A Year with the Classics: A Beginner’s Class in Twelve Books that Have Inspired Christian Heroes, Sinners, and Saints for Centuries
Dec 2026 · Sold by St. Martin's Essentials
Ebook
192
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infoThis book will become available on December 1, 2026. You will not be charged until it is released.
About this ebook
A yearlong introduction to the twelve greatest classics of Christian spirituality, making timeless wisdom accessible to today’s seekers
Across two millennia of Christian tradition, certain spiritual writers have shaped the soul of faith—calling believers to humility, contemplation, and love. In A Year with the Classics, award-winning author and scholar Jon M. Sweeney serves as a wise and welcoming guide through twelve of these foundational works, from Augustine and Teresa of Avila to Julian of Norwich and The Cloud of Unknowing.
Each chapter offers an approachable “beginner’s class” on a spiritual masterpiece—exploring its origins, the life of its author, its impact over time, and what it can still teach us today. Alongside insightful commentary are simple daily and weekly practices drawn directly from each text, turning reflection into lived experience.
Perfect for individual use or small groups, A Year with the Classics invites readers to slow down, read deeply, and discover the enduring beauty and relevance of Christianity’s most beloved spiritual teachers.
Across two millennia of Christian tradition, certain spiritual writers have shaped the soul of faith—calling believers to humility, contemplation, and love. In A Year with the Classics, award-winning author and scholar Jon M. Sweeney serves as a wise and welcoming guide through twelve of these foundational works, from Augustine and Teresa of Avila to Julian of Norwich and The Cloud of Unknowing.
Each chapter offers an approachable “beginner’s class” on a spiritual masterpiece—exploring its origins, the life of its author, its impact over time, and what it can still teach us today. Alongside insightful commentary are simple daily and weekly practices drawn directly from each text, turning reflection into lived experience.
Perfect for individual use or small groups, A Year with the Classics invites readers to slow down, read deeply, and discover the enduring beauty and relevance of Christianity’s most beloved spiritual teachers.
A yearlong introduction to the twelve greatest classics of Christian spirituality, making timeless wisdom accessible to today’s seekers
Across two millennia of Christian tradition, certain spiritual writers have shaped the soul of faith—calling believers to humility, contemplation, and love. In ...
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About the author
JON M. SWEENEY is an independent scholar and an award-winning writer. He is a biographer of St. Francis of Assisi and translator of his writings, and his books on Franciscan subjects have sold more than a quarter million copies. Jon is the author of more than forty books, including The Pope Who Quit, which was optioned by HBO. He edits the magazine Living City, is a partner at Monkfish Book Publishing, and books editor at SpiritualityandPractice.com. He’s appeared on CBS Saturday Morning and numerous other programs, and speaks regularly at universities, churches, and retreat centers. Jon is a Catholic married to a rabbi; their interfaith marriage has been profiled in national media. He's the father of four, and lives in Middlebury, Vermont.
JON M. SWEENEY is an independent scholar and an award-winning writer. He is a biographer of St. Francis of Assisi and translator of his writings, and his books on Franciscan subjects have sold more than a quarter million copies. Jon is the author of more than forty books, including The Pope Who Q...
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