A Feast for Hungry Souls
Spiritual Lessons from the Church's Greatest Masters and Mystics
by Susan Muto
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Pub Date 8 May 2020 | Archive Date 29 Jul 2020
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Description
Renowned scholar Susan Muto presents her spiritual legacy with a rich introduction to thirty Christian masters. These voices from the ancient, medieval, and modern Church have been the focus of Muto’s work for more than forty years and the trusted guides of her own spiritual life. Masters such as Benedict of Nursia, Clare of Assisi, Thomas Merton, and Teresa of Avila will help answer your most pressing spiritual questions and satisfy the deepest cravings of your heart.
From the simplicity and solitude of the desert mystics and other ancient masters to the practicality and prayerfulness of medieval saints such as Julian of Norwich and Catherine of Siena to the relatable sensibilities of modern masters such as Evelyn Underhill and Thomas Merton, Muto—executive director of the Epiphany Association and dean of the Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality—draws deeply from the well of the Christian spiritual tradition to address some of our most pressing spiritual hungers:
* The Desert Fathers teach us how to hear God above the noise of everyday life.
* Augustine of Hippo acknowledges the restlessness that precedes spiritual growth.
* Julian of Norwich reflects on the universality and purpose of suffering.
* Jean-Pierre de Caussade explores what it means to have a heart fully surrendered to God.
* Thérѐse of Lisieux shares her little way of spiritual childhood.
In each chapter, Muto introduces a spiritual master who she finds helpful in meeting a particular condition or challenge commonly faced in the Christian life and places that master within the historical and spiritual contexts of their time. Muto then introduces a classic work associated with that master, identifying key themes or principles to apply to your own life. Each chapter concludes with reflection questions to ponder individually or discuss in a group setting.
Rich yet accessible, this book will fortify your soul with time-tested spiritual insight and practical wisdom so you can enter more deeply into the mystery of spiritual union with God.
A Note From the Publisher
Muto earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in English literature from the University of Pittsburgh, where she specialized in the work of post-Reformation spiritual writers. Beginning in 1966, she served in administrative positions at the Institute of Formative Spirituality at Duquesne University and taught as a full professor in its programs, edited its journals, and served as its director from 1981 to 1988. An expert in literature and spirituality, she continues to teach courses on an adjunct basis at a number of schools, seminaries, and centers of higher learning.
Muto is a frequent contributor to scholarly and popular journals such as Mount Carmel and Spiritual Life Magazine, and served as editor of Epiphany’s online journals and courses, including Growing in, with, and through Christ. She is the author of more than thirty books, among them Twelve Little Ways to Transform Your Heart and the award-winning Gratefulness. She is the coauthor—with Rev. Adrian van Kaam, C.S.Sp. (1920-2007)—of more than forty books, including Commitment: Key to Christian Maturity, and The Power of Appreciation.
Muto lectures and leads conferences, seminars, workshops, and institutes nationally and internationally. She has received many distinctions for her work, including a doctor of humanities degree from King’s College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. She was honored in 2009 with a lifetime achievement award by the Catholic Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Muto also was the recipient of the 2014 Aggiornamento Award presented of the Catholic Library Association. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Advance Praise
“This is a treasure trove of deep spiritual truths introducing some of the most important figures who shaped Christian spirituality.”
From the foreword by Haley Stewart
Catholic blogger, podcaster, and author of The Grace of Enough
“A Feast for Hungry Souls is an outstanding read for any Catholic longing to get closer to Jesus. It contains a banquet of wisdom gleaned from the lives and writings of thirty of the greatest spiritual masters of the Church. Making careful introductions to the reader, Muto selects choice tidbits from the writings of each one, teaching you how to implement their timeless practices and delve deeper in your relationship with Christ by following their practical advice. If you want to experience friendship with Christ and to pray more fully, pick up a copy of this book!”
Emily Jaminet
Coauthor of Divine Mercy for Moms and The Friendship Project
“Only the saints and spiritual masters are our true guides in sustaining a Christian spiritual life. To prayerfully read this gift from Susan Muto is to be ushered into the deepest waters of Christian prayer and thought, a depth, meant to refresh all, as there is no elite when it comes to the call to holiness.”
Deacon James Keating
Director of Theological Formation
Institute for Priestly Formation
“What you are holding in your hands is a tour de force, an exquisite offering of Christian spiritual thought and exploration from the earliest Church Fathers, through the great mystics of the Church, both male and female, right up to the twentieth-century minds that have informed and enriched our faith. Their dogged pursuit of truth, love, mercy, and justice is revealed in their encounters with the Christ who is all of those things, ever-new, ever challenging. Rarely has a book been so perfectly titled as Susan Muto’s A Feast for Hungry Souls: a smorgasboard of wisdom, instruction, and inspiration from which we are invited to feed, whether we are looking for a mere morsel or a full meal. This book is a banquet, and it should be included in the library of any Catholic who is intent on deepening their relationship to Christ Jesus.”
Elizabeth Scalia
Editor-at-large at Word on Fire Catholic Ministries
“While there are a number of introductions to the Christian spiritual masters, none are quite so accessible, informative, or helpful as Susan Muto’s A Feast for Hungry Souls. Resisting the urge to reduce the great figures of Christian spirituality to a series of cliches, Muto devotedly dives into the nuances of a wide range of spiritual masters from early Christianity through today. A Feast for Hungry Souls is that rare book accessible enough for parish study while also possessing a bibliography rich enough to serve as the basis of an undergraduate or graduate textbook on spirituality.”
Timothy P. O’Malley
Director of Education for the McGrath Institute for Church Life
University of Notre Dame
“As a lifelong student and teacher of the spiritual life, I have often been asked, ‘What does someone who lived centuries ago have to say to me about how to live life in the twenty-first century?’ Susan Muto answers that question. She has a unique ability to astutely name the ‘soul sicknesses’ of contemporary life and provide a spiritual antidote through wisdom gained through the experiences of ancient, medieval, and modern spiritual masters. This book is filled with insight, practical advice, and probing questions that will help readers grow in wholeness and holiness at every stage of the spiritual journey.”
Patricia Cooney Hathaway
Professor of Spirituality and Systematic Theology
Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781594719257 |
| PRICE | US$24.95 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Reviewer 422293
This is a book to savor and read slowly. It’s like a next-level devotional. I’m really enjoying how it weaves together lessons and insights from the masters, as well as delving into their histories.
Ali G, Reviewer
This book gives an overview of thirty Christian masters, including the Desert Fathers, Christian mystics, medieval saints and modern contemplatives, Full of spiritual insight and wisdom. A book to savour. I received a free copy of this book. A favourable review was not required and all opinions expressed here are my own.
Christie S, Reviewer
This book will take some time to work through as I can’t rush it. It’s a lot of in depth information but also makes me think. It seems to spam denominations of faith in a really excellent way. Well researched and well written, I can think of a few people to gift it to already.
Librarian 431790
This is one of those book you have to read some pages at a time and then reflect on what you read.
It's full of food for thought and for soul.
i loved it and will surely reread it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine.
Tamara F, Reviewer
A Feast for Hungry Souls is a great introduction for anyone who is interested in learning more about the Desert Fathers and Mothers, and I am including myself in that group. It was a very friendly approach in what could be considered very dense in reading, but it is a great way to become more acquainted with these spiritual giants that formed part of our faith thousands of years ago. Each chapter is dedicated to a man or woman of faith, starting with the earliest (shortly after the crucifixion) and at end of each chapter there are questions to reflect on, and names of suggested books that will take your study further, if you desired to learn more about each person.
I enjoyed learning about people that I had only heard about or not at all, it was a good way to expand the knowledge of my Catholic faith.
My gratitude to NetGalley and Ave Maria Press. All opinions expressed are my own. 3.5 stars
Leslie S, Librarian
Recently, I had the opportunity to read the book A Feast for Hungry Souls: Spiritual Lessons from the Church's Greatest Masters and Mystics. After introducing the importance of learning from those who have gone before u s, Susan Muto takes on the gargantuan task of introducing readers to 30 different spiritual giants who have impacted Christian spirituality. She divides the books into several parts focusing on Ancient Masters, Medieval Masters, and Modern Masters. Most, but not all, of those included are Catholic and are frequently saints. However, John Wesley and Dietrich Bonhoeffer are also included.
In each chapter Muto skillfully provides brief biographical and historical information regarding the master being discussed. Drawing from their own writing, she emphasizes what they contributed to Christian spirituality. Each chapter concludes with several reflection questions focused on how the reader plans to engage further with the content as well as additional suggested readings. A Feast for Hungry Souls can be used in numerous settings. For individuals who are not very familiar with the saints listed or who are looking for an introduction to them, this book is perfect. In fact, I would encourage readers to consider using this book as a springboard to then read the writings of each master profiled. Because Muto makes sure to include historical information in addition to spiritual, this work would serve marvelously as a companion text in a church history class or in course focusing on the history of Christian spirituality. This book truly is a feast for those who will take the time to thoughtfully work through the contents. I anticipate pulling this book off the shelf frequently.
I received a complementary copy from Ave Maria Press via Net Galley. I was not required to provide a positive review.
Stacie T, Reviewer
I loved every single page of this book! I discovered a love for the saints as I was going through RCIA, and that fascination has only grown the longer I live out my Catholic faith. There is a massive comfort to be found in the saints, so I couldn't wait to read 'A Feast for Hungry Souls.' What an amazing book!
Each chapter is packed full of information, so I took the book in bits and pieces. I would read through until I found something that really hit me (which was like, every other paragraph), then would sit with it for awhile, giving myself time to really pull-apart what I'd read. I find, now that I have finished the book, that I actually want to keep it as part of my daily study/prayer time. 'A Feast for Hungry Souls' could be used as a book to read from beginning to end, something to reach for when in need of friendship or solace, or even as a daily devotional. Such a wonderful book and a definite recommend.
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