Following Jesus

“Timeless wisdom for life from one of the great spiritual masters of our age.”—James Martin, S.J., author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage  The beloved author of The Return of the Prodigal Son offers an inspirational and compelling case for why Christianity is still relevant, beautiful, intelligent, and necessary in our modern world. At one of the lowest points in Henri Nouwen’s life, he gave a series of lectures on the importance of following Jesus in an age of anxiety. Drawn from those talks, Following Jesus reveals the deep turmoil and sometimes turbulent inner life of a man who has become an icon of compassion and vulnerability for Christians and non-Christians alike. He writes eloquently about calling and purpose, fear and hope, and he explains why, with so many choices available to the twenty-first-century seeker, including atheism and secularism, the greatest reward for those looking for fulfillment is to choose belief in God. Along the way he offers warm, insightful, and practical spiritual habits to help readers navigate the narrow, sometimes arduous, but ultimately gratifying road of conviction and faith. Praise for Following Jesus “Few writers have influenced me more than Henri Nouwen. These newly published lectures offer fresh and timely insights amid the familiar cadences of Nouwen’s prose, written from a place of deep anxiety but even deeper hope.”—John Inazu, professor of political science, Washington University in St. Louis, author of Confident Pluralism“In Following Jesus, beloved pastor and spiritual mentor Henri Nouwen guides the reader on the journey he has traveled as a follower of Jesus. Without minimizing the anxieties, fears, and brokenness that touch down in every reader’s story, Nouwen gently leads the way into a life that centers on Jesus and engulfs the follower with God’s love, a sense of belonging, and a purpose that endures. Truly a wise and welcome word for anyone in this age of anxiety.”—Carolyn Custis James, author of Half the Church: Recapturing God’s Global Vision for Women and Finding God in the Margins