Still Point: Loss, Longing, and Our Search for God

by Regis Martin

Franciscan University professor, popular speaker, and prolific author Regis Martin tells how the deaths of his mother and brother pushed him to revisit all he knew and felt about God and his own deepest desires--and how he came to reconcile the theology he teaches with the lived experience of faith. Renowned Catholic theologian Regis Martin narrates the crisis of faith he faced when his mother and brother died. Against this backdrop he explores the questions at the heart of all human What does it mean to really be lost? What if God doesn't want us after all? What does Christ's cry from the cross say about human suffering? Why is it never hopeless to hope? Drawing on insights from the work of Christian writers such as C. S. Lewis, Gerard Manley Hopkins, G. K. Chesterton, and St. Therese of Lisieux, Martin leads readers to that "still point"--a term borrowed from T. S. Eliot's Four Quartets --where all polarities converge. Martin eloquently shows that it is at the still point that one encounters the mingling of past and future, grit and grace, man and God.

96 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 2012

Reviews

[Irene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This slim volume is a reflection on the necessity for Christian hope in face of our innate recoiling from death. It is peppered with literary allusions, most I did not have the context to fully appreciate. This book could inspire the reader to ponder deep questions, but I was not in the right space for that.

[Richard Grebenc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Martin is a wordsmith of the highest caliber whose breadth of knowledge of literature is in plain evidence on every page of this book. I don't know if a page goes by in this short book in which there is not more than one quote from a renowned poet or author.

Maybe it is a sign of my impatience or my lack of fondness for poetry, but I did not get as much out of this book as I probably should have. Slowing down and contemplating the insights would likely have deepened my appreciation for this work.

As I see it, this little volume is best suited for the person who loves classic literature and poetry nearly as much as his faith.

[Siobhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read for anyone suffering from a loss. Martin writes in a clear, concise manner and is not afraid to speak of his own heartache and loss. He also comes at loss from a universal, Catholic point of view that really spoke to me during a very tough time in my life.

[David donegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book on life and death, hope vs despair, meaning vs nothingness. The Still point in us all were we dare to go.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have troubles at first, keep reading. Read out load if need be. I still wonder about the intro and chapter 1. But it does fall into a type of puzzle whose pieces DO FIT (even if it seems that a piece or two were banged in with a hammer to fit this book/puzzle).
I am interested in works mentioned, though the footnotes sort of stop before they should (number 12 isn't listed in my copy, and it is from reputable Catholic store.)
Also, I do appreciate the author is highly educated, but could he not use more normal vernacular at times?
Then there is the point of Jesus descent into hell. According to Baltimore Catechism it is more a limbo then hell, as Heaven was not opened until JESUS went through first. This didn't seem to be understood in the piece. Please check Catholic Chatechism on The Creed before reading, if one is Catholic, to make sure no loss of doctrine (?) is there.
Anyway, it is a book whose points are going to be a re-read in my life. Many an underlined point.