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Book Cover for: The Healing Path: A Memoir and an Invitation, James Finley

The Healing Path: A Memoir and an Invitation

James Finley

Reader Score

94%

94% of readers

recommend this book

This is a contemplative reflection on the spirituality of healing, the fruit of the author's lifetime in conducting spiritual direction and psychotherapy, drawing on his lessons from Thomas Merton and study of the mystical path. It is largely written in the form of a memoir of his own recovery from the traumatic wounds of his early life (abusive father, abuse by his confessor in the monastery, a dysfunctional marriage, and his road to healing and wholeness. But it is not just about his story--it is an invitation to the reader to reflect and resonate with the lessons that apply to their own stories.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Orbis Books
  • Publish Date: Mar 30th, 2023
  • Pages: 192
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 7.20in - 5.00in - 0.35in - 0.40lb
  • EAN: 9781626985100
  • Categories: SpiritualityGeneral

About the Author

James Finley, a clinical psychologist and spiritual director, is one of the core faculty members of the Center for Action and Contemplation (with Richard Rohr) and is host of the CAC podcast "Turning to the Mystics." A former novice under Thomas Merton at the Abbey of Gethsemani, he is the author of the classic book Merton's Palace of Nowhere: A Search for God through Awareness of the True Self. A leading figure in the integration of psychology and spiritual direction, he has led workshops and retreats around the country.

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Praise for this book

"James Finley, author of The Healing Path, is a must. I've learned so much from him. I mean, I knew this about myself, but he helped me articulate that the conditions of my life don't have the authority to name who I am."--Naomi Judd, New York Times, May 26, 2023

"The beauty and illumination of Jim's language, whether he is writing about trauma or God's presence, open the heart. To read this book is to be changed forever."--Bonnie Badenoch, Author of The Heart of Trauma: Healing the Embodied Brain in the Context of Relationships

"To read this book is to receive the transmission of one of the great living mystics of our age. James Finley inhabits the sacred territory he maps for us in these luminous pages--a landscape drenched in love, rooted in the sacred ordinary, where our most devastating wounds become portals to the divine encounter. Jim's story is riveting, his insight transcendent, his invitation truly life-changing." --Mirabai Starr, Author of Wild Mercy and Caravan of No Despair

"James Finley has pursued the contemplative life seriously--inside and outside of the monastery--and part of that through the healing of his own wounds. That combination allows him to bring a whole, wonderful balancing act to theology and spirituality. James Finley is a healer. I believe his poetic words will help many people on their healing journey."--Richard Rohr