The Practice of Spiritual Direction
by William A. Barry & William J. Connolly (San Francisco: HarperOne, 2009)
The book is probably the best introduction to the subject available in English. The authors explain what spiritual direction is, and how to become a spiritual director. Just as we need foodstuff for cooking, the “stuff” of spiritual direction is the directee’s religious experience. The spiritual “director” respectfully listens and responds; does not “direct” or tell others what to do. The main quality required in a spiritual director is the capacity to communicate love—a love that is patient, and makes a person give fully attention to the other and seek what is best for the other. The book deals with: Defining spiritual direction, fostering the relationship between the directee and God, and aspects of the relationship between director and directee. Other chapters are about how spiritual direction works, how one is trained in spiritual direction, and about supervision and its importance. The authors are experienced spiritual directors, and were involved in the training of spiritual directors. Highly recommended.
What Counsellors and Spiritual Directors can Learn from Each Other
Edited by Peter Madsen Gubi (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2017)
Counselling and spiritual direction have influencing effects on each other. The contributors to this book offer insight into the similarities and differences between counselling and spiritual direction, and what the disciplines can learn from each other. All the contributors bring their extensive experience to advocate working with psychological and spiritual issues. In one of the studies quoted here, when people from the different but related professions were asked to place issues on a spectrum going from the purely psychological to the purely spiritual, most participants placed the largest number of issues at the meeting point of both disciplines. Hence there is much more overlap than difference between the two ways of helping.
Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls: A Guide to Christian Approaches and Practices.
Edited by Gary W. Moon and David G. Benner (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004)
This book is divided into three parts. The preface that explains the theme of spiritual direction and Christian soul care. Part I presents the practice of spiritual direction in each of the seven major traditions of Christian Spirituality (Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Reformed, Wesleyan, Social Justice and Pentecostal). Each chapter is written by someone from that tradition. In Part II, three chapters address these areas: Spiritual direction and psychotherapy: conceptual issues; spiritual direction and psychotherapy: ethical issues; spiritual direction and pastoral counselling. Then, a creative fourth chapter discusses the case of a pastor in his fifties who is confused about a number of things happening in his life, and seeks help. We see how a psychologist, a spiritual director and a pastoral counsellor deal with his situation. This discussion brings the particular competence and contribution of each approach into sharper focus.
Basics in Spiritual Direction
Edited by Jose Kuttianmattathil SDB (Bangalore: Kristu Jyoti Publications, 2014. Rs 170)
Among the books on spiritual direction published in India, this is probably the most practical and accessible. Its thirteen chapters, written by ten Salesians, deal with various aspects of spiritual direction and how spiritual direction needs to be attuned to the needs of particular categories, such as youth and women. Starting with Jesus’s style of accompanying, it goes on to present the basics of spiritual direction, themes in spiritual direction, spiritual mentoring of the young, vocation discernment, spiritual direction of women, guidelines for making spiritual direction more fruitful, spiritual direction in the Christian tradition, its specificity when compared to psychotherapy, the common elements and differences among spiritual direction, counselling and confession, transformation by the Holy Spirit, and Don Bosco’s way of giving spiritual direction.
By Sr Theresa Phawa FMA
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