This book presents a stirring and in-depth survey of the life and work of the prolific Catholic psychologist and theologian (1932-1996). Born in Nijkerk, Holland, Henri J.M. Nouwen was ordained a priest in 1957. He taught at Notre Dame (1966-68) before becoming a professor at Yale Divinity School from 1971 to 1981. During this period of his life, Nouwen also spent seven months at a Trappist monastery where he deepened his prayer life. In 1981 he went to Latin America to live for a year with the poor; there he developed a spirituality of social involvement. Then he returned to the U.S. where he taught theology at Harvard from 1983 to 1985. Nouwen found what he called "true home" as pastor of Daybreak, a L'Arche community in Toronto that provides a home for mentally and physically handicapped people.
Jurjen Beumer, a friend of Nouwen's, examines this Christian's spiritual journey as it is revealed in his 38 books. Vocation, solitude, prayer, God's love, and death are identified as recurring themes. Beumer designates compassion, caring, and freedom as a triptych of Nouwen's ethics. He also emphasizes the theologian's vision of Christ as the heart of God. For Beumer, Nouwen's finest work was "The Return of the Prodigal Son."
