4thace reviewed Eager to Love by Richard Rohr
Review of 'Eager to Love' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
This book was my Advent reading for 2022. The author has been an Franciscan friar for decades and wished to draw both from his own experience along with the historical record of the founding figures in the order to give a comprehensive account of what Franciscan spirituality is about. He is adamant about how utterly different it is from the prevailing Catholic philosophy based largely on the thinking of St. Thomas Aquinas. It draws heavily from mysticism to understand the most essential aspects of the events of the early church.
The first section focuses on the writings and historical accounts of Francis of Assisi and Clare, Bonaventure and Duns Scotus. This is not a set of biographies or a systematic presentation of their thinking, which are already available elsewhere. He takes particular pains to show the original teachings of Francis were harmonized over time with the established philosophy of the …
This book was my Advent reading for 2022. The author has been an Franciscan friar for decades and wished to draw both from his own experience along with the historical record of the founding figures in the order to give a comprehensive account of what Franciscan spirituality is about. He is adamant about how utterly different it is from the prevailing Catholic philosophy based largely on the thinking of St. Thomas Aquinas. It draws heavily from mysticism to understand the most essential aspects of the events of the early church.
The first section focuses on the writings and historical accounts of Francis of Assisi and Clare, Bonaventure and Duns Scotus. This is not a set of biographies or a systematic presentation of their thinking, which are already available elsewhere. He takes particular pains to show the original teachings of Francis were harmonized over time with the established philosophy of the church, toning down their more revolutionary aspects. In the later section the book turns to a broader overview of what makes Franciscan thinking special. The language is more personal, more speculative, as the author tries to synthesize the history of Franciscan thought with modern insights to inform a radical cosmic understanding.
There were places where I could not completely follow the points being made, such as in the distinction between the figure of Jesus and the role of the Christ/Messiah. But I could appreciate the connections he made between what Frances preached and the many strands of mysticism across time. The idea of the sacred as living within our bodies, within the other living within our bodies, among the living things around us, and in the planet which came from a Big Bang all resonate with something inside me. I can recommend this book for someone who is open to these sorts of notions which he presents in a manner that is the opposite of dogmatic.