Heart of the Redeemer

by Timothy T. O'Donnell, Gerhard Ludwig Müller (Foreword), Father Wojciech Giertych (Foreword)

A revised, updated edition of this classic work on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.   Dr. Tim O'Donnell examines the doctrinal roots of the devotion to the Sacred Heart in Scripture and in the Apostolic and Patristic ages; charts its growth and development through the Middle Ages; explains the enormous contribution of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque; and unfolds the teachings of the Papal Magisterium on the Sacred Heart, including Vatican II and John Paul II. The book also includes photographs illustrating the development of the devotion.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart is intimately linked to our response in love to the Eucharistic Christ. It lies at the core of Catholic spiritual life and is the key to effective renewal of individuals, the Church and the world. For those who haven't yet lived this devotion--or who want to understand and live it more fully--they will discover its richness and beauty in Heart of the Redeemer.

Years of careful research have produced a one volume synthesis of how the devotion to the Heart of Jesus has developed over the centuries. The result is a moving overview of how the love for Jesus Christ has grown in the hearts of the faithful from Calvary to the present day.

Genres: Religion, Catholic, Theology, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Christianity

445 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Emma McAllen]

This book revved me up. Bout to run through a brick wall on my way to make sure everyone has a personal devotion to the Sacred Heart.

[Leslie Moellering]

This is a well-documented and convincing argument for devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I appreciate the author's detailed explanation of the imagery, especially the understanding of the human heart of Jesus also being the heart of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

[Sarah]

I read this over the course of 4 months. It’s a scholarly work but still laden with honest devotion that challenges one to seriously take up personal devotion to the sacred heart. One of the misses in this work is that it’s now an older publication, so the overview of papal teachings stop with Pope John Paul II. First edition was in 1989, so the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis couldn’t possibly be included. However, even with this lack I find it hard to imagine a book more accomplished at synthesizing the teaching and history of devotion to the Sacred Heart. We trace the history and meaning of the devotion from Jesus’ ministry on Earth all the way through to contemporary papal teaching. I find myself personally enriched both intellectually and spiritually by reading this book, and highly recommend it to anyone wanting a deeper understanding of the Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

[Roger Buck]

This is a great and important book – a comprehensive scholarly work on the Sacred Heart, which is also filled with moving faith and reverence.

That is to say, this book is rare in combining a remarkable level of scholarship with real piety and beauty! Alas, too often these two orientations are not united!

For anyone interested, I have a much longer review of the book here at my website devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: http://corjesusacratissimum.org/2009/...