The Wisdom of the Saints: An Anthology

by Jill Haak Adels

Book Overview

Covering over two thousand years of Church history, this unique anthology presents hundreds of aphoristic sayings from the writings and recorded works of both famous and obscure saints. Ranging from... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195059158
• Release Date: June 1989
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.0" x 0.7" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

A rich collection of quotations from the lips of 200 saints

This is a unique anthology that allows hundreds of canonized Catholic saints, from all historical periods including the present day, to speak directly in their own words on a variety of topics. The quotations are brief, and are arranged thematically. while the topics range from the very profound and serious ("Time and Eternity", "Suffering", "Mystic Union") to the very human and everyday ("Food", "Travels"). Each of the 65 thematic sections is introduced by an authoritative and often witty commentary that makes one wish that the author's voice could be heard even more often. The overall effect is one of great abundance and variety. Saints, the reader soon discovers, are found in every personality type, every social class, intelligence level and temperament. They are a lively and diverse bunch. You will meet old favorites like Francis of Assisi and Thomas Moore, and encounter completely unfamiliar heroes, like Charles Lwanga of Uganda. There is something here to fit every mood, and to inspire much further reading. THE WISDOM OF THE SAINTS is ideal for inspirational reading, for hunting quotations to surprise, edify and dazzle audiences, or as a reference resource. A biographical appendix tells the brief life story of each of the 200 saints who have shared their written or spoken thoughts with the reader. "Sanctity does not consist in being odd, but it does consist in being rare." (St. Francis de Sales, 1567-1622).