Description
Book SynopsisAlthough God is at the center of the process of spiritual direction, the more readily visible participants are human beings. Like all other people, directors and directees are subject to relationship dynamics. Trustworthy Connections identifies some issues and challenges that can arise in spiritual direction relationships and offers resources for further consideration and reflection. The topics and examples are focused on traditional one–to–one, face–to–face spiritual direction, although some are also relevant to group direction and direction by correspondence. Trustworthy Connections is designed for use as a reference and a springboard for discussion for spiritual directors and anyone else who is interested in spiritual direction. Like the process of spiritual direction itself, this book is about asking questions, discussing ideas, and suggesting alternatives rather than giving advice or getting answers.
Trade Review. . . a practical guide to spiritual direction. . . . Silver’s focus is on the basics of traditional, one-on-one spiritual direction with all its relational challenges. I am impressed with the thoroughness of this practical guide. -- Kriss Erickson * Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction *
For those who practice the art of Spiritual Direction, there has been an ongoing difficulty in how one will learn more about the call and work of spiritual companioning those who seek to know what God is doing in their lives. Two schools of mentoring are available: one that sees the call of the spiritual director as a charism or gift from God and helps the director to go deeper into his or her spiritual life as well as the tradition and practice over the centuries. The other school sees the gift or call into spiritual direction from a more clinical mode of training, as a set of skills and practices to be learned. Ann Winchell Silver . . . helps the reader to see it is not an ‘either/or’ proposition but a ‘both/and’ situation. Believing in the grounding of this call in the Holy One, she balances this spiritual calling with sound suggestions for its practice . . . everything from the space one uses for direction to ethical guidelines and what to look for in a spiritual director. -- Rev. Al Keeney * Living Water/Episcopal Life *
