The Way of Discernment: Spiritual Practices for Decision Making

by Elizabeth Liebert

We all make decisions constantly--some with careful reflection, some without much thought. But what if we understood these decisions, minor as well as major, as matters of faithful Christian living? In this helpful and encouraging book, Elizabeth Liebert introduces the practice of discernment and guides readers through the process of faithful decision making. Following the way of discernment means becoming increasingly able to notice where God is at work in the world and in one's own life--and becoming increasingly generous with one's own life in response. After briefly exploring the Christian tradition of discernment, Liebert then turns to practical steps and exercises that will help readers as they seek God's call in the midst of their decisions, allowing readers to internalize some of these practices and incorporate them into their daily lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2008

Reviews

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating is probably closer to 3.5 stars, but I lean toward 4 because I think my issues have less to do with circumstances and formatting than with what Liebert actually wrote. The text can be a bit dry a times, and that can make it difficult to stay focused, but this is overall a good introduction to the Christian practice of discernment and different methods. The text suffers from poor formatting, with the boxes for the exercises appearing mid-paragraph, frequently mid-sentence, so it's easy to lose the train of thought and also not always clear when one is supposed to stop reading the text to do the exercise. Personally, the decision I was trying to discern while reading this book did not actually fit well with the process, and that likely affected my interest and approval of this book. Despite my criticisms, there were some very helpful things and this is a book that I plan to revisit in the future with a different decision.

[Shelly J. Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtfully inspiring

This book offers insight and practices into discerning the will of God in decision making. With good theological premise and practical exercises, it leads the reader through multiple ways of discerning God’s will.

Please note, this book and these exercises take time and practice. This is not “fast food,” rather a long and intentional diet of feasting on Gods presence and learning His ways through one’s own way.

This is an excellent resource and effective practice.

[Stephen Bedard · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a method to discern what to do in an important area of life, this is a good book to use. Drawing upon both Catholic and Protestant writers, the author investigates different ways to discern. There are helpful exercises to put things into practice.

[K.J. Adan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good general introduction to discernment

I’ve been spoiled by Henri Nouwen. This is fine for people who want something somewhat less intense than Gallagher’s discussion of St. Ignatius.

[Dawn Yoshimura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guide to process of discernment

This was a thoughtful and practical book to learn how to use discernment for decision making from a Christian perspective. Lots of references to early church leaders on the theology of seeking discernment.

[Gracewellworn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well lit path for discernment ( not necessarily a decision even though a decision may be reached)

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good advice, food for thought

Practical and varied ways of discerning God’s will. A personal touch and accompanied by exercises and meditations makes this a very accessible way of incorporating an important spiritual practice into your life.

[Dedra Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Key Reading for any Spiritual Director

This will definitely be a stable in my library. So thoughtful, logical as well as compassionate. I’ve pulled together several questions to create my own individual discerning process.

[Vanessa Jung · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little dry, but full of very useful discernment practices and explanations. The book MAY have changed my view of what day-to-day life as a Christian could look like, and it was definitely helpful in a decision I was making.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated Liebert's approach in not just "telling" me, the reader, about discernment, but that the foundation of the book is based on becoming a discerning person. I loved having the different discerning exercises to try out with pretty clear steps, but I think formatting-wise I would have preferred to have all of the exercises at the end of each chapter so I don't get distracted in the reading and can practice them when I get the chance. I always feel like boxes in the middle of text interrupt the reading, and it just gets annoying to decide whether or not I should stop read the text to read the text box, or if I should read all of the text and go back to the text box later. But that's just me. It's also what caused me to take so long to read this pretty small and quick read. I definitely made a lot of highlights, so there are definitely lots of nuggets of wisdom I'm hoping to retain and refer back to later. I'm not a terribly good discerning person (at least in the context of decision-making), so this book was certainly helpful for someone like me!

[Clifton]

Some books are about decisions, and some books are about discernment. Actually, most books about decisions. But this one's not. No frameworks or action plans. Just exercises and reminders that help you be present, attentive and aware. In this world, that is becoming more and more rare.

[Lori Neff · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent step by step resource for gaining awareness and discernment.

[Delphine Busch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a read once through type of book. I use it often and reread parts of it as needed.