Portraits of Those I Love

by Daniel Berrigan S J

The Monk - The Artist - The Aunt - The Essayist - The Woman - The Jesuit - The Mother - Self-Portrait Berrigan's Portraits is his first completely biographical work, and it is perhaps his most intimate book. Here he speaks candidly of some of the people he has known and admired, people of fame and people who will probably never be memorialized or even remembered outside these pages. Here are Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Peter Maurin--guides to the vision that has inspired Berrigan's own witness to Christian peace. Here is an unknown woman painter, dying of cancer but gifted with uncanny powers of insight. Here are members of Berrigan's own a tough-minded aunt, who found in the currently outmoded pieties of the past a remedy for the terrible day-in-and-day-out of the religious life; his own mother, providential, foreseeing, compassionate. Lastly there is a self-portrait--not in a convex mirror, not a picture at an exhibition--of what has been the meaning of these various people and of their influence on him and his work.

164 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[Mick Maurer · Rating 5 out of 5]

'To Dwell In Peace' is Daniel Berriagn's autobiography. 'Portraits of Those I Love' is a continuation of his autobiography. Portraits of The Monk: Thomas Merton (Br Louis). The Artist: Tina is the only part of her name given by Berrigan. The Aunt: Sister Josephine Berrigan, SC, his Aunt Brigid Berrigan. The Essayist: Peter Marin who worked with Dorothy Day in establishing the Catholic Worker. The Woma: Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker. The Jesuit: Rev Dr John McNeil, SJ wrote a groundbreaking work on the Church & Homosexuality. It covers his sensor by the Church & the Jesuits. The Mother: Frieda nee Franheit Berrigan, his mother. Self-Portrait: Fr Daniel Berrigan, SJ.

[Austin Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty rambly but I think that is Berrigan’s thing. His attention to his peers is beautiful and equally faithful.

QOTB:
“In confronting G.E., we choose to obey God’s law of life, rather than a corporate summons to death. Our beating of swords into plowshares is a way to English this biblical call. In our action, we draw on a deep-rooted faith in Christ, who changed the course of history through his willingness to suffer rather than to kill. We are filled with hope for our world and for our children as we join this act of resistance.”

[patrick humphrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found a book by Berrigan because I heard his story and liked him (and his politics), really didn't expect this to be, in terms of the writing and my comprehension thereof, one of the most difficult books I have ever read. I promise I'm smart check this one out, he's doing some wild stuff. Anyway, totally worth it, if only for the last two essays. I hate being a "it gets good I promise" reccommender, but that is very much the case here. Those ones are REALLY good.