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Clowning in Rome: Reflections on Solitude, Celibacy, Prayer, and Contemplation
A classic work by one of this century's most beloved spiritual writers now reissued.
The inspirational writings of Henri Nouwen have touched millions of readers all over the world, and since his death in September 1996, widespread recognition of their enduring value has continued to grow. Now, after being unavailable for several years, Nouwen's Clowning in Rome is available again as an Image trade paperback. In this classic account of the time he spent in Rome, Nouwen offers reflections and spiritual insight characteristic of his best works. During the months in Rome, it wasn't the red cardinals or the Red Brigade who had the most impact on Nouwen, but the little things that took place between the great scenes. In some ways, Nouwen discovered, the real and true story was told by the clowns he often saw in the city streets. In his own words, from the Introduction to Clowning in Rome : "The clowns are not the center of events. They appear between the great acts, fumble and fall and make us smile again after the tensions created by the heroes we came to admire. The clowns don't have it together--they are awkward, out of balance and left-handed, but--they are on our side. The clowns remind us with a tear and a smile that we are sharing the same human weakness. The longer I was in Rome, the more I enjoyed the clowns, those peripheral people who by their humble, saintly lives evoke a smile and awaken hope, even in a city terrorized by kidnapping and street violence."
The inspirational writings of Henri Nouwen have touched millions of readers all over the world, and since his death in September 1996, widespread recognition of their enduring value has continued to grow. Now, after being unavailable for several years, Nouwen's Clowning in Rome is available again as an Image trade paperback. In this classic account of the time he spent in Rome, Nouwen offers reflections and spiritual insight characteristic of his best works. During the months in Rome, it wasn't the red cardinals or the Red Brigade who had the most impact on Nouwen, but the little things that took place between the great scenes. In some ways, Nouwen discovered, the real and true story was told by the clowns he often saw in the city streets. In his own words, from the Introduction to Clowning in Rome : "The clowns are not the center of events. They appear between the great acts, fumble and fall and make us smile again after the tensions created by the heroes we came to admire. The clowns don't have it together--they are awkward, out of balance and left-handed, but--they are on our side. The clowns remind us with a tear and a smile that we are sharing the same human weakness. The longer I was in Rome, the more I enjoyed the clowns, those peripheral people who by their humble, saintly lives evoke a smile and awaken hope, even in a city terrorized by kidnapping and street violence."
128 pages, Paperback
First published March 6, 1979
26 people are currently reading
483 people want to read
About the author
Henri J.M. Nouwen
452 books2,142 followersHenri Jozef Machiel Nouwen was a Dutch Catholic priest, theologian, psychologist, professor, and spiritual writer whose work profoundly shaped contemporary Christian spirituality. Born in Nijkerk, the Netherlands, in 1932, Nouwen pursued religious studies and was ordained a priest in 1957. His intellectual curiosity led him to study psychology at the Catholic University of Nijmegen and later at the Menninger Clinic in Kansas, where he explored the connection between faith and mental health. Throughout his life, Nouwen remained committed to integrating pastoral care, psychology, and spiritual theology in a way that addressed the emotional and existential needs of believers.
Nouwen held teaching positions at prestigious institutions including the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School, and Harvard Divinity School. He authored over three dozen books and hundreds of articles, with notable works such as The Wounded Healer, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Life of the Beloved, and The Inner Voice of Love. His writing, often rooted in personal vulnerability and spiritual struggle, resonated with readers across denominations. Nouwen openly explored themes of loneliness, identity, intimacy, and the human desire for love and belonging, making his voice especially relatable and influential.
Though he was a gifted academic and popular speaker, Nouwen found his deepest calling later in life through his involvement with L’Arche, a network of communities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After a transformative stay at the original L’Arche community in France, Nouwen accepted an invitation to become the pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill, Ontario. There he developed a close bond with Adam Arnett, a core member with severe disabilities, which inspired the book Adam: God’s Beloved. At Daybreak, Nouwen discovered a deep spiritual home and a community that helped him embrace his humanity in profound ways.
Throughout his life, Nouwen wrestled with issues of identity, including his sexuality and his longing for connection, though he remained faithful to his vows. His openness about depression and inner conflict gave depth to his pastoral message, and his ability to turn personal struggle into shared spiritual insight made him one of the most beloved spiritual writers of the 20th century.
Henri Nouwen died in 1996 of a sudden heart attack, but his legacy endures through his writings, the Henri Nouwen Society, and the continued global reach of his message of belovedness, vulnerability, and compassionate community. His books remain bestsellers, widely read in seminaries, churches, and among individuals seeking a more intimate walk with God.
Nouwen held teaching positions at prestigious institutions including the University of Notre Dame, Yale Divinity School, and Harvard Divinity School. He authored over three dozen books and hundreds of articles, with notable works such as The Wounded Healer, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Life of the Beloved, and The Inner Voice of Love. His writing, often rooted in personal vulnerability and spiritual struggle, resonated with readers across denominations. Nouwen openly explored themes of loneliness, identity, intimacy, and the human desire for love and belonging, making his voice especially relatable and influential.
Though he was a gifted academic and popular speaker, Nouwen found his deepest calling later in life through his involvement with L’Arche, a network of communities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After a transformative stay at the original L’Arche community in France, Nouwen accepted an invitation to become the pastor of L’Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill, Ontario. There he developed a close bond with Adam Arnett, a core member with severe disabilities, which inspired the book Adam: God’s Beloved. At Daybreak, Nouwen discovered a deep spiritual home and a community that helped him embrace his humanity in profound ways.
Throughout his life, Nouwen wrestled with issues of identity, including his sexuality and his longing for connection, though he remained faithful to his vows. His openness about depression and inner conflict gave depth to his pastoral message, and his ability to turn personal struggle into shared spiritual insight made him one of the most beloved spiritual writers of the 20th century.
Henri Nouwen died in 1996 of a sudden heart attack, but his legacy endures through his writings, the Henri Nouwen Society, and the continued global reach of his message of belovedness, vulnerability, and compassionate community. His books remain bestsellers, widely read in seminaries, churches, and among individuals seeking a more intimate walk with God.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
July 30, 2017
Nouwen's title here alludes to the busy and very secular modern scene he encountered in Rome. The clowns seemed to do more meaningless things, but they were so needed amidst the hustle of the modern city. He compares the spiritual disciplines of his faith to the gift the clowns give the people of the city.
I haven't read much that comes from a Catholic perspective, but found this helpful in understanding some of Catholicism's practices as they work counter to the modern civilization. Much is applicable to all spiritual life.
I haven't read much that comes from a Catholic perspective, but found this helpful in understanding some of Catholicism's practices as they work counter to the modern civilization. Much is applicable to all spiritual life.
April 19, 2024
Classic Nouwen early in his writing
If you like Nouwen, this book fits well in his corpus. There are a few moments of brilliance that stand out, but it also seems that his writing style is still maturing. He speaks of many of the same themes as in his later works but they are not as well expressed here. Also the title has very little to do with the content. I was a little disappointed with that.
If you like Nouwen, this book fits well in his corpus. There are a few moments of brilliance that stand out, but it also seems that his writing style is still maturing. He speaks of many of the same themes as in his later works but they are not as well expressed here. Also the title has very little to do with the content. I was a little disappointed with that.
November 13, 2024
5 stars for Nouwen! This books hits on 4 principles and how they seem useless yet are so important to the church as a whole. Those 4 principles are; solitude, celibacy, prayer, and contemplation. Essentially these principles pose the practice of transparency between our engagement with self, God, nature, and others, rather than engaging from the lens of “opaqueness”. I am encouraged!
January 26, 2018
A lovely read from Nouwen on several topics -- I particularly enjoyed his work on celibacy and marriage and how the two are in service to each other. This is not my favorite work/collection from Nouwen, but it's also like saying, 'this is not my favorite chocolate.' Even when it's not my favorite, it's still excellent.
April 11, 2018
Life-altering.
March 15, 2023
FOUR ESSAYS BASED ON LECTURES
Priest and author Henri J.M. Nouwen wrote in the Introduction to this 1979 book, “This small book was born in Rome… I met many holy men and women offering their lives to others was with a disarming generosity. And slowly, I started to realize that in the great circus of Rome, full of lion-tamers and trapeze artists whose dazzling feats claim our attention, the real and true story was told by the clowns. Clowns are not in the center of the events. They appear between the great acts, fumble and fall, and make us smile again after the tensions created by the heroes we came to admire. The clowns don’t have it together, they do not succeed in what they try, they are awkward, lout of balance, and left-handed, but… they are on our side. We respond to them not with … tension but with a smile… The longer I was in Rome, the more I enjoyed the clowns, those peripheral people who by their humble, saintly lives evoke a smile and awaken hope, even in a city terrorized by kidnapping and street violence. It is false to think that the Church in Rome is nothing more than an unimaginative bureaucracy… There are too many clowns in Rome, both inside and outside the Vatican, who contradict such ideas. I even came to feel that behind the black, purple, and red in the Roman churches and behind the suits and ties in the Roman offices there is enough clownishness left not to give up hope.” (Pg. 1-3)
He states, “we may wonder if many men and women in religious communities have not become so deeply affected by the fears and anger of our world that it has become practically impossible for them to be like children playing pipes and inviting others to dance… this suggests that a community in which no real intimacy can be experienced cannot be creative witness for very long in our fearful and angry world. In this situation we need to take a very careful look at the importance of solitude in the life of a community. It might be that by deemphasizing solitude in favor of the urgent needs of our world, we are endangering the very basis of our Christian witness.” (Pg. 12-13)
He says, “Solitude is the place where religious communities find their communal identity. It is the place where as members of a religious community we can listen to God’s call and discern our common vocation… It is very naïve to think that our individual giftedness can be directly translated into a call… There was a time in which a one-sided view of humility led to the negation or denial of individual gifts. Hopefully, that time is gone. But to think that individual gifts are the manifestation of God’s will reveals a one-sided view of vocation and obscures the fact that our talents can be as much the way to God as IN THE WAY OF God.” (Pg. 20-21)
He continues, “Solitude indeed is the place of the great encounter, from which all other encounters derive their meaning. In solitude, we meet God. ln solitude, we leave behind our many activities, concerns, plans and projects, opinions and convictions, and enter into the presence of our loving God, naked, vulnerable, open, and receptive. And there we see that he alone if God, that he alone is love, that he alone is care, that he alone is forgiveness. In solitude we indeed can call God our Father, the loving Father of all people.” (Pg. 28)
He outlines, “I want to look at celibacy as a witness to the inner sanctum in our own lives and in the lives of others. By giving a special visibility to this inner sanctum, this holy, empty space in human life, the celibate man or woman wants to affirm and proclaim that all human intimacy finds its deepest meaning and fulfillment when it is experienced and lived as a participation in the intimacy of God himself.” (Pg. 38)
He suggests, “I think that celibacy can never be considered as a special prerogative of a few members of the people of God. Celibacy, in its distance sense of creating and protecting emptiness for God, is an essential part of all forms of Christian life: marriage, friendship, single life, and community life. We will never fully understand what it means to be celibate unless we recognize that celibacy is, first of all, an element, and even an essential element in the life of all Christians.” (Pg. 45) Later, he adds, “in a world torn by loneliness and conflict and trying so hard to create better human relationships, celibacy is a very important witness. It encourages us to create space for him who sent his son, thus revealing to us that we can only love each other because he loved us first.” (Pg. 51)
He acknowledges, “I am painfully aware that many questions you probably have about celibacy have hardly been touched. I have not discussed how our sexual drives, desires, and needs can be creatively integrated into a celibate life-style. I have not talked about the important relationship between celibacy and community life, and I have not spoken about the value of celibacy for a concrete day-to-day ministry. I wanted very consciously to avoid emphasizing the usefulness of celibacy.” (Pg. 57)
He asserts, “This withholding from God of a large part of our thoughts leads us onto a road that we probably would never consciously want to take. It is the road of idolatry. Idolatry means the worship of false images, and that is precisely what happens when we keep out fantasies, worries, and joys to ourselves and do not present them to him who is our Lord. By refusing to share these thoughts, we limit his lordship and erect little altars to the mental images we do not want to submit to a divine conversation.” (Pg. 74)
He summarizes, “unceasing prayer is not just the unusual feat of a simple Russian peasant, but a realistic vocation for all Christians. It certainly is not a way of living that comes either automatically by simply desiring it or easily by just praying once in a while. But when we give it serious attention and develop an appropriate discipline, we will see a real transformation in our lives that will lead us closer and closer to God. Unceasing prayer as a permanent and unchangeable state of mind obviously will never be reached. It will always require our attention and discipline. Nevertheless, we will discover that many of the disturbing thoughts that seemed to distract us are being transformed into the ongoing praise of God.” (Pg. 83)
He says, “The contemplative life is a life in which time slowly loses its opaqueness and becomes transparent. This is often a very difficult and slow process, but it is full of re-creating power. To start seeing that the many events of our day, week, of year are not in the way of our search for a full life, but rather the way to it, is a real experience of conversion… The contemplative life, therefore, is not a life that offers a few good moments between the many bad ones, but a life that transforms all our time into a window through which the invisible world becomes visible.” (Pg. 96-97)
He explains in the Postscript, “I wonder if every human being has not known in some way and at some time the desire for solitude, for inner vacancy, for prayer, and for contemplation. Don’t all men and women experience the urge to be alone with God, to create space for hm in the center of our lives, to lift up all the needs of the world to him, and to see more clearly where he reveals himself to us?” (Pg. 109)
This book will interest fans of Nouwen’s other writings.
Priest and author Henri J.M. Nouwen wrote in the Introduction to this 1979 book, “This small book was born in Rome… I met many holy men and women offering their lives to others was with a disarming generosity. And slowly, I started to realize that in the great circus of Rome, full of lion-tamers and trapeze artists whose dazzling feats claim our attention, the real and true story was told by the clowns. Clowns are not in the center of the events. They appear between the great acts, fumble and fall, and make us smile again after the tensions created by the heroes we came to admire. The clowns don’t have it together, they do not succeed in what they try, they are awkward, lout of balance, and left-handed, but… they are on our side. We respond to them not with … tension but with a smile… The longer I was in Rome, the more I enjoyed the clowns, those peripheral people who by their humble, saintly lives evoke a smile and awaken hope, even in a city terrorized by kidnapping and street violence. It is false to think that the Church in Rome is nothing more than an unimaginative bureaucracy… There are too many clowns in Rome, both inside and outside the Vatican, who contradict such ideas. I even came to feel that behind the black, purple, and red in the Roman churches and behind the suits and ties in the Roman offices there is enough clownishness left not to give up hope.” (Pg. 1-3)
He states, “we may wonder if many men and women in religious communities have not become so deeply affected by the fears and anger of our world that it has become practically impossible for them to be like children playing pipes and inviting others to dance… this suggests that a community in which no real intimacy can be experienced cannot be creative witness for very long in our fearful and angry world. In this situation we need to take a very careful look at the importance of solitude in the life of a community. It might be that by deemphasizing solitude in favor of the urgent needs of our world, we are endangering the very basis of our Christian witness.” (Pg. 12-13)
He says, “Solitude is the place where religious communities find their communal identity. It is the place where as members of a religious community we can listen to God’s call and discern our common vocation… It is very naïve to think that our individual giftedness can be directly translated into a call… There was a time in which a one-sided view of humility led to the negation or denial of individual gifts. Hopefully, that time is gone. But to think that individual gifts are the manifestation of God’s will reveals a one-sided view of vocation and obscures the fact that our talents can be as much the way to God as IN THE WAY OF God.” (Pg. 20-21)
He continues, “Solitude indeed is the place of the great encounter, from which all other encounters derive their meaning. In solitude, we meet God. ln solitude, we leave behind our many activities, concerns, plans and projects, opinions and convictions, and enter into the presence of our loving God, naked, vulnerable, open, and receptive. And there we see that he alone if God, that he alone is love, that he alone is care, that he alone is forgiveness. In solitude we indeed can call God our Father, the loving Father of all people.” (Pg. 28)
He outlines, “I want to look at celibacy as a witness to the inner sanctum in our own lives and in the lives of others. By giving a special visibility to this inner sanctum, this holy, empty space in human life, the celibate man or woman wants to affirm and proclaim that all human intimacy finds its deepest meaning and fulfillment when it is experienced and lived as a participation in the intimacy of God himself.” (Pg. 38)
He suggests, “I think that celibacy can never be considered as a special prerogative of a few members of the people of God. Celibacy, in its distance sense of creating and protecting emptiness for God, is an essential part of all forms of Christian life: marriage, friendship, single life, and community life. We will never fully understand what it means to be celibate unless we recognize that celibacy is, first of all, an element, and even an essential element in the life of all Christians.” (Pg. 45) Later, he adds, “in a world torn by loneliness and conflict and trying so hard to create better human relationships, celibacy is a very important witness. It encourages us to create space for him who sent his son, thus revealing to us that we can only love each other because he loved us first.” (Pg. 51)
He acknowledges, “I am painfully aware that many questions you probably have about celibacy have hardly been touched. I have not discussed how our sexual drives, desires, and needs can be creatively integrated into a celibate life-style. I have not talked about the important relationship between celibacy and community life, and I have not spoken about the value of celibacy for a concrete day-to-day ministry. I wanted very consciously to avoid emphasizing the usefulness of celibacy.” (Pg. 57)
He asserts, “This withholding from God of a large part of our thoughts leads us onto a road that we probably would never consciously want to take. It is the road of idolatry. Idolatry means the worship of false images, and that is precisely what happens when we keep out fantasies, worries, and joys to ourselves and do not present them to him who is our Lord. By refusing to share these thoughts, we limit his lordship and erect little altars to the mental images we do not want to submit to a divine conversation.” (Pg. 74)
He summarizes, “unceasing prayer is not just the unusual feat of a simple Russian peasant, but a realistic vocation for all Christians. It certainly is not a way of living that comes either automatically by simply desiring it or easily by just praying once in a while. But when we give it serious attention and develop an appropriate discipline, we will see a real transformation in our lives that will lead us closer and closer to God. Unceasing prayer as a permanent and unchangeable state of mind obviously will never be reached. It will always require our attention and discipline. Nevertheless, we will discover that many of the disturbing thoughts that seemed to distract us are being transformed into the ongoing praise of God.” (Pg. 83)
He says, “The contemplative life is a life in which time slowly loses its opaqueness and becomes transparent. This is often a very difficult and slow process, but it is full of re-creating power. To start seeing that the many events of our day, week, of year are not in the way of our search for a full life, but rather the way to it, is a real experience of conversion… The contemplative life, therefore, is not a life that offers a few good moments between the many bad ones, but a life that transforms all our time into a window through which the invisible world becomes visible.” (Pg. 96-97)
He explains in the Postscript, “I wonder if every human being has not known in some way and at some time the desire for solitude, for inner vacancy, for prayer, and for contemplation. Don’t all men and women experience the urge to be alone with God, to create space for hm in the center of our lives, to lift up all the needs of the world to him, and to see more clearly where he reveals himself to us?” (Pg. 109)
This book will interest fans of Nouwen’s other writings.
April 26, 2011
Once again, Henri Nouwen has blown my mind. He was asked to teach for 5 months at the North American University in Rome and this book is a set of four lectures combined to cover things like contemplative prayer, celibacy, solitude, community, and caring for one another. The man is so good at explaining the deepest of concepts in the most understandable, heartfelt terms.
One quote that particularly applied to me as I was reading on solitude and prayer was this:
"We may think that prayer is good when there is nothing more important to do, but we have strong reservations and doubts about God's effectiveness in our world or God's personal interest in us. We are no longer conscious of God-with-us.
I encounter many friends and colleagues who are plagued by deep, hostile feelings toward God without having any way to express or work with them. I don't meet many people today who live only for God."
I highly recommend Nouwen's books for anyone looking to read about God without all the usual shit that comes from many of today's millionaire evangelists looking to make a buck on the next Christian fad. His theology is very sound and his heart is very transparent in his writing.
One quote that particularly applied to me as I was reading on solitude and prayer was this:
"We may think that prayer is good when there is nothing more important to do, but we have strong reservations and doubts about God's effectiveness in our world or God's personal interest in us. We are no longer conscious of God-with-us.
I encounter many friends and colleagues who are plagued by deep, hostile feelings toward God without having any way to express or work with them. I don't meet many people today who live only for God."
I highly recommend Nouwen's books for anyone looking to read about God without all the usual shit that comes from many of today's millionaire evangelists looking to make a buck on the next Christian fad. His theology is very sound and his heart is very transparent in his writing.
January 2, 2013
In a style which I have found to be Nouwen's signature I found a great deal of wisdom for married life in the essay on celibacy.
March 7, 2023
In a spiritual marketplace where consumers of spirituality - or packaged as such - rebel against and castigate Western religious traditions (indeed, all religion), Nouwen draws from it - Christianity- not in opposition to other paths but mining the wellspring of its oft-unappreciated and under-appreciated- by Christians and non-Christians - deeper teachings of spiritual wisdom. Hence, Nouwen focuses on the pragmatic, not the dogmatic.
Certainly, Nouwen draws from Christianity, as any author will draw from their path, even when applying it inclusively. Also, the writings are drawn from talks to Catholic audiences. Hence, the inclusiveness of this work arises from the inclusive nature of contemplative wisdom.
Nouwen weds inner and outer life, showing how the two complement and enhance each other. Even celibacy is removed from the straightjacket of its usual meaning of sexual abstinence to show how its inner wisdom is for us all, whether we engage or not in sex.
Nouwen uses the image of the clown to highlight the need for a clownness spirituality. This image applies well in a culture where people are drawn to the curious and to exotic teachers and teachings. Clowns are the odd-ones. Yet, spiritual clowns can help ground us. They are not religious or spiritual show-offs, many of them are never known, but they quietly go about living wisely in a caring way that does not fascinate and likely will never draw a crowd.
In a flashy spiritual mall, where spirituality is packaged to appeal to the masses, clowns embody a wisdom that will never be popular, at least not for those seeking teachers and teachings that provide a spiritualized escape from the inner summons of self-demoting so to live and give in Truth and Love.
Hence, the clown may appear less than the rest, but the clown, behind smiles and tears, knows what it means to be fully alive - which means, fully human, not using religion or spirituality to hide or try to transcend humanness or creatureliness. The clown is not trying to be holy or spiritual - not trying to be anything. The clown is not even trying to be a clown.
So, yes, may we have more clowns amid the glitter and glow of the attention-grabbing spectacular - that is Nouwen's appeal. One can, indeed, gain much from the wisdom of the contemplative stream within Christianity, though often hidden by power, politics, privilege, and dogmatism. Nouwen demonstrates this, and this can serve as a model of how tradition is often still here for its light has not been snuffed out but remains alive for those willing to see rather than just run to something that appears seductive and shinier.
Certainly, Nouwen draws from Christianity, as any author will draw from their path, even when applying it inclusively. Also, the writings are drawn from talks to Catholic audiences. Hence, the inclusiveness of this work arises from the inclusive nature of contemplative wisdom.
Nouwen weds inner and outer life, showing how the two complement and enhance each other. Even celibacy is removed from the straightjacket of its usual meaning of sexual abstinence to show how its inner wisdom is for us all, whether we engage or not in sex.
Nouwen uses the image of the clown to highlight the need for a clownness spirituality. This image applies well in a culture where people are drawn to the curious and to exotic teachers and teachings. Clowns are the odd-ones. Yet, spiritual clowns can help ground us. They are not religious or spiritual show-offs, many of them are never known, but they quietly go about living wisely in a caring way that does not fascinate and likely will never draw a crowd.
In a flashy spiritual mall, where spirituality is packaged to appeal to the masses, clowns embody a wisdom that will never be popular, at least not for those seeking teachers and teachings that provide a spiritualized escape from the inner summons of self-demoting so to live and give in Truth and Love.
Hence, the clown may appear less than the rest, but the clown, behind smiles and tears, knows what it means to be fully alive - which means, fully human, not using religion or spirituality to hide or try to transcend humanness or creatureliness. The clown is not trying to be holy or spiritual - not trying to be anything. The clown is not even trying to be a clown.
So, yes, may we have more clowns amid the glitter and glow of the attention-grabbing spectacular - that is Nouwen's appeal. One can, indeed, gain much from the wisdom of the contemplative stream within Christianity, though often hidden by power, politics, privilege, and dogmatism. Nouwen demonstrates this, and this can serve as a model of how tradition is often still here for its light has not been snuffed out but remains alive for those willing to see rather than just run to something that appears seductive and shinier.
December 6, 2024
Nouwen plays with the metaphor of godly people in society as the clowns - living out of the spotlight, between the scenes, pointing people towards what they see immediately in front of them. Rooted in practices that help them see beyond the here and now, there is always a sense of disconnect with the status quo as the clowns see the world and humanity as it is supposed to be. The book gave me a heightened awareness of my role as chaplain and pastor to those around me, encouraging me to more deeply root my life in solitude and contemplation connecting my internal journal with my external ministry, yet always feeling not quite a part of what is going on. I love these words in postscript:
Whenever the clowns appear we are reminded that what really counts is something other than the spectacular and the sensational. Clowns remind us of what happens behind the scenes. The clowns show us by their "useless" behavior not simply that many of our preoccupations, worries, tensions, and anxieties need a smile, but that we too have white on our faces and that we too are called to clown a little."
I feel all of that.
Whenever the clowns appear we are reminded that what really counts is something other than the spectacular and the sensational. Clowns remind us of what happens behind the scenes. The clowns show us by their "useless" behavior not simply that many of our preoccupations, worries, tensions, and anxieties need a smile, but that we too have white on our faces and that we too are called to clown a little."
I feel all of that.
August 21, 2022
This is a short book of four essays that Nouwen drafted in response to time he spent in Rome. Even though only a 120+ pages, there is a lot to digest and I took my time reading each essay.
My strongest takeaway was the underlying theme that came through each of the four essays in some way and that was the importance of contemplation to experiencing God. Yes, the fourth essay is specifically titled "Contemplation and Caring" but in each of the others Nouwen either specifically talks about contemplation or alludes to it.
Interesting that the Centering Prayer practice is a form of contemplation and inviting God into our experience. Nouwen extends the practice to one of using Scripture, specifically, the Gospels to provide food for daily meditation that keeps Jesus top of mind throughout.
This is a very compelling set of essays that I expect to return to in the future.
My strongest takeaway was the underlying theme that came through each of the four essays in some way and that was the importance of contemplation to experiencing God. Yes, the fourth essay is specifically titled "Contemplation and Caring" but in each of the others Nouwen either specifically talks about contemplation or alludes to it.
Interesting that the Centering Prayer practice is a form of contemplation and inviting God into our experience. Nouwen extends the practice to one of using Scripture, specifically, the Gospels to provide food for daily meditation that keeps Jesus top of mind throughout.
This is a very compelling set of essays that I expect to return to in the future.
May 19, 2021
The clowns, Henri Nouwen tells us, "remind us with a tear and a smile that we share the same weaknesses." Like us, they stumble along between the great acts of the circus; like us, they are necessary.
Against the backdrop of Rome and the little acts of humanity among the great edifices, Henri Nouwen reflects on the contemplative lifestyle in meditations meant for the consecrated, but timely for us all. In contemplation he sees a profound participation in life, an embracing of life. There is no detachment from the world, no need for complex analysis -- it is a God-centred experience of the world, a witness to the holy.
Told simply, with open hands and heart, once again Henri Nouwen guides the reader to hope - and a glimpse of joy.
Against the backdrop of Rome and the little acts of humanity among the great edifices, Henri Nouwen reflects on the contemplative lifestyle in meditations meant for the consecrated, but timely for us all. In contemplation he sees a profound participation in life, an embracing of life. There is no detachment from the world, no need for complex analysis -- it is a God-centred experience of the world, a witness to the holy.
Told simply, with open hands and heart, once again Henri Nouwen guides the reader to hope - and a glimpse of joy.
December 4, 2024
A helpful guide into the contemplative life as "clowns" who are not the centerpiece of the theater of life, but rather the odd ones on the margins who show us who we are. Nouwen's wisdom on this contemplative life is just as relevant today as when he wrote in the 70s. I particularly benefited from his reflections on solitude and his unfurling of contemplation as a life of seeing Reality, seeing Jesus as the image of God, learning to see the presence of God who is Love dwelling within, and then extending that vision into our care for others.
December 31, 2025
Did I spend enough time with this book to give it a fair chance at an honest review? Unclear. Was it short and so did that suggest to me that I could burn through it? Yes. Did I still take away some valuable insights? Also yes: chronos and kairos, the sin of idolatry, the ceaselessness of thoughts and the possibility of ceaseless prayer, the move from opaqueness to transparency in relationship to nature, to others.
December 24, 2023
As a Protestant woman who was raised with a very open view of sexuality, I was surprised by how meaningful I found Nouwen’s approach to celibacy. The section on prayer was also particularly good, and a little different than much of his other writing on prayer as this focused on how our thoughts can become prayer.
June 4, 2019
If not for the title I would have given this five stars (I just couldn't connect with his "clown" framework) as the essays were all particularly good. The reframing of celibacy and solitude as wider disciplines for all was particularly thought-provoking.
February 9, 2020
This is far from Nouwen's greatest work, but, as always, he writes beautifully on prayer and contemplation. Read this if you want to know what it means to "pray without ceasing". Nouwen teaches us here how to turn our thoughts, our life, into a constant communion/conversation with Christ.
January 22, 2023
Another great one by Nouwen. He removes the false distinctions of the physical world and spiritual world and beautifully explains how the physical world (space, time and people) leads us into deeper communion with God.
October 1, 2024
This books felt more like hearing Nouwen give a series of lectures than reading most of his more nurturing books. I liked it a lot and thought the different style held contemplative themes in a new light.
April 9, 2018
Really enjoyed this read. Nouwen has a way of framing things to make me think in new directions.
July 30, 2021
Honestly not sure if I am even qualified to officially rate this book. I enjoyed it, but it is very dense and hard to keep track of sometimes.
December 28, 2021
Insightful, uplifting Nouwen. The world would be better with more people like Henri
February 9, 2022
Would be 5 stars if more clowns were involved....
July 2, 2022
A heart-opener! 🙏🏼
April 1, 2023
I really wish every Christian, Catholic and non-Catholic, would read this book. It is one of Nouwen's lesser known books, but unique and wonderful all the same.
June 27, 2024
Vacare Deo: mooi concept
December 27, 2024
I loved this book. It moved me.
September 1, 2019
I very much enjoy this man and his spiritual journey. I learned about him from Mr. Rogers actually. Henri Nouwen offers such gentle comfort, love, and advice on how to be a better person, and the kind presence of God in this world. It is a comforting read.
March 21, 2013
Henri in his usual introspective style shares some great insights and learnings which he presented to some students. His understanding as to how people live lives of fear is on target. However, he doesn't stop there. He gives an unusual prescription for healing... solitude. Yes, solitude as a medicine, not just a solution, but "a direction" for many of the core ills we struggle with relationally. Our expectation for others to fill certain voids in our lives... unconditional love, complete understanding, constant affection, are unrealistic. Another human being cannot fulfill these needs. These places suggests Henri, are holy places within and between us which we lean and seek for others to occupy and satisfy, and is unrealistic, at least in the long-term. Henri points toward celibacy as a way in which we can bring forth this longing to work through it. I don't know that this is the answer, but nevertheless he makes a great argument. It begs the question of the value of abstinence for the sake of exploring this... even in marriage albeit even for short periods (no pun intended). He ends the lectures on prayer... a lifestyle of prayer with an assurance that this is possible in our modern age.
November 16, 2016
Nouwen was a prolific Catholic writer for many years, particularly in the genre of spiritual formation. This book is a collection of lectures he gave in Rome to a group of clergy people. He took his cues from the clowns around Rome who he viewed on the periphery of society, very humble, yet whose live’s entire purpose was to bring a smile to people on the periphery. That’s the major theme, the clownishness of the Christian life as a way of standing against the worldly powers. It’s an interesting and humble read, and I felt humbled by reading it. Nothing too heady, just a reminder that we’re all clowns, and to do the best with that we can. Who can’t use that reminder from time to time?
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