This lively and compelling book by Paul Murray OP names and celebrates aspects of the Dominican tradition which are at the very core of its spirituality. This tradition has often been described in the past, and for good reason, as scholarly and intellectual. But the lives of the Dominicans whose voices we hear in this book were also, and to an extraordinary degree, apostolic, exuberant, evangelical, risk-taking, mystical, and robust. One of the things which has characterized the Dominican spirit from the beginning is a sense of openness to the world. Dominicans such as Thomas Aquinas, Jordan of Saxony, and Catherine of Siena, were not only impressive celebrants of grace. They were also defenders of nature. After the example of St Dominic himself, they learned to drink deep from the wine of God's Word, and became witnesses not only of certain great moral and doctrinal truths but witnesses also of an unimaginable joy. One reason, in society today, why so many feel unfulfilled and are not happy is because the vision of life offered is one that is restricted to a pragmatic, one-dimensional view of the world. The Dominican vision of life we find presented in this book is one that is truly broad and joyous. It is a path of spirituality - a way - open to people of all kinds and conditions.

The New Wine of Dominican Spirituality: A Drink Called Happiness

Religion & Spirituality

Paul Murray OP

Christian Books & Bibles

Burns & Oates

Paul Murray, OP, an Irish Dominican friar, lives in Rome where he teaches courses at the Angelicum University on the literature of the Western mystical tradition. He is a Fellow of the Word on Fire Institute and has published many books, including Scars: Essays, Poems, and Meditations on Affliction; Aquinas at Prayer: The Bible, Mysticism, and Poetry; and God's Spies: Michelangelo, Shakespeare, and Other Poets of Vision.

Saint Catherine of Siena: Mystic of Fire, Preacher of Freedom

Biographies & Memoirs

Leaders & Notable People

Word on Fire Institute

Product Description 
This profound book by the Irish Dominican poet and writer Fr. Paul Murray draws us into the fire of the great Saint Catherine of Siena and explores the mystic's love for God and humanity. Catherine of Siena is one of the most enigmatic and intriguing saints in the Church's history—As a young laywoman with no education, she became renowned for her intense mystical experiences, inspired preaching, and preached her scathing criticism of the corruption among the Church and political authorities. She is recognized today as a Doctor of the Church and enjoys this status as the only layperson ever to receive the title. Despite all this, the most distinguishing feature of Catherine's life and the least talked about is her preoccupation with freedom. She had a keen sense of the "unspeakably crazy" love of God and the liberating power of His mercy. However, she understood the terrible consequences of the bondage of sin. She believed in the necessity of facing our inner demons and led those enslaved by their darkness, fear, or oppression to self-knowledge in God as a path to absolute freedom. Fr. Paul Murray explores the "fire" that inflames almost every page she writes. Examined in the light of Dominican spirituality, the writings of Renaissance philosopher Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola, and the modern psychologist Carl Jung , he concludes that Catherine of Siena was foremost a preacher of freedom who speaks to us throughout time with compelling authority. \nComprehensive Christian Books: Fr. Paul Murray has written an account on Catherine of Siena, one of the most intriguing and enigmatic saints in the Church's history: her life, background, and her tireless efforts to bring people into the light of God. 
Catherine of Siena: Many inspirational books have described the lives of saints; Catherine takes the mantle as the only laywoman who is recognized today as a Doctor of the Church. 
Catherine's Mission: Many Catholic books have preached the path to God, but Catherine believed that self-knowledge about one's own darkness and fear is the only way we can achieve self-awareness about God, leading us to a path to absolute freedom. 
Proclaiming Christ: Word on Fire Catholic Ministries supports the work of Bishop Robert Barron, which aims to highlight Roman Catholic history, spread the message of Jesus Christ, and to manifest the spirit of Christ to the masses.\nFrom the Back Cover 
St. Catherine of Siena is well-known for her mysticism, preaching, and piercing intellect""she's the only layperson to ever be named a Doctor of the Church""but her work is written with a fiery passion that is not common to theological works. 
 But for all the attention to St. Catherine, surprisingly little has been said about her understanding of freedom. While she knew well the "unspeakably crazy" love of God, she also recognized the slavery of sin and the necessity of facing our own inner darkness. Her passion, the passion that inflamed almost all of her works, was to lead those enslaved by sin to freedom and self-knowledge in God. 
 In this profound new book from the Word on Fire Institute, the Irish Dominican poet and writer Fr. Paul Murray, OP, draws us into the fire of St. Catherine's love for God and humanity. This unique book looks at her life through not only the lens of Dominican spirituality but also the work of Renaissance philosopher Giovanni Pico della Mirandola and the modern psychologist Carl Jung. Murray ultimately draws a compelling portrait of a saint and thinker whose writing still speaks to us forcefully. 
 About the Author 
PAUL MURRAY, OP, an Irish Dominican friar, lives in Rome where he teaches courses at the Angelicum University on the literature of the Western mystical tradition. He is a Fellow of the Word on Fire Institute and has published many books, including Scars: Essays, Poems, and Meditations on Affliction; Aquinas at Prayer: The Bible, Mysticism, and Poetry;

Saint Catherine of Siena: Mystic of Fire, Preacher of Freedom (Second Edition)

Word On Fire

Product Description 
Jonah is the only ancient prophet with whom Jesus identifies in the Gospels. But when we turn to read the book of Jonah itself, we discover that this so-called “book” is only two pages long―and that Jonah’s prophesying is limited to one short sentence. And yet, around this small book, as if it were around Jonah’s own troubled ship, high waves of controversy and mystery have swirled for centuries. In A Journey with Jonah: The Spirituality of Bewilderment, Fr. Paul Murray strives to uncover the great lesson of this story. Following Fr. Murray’s exploration is a 2003 lectio divina on Jonah by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger―published here in English for the first time. 
 Review 
“Fr. Paul Murray’s compelling meditations on the book of Jonah bring to life the depth, beauty, and humor of this extraordinary and brief sacred text. Drawing on an amazing diversity of sources, Murray opens to the reader a stunning array of theological, psychological, and spiritual insights that Jonah has provoked throughout the centuries in authors and artists from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions. Far more than a biblical commentary, A Journey with Jonah is a spiritually colorful and visceral exploration of the human flight from God’s severe mercy―a mercy that ultimately triumphs in Jesus Christ.” --Tom Neal, Professor of Spiritual Theology, Notre Dame Seminary\n“Can you write a lucid guide to bewilderment? Fr. Paul Murray has done so, explaining Jonah with a wide range of references, psychological and spiritual insight, and clarity.” --Rabbi David Wolpe, Max Webb Senior Rabbi\n“We are so familiar with Jonah’s story that we forget how much truth is there to learn. Paul Murray reacquaints us with this wayward prophet by drawing on literature, art, and commentators from across the Church and from the Jewish tradition. Reading this ‘parable of mercy’ with these myriad lenses, Murray highlights the reader’s participation in this story―that we might become both more merciful toward others and more aware of our vast need of mercy ourselves.” --Jessica Hooten Wilson, Louise Cowan Scholar in Residence, University of Dallas

A Journey with Jonah: The Spirituality of Bewilderment

joseph-ratzinger

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Paul Murray OP. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Paul Murray OP

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Paul Murray OP. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The New Wine of Dominican Spirituality: A Drink Called Happiness

Saint Catherine of Siena: Mystic of Fire, Preacher of Freedom

Saint Catherine of Siena: Mystic of Fire, Preacher of Freedom (Second Edition)

A Journey with Jonah: The Spirituality of Bewilderment