To hear the silence

Abstract

Richard Rohr is one of the most recognizable Franciscan preachers of our time. Even though he could be described as hermit, he did not choose to live in total isolation, neither form the world, nor from people. He is an active preacher in his religious community, as well as the author of more than thirty books that have been translated into several languages. In all of his published works one could notice his innovative method of contemplative spirituality, inspired by various schools of thought: Buddhism, Hinduism, Gandhi’s teachings, but also by Thomas Merton. In the book discussed in this review, the author suggests that silence is not a state of inertia, but rather an encouragement to action. To describe silence as a “form of intelligence” is to confirm its status as an excellence that could only be find in creative acts.