Twelve Great Spiritual Writers

The purpose of the book is to introduce new and older Christians to a rich treasury of writing on prayer and discipleship that is accessible and written from a variety of perspectives, encouraging them to see themselves as part of a great tradition of Christian spirituality. Many who come to faith as adults do not have any knowledge of their Christian heritage. They may have heard of a few writers on prayer along with historical heroes but they are likely to be male figures and often those on the front stage of Church history rather than the influences behind the scenes: people like St Augustine, Martin Luther, Charles Wesley or John Stott. A few may have encountered some female writers such as Julian of Norwich or Teresa of Avila. These are relatively well-served by authors who have brought their writings to our attention, but even these may seem beyond the reach of ordinary Christians struggling with prayer and practical discipleship. This book focuses on some more recent writers, some of them less well-known, some still alive. Each chapter provides a brief biography along with an introduction to their writing, an extract and some reflections on how to use their work. Provisional contents 1. Amy Carmichael (1867-1951) Missionary, mystic and poet 2. Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941) Writer on prayer and spiritual director 3. Dorothy Day (1897-1980) Founder of the Catholic Worker movement and writer 4. Caryll Houselander (1901-54) RC spiritual writer of prose and poetry, mystic 5. Simone Weil (1909-43) Author of Waiting on God 6. Elisabeth Elliott (1926-2015) Spiritual writer, missionary and broadcaster 7. Ruth Etchells (1931-2012) Devotional writer, scholar, spiritual guide 8. Joan Chittister (1936-) Benedictine nun and writer 9. Marilynne Robinson (1943-) Novelist and essayist 10. Annie Dillard (1945-) Writer and mystic 11. Kathleen Norris (1947-) Writer on prayer and spirituality, poet and essayist. 12. Anne Lamott (1954-) Novelist and writer on spirituality

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