became the basis for this book.