Way of the Heart: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers

Nouwen invites us to search deeply for the well-springs that nourish true ministry by looking to the example of the fifth-century Egyptian Desert Fathers and Mothers. Their experience in the desert taught them that spiritual survival was possible only if they found a place in their lives for solitude, silence, and prayer. By interweaving the wisdom found in their sayings and stories with his own characteristically fresh and perceptive insights, Henri Nouwen uncovers the essential importance of these three disciplines for contemporary spiritual life. He helps us to move beyond what seems forbidding about them by pointing us toward the "way of the heart," the way that not only leads us to a fuller encounter with God, but also to a more creative ministry with our fellow human beings.