Sacred Darkness : Encountering Divine Love in Life's Darkest Places

by Coutinho, Paul

• ISBN13: 9780829433531
• ISBN10: 0829433538
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-06-01
• Publisher: Loyola Pr

Summary

Before there was light, God was. In fact, darkness is the medium God worked in to create the world, the universe, and all material things. Certainly, God lives in the warmth of sunlight and within our happiest days--but God also dwells in darkness. In Sacred Darkness, Paul Coutinho, SJ, examines how many Christians are fearful of dark times and struggles, yet it is often darkness that sheds light on our world and helps us live more effectively and more fully in the painful situations of our lives. Throughout the book, Coutinho shares powerful stories of how darkness can empower us--from a self-destructive alcoholic, to St. Ignatius, to the author himself. Ultimately, Sacred Darknessencourages us to overcome our "fear" or the dark by exploring the legitimate role of darkness on the spiritual journey. By learning to embrace darkness rather than run from it, we can experience God's love in ways and in places where we would least expect it.

Author Biography

Paul Coutinho, SJ, is an internationally recognized Ignatian scholar with a doctorate in historical theology from St. Louis University. A native of India and a Jesuit from the Bombay province, he brings an Eastern influence to Western spirituality. He is the author of An Ignatian Pathway and How Big Is Your God?

Table of Contents

Universal Darkness	p. 1
In the Beginning…	p. 3
Darkness and the Purer Vision	p. 5
Darkness, Word, and OM	p. 7
Darkness as the Source of Life	p. 10
Death and Darkness	p. 12
The Darkness in Which We Worship the Divine	p. 16
God of the Israelites Dwelt in Darkness	p. 20
Treasures in Darkness	p. 23
Fading to Silence, Becoming Children	p. 28
The Sacred Power of Darkness	p. 32
Be Still and Know That I Am God	p. 37
Stillness and St. Ignatius	p. 43
Personal Darkness	p. 49
The Powerful Experience of Darkness in the Retreat	p. 51
Seeing God Face-to-Face	p. 54
Seeing Gods Face Is an Invitation to Die	p. 58
Power in Weakness	p. 61
The Darkness of Addiction	p. 66
Saved by Her Son	p. 69
The Power of Forgiveness	p. 72
Sparks in the Darkness	p. 76
Life in the Darkness of My Religion	p. 81
Failure and the True Self	p. 85
Healed but Not Cured	p. 92
Lost and Found	p. 97
"Wealth in Poverty	p. 101
How to Live, How to Die	p. 104
Chaos and Tension toward Integration	p. 107
The Transition from Xavier to Ignatius	p. 110
Darkness and the Journey of Life	p. 113
Reverence: Key to the Treasures of Darkness	p. 115
Hero's Journey and Hindu Stages	p. 120
Journey of the Feminine	p. 125
The Feminine Face of God	p. 131
Mary: God's Feminine Face in Christianity	p. 138
Life's Deeper Mysteries: A Conversation	p. 143
Old Age, Fear, and Love	p. 149
Creation and Sin: Two Views Make the Whole	p. 153
Being Set Apart	p. 160
What the Darkness Brings	p. 164
Hating Father and Mother	p. 166
Spiritual Repose: Culmination of the Spiritual Journey	p. 169
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