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Book Review: Christine Valters Paintner, Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life

Book Review: Christine Valters Paintner, Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life Book Reviews 237 Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life. By Christine Valters Paintner. Notre Dame, IN: Sorin Books, 2021, ix + 137 pp. $16.95 (paper) “The world is too much with us; late and soon” was William Wordsworth’s lament at the rise of the Industrial Age. Most would agree that the world is even more “with us” today. In this context Sacred Time is counter-cultural almost to the point of being revolutionary. The author wastes few words railing against the hyper-activity of modern life beyond acknowledging that it requires great humility to let the world go on without us for a while (p. 32). Nor does she count the cost such humility may exact from parents, care givers, and others with demanding responsibilities. Painter assumes a willingness and an ability on the part of the reader to step out of the swift but shallow currents of daily routine and savor the richness of life. Those who take that step are essentially welcomed to a quiet retreat in book form. Readers are given wise direction in eight chapters devoted to the deep rhythms of life from individual breathing through weekly, seasonal and life cycles concluding with cosmic awareness. The latter stretches from the deep time of geology to mythic glimpses of apocalypse. Each chapter begins by developing its theme, a scriptural reflection by the author’s husband, a meditative exercise, and a concluding poem as a benediction. Celtic spirituality, monastic practice, yoga, scripture, and modern science enrich the mix. The undergirding theme is how life’s rhythms constantly wax and wane. Every ending is tied to a beginning. Recognizing and embracing the naturalness of this reality, especially in a culture devoted to the myth of constant growth, can allow one an entrance into deeper peace and wholeness. Christine Paintner is a wise and gentle guide whose life bears witness to the truths she makes available to us. Her husband John serves with her in leading the Abbey of the Arts, an online spiritual community. Their roots in the Roman Catholic Church enrich but do not narrow their offerings. Christine’s poetry is uncomplicated and open ended. John’s scrip- tural meditations are similarly broad and suggestive as retreat meditations are wont to be. Insights are rarely developed, leaving the exploration up to the reader. All of this combines to provide raw material for a rewarding personal quiet retreat or daily discipline. Those responsible for spiritual groups and quiet days will find rich resources for their ministries. Wordsworth’s lament about the changing world ends with longing for “glimpses that would make me less forlorn.” Modern readers who can embrace Painter’s required humility and follow her disciplines will find much more than glimpses of hope and peace in a fast-paced world. FRANCIS WADE Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandra, VA, USA Longing for the Good Life: Virtue Ethics after Protestantism. By Pieter Vos. T&T Clark Enquiries in Theological Ethics. London: T&T Clark, 2020. ix + 209 pp. $115.00 (hb). ISBN 9780567695079. The central task of Pieter Vos’s Longing for the Good Life: Virtue Ethics after Protestantism is to articulate how Protestantism relates to the long and venerable tradition of http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Anglican Theological Review SAGE

Book Review: Christine Valters Paintner, Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life

Wade, Francis
Anglican Theological Review , Volume 104 (2): 1 – Apr 7, 2022
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SAGE
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2022
ISSN
0003-3286
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2163-6214
DOI
10.1177/00033286221089555
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Abstract

Book Reviews 237 Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life. By Christine Valters Paintner. Notre Dame, IN: Sorin Books, 2021, ix + 137 pp. $16.95 (paper) “The world is too much with us; late and soon” was William Wordsworth’s lament at the rise of the Industrial Age. Most would agree that the world is even more “with us” today. In this context Sacred Time is counter-cultural almost to the point of being revolutionary. The author wastes few words railing against the hyper-activity of modern life beyond acknowledging that it requires great humility to let the world go on without us for a while (p. 32). Nor does she count the cost such humility may exact from parents, care givers, and others with demanding responsibilities. Painter assumes a willingness and an ability on the part of the reader to step out of the swift but shallow currents of daily routine and savor the richness of life. Those who take that step are essentially welcomed to a quiet retreat in book form. Readers are given wise direction in eight chapters devoted to the deep rhythms of life from individual breathing through weekly, seasonal and life cycles concluding with cosmic awareness. The latter stretches from the deep time of geology to mythic glimpses of apocalypse. Each chapter begins by developing its theme, a scriptural reflection by the author’s husband, a meditative exercise, and a concluding poem as a benediction. Celtic spirituality, monastic practice, yoga, scripture, and modern science enrich the mix. The undergirding theme is how life’s rhythms constantly wax and wane. Every ending is tied to a beginning. Recognizing and embracing the naturalness of this reality, especially in a culture devoted to the myth of constant growth, can allow one an entrance into deeper peace and wholeness. Christine Paintner is a wise and gentle guide whose life bears witness to the truths she makes available to us. Her husband John serves with her in leading the Abbey of the Arts, an online spiritual community. Their roots in the Roman Catholic Church enrich but do not narrow their offerings. Christine’s poetry is uncomplicated and open ended. John’s scrip- tural meditations are similarly broad and suggestive as retreat meditations are wont to be. Insights are rarely developed, leaving the exploration up to the reader. All of this combines to provide raw material for a rewarding personal quiet retreat or daily discipline. Those responsible for spiritual groups and quiet days will find rich resources for their ministries. Wordsworth’s lament about the changing world ends with longing for “glimpses that would make me less forlorn.” Modern readers who can embrace Painter’s required humility and follow her disciplines will find much more than glimpses of hope and peace in a fast-paced world. FRANCIS WADE Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandra, VA, USA Longing for the Good Life: Virtue Ethics after Protestantism. By Pieter Vos. T&T Clark Enquiries in Theological Ethics. London: T&T Clark, 2020. ix + 209 pp. $115.00 (hb). ISBN 9780567695079. The central task of Pieter Vos’s Longing for the Good Life: Virtue Ethics after Protestantism is to articulate how Protestantism relates to the long and venerable tradition of

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Anglican Theological Review – SAGE

Published: Apr 7, 2022

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