Father Richard John Neuhaus is President of the Institute on Religion and Public Life in New York, editor-in-chief of First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, and author of, among other books, Death on a Friday Afternoon: Meditations on the Last Words of Jesus From the Cross and The Naked Public Square: Religion and Democracy in America.
“[T]his volume concerns death and dying . . . the book offers 27
selections from various sources, ranging in date from ancient to
modern times . . . The result is a handbook for the dying—that is,
every one of us.” —Library Journal
"Faced with death we all struggle to find words. This lovely book
gives us words to ponder and to memorize, words from the Bible and
the poets, stories and meditations and testimonies, and the words
of the Order for the Burial of the Dead from the Book of Common
Prayer. It is a book of comfort and hope and wisdom to turn to on
hearing of the death of a friend or loved one and to have at hand
when facing one’s own death." —Robert Louis Wilken, William R.
Kenan Jr. Professor of the History of Christianity, University of
Virginia Charlottesville
“[Neuhaus] draws upon his pastoral experience in Brooklyn, his own
near death experience, and his concern for reflective public
discourse to invite the reader to approach this subject with wonder
and respect. His essay is filled with many critical insights
regarding the way our culture frequently either denies or
romanticizes the subject of death. Anyone interested in
appreciating spiritual diversity in working with families who are
experiencing the death of a loved one will find this book full of
helpful wisdom.” —Social Thought: Journal of Religion in the Social
Services
“John Neuhaus has put together an illuminating selection of
readings from what is a huge body of literature on death and dying.
All of the readings in this collection contain something of
value....” —Practical Philosophy
“If dying is in your future, then this book is written for you.”
—St. Anthony Messenger
“In this climate, an anthology of ‘reflections on dying’ might seem
redundant. But it isn’t, for the real antidote to all the chatter
about death in our own day isn’t silence but better talk. In The
Eternal Pity, Richard John Neuhaus has brought to the task an
urbane wisdom reminiscent of another great Catholic convert, John
Henry Newman.” —The Weekly Standard
“This quietly compelling anthology contains
reflections—meditations, incantations, benedictions—long on wonder,
short on polemics. . . . The assembled voices—each of them worthy
of inclusion—and the editor’s guidance, in the powerful
introduction and the notes that introduce the contributions, make
The Eternal Pity the kind of whole-being exercise the subject
requires. Neuhaus, ever generous with his gifts, gives yet another
here.” —Wilson Quarterly
“This is a powerful, beautiful, sobering collection of writings on
death, suffused by a wonderful nobility of purpose. Throughout his
career, Father Neuhaus has been an insightful thinker and an
elegant writer and editor—and this book is made even more effective
by the brush with death in his own recent experience. Death is the
one undeniably real thing in an unreal age. An awareness of death
underscores the preciousness of God's gift of life. For those
willing to reflect deeply on this mystery, The Eternal Pity is a
marvelous read.”—Most Reverend Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.,
Archbishop of Denver
“Intelligent and wise people have thought and written a great deal
about death, and some of the best of what they’ve said has been
collected by Father Neuhaus in this volume. The book is worth its
price for the pieces by Flannery O’Connor, John Donne, and Peter De
Vries alone; but there’s great wisdom, too, in Neuhaus’s own
discussion of death, the kind of wisdom that comes only from a
close approach to death. If you’re someone who’s preparing for
death—and you are, like it or not—an attentive and repeated reading
of what’s in this book will help you to prepare well.” —Paul J.
Griffiths, Professor of the Philosophy of Religions, University of
Chicago
“This little book of thoughts on the mystery of death is a treasury
of wisdom on the great perennial questions: What is the good life?
How do I live it?” —Mary Ann Glendon, Professor of Law, Harvard
University
“Those who know Richard John Neuhaus as one of America’s leading
public intellectuals can now see the more essential Neuhaus in this
book: the priest consecrated to the care of souls. Here Neuhaus has
wisely selected from the wisdom of others on how we are to face
death, and he has provided great insight from his own experience in
facing death, which has made him a wiser man and a better priest.”
—Rabbi David Novak, J. Richard and Dorothy Shiff Chair of Jewish
Studies, University of Toronto
"Most contemporary books on ethics deal with professional ethics or particularly thorny issues. The series of which this title is a part, The Ethics of Everyday Life, will consider life issues most people face; this volume concerns death and dying. After a fairly lengthy introduction, in which Neuhaus movingly reflects on his own bout with cancer, the book offers 27 selections from various sources, ranging in date from ancient to modern times, each with a brief introduction. Some are religious, many are not; some are autobiographical reflections, others are poetry or fiction. On the whole they are well chosen. The book does not push one viewpoint but offers these selections for consideration. The result is a handbook for the dying--that is, every one of us."--Library Journal
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