Audiobooks by Jon M. Sweeney

My Life in Seventeen Books: A Literary Memoir

A memoir for the bookish-inclined, using personal stories to demonstrate how books have a magical way to move a person from one stage of life to the next. 'This is a small gem of a book, tender, humble, loving.' —Mary Gordon 'Sweeney makes a charming companion, telling stories in joyful reflection.' —Jeff Deutsch, author of In Praise of Good Bookstores Former bookseller, longtime publisher, and author Jon M. Sweeney shows—with history and anecdotes centering around books such as Thoreau's Journal, Tagore's Gitanjali, Martin Buber's Hasidic Tales, and Tolstoy's Twenty-three Tales—what it means to be carried by a book. He explores the discovery that once accompanied finding books, and books finding us. He ponders the smell of an old volume, its heft, and why bibliophiles carry them around even without reading them. He demonstrates how and why there is magic and enchantment that takes place between people and books.

Jon M. Sweeney (Author), Daniel Thomas May (Narrator)

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Sit in the Sun: And Other Lessons in the Spiritual Wisdom of Cats

As a spiritual pilgrim for more than half a century, Jon Sweeney has practiced with teachers of many religious traditions. He's gone looking for wisdom, beauty, and truth wherever it can be found. But recently he's found himself learning closer to home-from the teacher-cats he lives with. What he discovered is that our greatest spiritual teachers are at our feet. Literally. They are the cats we love and treasure. Nearly 60 million cats live in US households today. These feline teachers have much to offer us about living in the present, loving unconditionally, approaching life with a sense of playfulness, and trusting others, all the while being independent spirits. Jon Sweeney, beloved scholar and author of The Pope's Cat and numerous books about Saint Francis, offers a playful, gentle, informed meditation on the many spiritual truths and practices our feline companions provide if we but pause and pay attention.

Jon M. Sweeney (Author), Lyle Blaker (Narrator)

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Feed the Wolf: Befriending Our Fears in the Way of Saint Francis

Turn from fear and find peace. Saint Francis understood soldiers and fools, mothers and fathers, businesspeople and rulers, poets and court entertainers, pastors and criminals. He was, at one time or another, in both subtle and obvious ways, all of these things. Each spiritual lesson from the life of Saint Francis of Assisi begins with an invitation to embrace the wolf-to consider another viewpoint, to befriend our fears, and to discover something new. The path Saint Francis discovered is the way of faith made tangible-and his way was always a way of peace. In Feed the Wolf, author and Saint Francis scholar Jon M. Sweeney explores fifteen spiritual practices from the essential wisdom of Saint Francis to ease fear and uncertainty in our twenty-first-century lives: touch what is frightening; refuse power; have nothing to lose; spend time in the woods; pray with the moon; turn toward what's simple; and more. The world's most popular saint has illuminated a peaceful path forward for those of us navigating today's precarious times.

Jon M. Sweeney (Author), Mike Carnes (Narrator)

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Thomas Merton: An Introduction to His Life, Teachings, and Practices

An introduction to the spiritual legacy of Thomas Merton Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk and one of the most influential spiritual figures of the 20th century. His writing on contemplation, monastic life, mysticism, poetry, and social issues have influenced generations and his legacy of interfaith understanding and social justice endures to this day. Thomas Merton: An Introduction to His Life, Teachings, and Practices offers an exploration of Merton as a monk, as a writer, and as a human being. Author Jon M. Sweeney delves into Merton's life and ideas with an appreciation for his work and a deep understanding of the spiritual depth that it contains. Thomas Merton offers a unique view of the popular and sometimes controversial monk, braiding together his thoughts and practices with the reality of his life to create a full portrait of a pivotal figure. The Merton revealed in its pages is a source of inspiration and insight for those wrestling with questions of faith and spirituality. At its core, the book is about the search for wholeness―a search Merton undertook himself throughout his lifetime and one readers can also embark on as they draw inspiration and guidance from his life.

Jon M. Sweeney (Author), Jon M. Sweeney (Narrator)

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Meister Eckhart's Book of the Heart: Meditations for the Restless Soul

Meister Eckhart (1260-1328) was a priest, a mystic, and nearly a heretic (he died before the Church court's verdict). In the 20th century, the Roman Catholic Church rehabilitated him and the late Pope John Paul II spoke of his work with fondness.However, what makes him of particular interest is the fact that he has influenced a wide range of spiritual teachers and mystics both inside and outside the Christian tradition. Erich Fromm, Eckhart Tolle, Richard Rohr, D. T. Suzuki, and Rudolf Steiner have all credited Eckhart as being an important influence on their thought. In addition, his work has influenced the development of 20th century American Buddhism and the Theosophical tradition.Eckhart wrote at a time-much like our own-when society appeared to be coming apart at the seams. In the midst of all that chaos and uncertainty, he captured the many forms and stages of the love of God, the mystic path, and the journey of transformation-in language so startling that he was accused of heresy.Now, seven centuries later, this fresh, stunning rendering of his work translates the essence of one of Christianity's greatest poetic and spiritual voices, conveying the heart of his teachings about what it means to love God and embark on a spiritual journey characterized by mystery, paradox, and an embrace of the unknown.

Jon M. Sweeney, Mark S. Burrows (Author), Paul Heitsch (Narrator)

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Meister Eckhart's Book of Secrets: Meditations on Letting Go and Finding True Freedom

An elegant rendering of the great mystic's thoughts on the mysteries of the authentic life This is a little book about soul freedom. It is a book about discovering the secret to all the things we most desire: contentment, meaning, peace of mind, and true freedom. This skillfully edited translation of selections from the writings of Meister Eckhart (c. 1260-1328) provides a road map to the spiritual life for contemporary seekers. Eckhart takes us on a journey of discovery, a journey in which we learn to let go, relinquish our need to know everything, and lose those things that we think are important for a life of worth. And in the end he shows us that the true secret is this: to find yourself, you must lose yourself. Here is timeless wisdom from a medieval mystic who has influenced a wide range of spiritual teachers and mystics both inside and outside the Christian tradition. Erich Fromm, Arthur Schopenhauer, Dag Hammarskjöld, Eckhart Tolle, Richard Rohr, D. T. Suzuki, Rudolf Steiner, and Matthew Fox have all credited Eckhart as being an important influence on their thought. In addition, his work has influenced the development of twentieth-century American Buddhism and the Theosophical tradition. This book, divided into five sections-"Seeking the Light," "Facing Darkness," "Risking Love," "Knowing Nothing," and "Embracing Everything"-leads readers on the path to an authentic spiritual life.

Jon M. Sweeney, Mark S. Burrows (Author), Axel Bosley (Narrator)

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The Saint vs. the Scholar: The Fight between Faith and Reason

The year is 1140. Inside an imposing cathedral in France's Champagne region, two of the most recognized men in the world are about to face each other in a contest of wills and a test of faith. On one side is Bernard of Clairvaux, a counselor and selector of popes who will be called "Saint" even before his death. The other is Peter Abelard, widely agreed to be the era's most brilliant thinker, a medieval "rock star" among students in the universities of Europe and on the Paris social scene. Bernard has accused Peter of heresy and "insolence before God," a charge for which Bernard has the power to order Peter executed. This intense, emotional and partisan clash between two men, the ways in which the Scholar provokes the Saint's outrage, and the final outcome of the battle, will change the course of history-and frame the conflict between reason and faith that continues to inflame passions to this day. Jon M. Sweeney, author of The Pope Who Quit: A True Medieval Tale of Mystery, Death, and Salvation and Inventing Hell, makes the case that Christians cannot understand who we are today, or how we balance what we believe with what we say, without shining a light on what might otherwise pass completely unnoticed: this small but significant episode in our history. And there is, in fact, hope to be gleaned from the study of these two giants of medieval thought. How much, it turns out, Bernard and Peter actually shared in common! Sweeney points out delicacies of their spiritualities that actually link them in ways they never would have appreciated during their lifetimes. It is these delicacies, as well as what prevented the two men from recognizing them, that provide insights into exactly how we modern Christians might still recover from this regrettable-and avoidable-conflict that has reverberated through the ages.

Jon M. Sweeney (Author), Douglas James (Narrator)

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When Saint Francis Saved the Church: How a Converted Medieval Troubadour Created a Spiritual Vision

Jon Sweeney demonstrates that Francis himself became a conversion experience for all of Christian history, reviving the Church and revolutionizing how we think about the poor and marginalized, our relationship to the created world, and even our own mortality. The fascinating story of this unruly young man who saved the Church will inspire you change your corner of the world.

Jon M. Sweeney (Author), Jon M. Sweeney (Narrator)

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