PRAISE FOR FALLING UPWARD
"Understanding the spiritual aspects of aging is as important as appreciating the systems and biological processes that age us. Richard Rohr has given us a perfect guide to what he calls the 'further journey,' a voyage into the mystery and beauty of healthy spiritual maturity."
—Mehmet Oz, M.D., host of the "Dr. Oz Show"
"Falling Upward calls forth the promise within us and frees us to follow it into wider dimensions of our spiritual authenticity. This 'second half of life' need not wait till our middle years. It emerges whenever we are ready and able to expand beyond the structures and strictures of our chosen path. With Richard Rohr as a guide, this mystery can become as real and immediate as your hand on the doorknob."
—Joanna Macy, author of World as Lover, World as Self
"In Falling Upward, Richard offers a simple but deeply helpful framework for seeing the whole spiritual life—one that will help both beginners on the path as they look ahead and long-term pilgrims as they look back over their journey so far."
—Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christianity and Naked Spirituality brianmclaren.net
"The value of this book lies in the way Richard Rohr shares his own aging process with us in ways that help us be less afraid. We begin to see that, as we grow older, we are being awakened to deep, simple, and mysterious things we simply could not see when we were younger."
—Jim Finley, retreat leader, Merton scholar, and author of The Contemplative Heart
"This is Richard Rohr at his vintage best: prophetic, pastoral, practical. A book I will gratefully share with my children and grandchildren."
—Cynthia Bourgeault, Episcopal priest, retreat leader, and author of The Meaning of Mary Magdalene, Centering Prayer, Inner Awakening, and The Wisdom Way of Knowing
The Invitation to a Further Journey vii
Introduction xiii
1 The Two Halves of Life 1
2 The Hero and Heroine’s Journey 17
3 The First Half of Life 25
4 The Tragic Sense of Life 53
5 Stumbling over the Stumbling Stone 65
6 Necessary Suffering 73
7 Home and Homesickness 87
8 Amnesia and the Big Picture 97
9 A Second Simplicity 105
10 A Bright Sadness 117
11 The Shadowlands 127
12 New Problems and New Directions 137
13 Falling Upward 153
Coda 161
Notes 169
Bibliography 177
The Author 183
Index 185
Anonymous
Posted May 15, 2011
A mature and refective study on the nature of one's true and authentic spiritual journey. The necessary steps one must take in order to be fully-realized in this life.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.davep
Posted May 8, 2012
The book gives a superb insight into the progression followed by thinkers of how God interfaces with humans at various times of their lives. The book highlights the second half of life, usually 50-60 or older, and the changes that occur during that time when more introspection is usually accomplished.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 22, 2012
The author spends more time telling the reader what he is going to tell you about than telling you. The author also throws a whole bunch of philosophy on the wall to see what sticks and throws up the names of just about every philosopher, psychologist, and spiritualist that exists or did exist just to impress the reader.
When it comes to spirituality, nothing beats the bible. No other book is needed on how to live or understand one's life.
1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.rkebell
Posted February 12, 2012
This should be required reading for anyone 50 years or older.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 21, 2011
I find Rohh's thesis thought provoking as we pass through our various stages of life and wonder what it is all about and what happens beyond. Is there a God? Is there a heaven and hell? Is heaven on earth what God seeks for us humans? If so, is there an after-life experience? Rohr helped me wrestle with these questions.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 31, 2013
I love it. I am buying another copy for a friend.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.floridalinda
Posted December 28, 2012
Richard Rohr examines the two halves of life with depth that requires (for me) a second reading. So much to ponder as one looks at life from his/her own vantage point. FALLING UPWARD is not about the downward spiral of life as one ages, but about the call to a fuller life with different and broader values.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 12, 2012
Great concept - and accurate, too, I believe. But the writing is marginal. Too often, Rohr uses one hundred words when thirty would do. And when you're looking for sharper clarity on particular ideas, he doesn't offer it. The book's obtuseness made sense to me when Rohr revealed in one of the final chapters that he wrote the book during a Lenten hermitage. That tells me he was highly sensitive to certain ideas, but he forgot to bring his thought process down to earth. Falling Upward is a good first draft of what could've been a really fine study.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 5, 2012
A profound book of wisdom. One of the best ever written. Very solidly based on psychological and religious groundings
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Room-Temperature
Posted October 27, 2011
Nice premise. Hardship can make us stronger. He offers little more in the way of content beyond stating this premise, however.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 16, 2011
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Overview
PRAISE FOR FALLING UPWARD
"Understanding the spiritual aspects of aging is as important as appreciating the systems and biological processes that age us. Richard Rohr has given us a perfect guide to what he calls the 'further journey,' a voyage into the mystery and beauty of healthy spiritual maturity."
—Mehmet Oz, M.D., host of the "Dr. Oz Show"
"Falling Upward calls forth the promise within us and frees us to follow it into wider dimensions ...