Touched by God: The way to contemplative prayer

by Luigi Gioia

Overview

Luigi Gioia's Say it to God was chosen for the 2018 Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book—no mean feat for a first time author. In this new book, Gioia moves on to show the art of contemplation. But he points out from the start that contemplation is not a more advanced way of praying but a greater awareness of the presence of God. The defining mark of this awareness is that we become more and more aware of God's presence, a unique kind of inner peace and joy which has been described by spiritual authors with a variety of arresting and often poetic images.

What Gioia describes is not some kind of spiritual wonderland; for it does not dispense us from struggles and doubts and often the non-evidence of God. It brings a peace which coexists with doubt, a peace which can flourish in the middle of struggles, a joy that we can discover even in suffering.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472951007
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	11/20/2018
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Luigi Gioia is Professor of Systematic Theology at the Pontifical University of Sant'Anselmo in Rome and Research Associate of the Von Hügel Institute (Cambridge). He has preached spiritual retreats in the UK, France, USA, Canada, Australia, Korea, China, Philippines and he has published widely in scholarly reviews. He is currently Theologian in Residence at St Thomas Church, Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Unexpected harmony 1

Part 1 Feelings

The gift of feeling 13

Irrelevant feelings 19

Frustrating feelings 27

Silent rest 33

Restless desire 41

Mindfulness 47

Arresting awareness 51

A strange ability 57

Part 2 John

Empty hands 65

Playful encounters 71

Soft spot 79

Chasing the fugitive 87

God's touch 97

Body and flesh 105

Acknowledging stillness 111

Contemplating the light 119

Struggling to see 127

The inner nagging 133

Part 3 Quietism

Sue the bastard! 147

Embracing history 155

A new sense of identity 165

What did you expect? 175

Epilogue 181

Yours is the night 181

The teacher within 187

Acknowledgements 193