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- Simple Path
- A simple path anyone can travel
- Dave from Carlsbad
- Inspiring
- A good reminder
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Simple Path
Mother Teresa
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Everything Starts from Prayer: Mother Teresa's Meditations on Spiritual Life for People
ASIN: 0345397452
Release Date: 1995-10-31 |
Book Description
Known around the globe for her indefatigable work on behalf of the poor, the sick, and the dying, Mother Teresa has devoted her life to giving hope to the hopeless in more than one hundred and twenty countries. She inspires us all to find a way to translate our spiritual beliefs into action in the world. How has one woman accomplished so much? And what are the guiding principles that have enabled this humble nun to so profoundly effect the lives of millions?
Now, in her own words, Mother Teresa shares the thoughts and experiences that have led her to do her extraordinary charitable work. A candid look at her everyday life--at the very simplicity and self-sacrifice that give her the strength to move mountains--A Simple Path gives voice to the remarkable spirit who has dedicated her life to the poorest among us.
Just as important as her beliefs are how they are put into action in the world, and A Simple Path also tells the story of the founding of the Missionaries of Charity, their purpose and practice, and the results of their tireless work. Through faith, surrender, and prayer, the missionaries live to serve others; they have improved the lives of countless souls and given dignity to the dying. Their mission has also produced a ripple effect, spreading human compassion to communities where there is need.
Through these examples, as well as the uplifting words and guiding prayers of Mother Teresa and those who work with her, everyone can learn how to walk the simple path that Mother Teresa has laid out for us, to help create a truly kinder world for the future.
A Simple Path is a unique spiritual guide for Catholics and non-Catholics alike: full of wisdom and hope from the one person who has given us the greatest model of love in action in our time.
Customer Reviews:
Simple Path.......2007-09-24
Most excellent writing. Use the steps in my daily spiritual life. Have used the book for workshops/meetings/sermons...she is a true spiritual guide! I often give this book to a number of friends. Mother Teresa truly exemplifies the life of Our Savior!
A simple path anyone can travel.......2007-08-04
I am a devotee of Mother Teresa. I am not catholic. But I have been intrigued and drawn to her compassion, her mission and her determination. I have watched her move in the hightest political circles without compromising her mission and her message. This book has removed the rhetoric of all religions and exposed the essence of being a "Christ"ian.
The message is truly Simple. Our entrapments are what get in our way but she shows us ways to lighten our load and take the simple path.
This book is for anyone who wants to enrich their spiritual life and celebrate in action the words of their faith, regardless of your faith base.
Dave from Carlsbad.......2007-01-15
Mother Teresa's mission and how she answered her calling shine through this as a great example for us to follow. What is revealed in this book is how we can each follow the simple path to peace in our own lives. Not having to sell all we possess and serve the poorest of the poor as she did, but in our own lives with those we meet. A few of the writings, including The Simple Path, are so moving to me, that I bought many copies of this book to give to others. What better gift could we offer someone than a path to peace? Hope you find it too.
Inspiring.......2004-06-17
I bought this book about 6 years ago. It's one of those books that you pick up and cannot put down. I was totally enthralled with it from the first few pages and every chapter became more and more inspiring. I was not a Christian when I read this book, so it's not just for believers. Rather it is a book for those who long for something more in their lfe, to walk in a deeper yet more 'simple' way. All of the chapters such as the ones on prayer, love, faith etc touched me deeply and even though it's been several years since I read it, I would read it again most definately. I lent it to someone and have never been given it back. I may just have to buy it again! --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
A good reminder.......2004-06-01
This book is a good reminder of how to love. Many of us discuss, debate and guess at what real love looks like. This book reminds us that love can range from serving to just holding someone who is living their last days. This book often wisely suggests that we could preach less and serve more. Inspiring.
Amazon.com
What's next--The Girl Scouts: The Untold Story? How could anybody write a debunking book about Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity order? Well, in this little cruise missile of a book, Hitchens quickly establishes that the idea is not without point. After all, what is Mother Teresa doing hanging out with a dictator's wife in Haiti and accepting over a million dollars from Charles Keating? The most riveting material in the book is contained in two letters: one from Mother Teresa to Judge Lance Ito--then weighing what sentence to dole out to the convicted Keating--which cited all the work Keating has done "to help the poor," and another from a Los Angeles deputy D.A., Paul Turley, back to Mother Teresa that eloquently stated that rather than working to reduce Keating's sentence, she should return the money he gave her to its rightful owners, the defrauded bond-holders. (Significantly, Mother Teresa never replied.) And why do former missionary workers and visiting doctors consistently observe that the order's medical practices seem so inadequate, especially given all the money that comes in? (Hitchens acidly observes that on the other hand, Mother Teresa herself always manages to receive world-class medical care.) Hitchens's answer is that Mother Teresa is first and foremost interested not in providing medical treatment, but in furthering Catholic doctrine and--quite literally--becoming a saint.
Book Description
Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, feted by politicians, the Church and the world's media, Mother Teresa of Calcutta appears to be on the fast track to sainthood. But what, asks Christopher Hitchens, makes Mother Teresa so divine? In a frank expose of the Teresa cult, Hitchens details the nature and limits of one woman's mission to the world's poor. He probes the source of the heroic status bestowed upon an Albanian nun whose only declared wish is to serve God. He asks whether Mother Teresa's good works answer any higher purpose than the need of the world's privileged to see someone, somewhere, doing something for the Third World. He unmasks pseudo-miracles, questions Mother Teresa's fitness to adjudicate on matters of sex and reproduction, and reports on a version of saintly ubiquity which affords genial relations with dictators, corrupt tycoons and convicted frauds.
Customer Reviews:
appeals to the basest in man.......2007-09-26
There is an urge in most of us to find the "clay feet" of great people. We cannot stand greatness, especially moral greatness, in others. Why? Because it is a reproach to us. It reminds us of what we are not. Let us just step back and ask ourselves: has Hitchens ever worked among the poor, let alone dedicated his whole life to them? No. He sits in comfort, aiding neither the poor, nor really anyone else. Has he invented anything? Come up with a useful theory? Brightened anyone's life in any way? Has he even uncovered truth as a journalist? No. He is just an angry opinion monger. When he has made even a single life happier, then he will have earned the moral right to judge Mother Teresa.
Good, but needs more work.......2007-09-22
Firstly I will point out that I have been an atheist as long as I have been able to decide over such matters. I group a belief in religion in the same box as Santa Claus and the tooth fairy.
At only 98 pages, this is more a short story or pamphlet than a book. That said, it is very good at exposing the fairly obvious hypocrisy of Mother Teresa and the religious organizations that surrounded her.
Christopher Hitchen's makes particular issue of the fact Mother Teresa used her influence with several world leaders to raise funds for the catholic church. I think where the book lets itself down(and could have been expanded), is that she was only keeping the company of those who engage in similar acts of breathtaking hypocrisy themselves. I'd like to think the reader would realize this, but a reminder would be useful. It's probable most of the leaders she met knew this anyway, but were more interested in being associated with the cult of Mother Teresa, and for her part, the motive was the same.
Mother Teresa was a dedicated catholic (I'm loathe to use the word `good' in any religious context) and her mission was to support and spread Catholicism so her views on abortion and birth control are hardly a revelation. The book does expose the fact that the amount of money received would have easily kitted out several decent hospitals. Hitchen's rightly points out that the Mother Teresa cult was more about creating a catholic monument to the suffering poor than relieving suffering. The catholic church came first, the poor a distant second, but then I don't think this was kept a secret by Mother Teresa. It was the cult surrounding her that seemed to elevate her status as helping the poor. Was some suffering relieved? Yes, but nowhere near as much as was possible and suffering was also made worse.
As regards her likely sainthood, again this is really just the catholic posthumous version of the Congressional Gold Medal or knighthoods etc around the world. Though the catholic church assigns a god or goddess status to those given a sainthood, my own view that this is just nonsense anyway, particularly as the recipient is dead, and wasn't really something I could get hung up on. I know Christopher Hitchen's has petitioned against her becoming a saint, but I hope this was just to highlight to those who perhaps weren't aware of the hypocrisy surrounding this. My own concern is that he perhaps gave the sainthood process far more credibility than it was due. My own view is that this is just a cult within a cult.
I give this book four stars as he has taken on a subject that needed tackling but, like Richard Dawkins books, a revised and expanded version to combat some of the criticisms both here and elsewhere is long overdue.
Interesting for sure..........2007-09-14
Christopher Hitchens' dissection of Agnes Bojaxhiu, aka Mother Theresa, is certainly an intriguing read. He raises valid points throughout regarding, for example, her mercenary attitude towards accepting monetary donations, even from blackguards and scoundrels like Haiti's "Baby Doc" and the financial sheister Charles Keating. He likewise discusses at length her strange views on the holiness and spiritual value of suffering versus the value of actually giving people material comfort in this life. Indeed, this work is at its strongest when Hitchens is skewering Bojaxhiu's seemingly rather daft moral philosophy. The testimonies he has collected from former associates and sisters of her order are also very thought provoking.
Sadly though, this work just doesn't feel...finished. Weighing in at a little less than a hundred pages and not citing nearly as many direct sources and I'd prefer, this book may not be worth the rather high (for its length) list price. "The Missionary Position" will certainly get you thinking, but it doesn't quite satisfy completely.
especially important now.......2007-09-12
there has been a renewal of interest in Mother Teresa recently, what with the tenth anniversary of her death and the publication of her private letters. with all the high words of praise that are bandied about, it seems important to consider the beliefs and actions of the woman. there has been very little focus on what she believed in, besides helping 'the poorest of the poor.' this book may be obviously skewed to a particular point of view (aka an atheist one), but it does look at what she actually did. it also considers the opinions of people who worked directly with the nun and her organization and had a less than rosy picture of what her institutions were like.
there are some aspects of her life that are extremely contradictory - I think especially of the tremendous efforts that went into treating her as her health deteriorated in her old age, compared to the refusal of basic treatments to patients in her clinics - and I think that the Catholic Church should consider carefully before elevating her to the status of sainthood. Mother Teresa was a reactionary, and there's no other way to look at it. Her almost fanatical opposition to abortion, or indeed any form of birth control, was evidenced in the speech that she gave when accepting her nobel peace prize (I still don't quite understand why she received it). The reluctance with which useful treatment is employed in her clinics is (to my mind) ridiculous. God may want us to suffer, but does God really want us to die of an easily cured disease?
perhaps most damaging to her reputation is the evidence of tremendous amounts of monetary gifts which her organization has received over the years, yet the apparent lack of use to which this money is put. if needles are used in her clinics even after they are dull, where is the money going? I would never imply that she would have used such money in an immoral way, but it does seem that it hasn't been utilized as fully as it could have been, at least during her lifetime.
one final note involves the personal letters which were published so recently. Mother Teresa mourns that she had to live so long without the presence of Jesus, and notes that if she ever became a saint it would be as a saint of darkness. I thought that being a saint meant you wouldn't think that you could become a saint. isn't this a sign of hubris that is inappropriate in a candidate for sainthood?
LAUGHING!!!.......2007-08-31
I serve the poor, alongside the Sisters. This book ould make a Great gag gift!
NOVEL idea...because the book is a Novel.
nice try, Hichens! try serving alongside the Sisters and then write a (factual) book!
Amazon.com
Before Elisabeth Bumiller lived in India in the mid-1980s, she had reported mainly on upper-crust Americans for the Washington Post. Her four-year stay turned her romantic image of India and largely unexamined feminist sentiments upside down and shook them hard. Although Indian women are guaranteed equality by their constitution, religious and cultural conceptions of their lowly role make this a hollow boast for many. Bumiller's well-spun book deals with admittedly sensational topics: a bride burning case; a rare death by sati, in which a young widow joined her husband on the funeral pyre; poor villages where girl babies are so unwelcome that some don't survive and cities where boy babies are given the edge by prenatal tests and the availability of abortion. Arranged marriages, the lives of village women, and the great histrionic appeal of the Indian film industry also catch her Western eye. Beneath the surface of each story several others bubble up, sometimes illuminating customs or obscuring easy outrage. Other times, though, they emphasize the limitations of being an outsider. --Francesca Coltrera
Book Description
"The most stimulating and thought-provoking book on India in a long time..Bumiller has made India new and immediate again."
THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD
In a chronicle rich in diversity, detail, and empathy, Elisabeth Bumiller illuminates the many women's lives she shared--from wealthy sophisticates in New Delhi, to villagers in the dusty northern plains, to movie stars in Bombay, intellectuals in Calcutta, and health workers in the south--and the contradictions she encountered, during her three and a half years in India as a reporter for THE WASHINGTON POST. In their fascinating, and often tragic stories, Bumiller found a strength even in powerlessness, and a universality that raises questions for women around the world.
Customer Reviews:
a sensationalized stumbling-block.......2007-03-09
Bumiller refuses to take her informants at their word if what they are saying at all contradicts her preconceived notions about gender in Indian culture. She is treating some serious and important issues here, but I fear the journalist's tendency to put a sensational spin on things has made this book a stumbling-block to improved gender relations in India and other parts of the world. If you are looking for an introduction to important social issues in India--issues like bride burning, arranged marriage, or female infanticide--this is the wrong book for you. There are too many fictions mingled with the facts here.
A sensitive, honest, well-researched report on the lives of Indian women.......2005-11-07
Elisabeth Bumiller's account of the lives of women from various walks of life, accumulated during her time spent living in India in the 1980s via interviews and friendships and augmented by the extensive reading she did on the subject before, during, and after her time in India, proved to be a "good read". It was not merely a series of personal anecdotes (lacking in broader perspectives and studies) nor did it err on the other end by being little more than a dry, academic, emotionally detached account of bride burning, dowry murders, female infanticide, the film industry of Bollywood, overpopulation, arranged marriages, domestic hardships, and the like. Instead it was a passionate and thoughtful account by a Westerner living in India who grew to love the people she met and whose research reflected the respect and curiosity she had for the women of India.
Some of the reviews of this book have accused it of being "stereotypically western", "condescending", "shallow", "overgeneralized to the point of being trashy", exhibiting a "Western imperialism", "colonial mindset", or being a "stereotypical account with a liberal dose of sensationalism". I can only say that I found none of those things to be the case when I read the book. There is no doubt that the author's western background and mode of thinking provided the platform from which she observed and evaluated her experiences in India, but she went to a great deal of trouble to broaden her own impressions by consulting the people of India about the problems of India: through her friendships made in India, through numerous interviews (and follow-up interviews) with people from both city and rural areas and from different castes, through viewing of films and television, through reading various Indian magazines (e.g., India Today, Business India, etc.), various Indian newspapers (e.g., The Times of India, The Telegraph of Calcutta, Indian Express,etc.), through special reports (e.g., "Women in India: A Statistical Profile - 1988" put out by the Department of Women and Child Development via the Ministry of Human Resource Development in the Government of India), and through reading various books written by both Indian authors (e.g., Sudhir Kakir, Jawaharlal Nehru, Chidananda Das Gupta, et. al) and foreigners who had lived in India. The result is a balanced and broad view of some of the problems being faced by women in India, not a provincial, overgeneralized, condescending, stereotypical account of India.
Her account is certainly not a dry, emotionally detached one but rather one in which she is actively involved. Is she opinionated? Sure: that's what keeps the book from being boring. Yet it is important to note that the author is honest and fair enough to keep this book from degenerating into a one-sided polemic. Even when she disagrees with a practice she observes (such as female infanticide) she does more than present her own opinions: she also presents the opposing viewpoints and mitigating life circumstances that lead people to act as they do. Moreover, her disagreements are not made in a spirit of self-righteous condemnation but rather with a good deal of compassion. The reader is allowed to see the emotional and intellectual struggles the author goes through as she has her viewpoints challenged by what she sees and hears.
Having read about and traveled in India myself, I found this book to be enlightening. As I mentioned earler, it is a "good read", meaning that the book doesn't drag. Is it the "definitive" book about women in India? Of course not. Such a book doesn't exist. Moreoever, coming out as it did in 1990 (1991 for the paperback), it grows a little more dated each year. However, both as a valuable historical document and an anthropological tool for helping understand more of the Indian character, "May you be the Mother of a Hundred Sons" deserves a place alongside other books that are rightfully praised for their usefulness in throwing light on a fascinating country full of an immense diversity of peoples and practices.
May you be the mother of 100 daughters:).......2005-02-25
This book was very interesting & I feel that I have learned a lot from reading it. It is non-fiction, the author discusses topics that as citizens of this world we should all educate ourselves on: arranged marriage, bride burning, female infanticide, women in politics, & population control among other topics. This book was written in the 1980s so some of the information might be somewhat outdated but it is very informative regardless. Ms. Bumiller is a Westerner (seemingly a wealthy one) & the book sounds at times like a reading from an academic journal: the case-studies will outrage you but won't bring tears to your eyes or make you board the next plane to India to "make a difference" & help out (it is not a very emotional account). Every woman & man interested in women's status in other cultures should pick up this book & if you consider yourself a feminist you should definitely read it!!
a real eye-opener.......2005-01-04
I an american woman of indian descent, can really take this book to heart. Though women in Inida have achieved a great deal, they still have a LONG way to go. They must overcome many traditional SOCIAL attitudes. I was brought up in the US, around Indians, and I remember the lies and silly games girls would have to play so that they could get around the traditional culture that prevented them from dating, going out, etc. India may appear modern on the outside, with legal status guaranteed to women under the law, and of our recent economic boom, but look behind the curtains and you'll see a society where the fascade of modernity is overshadowed by a centuries-old view of woemn and their roles in society. Not only does India and its men discriminate against women, but it makes life a living nightmare for those individuals who really do want to encourage reform and liberate the society there. Males are still favored over femlaes, and thus many girls' lives are miserable in their families, especially in the rural areas. What's worse, the goervnment only pays lip service to such issues and is not at all genuine in implementing social reform and legal protection for women and girls. India's Still VERY BACKWARD in its social attitudes, and let's hope that through education and westernization, we can shed some light on some taboo issues, and make all necessary changes. We can only pray India gives women a fair chance.
Completely Clueless.......2004-06-17
This book is an eyeopener. It illustrates the stereotypical western attitudes towards Indian culture and religion. The author lacks any true insight into the lives of the people she is writing about and carries on giving us her 2 cents anyway.
Imagine if some Indian woman with no idea of western culture "studied" women by living in the US for 4 years and took it upon herself to write something as condescending about American women, society, culture and history, how would that turn out ? That is how ridiculously shallow this attempt is.
Read Chitra Devakaruni, Jumpha Laheri, Bapsi Sidhwa, Veena Oldenburg ... this author has no clue ...
Book Description
Some feminist theologians in the West have suggested that a move toward powerful yet compassionate female religious imagery, inspired by ancient goddess cultures, would empower women and create a more balanced and humane society. Yet India has one of the oldest continuous traditions of goddess worship in the world, a tradition which is very much alive today. In fact, the Hindu tradition holds that the Divine Mother can take form as an apparently human being. Moreover, Hindu women throughout the centuries have been considered to be living saints and venerated as such. This book examines the life of one such woman, Anandamayi Ma, who by the time of her death in 1982 was widely revered as a saint, guru, and incarnation of God. Born into a poor brahman family in Bengal in 1896, Anandamayi Ma became one of the most renowned Hindu holy women of modern times. Ma found her religious vocation early, and by 1926, she had begun her ceaseless travels through India, attracting devotees wherever she went, among them such prominent figures as Kamala Nehru and her daughter, Indira Gandhi. By the time of her death Ma's devotees numbered in the hundreds of thousands, and today they continue to worship her daily in their homes and gather to participate in spiritual practices in her name. Drawing on extensive interviews, literature from Ma's community, and a vast array of other sources, Lisa Hallstrom paints a fascinating and vivid portrait of this extraordinary woman, her teachings, and her continuing influence. In the process, Hallstrom sheds new light on a wide range of important themes in the Hindu tradition, and examines the capacity of a powerful female religious figure to serve as a model for women when she is perceived as divine, and, therefore, beyond gender.
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Such a Vision of the Streets
Eileen Eagan
Manufacturer: Galilee Trade
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0385174918
Release Date: 1986-09-03 |
Book Description
It is not how much we do
but how much love
we put in the doing
that makes our offering
something beautiful for God.
-- MOTHER TERESA
Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910, Mother Teresa was called to a religious life at a young age and began her novitiate in 1928. She took the name "Teresa" after Saint Teresa of Lisieux, the patroness of missionaries, and dedicated her entire life to helping the poorest of the poor in India and, later, throughout the world.
Founder of the Missionaries of Charity in 1950, she came to be known as Mother Teresa and oversaw thousands of nuns as they ministered to the poor, the starving, and the dying.
Mother Teresa was the recipient of many of the world's most prestigious humanitarian awards, including the United States Medal of Honor and the Nobel Peace Prize. She died in Calcutta, India, in 1997 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 19, 2003. In his homily the pope said, "Let us praise the Lord for this diminutive woman in love with God, a humble Gospel messenger and a tireless benefactor of humanity. In her we honor one of the most important figures of our time. Let us welcome her message and follow her example."
Blessed by Pope John Paul II himself, Demi's Mother Teresa is a glorious biography of one of the most beloved women of our time -- a woman whose actions and words will inspire us all.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book!.......2007-09-17
This was a great purchase! The pictures are wonderful and the biography was very interesting. The only drawback I found was that it was too long and detailed for the audience I was reading to-8-10 year olds. Definitely one of my favorite subjects and will continue to be read in my home!
Touches all ages.......2006-11-20
This is a beautiful book, in words, deeds, and art. The story of Mother Teresa is told in a spirit that is appropriate to the woman herself. The words tell an amazing story simply, just as she lived... telling where she went, how she followed her calling, and how God unfolded miracles in the lives she touched because she was obedient and loving. It is the simplicity of the telling that allows the story to be so powerful. The drawings are authentic to the cultures in which she lives, an artistic feast that is always just right, honest, and beautiful. The story is accessible to children, but is richly satisfying to teens and adults who can enjoy it on another level altogether. It is reverent, loving, and beautiful, like the woman it honors.
Carol D. Reiser Book Award 2006.......2006-10-20
This book was awarded one of the top two recognitions for 2006 by the Metro Atlanta Corporate Volunteer Council. This award honors children's books that inspire community service and volunteerism in children.
Channeling Peace, Beauty and Spirit.......2006-01-25
It's not often the words "work of art" and "biography" go together in the same description. In fact I'd have to say that up until recently I was of the general opinion that children's biographies tended to be dull and uninteresting-mostly written for the purpose of providing children with the pedestrian facts they require on research assignments. Authors/ illustrators like Demi have served to change that opinion drastically. And her latest title, Mother Teresa, is a picture book biography that is also a true work of art.
Those readers who already know Demi will immediately recognize her stylistic and vividly colored illustrations in this book. Rich gold ink and brilliant scarlet make the pages come to life with a dramatically Eastern flair. Each illustrated page is a marvelous picture in its own right. Its no wonder Demi is an award-winner illustrator. She's illustrated more than 130 books for children, and her artwork appears not only in books and galleries, but also in the dome of St. Peter and Paul's church in Wilmington. I can only say that she truly brings the biography to life. This picture book account provides young and older audiences alike with the story of Mother Teresa, her mission to help the poor and her influence around the world. While the actual text is fairly brief, due to the format, it provides dates and events highlighting the turning points and important themes of Mother Teresa's life. Added to the text are prayer quotes, biblical quotes and quotes from Mother Teresa herself. These help to break up the life events, and add perspective and beauty to the book.
At the very end of the book, Demi includes a listing of what is necessary for Mother Teresa to be declared a saint as well as a list of awards and honors that she was given in her lifetime. While, as I have said, the format prevents this from being an exhaustive account, it is an excellent introduction to Mother Teresa and the life she lived. The religious and spiritual aspects of the biography are handled with grace and respect without the book becoming preachy or judgmental about how that faith is expressed. And Demi's masterful art pulls the text together to create a wonderful tribute to a woman who had such a profound influence on the world.
This book will probably be a bit complex for younger readers, unless a parent chooses to read it to them. The site recommends this book for ages 4-8, but I would amend that to closer to ages 6-12 with the added suggestion that this is a book that adults can appreciate as well. For more thorough exploration of the subject, readers may want to look for other books, but this is a good starting point. Those of you who enjoy this biography may want to look for Demi's other biographies that include such figures as Gandhi, Muhammad, and Buddha. I don't think you'll be disappointed!
Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad
A beautiful book celebrating life!.......2005-08-09
This was such a wonderful book to read and share, her story is beautifully told and prayers are inspirational. The artwork takes you to a place that brings the emotions of her story to life.
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- Even Saints Are Not "Perfect"
- Offensive
- Even saints have some clay in their feet!
- Condesending, "politically correct", biased and illogical.
- Gives a good, fair overview of Mother Teresa
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Mother Teresa: Beyond The Image
Anne Sebba
Manufacturer: Image
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0385493568
Release Date: 1998-09-15 |
Amazon.com
Neither hatchet job nor hagiography, this biography of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate was completed before Mother Teresa's death in September 1997. It includes a chronological account of Albanian-born Agnes Bojaxhiu's early years before she founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1947. But it focuses primarily on "compelling issues which arise from her work," including a judicious evaluation of charges that Mother Teresa accepted money from dictators and that her order sometimes provided inadequate medical treatment. Anne Sebba also probes with perception the social forces underpinning Mother Teresa's lionization in the West. This is an exceptionally well-balanced assessment of Calcutta's "saint of the gutters."
Book Description
Mother Teresa of Calcutta--few figures in the twentieth century have received such adulation. This diminutive Albanian nun was frequently cited as the living embodiment of Christian kindness, received the Nobel Peace Prize, and was hailed as a living saint. Yet the respect she received was not unanimous, and toward the end of her life serious, measured criticisms were directed at this modern icon, who had once seemed beyond reproach. In her fascinating work, Anne Sebba looks carefully at all these views, giving the only objective account of Mother Teresa's life and work.
The first half of the book follows the life of young Agnes Bojaxhiu, from her childhood in Serbian-dominated Skopje, to her decision to join the religious life, to her arrival in India during the British Raj. In the second half, Anne Sebba examines the many difficult issues surrounding Mother Teresa's work: her attitudes toward abortion and rape, her association with dictators such as the Duvaliers in Haiti, her medical practices, and her fund-raising ethics. Alongside these aspects, Anne Sebba also highlights Mother Teresa's dedication to the sick, dying, and destitute, and looks at the motivation that drove this remarkable woman. Hers was an extraordinary life, full of paradox. She was a woman of enormous courage, love, and determination, and her legacy poses some of the most profound questions of our age.
Customer Reviews:
Even Saints Are Not "Perfect".......2006-01-22
I count myself as one soul especially devoted to Saints of the Catholic Church including this one. But as so eloquently explained in "Enduring Grace, Living Portraits of Seven Women Mystics" (by Carol Lee Flinders) - even the greatest of Saints will admit to shortcomings. In fact, that is what makes them so beloved by the world...and most importantly Our Lady. The humility to admit one is not what one appears to be is a virtue that is incredibly rare among a religious of this stature. The book herein, about Mother Teresa, takes a similar approach. The author most reverently admires this Saint for her enormous courage, love, perseverence and sacrifice. She simply does not elevate her to the level of "a god." I admired the author for her courage in not doing so. If you want a page-turner of a read that is full of unexpected surprises about one of the most fascinating individuals of our time, this is your book.
Offensive.......1999-12-22
I am asking myself why Ms. Sebba would devote an entire book to criticizing a woman who has given up any material possessions she may have had, located herself in an area stricken with poverty and disease (such as leprosy), and spent her life helping the destitute. It is offensive to read this knowing that the author sits in a comfortable residence in England as she searches to find fault with Mother Teresa. Has Ms. Sebba done more for the poor and destitute than Mother Teresa?
Even saints have some clay in their feet!.......1998-10-29
I already knew much about the life of Mother Teresa so I was particularly interested in reading about how her order works in various countries. I have had some experience here in Slovakia with the Missionaries of Charity. They are wonderful people who work with those that gov't organizations usually ignore. But I agree with the author that treating people in western countries as though they were living in Indian poverty (e.g., no a/c in the hospice in Washington, D.C., no washing machine here for young mothers to use for washing baby diapers and clothes)is to commit these people to a lifestyle which may do wonders for the nuns' souls but not much for those they help. I thought the book bent over backwards to present all sides of controversial issues and to show why Mother Teresa took the stands that she did. No human who ever lived on this earth was perfect (Jesus was both human and divine)and we should understand that even saints had their flaws. It's just that nowadays we can know more about them. I think this was an excellent book; I read it through in a weekend because I found it so interesting.
Condesending, "politically correct", biased and illogical........1998-07-07
By way of preface the author wrote the piece before Mother Teresa died and I read the book before publication. I have not seen it since the death of Mother Teresa. Secondly I am not a Catholic nor am I particularly fond of the dogma. However I enjoy biographies that are submissive to the subject and not patronizing to the reader or make me have to think why the author wrote what they did. The good bios are the ones where I am a witness to a person's life and do not even know the shade of the lens or the style of the frame of the glasses through which I am priviliged to observe. As I don't have the time to write with greater detail I wil summarize as follows:
A crack in the sidewalk may be insurmountable to an ant. It does not mean it is insurmonuntable. Mother T. Did what she had to do to save starving people in the most horrible of conditions. Do you judge her because she used every means possible to accomplish this? Do you fault her because her method is more the method of one born in 1910 and a stranger to the political exigencies of the author's agenda or the agenda of those others whom she intimidated by her plainess. To even give print to her very passable shortcommings in the face of her most ordinary training and the enormity of the task she was courageous to undertake is snobbery. Sebba is a snob. She wrote her piece to be counter to the then existing general satisfaction for the work of Mother T. She didn't write her piece to be a biographer.
Gives a good, fair overview of Mother Teresa.......1997-12-27
Knowing little about Mother Teresa to start with, I found the book seemed to objectively chronicle her life, even the controversial positions that she held that are usually ignored when she is spoken about. Although it becomes apparent that Mother Teresa was human and an imperfect being, this does not diminish the value she has to others as a role model.
Amazon.com
For years Mother Teresa has appeared at the top of every list of the world's most influential women, in company with Diana, Princess of Wales, and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Different in almost every respect from those famous women, she did share one important quality: she was a star. In Mother Teresa, biographer Kathryn Spink goes beyond her subject's public persona to examine the life of a modern-day saint. In the course of tracing Mother Teresa's life--from her birth in Albania to her years in Ireland and then India with the Loreto Sisters to the founding of her own order, the Missionaries of Charity--Spink explores the ramifications of her subject's life and work on the lives of those she labored for and with.
Mother Teresa's frail appearance belied the steely will and public-relations savvy she brought to the task of loosening potential donor's purse strings and attracting attention to her cause. Was Mother Teresa a kind of spiritual colonialist, as critics have charged, more interested in helping the poor die in a state of grace than in changing the conditions in which they lived? Spink discusses this and other thorny questions with grace and honesty, at the same time emphasizing her subject's admirable achievements.
Book Description
During her lifetime, Mother Teresa resisted having her full biography written. Then, in 1991, realizing that accounts of her life and work could inspire others, she gave Kathryn Spink, who had long been intimately involved with the work of Mother Teresa and her order and co-workers around the world, permission to proceed with a complete biography on the understanding that it would not be finished until after her death.
Here, now, is the complete story of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, founder of the Missionaries of Charity and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, a woman regarded by millions as a contemporary saint for her dedication to serving the poorest of the poor. From her childhood in Balkans as a member of a remarkably openhearted and religious family to her work in India, from attending the victims of war-torn Beirut to pleading with George Bush and Saddam Hussein to choose peace over war. Mother Teresa was driven by an absolute faith. She consistently claimed that she was simply responding to Christ's boundless love for her and for all of humanity. When People magazine interviewed Kathryn Spink for their cover story on Mother Teresa 's death, Spink told them: "What one has to understand about Mother Teresa is that she sees Christ in every person she encounters." Clad in her white peasant sari with blue edging, Mother Teresa brought to the world a great and living lesson in joyful and selfless love.
Customer Reviews:
a beautiful book about a beautiful person.......2007-09-17
This is one of my favorite books about the Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. It is very descriptive and detailed. The book also includes many old photographs of Mother Teresa, as well. This is a beautiful book about a beautiful person.
Very inspirational.......2006-04-16
What a great biography about this great Albanian nun.
In her own words "I am Albanian by birth. Now I am citizen of India. I am also a Catholic nun. In my work, I belong to the whole world. But in my heart, I belong to Christ".
A Life Worthy of Art.......2004-06-29
A life such as Mother Teresa's is deserving of an insightful vibrant and skillfully told biography. I found Kathryn Spink's "Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography" left wanting. It did not live up to the magnitude of Mother Teresa's life of service and giving throughout the world but especially in India's Calcutta in the formation and running of the Sisters of Charity.
Spink's "Mother Teresa," reads, at times, like a laundry list of events with no coherent effort made to illuminate the person behind the events. The best biographies I have found don't rely so much on the cold hard history to build a story around, but rather insight as to who the person is and how they interacted with the world. I think of skillfully told biographies in which I walked away from the reading of them with insight, motivation, and the feeling that I knew the subject and was engaged in their life. Benson's "John Steinbeck: Writer," and Morris "Theodore Rex," come to mind as examples. Spink's "Mother Teresa," does not do the same.
I credit the writer for tackling some tough issues in the last two chapters. She addresses criticisms of Mother Teresa and the Sister's of Charity co-workers and does so without sidestepping difficult points of contention. Some social work critics fault the work of Mother Teresa for not wielding her influence to address the root causes of poverty and only tackling the end-product of suffering in a simplistic manner. In addition, Mother Teresa was loyal to the Catholic Church and stood staunch in support of difficult traditional stances espoused by that organization to include pro-life in all cases. Spink's does a good job of pitting Mother Teresa's perspective of service and belief to explain why she did what she did and why she believed as she did. However, this isn't until the last two chapters of the book and this illuminating approach could have been begun on page 1.
All in all, I would only recommend this book if you are attempting to delve deeply into the life and times of Mother Teresa and have read other books on that subject. If you want a good read and are just scratching the surface finding out what Mother Teresa's life was all about, look elsewhere dear reader.
--MMW
Mother Teresa.......2004-06-18
Kathryn Spink writes an inspirational biography of Mother Teresa's life. Each mini story allows the reader to reflect on the common spiritual truths taught by Mother Teresa. Some of these truths are: "seeing Jesus in the destitute and dying" and "doing something ordinary, but with great love", among many others...
Filled with quotations and stories, it serves as a great devotional book if read in small chunks. It will challenge the seeker to feel closer to Christ as well as understand the extraordinary events in Mother Teresa's life.
NOT Albania, but Yugoslavia.......2003-08-04
Mother Teresa is a Yugoslav national, not Albanian. She was born in Belgrade and Ms. Spink should check her geography a bit more carefully.
To dismiss her true place of birth is just bad journalism.
If Ms. Spink was of born in the USA from Irish decendants, would she be Irish?
Book Description
The worship of Devi, the Goddess, is one of the most vigorous and visible religious phenomena in northwest India today. In this groundbreaking book, Kathleen Erndl uses interviews, participant observations, and her own acute observations to explore the nature of the Goddess and her devotees' experience of her. Beginning with an analysis of oral and written sources, Erndl then examines specific ritual practices--including pilgrimage, performance, and divine possession--and presents case studies of women devotees who became 'possessed' by the Goddess and are worshipped as her representatives. The effects of modernization and popular culture on Goddess worship are revealed in the influence of popular religious pamphlets and the recent absorption of the "new" goddess, Santoshi Ma, into the pantheon. A final chapter suggests a number of ways of understanding the continuing vitality of the goddess as a mythic presence in the lives of contemporary Hindus.
Customer Reviews:
To Know The Goddess.......2007-10-01
I've been seeking an historical analysis of The Goddess, particularly Vaishno Devi. (When might she have lived? Did she live an ordinary childhood? Etc.) I didn't find quite as much of that here as I'd hoped, but I found more here than anywhere else. What impressed me about this book is that although the author is an American academic, she didn't limit herself to the dry, detached approach that academics usually take. She took her time and participated in many rituals and got to know the devotees and their experience of the Goddess. She even seemed to have developed some passion for her subject. So I feel that I have gotten the Goddess experience as much as is possible from my armchair.
Beautiful book about Kali/Durga/Shakti........1998-01-03
A beautiful book! Altho Kali/Durga/Shakti is a well-known Goddess to many in the West, almost all information about Her worship comes from the Tantrik cults of Southern India.
Here, Erndl introduces the reader to the Northern India Seranvali cult, in which the Goddess is worshipped as the Great Mother.
We are taken on pilgrimages to many Goddess sites, walked through a night-long ceremony in Her honor, and told Her important myths.
This book moved me deeply. Jai Mata Di (Victory to the Goddess)!
Product Description
Letters from missionaries inspired her to minister to the "poorest of the poor."
Customer Reviews:
A Book For all Faiths!.......2005-08-09
Mother Teresa was a missionary of Christ, compassion and of love. Her love spans all faiths, religions and breaks every boundary. Her story is inspirational and I consider myself honored to just read about what she has done. Once again my 9 year old son has picked a winner!
Great Book!.......2000-08-05
This book tells about the joys and struggles of Mother Teresa. It tells about her childhood, how she announced she wanted to be a nun, and about the children of India. She sets up a hospital for injured people, visits lepars and more. This book tells of how Mother Teresa lived, and what she sacrificed. This book is awesome and I recommend it to anyone.
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