Our Hearts Are Restless: The Art of Spiritual Memoir

A guided tour of spiritual autobiography that grants readers new insights and appreciation of the genreThe genre of spiritual autobiography has flourished ever since Augustine essentially invented it in the fourth century. In Our Hearts Are Restless, Richard Lischer–himself the author of two spiritual memoirs–takes readers on a guided tour of the genre, examining the life writings of twenty-one figures from the obvious (Thomas Merton) to the surprising (James Baldwin); and from the ancient (the aforementioned Augustine) to the contemporary (Anne Lamott).Lischer is a perceptive reader and interpreter of these writings, and a thoughtful and engaging guide to the genre. Readers will come away with new insights into these figures’ lives–spiritual and otherwise–but also a new appreciation of the art and craft of spiritual writing.