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"David Torkington's trilogy on prayer immediately reminds one of that rich tradition which
stretches back to the first days of the church and Origen, moves on through the Middle Ages with
masters like William of Saint Thierry and reaches into our own century in such works as the
masterful Three Ages of the Spiritual Life of Garrigou-LaGrange. Indeed 'three ages of the
spiritual life' might be the best way to sum up Torkington's volumes. The first, The Hermit,
gets us started on the journey, inculcating basic openness to God through humility, listening to
the Scriptures and practicing the other virtues. The second, The Prophet, drawing from
monastic and Franciscan spirituality, moves us along from conversion and repentance to openness
to the mystical life. And it is the third, The Mystic, which gives the reader a quick
over-view of the teaching of St. John of the Cross with some helpful practical applications. But
Torkington's three-part presentation is no ponderous tome. Rather these slim volumes -- which form
a whole and are to be read in order -- delightfully use the vehicle of story so dear to the Lord
himself and increasingly popular in our time. And David Torkington, an experienced lecturer and
retreat master, is a good storyteller.... [This] threefold journey is a refreshing experience,
enlightening and promising, and calls us to the living, for the proof of the pudding is in the
eating." --M. Basil Pennington, O.C.S.O. in
America, August 28, 1999
"An adventure in serious prayer life: Reading like a rambling, atmosphere-filled 19th
Century English novel: A thought-and-action-for-prayer packed trilogy from English author and
retreat master David Torkington (columnist for London's "The Catholic Herald").
General title: Torkington Trilogy on Prayer. Format: Story of a priest who seeks
greater depth and meaning in his prayer life, leads to a modern-day hermit (lay man) spiritual
director (via a reference from a devout lay woman) -- it deals with the experience of being rooted
in the great spiritual traditions of the Church in a way that will enrich life in any century. Filled
with journeys, island-seaside-and-urban vistas, the English language artfully employed, the grace
of European gardens, British wit at its best, deft insight into parish life, and the basic "given"
-- the essential human quest for intimacy with God. Readers can make the trilogy a seasonal
adventure in reading. By itself, it may just bring back the written word, at least in terms of
spirituality. Quick look at each volume: (1) The Hermit (A Personal Discovery);
looks at the basic stages of prayer life and the quest for holiness, with the bleak and windswept
Scottish islands as backdrop. 112 pages. (2) The Prophet (The Inner Meaning of
Prayer); examines the truths that give foundation to the spiritual life, told via looking at how
a young man became a hermit, and how people react when he disappears (themes include understanding
the role of the Cross, sacrifice, and self-denial. 176 pages. (3) The Mystic
(From Charismatic to Mystical Prayer); drawing on the writings and experiences of the Carmelite
masters, Saints Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross; brings the marital imagery of the series
into full focus with a look back to the example and pathways of the hermit's parents. Filled with
insights into spiritual growth and the options for meeting God in daily prayer time. 128 pages."
--Crux of the News, August 30, 1999
"One gains the immediate impression on taking up these books that they are not some glib response
to an editorial suggestion but rather something carefully meditated. Torkington writes about prayer
and one feels that he writes from experience, with the authority of one who has prayed. The hermit
in question is Peter Calvay, who lives off the island of Barra in the Hebrides. The narrator is in
pursuit of Peter and his knowledge of prayer. When the two meet, various conversations ensue and,
with Peter as our guide, we are taken on a tour from the depths of semi-Pelagianism to the heights
of mystical experience, encountering some serious spiritual theology on the way. Torkington has the
happy knack of marrying style and content. At no time do we think this is a prayer manual dressed up
as a novel, the novelistic trappings being the honey to snare the flies. Rather, we realize that
prayer isn't simply a matter of theory, but something to be lived -- and these books succeed in
presenting theology as lived experience. In an age such as ours where faith and life are so dangerously
divergent, this is a considerable achievement. Torkington's books may well end up on the shelf
marked "Popular Theology." This is a little unjust as these books are far from simplistic; indeed,
they are a welcome antidote to modern ignorance. But St. Francis de Sales wrote "popular" works too,
and if these books end up next to Introduction to the Devout Life, they will be in fitting
company." --David McLaurin, winner of the "Daily Express Book of the
Year Award" for his novel Bishop of San Fernando, in the Catholic
Herald, Sept. 6, 1998
"I would like to thank David McLaurin for his excellent review of David Torkington's Trilogy
on Prayer (Catholic Herald, 6 September). I am sure that there
will be many others who, like myself, will be grateful to him for drawing attention to what is
true gold, amidst so much spiritual dross published today. Would that I could send a copy to every
Catholic family for, though it contains so much profound spirituality, the author has the knack of
making it available to all. David McLaurin is right to put this Trilogy side by side with St. Francis
de Sales' popular masterpiece." --Sr. Margarita Schwind, O.P.,
Southampton
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