Jim Forest

From its original publication in 1997 Praying with Icons has been hailed as a modern spiritual classic, both for readers familiar with the tradition of icons as well as those who are newcomers to this sacred art. Jim Forest, a convert to the Russian Orthodox Church, describes the history and theology behind icons, how they are made, and how they are used as a guide to prayer. As Forest shows, icons are not simply illustrations or "art" in the usual sense, but aids to prayer and contemplation, windows on the divine. Drawing on a rich selection of classic and contemporary icons, he offers a series of meditative reflections on some of the most typical subjects of icons, including Christ, Mary, and the saints. This new edition includes a previously unpublished chapter by Jim Forest, and a personal memoir by his widow, Nancy Forest, about the role that icons played in his life, their marriage, and his final illness.

In the mid-1960s, Thich Nhat Hanh was a little-known Vietnamese Zen monk, touring the United States on behalf of the cause of peace in his homeland. Jim Forest, a Catholic peacemaker, was asked to accompany him on his speaking engagements. From there emerged a friendship over many decades, in which Jim learned through conversations and daily life about Nhat Hanh's spiritual teachings on mindfulness and the inner peace that is necessary for promoting world peace. Over the years Thich Nhat Hanh became one of the most influential and revered spiritual teachers in the world. Jim Forest's intimate portrait, which includes photos and other illustrations, is a unique introduction to a modern spiritual master and his teachings.

Here is the spiritual memoir of Jim Forest, co-founder of the Catholic Peace Fellowship, told largely through his interaction with some of the great peacemakers of our time--Dorothy Day, Dan Berrigan, Thomas Merton, and Thich Nhat Hanh. It is the story of lifetime in the service of Christ's peace and of xtraordinary companions who joined him along the way.

In an age of tourism, the great challenge is to see ourselves at a deeper level: the dimension of pilgrimage. Being a pilgrim might involve a journey to distant places associated with God-revealing events, but it has more to do with simply living day by day in a God-attentive way. Jim Forest's book assists the reader to see one's life as an opportunity for pilgrimage, whether in places as familiar as your living room or walking the pilgrim path to Santiago de Compostela. Drawing on the wisdom of the saints and his own wide-ranging travels, Forest leads us to a range of "thin places," including Iona, Jerusalem, the secret annex of Anne Frank, the experience of illness, the practice of hospitality, and other places and occasions where we may find ourselves surprised by grace.

Drawing on stories from the lives of the saints, scripture, and everyday life, Jim Forest opens up the mysteries of the Beatitudes. These ancient blessings, with which Christ began his Sermon on the Mount, are all aspects of communion with God. As Forest shows, they are like rungs on a ladder, each one leading to the next. They appear at the doorway of the New Testament to provide an easily memorized summary of everything that follows, right down to the crucifixion ("Blessed are you who are persecuted") and the resurrection ("Rejoice and be glad").

Jesuit Father Daniel Berrigan (1921-2016), priest, poet, peacemaker, was one of the great religious voices of our time. Jim Forest, who worked with Berrigan in building the Catholic Peace Fellowship in the 1960s, draws on his deep friendship over five decades to provide the most comprehensive and intimate picture yet available of this modern-day prophet.

Dorothy Day (1897-1980), founder of the Catholic Worker movement, and one of the most prophetic voices in the American Catholic church, has recently been proposed as a candidate for canonization. In this lavishly illustrated biography, Jim Forest provides a compelling portrait of her heroic efforts to live out the radical message of the gospel for our time. A journalist and social reformer in her youth, Day surprised her friends with the decision in 1927 to enter the Catholic church. Her conversion, prompted by the birth out of wedlock of her daughter Tamar left her searching for some way to reconcile her faith with her commitment to the poor and social justice. The answer came with her decision to launch The Catholic Worker, both a newspaper and a movement. Enunciating a radical social vision rooted in the gospel, Day and those who joined her devoted themselves to the Works of Mercy while struggling to create a new society "where it is easier to be good." An ardent pacifist, Day was frequently arrested for her protests in the cause of peace. Drawing on her recently published diaries and letters, Forest chronicles her extraordinary journey, with special stress on the unique spiritual vision that underlay her dramatic witness.