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The Art of Christian Listening
Christians often find themselves in the role of "helper": the person who is called upon to listen to the story of another, to help the other to grow in relationships to people and the Lord. This listening may take place in the context of such informal relationships as friendship or parenthood, or in the more formal settings of teacher/student, confessor/penitent, and the growing ministry of spiritual direction.
"The Art of Christian Listening" enables the Christian helper to understand better his or her role, as well as to comprehend the objectives and limits of such a role. The author clearly shows the many ways in which we can serve others through listening to their stories. As the same time the book demonstrates how this listening role is different from that of a psychological counselor.
"The Art of Christian Listening" enables the Christian helper to understand better his or her role, as well as to comprehend the objectives and limits of such a role. The author clearly shows the many ways in which we can serve others through listening to their stories. As the same time the book demonstrates how this listening role is different from that of a psychological counselor.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 3, 2023
Hart coughed up as much Nouwen in this book as Kerouac coughed up blood before dying, but I do think "listening" is a proper skill (is Hart right to suggest it is a sacramental?) a Christian should learn.
I also wish the publisher would've listened to God's will (if not the Geneva Convention) and used a print larger than 8 pt.
I also wish the publisher would've listened to God's will (if not the Geneva Convention) and used a print larger than 8 pt.
June 15, 2021
I read this for class. There is some real good here, but also it is a bit dated.
These are pieces of discussion posts I wrote for class instead of a review
The Art of Christian Listening starts with exploring the concept of the sacrament and the helper as a sacrament. I wonder at using the word sacrament when Hart, on page 6, suggests that incarnation and sacrament are roughly equivalent ideas. Hart develops the idea of helper as sacrament over a couple of chapters, but he does it as I would typically think the word incarnation/incarnational. When, on page 11, Hart references the helper as “embody[ing] the presence of Christ,” I understand there is likely a distinction there in Catholic theology that I may be ill equipped to understand the nuance of.
However, my Baptist background frequently has taught that we are, as the church, the incarnational reality of Christ on earth today, roughly similar to how I understand Hart to be using sacramental language. However, the continuation of that quote on page 11 is “yet may lack many of the virtues of Christ.” That tension of being a representative of Christ but not having the virtues of Christ captures the responsibility and trepidation that I feel like I need to keep ever in front of me, especially as we talk about discernment.
This does raise one more issue in these chapters. Helper tends to mean ‘assistant’ and lower status or unskilled laborer in English. In some sense, that gets at our servant status in relationship to God (although the Hebrew term is translated into English as helper frequently references God.) The question I have of the helper concept is whether this is solidarity in the sense of equality and a lack of hierarchy, as is referenced in chapter 4. Or if it is a helper, as in helping professions like medicine, education, or social work where the ‘helper’ is the skilled person in the relationship, as the ‘director’ portion of Spiritual Direction suggests. The Camus quote on page 17 suggests solidarity in the sense that Shawn Copeland’s book Enfleshing Freedom advocates for Christians standing in solidarity with the oppressed.
Chapter 4, in its discussion of Vatican II and Jesus as a model, resists the tendency to create a hierarchy between the spiritual director/helper and the person they are listening to. But I think our sinful nature, and the world, tend to want to push us in the direction of seeing ourselves as the ones with the skill and doing the imparting of that skill. It is a challenge to think in other ways.
________
In this section’s readings for Hart, he speaks about the misuse of discernment as a form of divination, which I think is related to my discomfort with discernment as decision-making. While Hart uses imagery around literal divination, I think this applies to several different ways that we attempt to manipulate God, including the section on page 68 that details how we tend to create systems of law as a protective barrier. This barrier, designed to keep us from sin, I think, also inoculates from the ability to have a real relationship with God.
Hart continues in chapter eight to illustrate the Ignatian process as pray for freedom and guidance, assess the data, and seek confirmation from God. But he calls it “discerning God’s will, or making choices in the Lord.” (p79)
I know I am getting bogged down on this point. But we are in a pragmatic culture. If we value discernment because of what it can do for us to get us to right decisions and to be “better used by God” and not to bring us into a deeper relationship with God and to become more like Christ in our actions and perceptions of the world, then I think we are just putting Christian language on the coaching movement to make people more productive and valuable (marketable). I am not opposed to people improving themselves, but we are limited, created beings, and part of what I find so encouraging and helpful in Christianity and the way of Christ is a grace to be limited.
These are pieces of discussion posts I wrote for class instead of a review
The Art of Christian Listening starts with exploring the concept of the sacrament and the helper as a sacrament. I wonder at using the word sacrament when Hart, on page 6, suggests that incarnation and sacrament are roughly equivalent ideas. Hart develops the idea of helper as sacrament over a couple of chapters, but he does it as I would typically think the word incarnation/incarnational. When, on page 11, Hart references the helper as “embody[ing] the presence of Christ,” I understand there is likely a distinction there in Catholic theology that I may be ill equipped to understand the nuance of.
However, my Baptist background frequently has taught that we are, as the church, the incarnational reality of Christ on earth today, roughly similar to how I understand Hart to be using sacramental language. However, the continuation of that quote on page 11 is “yet may lack many of the virtues of Christ.” That tension of being a representative of Christ but not having the virtues of Christ captures the responsibility and trepidation that I feel like I need to keep ever in front of me, especially as we talk about discernment.
This does raise one more issue in these chapters. Helper tends to mean ‘assistant’ and lower status or unskilled laborer in English. In some sense, that gets at our servant status in relationship to God (although the Hebrew term is translated into English as helper frequently references God.) The question I have of the helper concept is whether this is solidarity in the sense of equality and a lack of hierarchy, as is referenced in chapter 4. Or if it is a helper, as in helping professions like medicine, education, or social work where the ‘helper’ is the skilled person in the relationship, as the ‘director’ portion of Spiritual Direction suggests. The Camus quote on page 17 suggests solidarity in the sense that Shawn Copeland’s book Enfleshing Freedom advocates for Christians standing in solidarity with the oppressed.
Chapter 4, in its discussion of Vatican II and Jesus as a model, resists the tendency to create a hierarchy between the spiritual director/helper and the person they are listening to. But I think our sinful nature, and the world, tend to want to push us in the direction of seeing ourselves as the ones with the skill and doing the imparting of that skill. It is a challenge to think in other ways.
________
In this section’s readings for Hart, he speaks about the misuse of discernment as a form of divination, which I think is related to my discomfort with discernment as decision-making. While Hart uses imagery around literal divination, I think this applies to several different ways that we attempt to manipulate God, including the section on page 68 that details how we tend to create systems of law as a protective barrier. This barrier, designed to keep us from sin, I think, also inoculates from the ability to have a real relationship with God.
Hart continues in chapter eight to illustrate the Ignatian process as pray for freedom and guidance, assess the data, and seek confirmation from God. But he calls it “discerning God’s will, or making choices in the Lord.” (p79)
I know I am getting bogged down on this point. But we are in a pragmatic culture. If we value discernment because of what it can do for us to get us to right decisions and to be “better used by God” and not to bring us into a deeper relationship with God and to become more like Christ in our actions and perceptions of the world, then I think we are just putting Christian language on the coaching movement to make people more productive and valuable (marketable). I am not opposed to people improving themselves, but we are limited, created beings, and part of what I find so encouraging and helpful in Christianity and the way of Christ is a grace to be limited.
February 11, 2022
A bit tedious. Several of the examples went on for far too long, with too many details. Even though this is a very short book, careful editing could have tightened it up even further.
October 8, 2022
A great introduction to the practice of spiritual direction.
March 26, 2008
Sensitively written suggestions for those who wish to help others by listening. A broad overview with specific examples. Basic review questions at the end of each chapter are supplemented by challenging ones, getting you to think about what your own responses might be to people. Not just for professionals.
May 31, 2015
Discovered this in a used book store. An excellently presented, scripture supported development of ministry performed as a listener. Starting at the beginning with the premise of Helper as Sacrament, Hart encourages all Christians to incorporate listening into their life work to become vessels of God's grace and healing presence.
December 31, 2016
Part of the curricula for becoming a spiritual director, this book is excellent for anyone seeking to be fully present with another. I especially appreciated the chapter on pitfalls, and the ones on typical situations.
October 11, 2014
Some really good things in here. A classic for Spiritual Directors.
June 1, 2016
A great little book on Spiritual Direction, though it covers some basics in other listening practices as well.
March 6, 2009
Fantastic. Read it.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews