Chicago, IL (Vocus) March 13, 2009
Is living one’s faith-life about knowing one’s religion or having a personal relationship with God? In ”How Big Is Your God? The Freedom to Experience the Divine,” author Paul Coutinho, SJ, challenges readers to move beyond religion to a relationship with God that will radically change how they relate to God and the church.
Written in the first person, Fr. Coutinho encourages the reader to grow stronger in faith by embracing a God whose love truly knows no bounds. This radical openness to God, Coutinho claims, will lead the reader to experience the infinite breadth of God in a deeply personal way.
Father Coutinho is an Indian Jesuit priest with a genial sense of humor and a penchant for asking deeply thought–provoking spiritual questions: Do you have a real relationship with God, or do you just have a religion? Do you know God, or do you just know about God? Have you ever considered believing in a God without limits, a God powerful enough to enable you to think, love, and live differently?
As the reader journeys with Coutinho towards a freedom to experience the Divine, he introduces readers to his Hindu friends who put him on the path to mysticism; to his Buddhist teachers who broke open his limited views of the divine; to Viktor Frankl, Desmond Tutu, and other enlightened guides who led him to a far more meaningful spiritual life; and to St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose Spiritual Exercises continue to shape his reflection and prayer life.
As Richard Rohr, OFM states in the Introduction to the book, “…I encourage you to trust this fine teacher and let him lead you to some very big and new places so that you too can experience what ‘no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived — what God has prepared for those who love him’ (1 Corinthians 2:9). You are in for a treat, and a treat that will last!”
Fr. Paul Coutinho, SJ, divides his time between India and the United States. He currently conducts an international ministry of speaking, retreat work, and spiritual direction from a base at St. Louis University, where he received a doctorate in historical theology. If you would like to interview Fr. Coutinho, please contact Michelle Halm, PR & Communications Manager (see info below).
”How Big Is Your God? The Freedom to Experience the Divine”
Paul Coutinho, S.J.
Loyola Press
Hardcover $ 18.95 (15 – minute DVD of Paul Coutinho, SJ, included)
ISBN-13978-0-8294-2481-2 ISBN-10: 0-8294-2481-4
Contact:
Michelle Halm
PR & Communications Manager
773 529 3789
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