by Ronald Rolheiser. Published by Orbis Books, 2021. Reviewed by Peter Matheson

Ronald is a much-loved Canadian priest, brought up in a hardworking German-Russian farming family in Canada. Over the years he has taught, written and broadcast with enormous resonance on spirituality. He is a gifted communicator whose integrity shines through. For him spirituality is earthed in every aspect of daily life. It is not an élite pursuit. He says each of us has within us the inner fire, the energy, the eros, the memory of the primal touch of love. Deep within us is a sacred unwounded place, the image of God, and from this wells up our deepest longings for intimacy, beauty, truth.

Rolheiser is well-read in psychology, anthropology, philosophy and literature. Kierkegaard is a favourite and he enjoys the dictum of Ernst Käsemann that our problem in the Church is that the liberal are not pious and the pious are not liberal! His reflections on sexuality, ageing and the dialectic of faith and doubt are peppered with lively stories from life. He knows that all transformative growth comes through vulnerability.

Some of the essential writings date back three decades and bear a transatlantic stamp that may not connect with everyone today, but his distinctive voice needs to be heard.

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 278 February 2023: 28