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St. Francis and the (Im)possible Gift of Love

Posted in Franciscan Spirituality, Uncategorized with tags , , , , , on May 8, 2013 by Daniel P. Horan, OFM

the-practice-of-generosity giftOne of the problems with the idea of a gift is that it typically sets in motion an economy of exchange that, unintended by the giver and receiver, can set up a sense of inequality and debit that is not easily overcome. We’ve all been in this social situation before: someone at work gives you a holiday present, unexpectedly, with the sincerest desire to be kind and nice. Yet, you feel indebted, even embarrassed perhaps, for not having something ready at hand to give in return. This exchange sets up an imbalance that denies the possibility of a true gift, for a true gift is freely given and received without there being established such pressure for reciprocation, without there arising a sense of self-gratification or embarrassment, without the possibility of something ever given in return.

The French philosopher Jacques Derrida was, along with many other topics, deeply concerned about the possibility of a true gift. He believed that for something to truly be a gift it must not appear as such and can only be ‘given’ outside of the confines of the economy of exchange that elicits a response in return that, in effect, ‘annuls’ the gift’s debt. What he means by this is that even if the only response a recipient can offer is a polite “Thank you,” the inherent elicitation of that response arises from without due to the imposition of the ‘gift’ or gesture of another.

This is indeed paradoxical. What does it mean have a genuine gift? Can one escape the ostensible aporia of the dynamics of giving and taking?

St. Francis had an intuitive sense of the impossibility of the gift and the dynamics of relationship that it implies. In his Admonition XXVI, Francis writes:

Blessed is the servant who loves his brother as much when he is sick and cannot repay him as when he is well and can repay him.

What an odd, little aphorism for a thirteenth-century mendicant to share with his brothers. Love, something Derrida also had philosophical concerns about in a way not unlike the possibility of a genuine gift, is tied up in Francis’s admonition within the same economy as Derrida’s gift.

True love, as the later heading for this admonition will term it, seems to move beyond the ordinary dynamics of what is seen and experienced. It exists only in the absence of the possibility of return. Contrary to the “Prayer attributed to St. Francis,” the true gift of love does not take place such that, “it is in giving that we receive.” No. It is, for Francis, only possible to “give” true love when it is impossible to receive in return.

This is a call to love as Jesus Christ did: an exercise of agape, self-giving, disinterested love.

Francis echoes this sensibility in the next admonition, when he writes:

Blessed is the servant who loves and respects his brother as much when he is far away from him as when he is with him, and who would not say anything behind his back that he would not say with charity in his presence.

It is the absence that marks the difference in this sense of the gift of love. When there is no possibility of return because the other is not present, when one has no obvious way to give the gift of kindness, of charity, of compliment — this is when impossible gift of love is possibly given.

Too often people think of the way of Christ’s love as “giving one’s self totally” in terms of what one does in an observable way for another. But what is the true gift? Can we give it? Can we love without the slightest possibility of return? Can we give without acknowledgement or acceptance? Can we give without the gift ever being received?

Derrida says that the possibility of such a gift is inextricably tied up with its very impossibility, but the longing for the genuine gift — as well as genuine love, forgiveness, mourning, and so on — is nevertheless essential. Perhaps this is the meaning of Christian discipleship in action, the striving toward the Reign of God in our actions, longing to love as Christ has and as Francis admonished.

Photo: Stock

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There Was No Needy Person Among Them

Posted in Franciscan Spirituality, Homilies with tags , , , , , , on April 9, 2013 by Daniel P. Horan, OFM

Christian CommunityWhat does it mean to be a Christian? What does it look like? Today’s first reading offers us a glimpse into what some of the early communities understood the ideal situation to look like, marked as it was by several well-known key features: unity in heart, unity in belief, unity in resources, and no one goes without what is necessary — there is no need.

The community of believers was of one heart and mind,
and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own,
but they had everything in common.
With great power the Apostles bore witness
to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great favor was accorded them all.
There was no needy person among them,
for those who owned property or houses would sell them,
bring the proceeds of the sale,
and put them at the feet of the Apostles,
and they were distributed to each according to need.
(Acts 4:32-35)

New Testament and Early Christianity scholars are generally sure that this quasi-utopic vision of early Christian life is idealistic rather than verbatim historical recounting of a specific community. Nevertheless, what this Lucan passage tells us is that the early Christian communities, after several generations, looked back at their origins and at least imagined what it would have looked like to be more closely following the Gospel.

This passage, in other words, is not really about returning to the past or looking back as much as it is about looking ahead and striving to emulate what an instantiation of the vita evangelica, what the “Gospel Life” would really look like if lived as truly as possible.

It is no surprise, then, that Francis of Assisi’s own Regula or “Rule of Life” begins with the line: “The Rule and Life of the Lesser Brothers is this: to observe the Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ by living in obedience, without anything of ones own, and in chastity” (RB 1:1). It is an attempt to express, in both spiritual and legislative terms, what the Acts of the Apostles passage expresses narratively: living out one’s baptismal vocation is to observe the Gospel, to follow Christ, to live as a hearer of the word (obedience), without anything of one’s own (poverty), and in right relationship with others (chastity).  While these evangelical counsels (as they are technically called) or religious vows (as they are more popularly known) are often understood to be something reserved for those women and men who have a vocation to religious life, the Acts of the Apostles reminds us of our universal call through baptism to live these virtues in whatever state we find ourselves.

This does not mean that everybody is to live in exactly the same way, but it does mean that we have one source for how to live and to imagine what it looks like to do so authentically: the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Long before John Lennon wrote the beautiful song “Imagine,” the worldview of the early followers of Jesus Christ was transformed in such a way that they, too, asked themselves — as they ask us today — “Imagine that there’s no need or want and all live in peace.” Can we imagine a world about which we might say: “There was no needy person among them?”

You might say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.

Photo: Stock

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Franciscans, Social Justice, and the Risk of Martyrdom in Mexico

Posted in Franciscan Spirituality, Social Justice with tags , , , , , on April 8, 2013 by Daniel P. Horan, OFM

stillman-mexico-cartelsA few days ago The New Yorker‘s Sarah Stillman wrote a blog post titled: “What We Want is the Head of the Friar.” It is a piece about a Franciscan friar named Tomás González Castillo, a man who has been running “a sanctuary for U.S.-bound migrants near the Guatemalan border, providing cots, meals, and a few days of safe haven to hundreds of young Central Americans venturing to the U.S. each week.” The journey for these mostly young women and men is often incredibly dangerous, as Stillman explains:

Mostly, these young men and women ride north atop commercial freight trains, facing robberies, rapes, and extortion as they go. Friar Tomás has begun demanding an end to such routinized crimes, calling out the criminal gangs—and, often, the Mexican police—who perpetrate them. The Seventy-Two takes its name from the body count of a massacre that occurred near the U.S. border several years ago; seventy-two migrants were kidnapped by the Zetas, squeezed for ransoms, and allegedly assassinated when they failed to follow orders.

Last week Brother Tomás and his colleagues at the shelter lodged formal complaints against the local gang members and this drew immediate and negative responses from those against whom the complaints had been placed. This has become a source of extortion and ransom for the cartels in Mexico, complicating an already dire situation in which poor women and men in Central America risk their lives to find jobs in the North.

The cartels’ targeting of migrants has become commonplace along the entire route through Mexico, with an estimated twenty thousand migrant kidnappings each year. Most of the time, the victims’ relatives in the U.S. are called upon to cough up ransoms. While the Mexican government has done little to address this crisis, and U.S. immigration policy has arguably fuelled it (by empowering rogue coyotes as a migrant’s best chance of traversing the militarized border), a fearless wing of the Catholic Church has established an underground railroad of sorts to offer migrants protection on their journey.

In an age when many people think that martyrdom is a relic of ancient Christianity, Brother Tomás reflects the conviction of Gospel values and faith in the face of the imminent risk to his very life. Along with colleagues that help run his social justice efforts and care for the marginalized migrants, Brother Tomás goes above and beyond for the sake of others. Stillman explains:

Friar Tomás is among the most vocal leaders of this movement. Day after day, he led the mothers into morgues, prisons, drug-rehabilitation centers, hospitals, and cemeteries. He stood beside them as they looked through photographs of the corpses of migrants in Saltillo, a dangerous Zeta stronghold, and as they ventured into the Zócalo in Mexico City to beg for help from a non-committal government. Most days, the friar wore a thin straw hat and a long brown robe. On the scorching-hot afternoons when I was sweating and tired and could barely keep up, broadsided by the magnitude of the violence and loss, Father Tomás barely paused for water—hiking alongside railroad tracks, knocking on the doors of shantytowns where suspected traffickers lived, showing photos to passersby and asking, “Have you seen her? Does she look familiar? She’s gone missing.”

Stillman ends her post with a striking narrative about how Brother Tomás celebrated Good Friday and what dangers inevitably lie ahead for him as he continues to do the work he feels God has called him to do.

This past Friday, I’m told, Friar Tomás and Rubén walked further into the fire. With hundreds of townspeople, they staged an enactment of the Stations of the Cross, with a migrant-crusaders’ twist. To play Jesus, they enlisted a sixteen-year-old Guatemalan boy named Kevin Barrientos, who had arrived at the shelter with empty pockets on his journey north, trying to make it alive to the U.S. with no parents but two friends. Costumed in a long white robe and turquoise sandals, the boy enacted the crucifixion on the train tracks. Friar Tomás told the Mexican press, “To assist the undocumented is not a crime, it is a grace.” Meanwhile, men believed to be spies for the cartels watched from afar, taking photographs from motorcycles.

Photo: via The New Yorker

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Interview About Pope Francis at The Jesuit Post

Posted in Franciscan Spirituality, Pope Francis, The Papal Watcher with tags , , , on April 1, 2013 by Daniel P. Horan, OFM

artworks-000044385857-k5o7a9-t500x500The week after Pope Francis was elected the Bishop of Rome, Sam Sawyer, SJ, one of the co-founders of The Jesuit Post interviewed me about the significance of Pope Francis’s name and his having selected it after the inspiration of St. Francis of Assisi. Here’s how Sam introduces the conversation, with the links to the audio (they also include a link to a “Daily-Show” like extended version of our entire, unedited conversation) Enjoy!

We know that Jesuits can have a reputation for being know-it-alls (there’s an old joke about having three Jesuits having at least four opinions about any question you can ask). But in this case, we decided to ask for some help in understanding what our new pope’s namesake — St. Francis of Assissi — might suggest about his approach to his ministry, to the Church, and to the world.

And who better to ask about St. Francis than a Franciscan? I sat down to talk with Fr. Dan Horan, OFM, the author of the book (and blog) Dating God, which focuses on applying the insights of Franciscan spirituality to contemporary life. Here’s the interview:

And if you just can’t get enough of Franciscan spirituality or geeky religious humor (it’s at the end), here’s our full, nearly 15-minute conversation, in Daily Show throw-it-to-the-web style.

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Tuesday of Holy Week: Fools for the Kingdom

Posted in America Magazine, Franciscan Spirituality, Uncategorized with tags , , , , on March 26, 2013 by Daniel P. Horan, OFM

fool_for_christAs we move closer to Easter during Holy Week I thought it might be good to reflect a little on the model of St. Francis of Assisi for all Christians. While the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord is, on the one hand, of the greatest importance and seriousness, reflection on Christian life is not on occasion for us to “take ourselves” too seriously. This is part of the wisdom of St. Francis gleaned from the Scriptures — we need to risk being seen as foolish in the eyes of the worldly “serious” to follow in the footprints of Christ.

Contrary to popular opinion, I think it’s sometimes good to be a fool. Most people approach foolishness in one of two ways. The first is to avoid any such scenario at all costs. The specter of failure and embarrassment haunts the professional, emotional and social lives of millions, quietly hindering people from sharing their opinions or speaking up in front of others.

The second is to exploit one’s potential foolishness to an extreme degree. While those who wish to avoid appearing foolish might recoil at the thought of public humiliation, hundreds of people have risen as stars of YouTube, reality television and daytime talk shows by acting as foolish as possible.

Neither of these approaches shows well what I have in mind—something that could be called evangelical foolishness, becoming “God’s fool,” a term applied to St. Francis of Assisi. There is perhaps no better time for a Franciscan friar’s first column in America than the issue dated April 1, the traditional day of fools, right after the election of the new pope, who will be known as Francis. St. Francis might rightly be regarded as the patron saint of fools. He might also offer us a surprising, if uneasy, Christian virtue between two foolish vices…

Read the rest of the article over at America

Photo: Stock

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Pope Francis on Power, the Poor, and all Creation

Posted in The Papal Watcher, Franciscan Spirituality, Social Justice, Huffington Post, Pope Francis with tags , , , , , , on March 19, 2013 by Daniel P. Horan, OFM

Pope FrancisI know it seems a bit early for such enthusiastic endorsements of a pontiff who has only been in the office of Bishop of Rome for less-than-a-week, and I do have my own cautionary concerns, but I have to say that there is something immediately and recognizably affable about Pope Francis. His presence has indicated as much, certainly to the chagrin of the security guards entrusted with his care, as he has shirked the traditionally requisite boundaries and protections that ordinarily separates — if only for the ostensible sake of security — the pope from the rest of the People of God. This guy doesn’t seem to care about his own safety, but rather recognizes that, as the Jesuits say, “the greater glory of God” requires relationship, embrace, love, support, and care. He comes across as a pastor and good one at that.

Pope Francis’s homily for the “Inaugural Mass of Petrine Ministry,” drew on the readings from scripture for the Solemnity of St. Joseph. The connecting thematic thread throughout his accessible and down-to-earth reflections was that of Joseph-as-protector.

This is a particularly fecund image for a man who, as the visible leader of more than 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide, understands his ministry as especially directed toward the protection of the poor and marginalized of our planet. What was especially striking, and something that I found particularly exciting, was the centrality of the rest of other-than-human creation in the pope’s considerations on what it means to follow the example of St. Joseph as protector.

How does Joseph exercise his role as protector? Discreetly, humbly and silently, but with an unfailing presence and utter fidelity, even when he finds it hard to understand…

Joseph is a “protector” because he is able to hear God’s voice and be guided by his will; and for this reason he is all the more sensitive to the persons entrusted to his safekeeping. He can look at things realistically, he is in touch with his surroundings, he can make truly wise decisions. In him, dear friends, we learn how to respond to God’s call, readily and willingly, but we also see the core of the Christian vocation, which is Christ! Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can protect others, so that we can protect creation!

The vocation of being a “protector”, however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God’s gifts!

As a Franciscan friar and one particularly interested in the construction of a more authentic Christian theology of creation, the fact that Pope Francis does seem to be filling the shoes of his saintly namesake is quite moving. What he describes, correctly and prophetically, is not the responsibility of just the pope or of a few individuals, but the vocation of all. This is something that is not often recognized and the consequences are dire: “Whenever human beings fail to live up to this responsibility, whenever we fail to care for creation and for our brothers and sisters, the way is opened to destruction and hearts are hardened.”

He continued to reiterate the central place of creation in the human vocation to follow Christ and to be models of protection, care, tenderness, and love after the example of St. Joseph.

Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be “protectors” of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be “protectors”, we also have to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives! Being protectors, then, also means keeping watch over our emotions, over our hearts, because they are the seat of good and evil intentions: intentions that build up and tear down! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness!

Pope Francis acknowledged the reality of power in the leadership position with which he has been entrusted: “we are celebrating the beginning of the ministry of the new Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter, which also involves a certain power.”

Power plays a central theme in the life of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis’s whole program of vita evangelica, the “Gospel Life,” was about the renunciation of power that placed barriers between him and others, him and God, and him and the rest of creation.

Pope Francis seems to understand the significance of his name and its implications for exercise of power. It is about loving, humble service!

Certainly, Jesus Christ conferred power upon Peter, but what sort of power was it? Jesus’ three questions to Peter about love are followed by three commands: feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Let us never forget that authentic power is service, and that the Pope too, when exercising power, must enter ever more fully into that service which has its radiant culmination on the Cross. He must be inspired by the lowly, concrete and faithful service which marked Saint Joseph and, like him, he must open his arms to protect all of God’s people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important, those whom Matthew lists in the final judgment on love: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison (cf. Mt 25:31-46). Only those who serve with love are able to protect!

Toward the end of his homily, Pope Francis lays out what he understands the responsibility of the Bishop of Rome to entail, and it includes creation first and foremost! “To protect Jesus with Mary, to protect the whole of creation, to protect each person, especially the poorest, to protect ourselves: this is a service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us!”

Photo: Pool

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Insights from Franciscan Priesthood for a ‘Franciscan’ Papacy

Posted in Franciscan Spirituality, The Papal Watcher with tags , , , , , , on March 16, 2013 by Daniel P. Horan, OFM

0313_cardinal-sean-pope-francis-300x216One of the central tenets of a well-grounded theology of ministry according to the Franciscan theological tradition is the particular relationship one has to his ministerial office. As I tried to elucidate in a cogent and scholarly grounded way in my little book, Franciscan Priesthood: The Possibility of Franciscan Presbyters According to the Rule and Tradition (Koinonia, 2012) that one among many of the unique Franciscan contributions to a theology of ordained ministry is the formation of one’s identity as a minister in the church that strives to prioritize relationship, renounce divisive power structures, and to see one’s baptismal vocation as a member of the Body of Christ first and foremost. The very possibility of ordained Franciscans is occasioned by St. Francis’s Rule (Regula bullata), which, unlike other religious communities, does not provide for explicit provisions for members ordained to Holy Orders, but instead mandates that the friars are to work. Their work, whether it is of the sacramental-ministerial variety or some other form of pastoral or practical labor, is to take second place to the “spirit of prayer and devotion” of the community. Francis of Assisi never intended his community to be a clerical order, one especially designed to exercise a form of singular pastoral or sacramental ministry. And this is something that might help us to appreciate, in a broader way, Pope Francis’s decision to choose the name “Francis,” his extremely relational behavior since his election, and what could be in store in the future.

In his recent address to the world media, Pope Francis explained how he came to decide on the name Francis, noting that a friend of his — as the numbers were becoming clear in the voting — told him to “remember the poor!” The Pope explained:

 “Don’t forget the poor!” And those words came to me: the poor, the poor. Then, right away, thinking of the poor, I thought of Francis of Assisi. Then I thought of all the wars, as the votes were still being counted, till the end. Francis is also the man of peace. That is how the name came into my heart: Francis of Assisi. For me, he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation; these days we do not have a very good relationship with creation, do we? He is the man who gives us this spirit of peace, the poor man … How I would like a Church which is poor and for the poor!

Francis of Assisi was indeed a man who let nothing get in the way of his relationship with others, following as he did the example of Jesus Christ, who welcomed all to him. A man of evangelical poverty, Francis of Assisi detested abject poverty, but praised the spirit of sine proprio (to live “without anything of one’s own”) so that material things would not get in the way of relationship.

Francis of Assisi was, as the Pope notes well, a man of peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness. And he was, without a doubt, a model of one whose relationship to the whole of creation — which he recognized as related to him as part of the family of God’s good creation — again reflects the familial quality of God’s intended relationship for all people and all creation.

What isn’t so overt and has certainly not been addressed by the hundreds of articles, reflections, op-ed pieces, etc., is the depth of the Franciscan tradition that informs and could shape this Pope’s self-identity and future action. Even as a Jesuit, Pope Francis has already exhibited classic and easily recognizable signs of kindredness with the Saint from Assisi, something many commentators have already spoken about at length: his humility, renunciation of rich entitlements, his work on behalf of the poor, and so on.

Although he is undoubtedly shaped by his Ignatian spiritual formation, his ministerial presence and pastoral decisions from the beginning of his pontificate have reflected the insights and guidance of the Franciscan approach to ministry and priesthood. Even as a Cardinal in Argentina, he preferred to be referred to as “Father” instead of Archbishop, Cardinal, or “Your Excellency.” His office as the local bishop, the pastor of the particular church in Argentina, appears to have taken a second place in his own self-identity as a member of the baptized Body of Christ, which should lead him at all times to be with his sisters and brothers. We might understand better his decision to forgo private transportation for public transportation in light of this.

The way he relates to his brother cardinals and even a group of high-school students on his car ride to a Roman church to pray the day after his election both reflect this desire to be with his sisters and brothers in a refreshing way.

It will be interesting to see how his understanding of ordained ministry, exercise of pastoral leadership, and continued seeking to be in relationship with others plays out in the weeks, months, and years to come. It is an exciting and hopeful time indeed.

There is much more to say about the tradition and its relationship to Pope Francis, the Jesuit with a Franciscan heart! Stay tuned for a fuller treatment and additional commentary to come!

Photo: Pool

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Francis of Argentina: A Jesuit Pope with a Franciscan Heart

Posted in Franciscan Spirituality, The Papal Watcher with tags , , , , , on March 13, 2013 by Daniel P. Horan, OFM

20130314-VATICAN-slide-5EOO-articleLarge-v4“HABEMUS PAPAM FRANCISCUM,” is the text that the Vatican website greets visitors with this evening. This has been an eventful several weeks indeed, with a whole new slew of “news” for the church unveiled today: First Pope from the Americas, First Jesuit Pope, First Pope “Francis.” I am personally moved by the decision to set the tone of the next papacy after the example of the poverello, the little poor man from Assisi — St. Francis. It has long been my dream that a pope would symbolically select the name of the most popular saint in all of Christian history (after Mary, of course). To see this in my own lifetime is quite startling in a positive way. As Fr. Jim Martin, SJ, wrote on his public Facebook page: “We have a Jesuit pope with a Franciscan name. What a beautiful combination!”

For the record, Pope Francis has, in fact, taken his name after St. Francis of Assisi. According to the CBC, here is the confirmation from a Vatican spokesperson:

Rev. Thomas Rosica, a Canadian and Vatican spokesperson, told CBC News that [Pope] Francis is known for “his holiness and simplicity of life, his pastoral skills — the warmest person you would ever want to meet.”

Speculating on why Bergoglio had chosen the name Francis, Rosica said, “Francis of Assisi is a saint that transcends the Catholic Church and is loved by all people, a saint who reached out for simplicity … poverty and care for the poor.”

There is so much to be said here and, I can assure you, there is more to follow. Stay tuned!

For now, let us celebrate this wonderful occasion with prayers for the future of leadership of the new Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis, and for the whole church!

UPDATE: Vatican Radio story about Francis of Assisi also mentions a quote from Thomas Merton: “Perhaps Thomas Merton comes closest to the truth when he says: ” merely to know Saint Francis is to understand the Gospel in all its fullnes.”

UPDATE: CNN has run a story confirming the veracity of Pope Francis’s decision to take his name after Francis of Assisi.

Photo: Pool/Getty Images

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Two Thoughts on the Kinship of Creation

Posted in Franciscan Spirituality, Uncategorized with tags , , , , on March 5, 2013 by Daniel P. Horan, OFM

earthGreetings from the road! I’m away for a series of speaking engagements (with a few days of actual ‘Spring vacation’ with my brother friars in New York) this week, so posts here have been slow — thanks for your patience. In the meantime, I’ve been doing a lot of work on the subject of creation and wanted to share two very powerful quotes that I have been thinking about and that are well-worth our prayerful reflection, especially as (God-willing) we move from Winter into Spring. Peace and good!

“We need to fathom that the human species is embedded as an intrinsic, interdependent part of the magnificence of this universe, not as lords of the manor but kin in the community of life, charged with being sisters and brothers, friends and lovers, mothers and fathers, priests and prophets, cocreators and children of the earth that is God’s good creation.”

– Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ

“I believe that this kinship model is the essential foundation of a truly ecological theology of human beings in relation to other creatures. It challenges the model of domination and exploitation. Adopting the kinship model demands a form of conversion. It involves a new way of seeing and acting. It involves extending the love of neighbor to embrace creatures of other species. It involves extending the love of enemy to creatures that confront us as other and inspire fear in us. It involves loving and valuing others as God loves and values them. Ultimately, it is a God-centered (theocentric) view of an interconnected community of creatures that have their own intrinsic value.”

– Denis Edwards

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My ‘Firstborn’ Turns One Today!

Posted in Dating God Book, Francis of Assisi and the Future of Faith, Franciscan Spirituality with tags , , , , , , , on February 7, 2013 by Daniel P. Horan, OFM

Dating_God_BookOne year ago today my first book, Dating God: Live and Love in the Way of St. Francis (2012), was released! It’s hard to believe that a year has passed by already. On the one hand, it seems like the book has been out much longer than that and one year doesn’t quite account for how much of my thought, time, and energy has gone into the book itself, discussing themes in the book with groups and retreatants, delivering lectures about it, signing copies of it, and so on. On the other hand, it also seems like the book was just released yesterday! Just around six months after the book came out, my publisher, Franciscan Media (formerly St. Anthony Messenger Press), informed me that the book was going into its second printing — a great sign that people seem to be enjoying the book and spreading the word.

It’s been quite a blessing to receive such positive responses to the book. It has served as the occasion for connecting with so many wonderful people in different settings, including the launch of this blog about a year before the book was released. Some people have mistakingly thought that the book arose from this blog, but in fact it was the other way around. After I received the contract for Dating God, my publisher insisted that I have some sort of ‘online presence,’ which is, in all honesty, the only choice an author has these days. It’s generally expected that there be something out there like this. So, reluctantly at first, I began what became DatingGod.org, this very blog. To my surprise, it took off and became (and is still becoming) more popular by the day. As with the feedback and reception of the book, I’m incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support, enthusiasm, and appreciation people express about this blog on a daily basis.

Since the release of Dating God: Live and Love in the Way of St. Francis lots of other projects, some that were concurrently in the works and others that have arisen since then, have occupied my time and energy. Just seven months after my first book was released, my second book, Francis of Assisi and the Future of Faith: Exploring Franciscan Spirituality and Theology in the Modern World (2012) came out! The response to this book, published by a great family-owned Catholic press in the Southwest, has also been extraordinarily positive and enthusiastic. The style of this book is quite different from Dating God even if the theme is generally the same (i.e., the Franciscan tradition). It is a collection of essays that includes both popular and scholarly pieces that address the Franciscan tradition in ways that help uncover Franciscan spirituality and theology’s relevance for today.

Additionally, at the turn of the New Year a third book of mine was released. This is, unlike Dating God, actually connected to the blog. Franciscan Spirituality for the 21st Century: Selected Reflections from the Dating God Blog and Other Essays (2013) is exactly what is suggests: several of the most popular (and, at times, controversial) selections from the blog as well as other pieces that have stirred up interest and attention. This is another way that material from the blog can be accessed by a wider audience. The second volume of this collection is underway and is scheduled to be out in 2014.

While my “firstborn” turns one today, there are other literary siblings slated to joint the book family in the next few years. Some of these texts are finished and others are at various stages underway. To give you a sense of what is on the horizon, here is a glimpse of my upcoming books, their publishers, and their anticipated release.

  • Love and Suffering: A Retreat on the Seven Last Words of Christ (Franciscan Media, 2013)
  • The Franciscan Heart of Thomas Merton: A New Look at the Spiritual Influence of His Life, Thought, and Writing (Ave Maria Press, 2014)
  • Postmodernity and Univocity: A Critical Assessment of Radical Orthodoxy’s Use of John Duns Scotus (Fortress Press, 2014)
  • Refresh My Soul: A New Look at 25 Classic Catholic Prayers (Franciscan Media, 2015)

These are each exciting projects and different in many ways. As you might see from the list above, one of my forthcoming books is a scholarly text published by an excellent academic press — I don’t necessarily anticipate it getting the same widespread interest as Dating God, my firstborn, but it will be a significant contribution to what continues to be a very important conversation within contemporary theological circles. Perhaps you might want to check that out next year.

All of this updating and celebrating is to say “Thank You!” to everyone who continues to be so supportive and enthusiastic about my writing and other work and ministry. I’m very grateful and hope to be able to continue sharing my reflections, thoughts, research, and the like with you all for many years to come!

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