Jonathan Robinson (1)

Father Robinson deftly fleshes out the maxims of the original "Spiritual Combat" published in 1589 by Italian priest Father Lorenzo Scupoli. Scupoli's book was a favourite of Blessed John Henry Newman, and Robinson weaves quotes from Newman, as well as the Spanish Carmelites and others into his revisiting of Scupoli's work. I'm curious how many fans of "virtue ethics" would find this book interesting. To me it is entirely congruent with that theory. No doubt the traditional modes and means of Catholic piety sometimes became ends in themselves, rather than means to holiness and virtue, but Robinson clearly demonstrates that works like Scupoli's still rest in the heart of our tradition.… (meer)