A native of Philadelphia, Brother John joined the Taizé Community
in 1974. He spends much of his time in Taizé, France, giving Bible introductions to the young
adults who come there for week-long meetings. In the 1980's he was part of a small group of Taizé
brothers living in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan, and he has continued to travel throughout
the United States for meetings and retreats. His several writings on Scripture and Spirituality
have been translated into over ten languages and include The Pilgrim God: A Biblical Journey
(Washington: The Pastoral Press, 1985 / Dublin: Veritas, 1990), The Way of the Lord: A New
Testament Pilgrimage (The Pastoral Press / Veritas, 1990), Praying the Our Father Today
(The Pastoral Press, 1992), and God of the Unexpected
(London: Geoffrey Chapman / Mowbray, 1995).
Reviews
Written by a monk of Taizé, the remarkable ecumenical monastic community in France, this is a
work that offers real meat as spiritual reading. These biblical reflections originated as
presentations to the thousands of young adults who come each year to Taizé seeking spiritual
nourishment and who join in the prayer of the community. Brother John explores in a clear, unadorned,
and sound manner the biblical background for the very longing that drives so many of these young
pilgrims -- the thirst for authentic holiness. --Donald Senior, C.P.
in The Bible Today, January/February 2000
"The ecumenical community at Taize in France attracts tens of thousands of young people each
year. They come from all sorts of religious traditions, as seekers on a spiritual pilgrimage.
During their time there they participate in prayer with much chanting, the use of icons, incense
and candles. Time is also given to reflection and discussion of the Scriptures conducted in small
groups under the guidance of one of the monks. Brother John, originally from Philadelphia, joined
the Community in 1974, and for many years has led these groups. This book is a collection of the
biblical introductions and reflection questions that he has found helpful in his work. Although
eminently suitable for biblical reflection groups with young people, it can also be used for all
those 'wishing to take part in the adventure of holiness, that adventure which allows us a glimpse
of the breathtaking beauty of communion in God and challenges us to personal responsibility for
one another and the world in which we live.' Unlike some books of this type, the 16 sections
and the conclusion are meant to be taken in order. The book will be useful for prayer groups and
small Christian communities, or as a beginning for meetings of committees in the church."
--Monos "Book Reviews," August 16, 2000
In every age we are forced to reflect on the meaning of life, what will be our resources for
coping, and what will become the foundations for our belief systems, rituals and practices. As we
approach the new millennium the process seems to have taken on a new dimension. From the conservative
elements that pull all sorts of things from scripture to prove or disprove the latest prediction
or theory, to the others who simply dismiss it all (except maybe that it is a good reason for a
party), there is a spiritual searching that is very visible and active among people. Brother John
of the Taizé Community offers contemporary expressions of life helped along by the timeless truths
of scripture and tradition. The book not only has something to offer to everyone's spiritual tradition
and journey, it will also facilitate group sharing and discussion. --Rev. Dr. Richard B. Gilbert in The
World Pastoral Care Center's Resources Hotline, September 27, 1999
"Quick, readable, foundational: From Philadelphia-bred Brother John of Taizé, a collection
of his talks given to intercontinental meetings of young adults in Taizé (France), introducing
them to the Bible. Title: The Adventure of Holiness: Biblical Foundations and Present-Day
Perspectives. Unique, perhaps, to this book: It keeps the lucid immediacy of oral presentation.
Central issue: every person can experience his or her own 'burning bush' moment -- a moment to
realize and act on the reality that everyone is called to holiness, made for communion with God.
16 brief chapters, each with reflection questions. Chapters include: A God Who Speaks; Mary; The
Call as Gift; In the Family of God; Celibacy and Marriage, etc." --Crux of
the News, May 15, 2000
"The Adventure of Holiness by Brother John of Taizé, a Philadelphian who joined the
Taizé Community in 1974, applies the lessons of the Bible to the modern world, and shows us how
holiness brings meaning and relevance. At Brother John's heart is the Mystery that forms us
slowly into the image of Christ. And the passage is certainly the adventure of holiness, that
beauty of communion that moves us to relate to a world in pain. "Behind the experience of
holiness there thus lies a personal reality, a God who speaks," who calls us to a personal dialogue
with him. "If human beings can receive God's Name, that means that there is something in them
capable of welcoming this revelation and therefore of rising above mere materiality and
fragmentation...." John writes with the very grace of which he speaks, an elegance of English in
which each line radiates from many sections of the Bible, in the accounts of Paul, in his
reverence for Mary. At the end of each chapter, a point of reflection: how does the death and
resurrection of Jesus, seen not as a past event, transform believers here and now and show us
the importance of the Easter mystery? Short chapters, for the modern reader whose attention span
has been shortened by the electronic media, but whose life yearns to breathe free. "If the adventure
of holiness is sometimes an arduous journey, it is nonetheless a source of inexpressible joy,
the joy of setting out on the same road as Abraham and Moses, Mary and Peter, and a multitude of
women and men down through the ages who entrusted their life to a Word that went before them,
leading them onward like a pillar of fire. --The Book Reader,
Spring/Summer 2000
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