Letting Go

by Richard Rohr

In our culture, the good life means getting more. This series of retreat talks challenges listeners to subtract to release whatever hinders us from siding with the cosmic Christ, whether that be in our inner world (Talks 1-4) or our outer world (Talks 5-8). Father Rohr offers a daring vision which calls us to surrender, to liberation, to making room for real freedom.Topics Making Room for Liberating the Affluent2. At Home in the Wrong Living With God or Mammon3. Yes! To Traveling Through Self to Acceptance4. Silence and Willing Delving Into Mystery5. What is the Good Life? Breaking Out of the Consumer Trap6. Beyond Our Cultural Siding With the Cosmic Christ7. Leaving Security Finding a New Center8. Giving Everything We Are

Unknown Binding

First published June 14, 2005

About the author

Fr. Richard Rohr is a globally recognized ecumenical teacher bearing witness to the universal awakening within Christian mysticism and the Perennial Tradition. He is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Fr. Richard's teaching is grounded in the Franciscan alternative orthodoxy—practices of contemplation and expressing itself in radical compassion, particularly for the socially marginalized.

Fr. Richard is author of numerous books, including Everything Belongs, Adam’s Return, The Naked Now, Breathing Under Water, Falling Upward, Immortal Diamond, Eager to Love, and The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation (with Mike Morrell).

Fr. Richard is academic Dean of the Living School for Action and Contemplation. Drawing upon Christianity's place within the Perennial Tradition, the mission of the Living School is to produce compassionate and powerfully learned individuals who will work for positive change in the world based on awareness of our common union with God and all beings. Visit cac.org for more information.

Reviews

[MountainAshleah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio. Read by the author. I am not at all religious, but I appreciate wisdom regardless of source, so i enjoy listening to audiobooks covering a wide range of spiritual writings. The first 2/3 of this book was fairly ordinary to me, starting with the biographical and philosophical history of St Francis of Assisi (necessary, but not the easiest to keep my focus) and the Franciscan order. Then lots of information about simplifying our lives, much of which we have heard in other forms. At times Father Rohr sounded a bit too preachy for me, especially on audio. But the last 1/3 of the book, when Rohr addressed the levels of spirituality, was very hard-hitting and very meaningful, especially during these challenging pandemic times. I was very heartened by his discussion of the spiral nature of spiritual growth, rather than a straight line trajectory, and he lucidly explained my frustration with the "Limousine Liberals" (his term). I just felt like this book fell into my lap at the right time and place, and I needed to hear its message. I was also pleased to see that three people were waiting for the book on the library audiobook list. Highly recommended.

[Jan McManus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good challenges

[Cydne B · Rating 5 out of 5]

John 8:32

[Magpie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect timing for this point in my life. Richard mentions and extols the Quakers and I have in the past year become a Quaker. Highly recommended if you want your comfortable existence to be challenged with the radical un-comfort of Jesus and the Gospel.

[Craig Bergland · Rating 5 out of 5]

An earlier series of retreat talks of Fr. Rohr's from the mid to late 1980s, this is nevertheless excellent and timely!