St. Dominic: The Story of a Preaching Friar

by Donald J. Goergen, Timothy Radcliffe (Foreword)

Using the most recent historical research, this book recounts the life of Dominic, founder in 1216 of the Order of Preachers, and brings him to life not in a hagiographical way, but as someone who has contemporary appeal.

Genres: Biography, Religion

160 pages, Paperback

Published May 3, 2016

Reviews

[Joshua Maier · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you happen to have an extended and boring hospital stay and are looking for a brief book to acquaint you with the life of St. Dominic, this is a good choice.

[Richard Grebenc · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine, relatively short, book that does a nice, quick overview of Dominic's life in an ordered fashion year by year. The author relies much on Vicaire's massive biography of Dominic. Goergen does an admirable job of trying to separate fact from legend. He also tries to discern Dominic's, and those around him, motivation in various initiatives. Thus, while it does not make it the first bio of Dominic one should read, it is very interesting for those already quite familiar with the saint's life. The lengthy afterword may be the highlight of the book as the author, in light of Dominic, reflects on what it means to be Dominican.

[Jamie Caporizo · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to learn more about St. Dominic and Dominican Spirituality, this is a great place to start. Includes reading list for more exploration.

[Maximilian Nightingale · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice biography of St. Dominic with references and a bibliography. The book could probably have been half the length if the author did not repeat himself so much or include anecdotes about himself. There are probably better biographies out there, but this gives the general outline of St. Dominic's life and spirit in a short work.

[Rena Nowacoski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good, compact biography that isn’t weighted down with foot notes, though there are lots of comment boxes to fill in details in a historical context and definitions of terms. Without a library of letters and texts personally written by Dominic, Goergen rounds out the person without resorting to mythology

[Sarah Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost gave this four stars, but the afterword alone is worth that fifth!! A wonderful, readable edition of the life of this great Saint, with a beautiful analysis at the end. Well worth the read, both to learn about St. Dominic and to become inspired by Dominican spirituality.