Well, if Henry Miller and George Carlin can be included (as I think they should be), I don't see any reason to not include someone like Part. It's not like I'm a moderator or anything. Besides, Rilke has a line somewhere that's usually translated as "I feel closer to what language cannot reach," which seems to be central to spiritual writing, and that's pretty much what Arvo Part is all about, too. Plus, this opens up the door to all sorts of composers, jazz musicians, shamanic drummers, etc.
I don't know if Walt Whitman has been mentioned but he deserves it and much more for Leaves of Grass (and other things I'm sure, such as letters).
I've read some of this, wanting to finish it up as it's a very interesting read. Also I must recommend Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich. That book blew me away.
Somerset Maugham, especially the Razors Edge Anything by Joseph Campbell Steven Pressfeild, the Legend of Bagger Vance The tao of pooh is a great read or listen in the car on the way to work After listening to that the Winnie the Pooh books take on new meaning Herman Hesse, Siddhartha and Narcissus and Goldmund
I'd like to go out on another limb of what is already a many-limbed tree and put Eduardo Galeano in my list. Not primarily on the basis of content (although one of the things I love about Futbol a Sol y Sombra is that he never separates the game from life as a whole) but in emotional or contextual terms. Even in translation, I get the sense that the larger questions are always there, even when they are not being directly addressed. Much of the metaphorical side of science fiction and fantasy would qualify, so I would also list Philip K Dick. Few writers of fiction were ever more entirely focused on the nature of reality, identity and what it is to be human.
I'm gonna want to throw Douglas Kraybill on here after reading The Upsidedown Kingdom. To the starter of this thread who mentioned Dorothy Day, have you read The Life You Save May be Your Own ?
Is that the book by Paul (?) Elie, on Dorothy Day, Walker Percy, Flannery O'Connor, and Thomas Merton? If so, then I have read it. Excellent book. I'm fairly familiar with all those authors, so I didn't expect a book on all four of them would be able to go into any tremendous depth, but Elie did a great job connecting those writers to each other and to the larger American culture of their day. Good job digging this thread out, hang.
Props on the CS Lewis nod. Along the same lines: Dietrich Bonhoffer -- The Cost of Discipleship John Ortberg -- God Is Closer Than You Think -- humorous, but profound Max Lucado -- warm fuzzies abounding D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones -- to scholarly and beyond
Little known Jew: Jesus Christ! his Advance Man: John The Baptist his early Advance Man: Moses his Agents: The Apostles And his Italian Wordwide Office POC: Pope Benedict XVI but seriously... since you asked: Malachi Martin... http://www.wandea.org.pl/malachi-martin.htm
Yep thats the one. I was unfamiliar with Dorothy Day until I started reading it and now The Long Lonliness is definately on my short list. I was familiar with the other three when i started reading, and I especially love Walker Percy, which is a main reason I picked it up. I do guess that Walker percy would definately fit in as a spirtual writer and should be added to this thread.
I liked both of those. Phillip Yancy is the co-author on the second one. I'd add Harold Kushner. His books are very readable, but they also address the "big questions" of life from a spiritual viewpoint. I really liked When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough.
Thank you. I couldn't remember his Yancy's name and I didn't have time to Google. Actually, Yancy is co-author of both.
I'd never noticed this thread -- thanks to its resurrector. I like Arvo Part -- good thought there. I have to add Evelyn Underhill -- a classic Anglican take on mysticism. I'd like to be a mystic but I'm afraid I'm too reality-based for that.