Henri Nouwen was one of the most influential spiritual writers and teachers of the second half of the twentieth century. A Dutch Catholic priest and world-renowned spiritual guide and counselor, he was known for the intimate candor of his writing and his unique blending of the social and political understandings of the Christian Gospel.
We have hundreds of pages of Nouwen across our site including book reviews, excerpts, e-courses (see Practicing Spirituality with Henri J.M. Nouwen), and interviews (see the Remembering Spiritual Masters Project). Another testament to Nouwen’s influence is the way that major themes of his written work have found their way into the writings of thousands of other spiritual teachers today, who talk about being a “wounded healer,” our “beloved identity,” and “the inner voice of love” often without any reference to the original source of these teachings. Perhaps they don’t even realize it was Henri Nouwen.
This book is a collection of essays on the impact Nouwen had, and continues to have, on people around the world. Contributors include Gabrielle Earnshaw, Nouwen’s archivist and official biographer, as well as people like Robert Ellsberg, Carolyn Whitney-Brown, and Michael Higgins who knew Nouwen well during his lifetime, in different stages of his career — teaching at Yale and Harvard, writing and publishing books, as Catholic priest and activist, and as a community member at L’Arche Daybreak.
Some of the essays appeared previously elsewhere, and occasionally that’s revealed — as, for instance, when Chris Glaser’s essay on “Henri’s Legacy” opens with a reference to this being the tenth anniversary of Nouwen’s death. (The year 2026 is, in fact, the thirtieth anniversary.) Speaking of which, fans of Nouwen will appreciate the inclusion of two pieces at the back of the book: Sue Mosteller’s funeral eulogy for Henri, given at the Cathedral of the Transfiguration Markham, Ontario, on September 28, 1996, and the late Brian Doyle’s beautiful little poem, “Henri,” which first appeared in Portland Magazine in Fall 2007.
This isn’t the ideal first book to introduce you to Henri Nouwen’s life and work, but it is a great book to remind you of his importance and originality, and — more importantly — to encourage you to keep using his books in whatever ministries are yours in the world; no doubt, the evergreen themes of his work are still relevant there.
