Spiritual Warfare and The Discernment of Spirits Paperback – January 19, 2020

I was invited to join the "launch team" for this book, to read it a couple of times, and to write an honest review. In short: For those who are newly-serious about their faith, Spiritual Warfare and the Discernment of Spirits is a concise and readable introduction to some very necessary ideas; for those whom I'll describe as "this is not your first rodeo", it offers some practical tips, and is worth reading through a couple of times before passing it along.I expected the book to focus entirely on St. Ignatius's "rules of discernment" (these are covered in depth by Fr. Gallagher's modern classic The Discernment of Spirits, which, being a nerd, I have previously read, and have been in the habit of recommending to anyone who will pay attention to me), and if it had done only this at an engaging "beginner level" that I can hand to folks who are just getting started, this would have been enough to satisfy me (but I would not in that case have kept a copy for myself.) It does this, but also touches on additional topics not found in Fr. Gallagher's book:The author begins by laying a foundation which he describes as "the Paradigm of Ascent (TM)", a phrase that I could have done without, but I suppose sometimes things need to be given names. These are some practical tips for digging yourself out of a hole, and getting to a point that the classic rules have somewhat presupposed. This part of the book will be helpful both for people who have just begun to resolve to lead a good life (and need to know what steps to take to turn away from serious sin and build a habit of virtue), and for people even at a later point who are suffering from interior wounds that may have been no fault of their own (and need reminders of what steps to take to continue to heal on the inside).After laying the foundation, the author walks through the rules of discernment briefly and with an eye towards practical application. (If you do not already know what these are, this book is for you and you should simply buy it immediately, or, convince someone else to buy it for you.) The book wraps up with a set of resources for further growth. I have not viewed the video resources, but am familiar with some of the book recommendations. To anyone who has read this far, I would add (as resources for further growth) that you ought also to read the lives of saints, since they are contagious.

Excellent book for spiritual growth! St. Teresa is considered a doctor of the church for good reason. Great read

Truly you will be blessed. A light to the feet of your mind, revealing the potholes of the enemy. Short and easy read although powerfully impactful!

Exceptional insight

There is a guy who's profile name is "Jody the House" who finds each book I publish and writes a comment (copied in full below) claiming that because the book doesn't have an imprimatur that it potentially contains false information. I suspect he is well intended but maybe he missed that the book was endorsed by two cardinals, one who was previously the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. "Jody" doesn't understand that Imprimaturs are presently useless and the Church only disciplines those who are faithful. Beyond that, I am the president of the Avila Institute which provides priestly formation for approximately 100 Bishops around the world. As such, all my books are reviewed by theologians. In this case the forward of the book is written by a priest with a doctorate..."Jody the House" CommentIn order for a religious book to be used without question regarding the legitimacy of its contents, it must undergo a process in which it's reviewed by an authoritative source approved by the Catholic Church, and if found to be without error according to the official doctrines and teachings of the Catholic Church, it receives a Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur stamp (found in the first few pages of the book).This book lacks these stamps, and as such potentially contains false information that runs contrary to the official teachings of the Catholic Church. Had I been more careful I would have "previewed" the book here to check, and had I done so I would not have purchased it. Once I realized it was not stamped with these official Church credentials, I decided not to read it.

Good book and good quality.

In this book Dan Burke presents a solid, stable, reasonable approach to spiritual warfare based on the exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Burke's approach to the subject stands in refreshing contrast to the emotional approaches to spiritual warfare I've observed in some charismatic traditions. Burke is unapologetically Catholic, perhaps because of the personal growth and spiritual maturity Catholicism has produced in his life. Burke's openly Catholic perspective to spiritual warfare does not diminish the benefit his book might have for non-Catholic, Protestant readers; I make this observation as a member of the clergy (now retired) of a mainline Protestant denomination with 41 years of service as a pastor. I further appreciated Burke's plain and simple style of writing which brought clarity to the various points he made throughout the book. If I might be permitted a brief word of mild criticism--Burke seems to have committed himself unthinkingly to his Catholic tradition, the key word being "unthinkingly." While his unquestioning allegiance seems to have served him well in terms of spiritual growth and stability of life, it is difficult for individuals like me who have historically questioned everyone and everything to grasp how Burke could commit so unswervingly to any course or tradition, religious or otherwise. Nevertheless, I admire Dan Burke's stalwart dedication to his faith. His certitude could almost convince me to convert. I intend to read Burke's other books. I highly recommend this book and give it five stars.

I attended a short course. This book was a wonderful supplement. Grateful for the blessing of this work and the laborers who worked in the vineyard to prepare it. May they be blessed.