Religious Classics

Father Michael Himes explores the lives and workds of six noted spiritual writers from the fourth through the twentieth centuries. This program is a superb introduction to the great religious classics in the Christian tradition.

DISC ONE

Augustine: Confessions Written in 390, Confessions is one of the central texts of the Christian theological tradition. Augustine discovered that human restlessness and searching are indeed gifts that God has imprinted into the human spirit. (25 min)

Julian of Norwich: Showings In 1373, Dame Julian experienced 16 revelations of the depth and intensity of God's love for her and all creatures. Her account of those revelations and of her meditations on them is a treasure of medieval spirituality. (25 min)

Ignatius of Loyola: Spiritual Exercises Few guides into the spiritual life are as deeply insightful and immediately practical as Ignatius' directives to those in prayer and discernment, a program of ""exercises"" to develop heart and mind. (25 min)

DISC TWO

Jonathan Edwards: Treatise on Religious Affections A brilliant figure in the ""Great Awakening"" that swept through the colonies in the 18th century, Edwards set out to discern the ""marks"" by which one recognizes the work of the Holy Spirit in one's life. (25 min)

Friedrich von Hugel: The Mystical Element of Religion This work synthesizes the elements needed for spirituality to be rooted in reality, intellectual satisfaction and fulfilling action. It is a major contribution to an authentically Catholic spirituality. (25 min)

Teresa of Avila: Autobiography Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), a Doctor of the Church, experienced opposition from religious leaders who disparaged her visions. Teresa, however, trusted her inner experiences and wrote about them in her Autobiography. Himes presents to us a woman of integrity in a tumultuous era. (25 min)