Abstract
In this article, three relatively recent works of popular spirituality are discussed with a focus on the appropriation of the Apophthegmata Patrum, the sayings of the desert fathers (and mothers). It is shown that such appropriation implies a complex dynamic of breaching and bridging as the critical, “breaching”, voice of the desert is called upon to bridge the gap between antiquity and modernity. The process of appropriation implies both the selection of specific texts and a favourable reading of the same. It is also informed by the formal training as well as the personal experience of the respective authors: Henri Nouwen, Anselm Grün, and Kathleen Norris. As the oscillation between ressourcement and aggiornamento is brought to bear on the congenial transplanting of ancient wisdom to the (post-)modern world, it becomes apparent that in these spiritual bestsellers the more problematic aspects of the desert are hardly ever breached themselves.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 156 – 179 |
| Number of pages | 24 |
| Journal | Religion & Theology |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| Early online date | 15 Feb 2017 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Feb 2017 |
| Event | Congres Identiteit in Wording getiteld 'Breaches and Bridges in the History of European Spirituality' - Kampen Duration: 13 Jan 2010 → 16 Jan 2010 |
Bibliographical note
Proceedings title: Volume 24, Issue 1-2, Special issue: Breaches and Bridges in the History of European Spirituality: Identity in the Making - The Romantic Era to the Present Day, 2017Publisher: Kok
Place of publication: Kampen
Editors: D. Bos, G P. Freeman, H G E. Rose
