Simple Living

Hobday, a Native American and a Franciscan Sister, describes her book as a ""program for simple living."" Her program focuses on six areas of life in which material desires threaten to crowd out spiritual life: food, clothing, shelter, work, transportation and recreation. Hobday applies four distinctions to each area: what we actually need; what will be helpful in our daily lives; what we might prefer to have; and what we must count as luxury. The result is a series of succinct chapters introducing readers to the notion that simplifying life is the key to physical and spiritual freedom. The book is not just a plan for reducing life's clutter, however; Hobday's real purpose is clearly devotional. ""We can't saturate ourselves with what other people need for basics and still be living a gospel life,"" she warns. She explains that ""simplicity is natural preparation for prayer.... It creates an inner awareness of gratitude for the material and spiritual gifts you have. It creates time and space for prayer."" The brevity of the chapters, their devotional tone and Hobday's accessible style make this an ideal introduction to the concept of spiritual simplicity. (Dec.)