A Science of the Saints

Throughout the church's long history, Christians have sought out wise mentors to guide them on the journey toward God. A Science of the Saints explores the dynamics of spiritual direction as revealed in the lives and writings of a wide array of exemplary disciples, from the Desert Fathers and Mothers to Thomas Merton, and from St. Teresa of Avila to St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein). This groundbreaking work sheds new light on an essential dimension of the Christian experience, yielding timeless wisdom to inform the practice of spiritual direction in our own day.

Robert E. Alvis is professor of church history and academic dean at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology. His publications include Religion and the Rise of Nationalism: A Profile of an East-Central European City (Syracuse University Press, 2005) and White Eagle, Black Madonna: One Thousand Years of the Polish Catholic Tradition (Fordham University Press, 2016).