Reaching Out Nouwen, H.J.M. (1997):

Reaching Out Nouwen, H.J.M. (1997): Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life. New York: Image Books.

This book focuses on creating a perceptive and in-depth plan for living a purely spiritual life that will allow one to achieve the ultimate goal of life. According to the author Nouwen, this ultimate goal of life is to create the formation of a union with God. This plan for achieving this union with God involves three distinct movements, each allowing the individual ascend up to another level of closeness to God.

The first step in the spiritual journey as described by Nouwen is to ascend from loneliness to solitude. In this step one focuses on their spiritual life as it relates directly to the own personal experience with life and the surrounding world. Next, the second step involves an ascent from hostility to hospitality. It is here that the individual is able to deal with their spiritual life as being a life not for themselves but a life to be lived for the benefit of others. Finally, the third movement is where the union with God is reached. It is here in this third and final movement that one ascends from illusion to prayer. This final step, or ascent, allows one to develop and offer to the world "penetrating thoughts" on the mysterious and awe-inspiring relationship that we as human beings have with God.

Throughout his book, Nouwen focuses on the fact that the better an individual is able to understand, as opposed to denying, our internal struggles with our existence and its relationship to God, the more able one is to be able to fully embrace a "praryerful and genuine life that is also open to others' needs." According to Nouwen, this is the purpose of life: to live a fuller, more Godly existence that puts the needs of others in the forefront.

In a whole, this book is an insightful treatise on how an individual develops spiritually. As Nouwen correctly states, the book "does not offer answers or solutions." Instead, Nouwen writes the book in a way best described as being "written in the conviction that the quest for an authentic Christian spirituality is worth the effort and the pain, since the midst of this quest we can find signs offering hope, courage and confidence." In other words, Nouwen writes the book to inspire his readers to work to reach the highest level of being: that of uniting with God. However, because everyone's individual spiritual journey is unique, Nouwen cannot tell one how this journey will take place, but only provide his ideas of what the roadmap should look like. In so doing, Nouwen writes an inspiring and intelligent look at the three most important things in life: relationships to one's self, relationships with others and the relationship one has with God.

I feel this book is complex yet helpful. If read not to find answers but instead to be challenged and to get one thinking about their own personal position in life as compared to others, the surrounding world, and God, then this book delivers beyond expectations. What I like most about Nouwen's theory is how he breaks up the ascension to God in three levels. This makes sense because I am a firm believer that part of being close to God is acting God-like in all areas of your life. Thus, one has to have a caring and kind understanding relationship with oneself and, most importantly, with others. Without first establishing these foundational relationships it is preposterous to think one can be united with God. Essentially what Nouwen is saying, and in which I agree, is that in order to be united to God you have to understand God and in order to understand God you have to understand his creations: yourself and others.