Holiness

‘A certain feeling of absurdity comes over one on being asked to write a book on holiness’, writes Donald Nicholl. Goodness cannot be produced by any kind of trick or technique. Moreover, who wants to be caught reading a book entitled Holiness? But people do read books on holiness, hoping to grow in holiness. And those who write them do so for the same reason.

After teaching for a quarter of a century in British universities, Donald Nicholl spent six years as Professor History and Religious Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. It was to a community of Poor Clares that he gave the conferences out of which Holiness arose. From 1981 to 1985 he served as Rector of the Ecumenical Institute for Theological Research at Tantur, near Bethlehem, and subsequently became Senior Research Fellow at the Multi-Faith Centre, Selly Oak, Birmingham. He continued to be active in work for justice and peace until his death in 1997.

‘The holy person is often presented as remote, perhaps afire with heavenly love but not giving much warmth to the rest of us. Donald’s book makes it clear that our relationship with God is to be found in the way we relate to one another in all our dealings.’ From the Introduction by Fr Gerard W. Hughes SJ