TWENTIETH CENTURY SPIRITUAL LETTERS

The substance of this little volume was originally developed as meditations for a retreat for the Episcopal Order of the Holy Cross. Here, it is presented partly in the form of letters, and partly in a concluding essay on the kind of spirituality needed by modern people. The letters follow a sequence derived from the author's own life, and are addressed to a school friend, a father, a college friend, a fiancee, a bishop, and others. Each concludes with a postscript in the form of a prayer, colloquial in style, addressed to Jesus. Spiritual life for contemporary man, says the author, is best understood in terms of human life and ordinary experiences. The letters do fairly well in conveying this thesis; the essay in Part Two is less successful because of its dependence upon traditional theological language and ideas.