What books have most influenced your spiritual development?

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Rumi’s poetry, Martin Lings’ biography of prophet Muhammad, ‘Mere Christianity’ and ‘Screwtape Letters’ (by C.S. Lewis). They’re influential for very different reasons, though. Rumi’s poetry in his book, The Mathnawi, revolutionized my understanding of Islam and brought my faith into a new dimension. Brother Lings’ book gave me a better appreciation for the prophet and his companions. C.S. Lewis’ books got my juices flowing with a lot of solid argumentation and philosphical views.
 
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For me it was/is Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Even though he was mistreated he was able to look beyond their actions and see them as the souls they really were. If I am upset about something the book helps me to calm down.
 
The Bible
The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary
LOTH
Autobiography of a Soul- St. Therese of Lisieux
Didache
Practice of the Presence of God- Brother Lawrence
Ascent of Mt. Carmel
Fire Within by Dubay
True Devotion by Montfort
Imitation of Christ
Carmel’s Call
The Carmelite Way by John Welch
The Way of Perfection by St. Teresa of Avila
Imitation of Mary
Dormition of the Blessed Virgin by St. John the
Theologian
The Infancy Narrative of James
Mere Christianity
The Spirit of the Liturgy by Cardinal Ratzinger
Crossing the Threshhold of Hope by John Paul II

Currently re-reading St. John and 2 Samuel with
Agape Bible Study.
 
Insights for the Age of Aquarius: a handbook for religious sanity ~Cerminara: Vital text used in many comparative religion classes, Catholic and otherwise. Applies general semantics to religious thought. If you don’t read the book, read the introduction. Our multi faith book club is wildly enthusiastic about it!

Then, not in any particular order:

The Phenomenon of Man ~Chardin: The very title got me out of me thinking of myself personally.

A Brief History of Everything ~Ken Wilber: Integrative philosopher uses Q&A format to put religion into terms making it easier to consider from wider and deeper perspectives

The Philosophy of Consciousness Without an Object ~Merrel-Wolff: Exegesis of a transformative experience following a diary of the same by an English speaking contemporary author, de-mystifying “enightenment”

The Experience of No Self ~Roberts: At last a book from a Catholic that says what the great mystics of the faith didn’t dare to. Huge breath of fresh air.

I AM THAT Nisargadattta: Questions and answers. Challenging, I’m sure, to fundamentalist Catholics, but unnecesarily so.

Born to be Free ~Jac O’Keefe: Short and potent

Gateless Gatecrashers-21 Ordinary People, 21 Extraordinary Awakenings ~Ciunate and Nezhinsky: Read the introduction first and listen.

Many others
 
It’s hard to isolate one or two books that have contributed to my spiritual house (each has given me a brick here, brick there, a support beam), but the major ones:
  1. The Collected Dialogues of Plato:
  • Euthyphro, Protagoras, Crito, Gorgias, Phaedrus, Apology, etc.
  1. “Wisdom of the Desert - Sayings of the Desert Fathers” by Thomas Merton
  2. “Path to Sanity: Lessons from the Ancient Holy Counselors on how to have a Sound Mind” by Dee Pennock
 
NowHereThis said:
And how have they done so?
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The Fulfillment of All Desire by Ralph Martin.

If you want to follow the path to holiness, Martin maps it out through the writings of several doctors of the Church: Augustine, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Francis de Sales, Therese of Liseaux, Bernard of Clarivaux, and Catherine of Sienna.
 
Randy_Carson said:
The Fulfillment of All Desire by Ralph Martin.

If you want to follow the path to holiness, Martin maps it out through the writings of several doctors of the Church: Augustine, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Francis de Sales, Therese of Liseaux, Bernard of Clarivaux, and Catherine of Sienna.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a group heavy on the most non dualist contingent of the Church. Cool. I’ll take a look. Wisdom of the Desert sounds interesting as well Thanks, y’all! 🙂
 
The Baltimore catechism when I was young. And Thos. Merton’s SEVEN STORY MOUNTAIN when I was a freshman in college. Many more (too many to list) since.
 
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