Synopsis
Passionately nonconformist spiritual reflections from an acclaimed essayist
When Nancy Mairs published her spiritual autobiography Ordinary Time, Kathleen Norris greeted it in the New York Times Book Review as a remarkable accomplishment, calling Mairs a relentlessly physical writer, as fiercely committed to her art as to her spiritual development.
Mairs's new book on spirituality describes the alternative brand of Catholic worship that she observes in the American Southwest. Raised Congregationalist in New England, Mairs is a convert to Catholicism. She is also feminist, radical, political activist--and all this in a church that tends to scorn her kind of progressive iconoclasm.
A Dynamic God explores why and how Mairs deals with those contradictions and still identifies as Catholic (Zen Catholic, as she sometimes says), and what she finds to love in that tradition.
Doctrinally, Mairs parts ways with the mainstream Church with few regrets. The people she worships with celebrate communion in each other's homes without a priest, discuss politics, and defy Church opposition.
But the Catholic rituals and imaginative structures that Mairs loves shape her life. In the Latino image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, for instance, she finds inspiration for a commitment to social justice. In her unmistakable, vibrant voice, she writes about sin and abundance; understanding vocation in a life circumscribed by multiple sclerosis; and celebrating life.
Early in the book, the author states that her intent is to throw wide the door for the Holy One to enter. She has done that and much more.
--Spirituality and Practice
Her book is an eloquent and witty account of aspiritual quest to find the holy within and without.
--Tucson Weekly
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Review
& quot; Mairs is an extraordinary woman . . . Her self-deprecating humor is wonderful. . . Mairs manages to create her own style.& quot;
"Mairs is an extraordinary woman . . . Her self-deprecating humor is wonderful. . . Mairs manages to create her own style."
"For those struggling with contradictions between organized religion and their personal beliefs, this testament to living an intimately unique brand of Catholicism will be welcome reading . . . spiritually minded will find food for thought and much to embrace in these thought-provoking pages."
"A Dynamic God is rich, risky, and startling. It is a remarkable book. Read it." --Story Circle Book Reviews
For those struggling with contradictions between organized religion and their personal beliefs, this testament to living an intimately unique brand of Catholicism will be welcome reading. --Margaret Flanagan, "Booklist"
"The vagaries of faith . . . reside at the heart of Nancy Mairs's "A Dynamic God". [The book] owes its power to Mairs's sensitivity, her attention to detail, her honesty about herself. A stunning collection." --David Ulin, "Los Angeles Times"
"An eloquent and witty account of a spiritual quest to find the holy within and without. It suggests a way back to the sacred for Catholics of all varieties." --Margaret Regan, "Tucson Weekly"
"Mairs is an extraordinary woman. The acclaimed author of the spiritual autobiography "Ordinary Time" suffers from multiple sclerosis, yet is able to write with passion about a God that others in her position would have walked away from a long time ago . . . Her self-deprecating humor is wonderful-much like the writing of Anne Lamott, although Mairs manages to create her own style." --"Publishers Weekly"
"Early in the book, the author states that her intent is to throw wide the door for the Holy One to enter. She has done that and much more." --Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, "Spirituality and Practice"
About the Author
Nancy Mairs is author of several acclaimed books, including Ordinary Time, Carnal Acts, Remembering the Bone House, and Plaintext.
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