Description

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In the first half of life, we are naturally preoccupied with establishing ourselves; climbing, achieving, and performing. But as we grow older and encounter challenges and mistakes, we need to see ourselves in a different and more life-giving way. This message of falling down - that is in fact moving upward - is the most resisted and counterintuitive of messages in the world's religions. Falling Upward offers a new paradigm for understanding one of the most profound of life's mysteries: how those who have fallen down are the only ones who understand "up." We grow spiritually more by doing it wrong than by doing it right, and the disappointments of life are actually stepping stones to the spiritual joys in the second half of life.

About the Author

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Richard Rohr was born in Kansas in 1943. He entered the Franciscans in 1961, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1970. He received his Master's Degree in Theology from Dayton that same year. He now lives in a hermitage behind his Franciscan community in Albuquerque, and divides his time between local work and preaching and teaching on all continents. He has written numerous books including: Everything Belongs, Things Hidden, The Naked Now, and more. READER BIORichard Rohr was born in Kansas in 1943. He entered the Franciscans in 1961, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1970. He received his Master's Degree in Theology from Dayton that same year. He now lives in a hermitage behind his Franciscan community in Albuquerque, and divides his time between local work and preaching and teaching on all continents. He has written numerous books including: Everything Belongs, Things Hidden, The Naked Now, and more.

Praise For…

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"...provocative..." - Publishers Weekly

"...a trustworthy guide to the spiritual life." - BlogCritics.org

"Understanding the spiritual aspects of aging is as important as appreciating the systems and biological processes that age us. Richard Rohr has given us a perfect guide to what he calls the 'further journey,' a voyage into the mystery mystery and beauty of healthy spiritual maturity." - Mehmet Oz, M.D., host of the 'Dr. Oz Show'

"Falling Upward calls forth the promise within us and frees us to follow it into wider dimensions of our spiritual authenticity. This 'second half of life' need not wait till our middle years. It emerges whenever we are ready and able to expand beyond the structures and strictures of our chosen path. With Richard Rohr as a guide, this mystery can become as real and immediate as your hand on the doorknob." - Joanna Macy, author of World as Lover, World as Self

"In Falling Upward, Richard offers a simple but deeply helpful framework for seeing the whole spiritual life - one that will help both beginners on the path as they look ahead and long-term pilgrims as they look back over their journey so far." - Brian McLaren, author of A New Kind of Christianity and Naked Spirituality

"The value of this book lies in the way Richard Rohr shares his own aging process with us in ways that help us be less afraid. We begin to see that, as we grow older, we are being awakened to deep, simple, and mysterious things we simply could not see when we were younger." - Jim Finley, Merton scholar and author of The Contemplative Heart

"This is Richard Rohr at his vintage best: prophetic, pastoral, practical. A book I will gratefully share with my children and grandchildren." - Cynthia Bourgeault, Episcopal priest, retreat leader, and author