Sacred Listening: Discovering the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola

Most Catholics are familiar with the spiritual exercises of Ignatius Loyola, a series of meditations on the Gospels that are often said in retreats. Wakefield, a Lutheran pastor who is associate professor of biblical and spiritual theology at Salt Lake Theological Seminary, attempts to adapt the spiritual exercises for Protestants and the average Joe who would like to grow in prayer. As the Ignatian exercises are divided into four weeks, Wakefield separates his meditations into four ""movements,"" the full exercises taking at least 24 weeks. He succeeds in making the spiritual exercises accessible to the average believer: his language is simple and clear, allowing the reader to concentrate on the meditation, and the three parts of every day-Contemplatio, Meditatio and Oratio-provide a nice structure. His first two chapters are especially helpful in outlining the goals of the exercises and detailing how to keep a spiritual journal. While his preliminary comments to each unit and the text of his meditations introduce basic Ignatian themes and scriptural content, the four movements lack the depth of St. Ignatius's mystical theology. However, this book does well in introducing Protestants of various denominations to contemplative prayer and provides a useful tool for meditating on the life of Christ.