A Journey with Jonah: The Spirituality of Bewilderment

Product Description
Jonah is the only ancient prophet with whom Jesus identifies in the Gospels. But when we turn to read the book of Jonah itself, we discover that this so-called “book” is only two pages long―and that Jonah’s prophesying is limited to one short sentence. And yet, around this small book, as if it were around Jonah’s own troubled ship, high waves of controversy and mystery have swirled for centuries. In A Journey with Jonah: The Spirituality of Bewilderment, Fr. Paul Murray strives to uncover the great lesson of this story. Following Fr. Murray’s exploration is a 2003 lectio divina on Jonah by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger―published here in English for the first time.
Review
“Fr. Paul Murray’s compelling meditations on the book of Jonah bring to life the depth, beauty, and humor of this extraordinary and brief sacred text. Drawing on an amazing diversity of sources, Murray opens to the reader a stunning array of theological, psychological, and spiritual insights that Jonah has provoked throughout the centuries in authors and artists from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions. Far more than a biblical commentary, A Journey with Jonah is a spiritually colorful and visceral exploration of the human flight from God’s severe mercy―a mercy that ultimately triumphs in Jesus Christ.” --Tom Neal, Professor of Spiritual Theology, Notre Dame Seminary
“Can you write a lucid guide to bewilderment? Fr. Paul Murray has done so, explaining Jonah with a wide range of references, psychological and spiritual insight, and clarity.” --Rabbi David Wolpe, Max Webb Senior Rabbi
“We are so familiar with Jonah’s story that we forget how much truth is there to learn. Paul Murray reacquaints us with this wayward prophet by drawing on literature, art, and commentators from across the Church and from the Jewish tradition. Reading this ‘parable of mercy’ with these myriad lenses, Murray highlights the reader’s participation in this story―that we might become both more merciful toward others and more aware of our vast need of mercy ourselves.” --Jessica Hooten Wilson, Louise Cowan Scholar in Residence, University of Dallas