Overview

“I think the wisdom of the worlds religions that the author has made available to his readers in this book will help them reflect on basic human questions more deeply and draw helpful lessons from them.”  -Peter B. Lobo, OP, Dominican Ashram

 "Charles de Foucauld, the ‘Universal Brother,’ led a hidden life in the open desert. This volume of reflections, four of them by women, helps to make this ‘hidden treasure’ known.” —Cardinal Michael Fitzgerald

“Without St. Charles de Foucauld, the Catholic Church’s current positive stance toward Muslims would likely not have materialized. [This volume] helps us understand this holy man and his important legacy, and inspire us to live alongside Muslims as spiritual siblings.” —Jordan Denari Duffner, author, Islamophobia

“A compelling exploration of the fascinating, complex, and, in truth, perplexing dimensions of this newly canonized saint and his life of complete abandonment of all to God . . . . He embodied a humble spirituality by offering a simple, affable, and kind presence among Muslim tribespeople, accompanying them in their cultural ways, enduring the hardships of desert life, and recording and preserving their language as a legacy for all.”—John Borelli, Georgetown University

Saint Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916) has taken his place among the great saints and spiritual explorers of modern times. Inspired by the “hidden life” of Jesus in the years he lived as a carpenter among his neighbors in Nazareth, de Foucauld’s mission led him to a hermitage in North Africa where he lived among his poor Muslim neighbors in a spirit of friendship and solidarity, proclaiming the gospel “not with words” but with his life.

Here, leading theologians and spiritual writers explore the significance of Saint Charles’ witness, with particular attention to the urgent cause of Christian-Muslim dialogue.

  With his recent canonization, Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916) takes his place among the great saints and spiritual explorers of modern times. His spirituality was inspired by the “hidden life” of Jesus in the years he lived as a carpenter among his neighbors in Nazareth. Charles’s mission led him to a hermitage in North Africa, where he lived among his poor Muslim neighbors in a spirit of friendship and solidarity, proclaiming the gospel “not with words” but with his life. The essays in this volume, by leading theologians and spiritual writers, explore the significance of his witness, with particular attention to the cause of Christian-Muslim dialogue.

Joseph Victor Edwin, SJ, is Director of the Vidyajyoti Institute of Islamic Studies in New Delhi, India.

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