Spiritual Quests: The Art and Craft of Religious Writing

by William Zinsser (Editor)

Six writers discuss the novel-like structure of the Catholic mass, the history of religious writing, self-discovery, Biblical language, and the influence of Eastern religions

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

189 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1988

About the author

William Knowlton Zinsser is an American writer, editor, literary critic, and teacher. He began his career as a journalist for the New York Herald Tribune, where he worked as a feature writer, drama editor, film critic, and editorial writer. He has been a longtime contributor to leading magazines.

Reviews

[Kressel Housman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was cited by the previous book I read on the craft of religious writing, and I liked it even better. It’s a collection of essays by six religious authors, and they represent a variety of religious traditions. The two Catholics both took St. Augustine’s Confessions as a model. David Bradley, who descends from a long line of African American preachers and who chose writing instead, turned out to have my favorite essay because he talked about the emotional cost of writing. Naturally, I’m partial to the Jews also, even though Hugh Nissenson doesn’t seem to be Orthodox, and Allen Ginsberg identifies more as a Buddhist and poet. He got the last word in the collection, and deservedly so. Like David Bradley, he connected the craft of writing to spirituality in a way that I recognized from my own experience, even though I don’t do a whole lot of meditation. Perhaps because I’ve read a bit of Natalie Goldberg’s concept of writing as spiritual practice, I was open to that Buddhist message.

What I liked best about the book was its serene and contemplative tone. Serenity is what people seek in religion, and these authors conveyed it. So while I can’t really point to anything that the book gave me in terms of craft, it was encouraging to read more accomplished writers who share two of my dearest passions. I’ll probably be checking out more of their work as well as the works they recommended in the near future.

[Cassandra Carico · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of lectures about writing, and how the authors' faith played into their writing. The beliefs that are represented in this are not terribly diverse, being only Jewish, Christian, and Buddhist authors, but the concept of such a lecture series is really intriguing.

As can be expected, there were a couple of lectures that really stood out. However, there were none that were skip-worthy. Each one had notable points that were worth reading over.

For any writer this book is worth a gander, as it is quite possible to come away a better writer for having read and considered these points.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I especially liked the essays by Pelikan and Buechner.

[Scott Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the manicured transcript of an event in New York City in the 1980s. This seminar featured six prominent writers influenced by different faith traditions. They spoke on how their religious beliefs/practices changed the way they wrote. By commenting on a practice as timeless as writing, this account captures much of religious writers’ sentiments towards their craft.

All of these six speeches were interesting. They covered faith traditions as disparate as Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Christian Orthodoxy, African-American Methodism, Judaism, and meditative religions. I especially enjoyed the thoughts shared by two of my literary heroes, Frederick Buechner and Jaroslav Pelikan. I will share my reflections on their reflections below.

Buechner has published in the genres of fiction, theology, and memoir. His clarity at seeing religious practice in life captured my attention as a sixteen year old. I especially appreciate his honesty and his circuitous optimism. He is obviously well schooled, and having converted as an adult, he approaches faith as a peculiarity. Faith always seems like an external object to him and something that he wants to carefully bring evermore within. To borrow phraseology from another author, he is always a resident alien in the Christian world.

Pelikan is a well-known scholar of early Christian history. He writes with precision and conveys his message from his erudition. In this work, he describes the autobiographical nature of scholarship in the lives of Augustine of Hippo, John Henry Newman, and Boethius. Of course, as with all scholars, Pelikan is ultimately speaking of his own experiences and capabilities. He shares how they and he have found writing on religious themes to be nourishing to their souls.

This work is especially relevant to those who produce religious texts professionally – pastors, teachers, and (of course) writers. Despite its age, its messages are fresh to the contemporary reader. I wonder what Zinsser, a great teacher of modern writing, would have done were he offered to hold this seminar in 2020 instead of 1988. Who would he bring on board to relate their experiences? What traditions would garner the most attention? Zinsser has since deceased, and we will never know. Fortunately, these transcripts remain to guide us in our writing and lives today.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

William Zinsser (On Writing Well) edits this collection of essays/talks which mix memoir with a few reflections on the craft of spiritual writing. Despite the notables included (Jaroslav Pelikan, Frederick Buechner, Allen Ginsberg and others) I found the book thin when I first read it shortly after it came out in 1988. But I saw it on my shelf and thought that thirty years later I might have a different response. I didn’t. I found it only mildly interesting. Pelikan’s essay was the most substantive. Buechner fans will appreciate his essay. Overall, though, still disappointing.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. Your Faith does not only affect try way you think, but the way you see the world and how you interact with is and therefore shapes your writing.

[Francine Apollo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this from my public library system (I got it out of Storage!). I've just discovered Mary Gordon and she has an essay in this book. Gordon's essay was great...so were the others.


This book is for any seeker, for any writer on religious topics. The essays were informative and nourishing. There was no awful striving for conversion but rather a simple, clear telling of each author's experiences.

I felt as though I was gently resting in the company of fellow seekers, all of whom quietly wove their tales with love and respect for each other and the reader.

Recommended.