THE NEW WINE OF DOMINICAN SPIRITUALITY

The long-awaited book on Dominican Spirituality, "The New Wine of Dominican Spirituality: a Drink Called Happiness" by Fr. Paul Murray, OP finally arrived today in the mail! Fr. Murray has teased us with 2 of the chapters in this book as one was originally given at the General Assembly of the Nuns in 2004 and another recently given at the Prioresses' meeting in Prague, Czech Republic in 2005. We've been looking forward to the publishing of his book, supporting him by our prayers and encouragement. After a dirth of good books on what it means to be Dominican and why we are happy being Dominicans this book is well, like, a good drink of wine!

From the back of the book:

"This lively and compelling book by Paul Murray, OP names and celebrates aspects of the Dominican tradition which are at the very core of its spirituality. This tradition has often been described in the past, and for good reason, as scholarly and intelellectual. But the lives of the Dominicans whose voices we hear in this book were also, and to an extraordinary degree, apostolic, exuberant, evangelical, risk-taking, mystical and robust.

One of the things which has characterized the Dominican spirit from the beginning is a sense of openess to the world. Dominicans such as Thamas Aquinas, Jordan of Saxony and Catherine of Siena were not only impressive celebrants of grace. There were also defenders of nature. After the example of St. Dominic himself, they learned to drink deep from the wine of God's Word, and became witness not only of certain great moral and doctrinal truths but witnesses also of an unimaginable joy."