Intimacy
by Henri J. M. Nouwen

List Price: $12.99
Our Price: $3.00
You Save: $9.99 (77%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Book Summary Information

Book Reviews of Intimacy

Book Review: Intimacy has universal appeal.
Summary: 4 Stars

The author has written an insightful, easy to read book. I have been provided with insights that are very pertinent and timely. Despite the fact that the book is addressed to young, male, Catholic, seminary students, it has universal appeal for all who are exploring the question of vocation in the priesthood. Nouwen's philosophy of love and the place of vulnerability and openness give hope to those who crave intimacy in relationships. He provides a persuasive model for religious and spiritual growth that blends various psychologies. The chapter on student prayers validates all levels and depths of spirituality, and shows how maturity can be measured by the state of one's prayer life. Looking back at the growth of my own prayer life, I find this comforting. As I struggle with such issues as the fundamental religiosity of some people, and whether it is valid and healthy, the challenges that theological education have brought to my faith and the accompanying confusion, and the way to maintain mental health, this book has provided an invaluable guide. The realization that I am not alone in asking these questions is reassuring.

With insights from this book, a better understanding of parishioners is possible which will result in better relationships and greater acceptance of all people no matter what their stage of faith. As the parish priest, whether newly ordained or experienced, gains understanding into self, and acceptance of and respect for self, all members of the parish will benefit. Nouwen gently provides ways in which energy and commitment can be fostered which will help the priest and congregation grow to spiritual maturity.

Summary of Intimacy

"We probably have wondered in our many lonesome moments if there is one corner in this competitive, demanding world where it is safe to be relaxed, to expose ourselves to someone else, and to give unconditionally. It might be very small and hidden. But if this corner exists, it calls for a search through the complexities of our human relationships in order to find it."
-- from Intimacy

Writing from his vast experience as a pastoral counselor, Henri Nouwen addresses the basic question, "How can I find a creative and fulfilling intimacy in my relationship with God an my fellow human beings?" He conducts a rich and insightful exploration into the balance between intimacy and distance, the problems in trying to develop lasting and productive relationships on all levels, and the connections between intimacy and sexuality, pray, faith, and the mental well-being of the minister. Intimacy is an essential resource for anyone struggling to grasp the profound implications of this most basic human needs.

---

Intimacy, by Henri J.M. Nouwen, explores the following question: "How can I find a creative and fulfilling intimacy in my relationship with God and my fellow human beings?" Nouwen's answers to this question describe the connections among friendship, romantic love, sexuality, prayer, and mental health. The book's style is straightforward: "Each chapter is written because someone ... asked a question," Nouwen writes in the book's introduction. "I wrote not to solve a problem or to formulate a theory but to respond to men and women who wanted to share their struggles in trying to find their vocation in this chaotic world." Intimacy may be especially helpful for readers who serve in some ministerial capacity--the chapter on depression among seminarians, for instance, will be a cloud-clearing relief to many readers. However, Intimacy contains much helpful counsel for all Christian readers who are discovering their "seldom articulated and often unrecognized desire for a real home in this world." --Michael Joseph Gross

Ministry Books

• Subjects > Christian Books & Bibles > Ministry & Church Leadership > Ministry
• Pastoral Counseling
• Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies