Lessons in Hope, George Weigel
Lessons in Hope, George Weigel
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Lessons in Hope
My Unexpected Life with St. John Paul II

Author: George Weigel

Narrator: Jim Meskimen

Unabridged: 12 hr 53 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 09/19/2017

Synopsis

From a preeminent authority on the Catholic Church and papal biographer, "an intimate understanding of John Paul II" (Weekly Standard)

In Lessons in Hope, George Weigel tells the story of his unique friendship with St. John Paul II. As Weigel learns the pope "from inside," he also offers a firsthand account of the tumult of post-Vatican II Catholicism and the Cold War's endgame, introducing readers to the heroes who brought down European communism. Later, he shows us the aging pope grappling with the post-9/11 world order and teaching new lessons in dignity through his own suffering.

A deeply humane portrait of an eminent scholar learning a saint, Lessons in Hope is essential reading for anyone seeking a fuller understanding of a world-changing pope.

About George Weigel

George Weigel is one of the world's foremost authorities on the Catholic Church and the author of the New York Times bestseller Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II. He is a Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., and a consultant on Vatican affairs for NBC News.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Arthur on September 17, 2021

A 13 hour unabridged audiobook. The author is certainly a catholic scholar, and if the book is accurate then he arguably understood the philosophy of Pope JP2 better than any other American (perhaps even any other English speaker). It seems that he uses this book to deflect criticisms he received rel......more

Goodreads review by Carol on October 31, 2017

It is a great read. It took me about three days to finish this book as I had a hard time putting it down. George Weigel was Pope John Paul Il's biographer. This book describes his relationship with this holy, humble Pope. He writes about the many challenges Pope John Paul Il faced especially in the......more

Goodreads review by Mina on September 28, 2017

I have read all four of Mr. Weigel’s books on St. John Paul II. He is a consummate writer and his books are beautifully written. I was a lapsed Catholic when Pope John Paul II was elected. I was more proud of his Polishness. Then, I read Witness to Hope and was immediately transfixed by the story of......more

Goodreads review by Richard on June 06, 2020

Having read *Witness to Hope* a few years back and just finishing *The End and the Beginning* a few days ago, I was eager to dive into this book, the finishing touches on George Weigel's JPII triptych. I knocked off this substantial volume in just three days, so I clearly found it to be engrossing a......more

Goodreads review by Collette on January 15, 2019

A fascinating journey into the lives and of both St John Paul 2 and Weigel, from the man who wrote the authoritative biography on the great saint. Scattered with little gems of insight into the cultural, ecclesial and political challenges facing us today and holding up the 'Lessons of Hope' he learn......more

Quotes

"Lessons in Hope offers an intimate understanding of John Paul II in action... Weigel's astute analysis of the pope's life and thought is sprinkled throughout with anecdotes from their interviews and encounters... John Paul's "rock-solid confidence in God's guidance of his life... made him the freest man in the world." Those who desire to have such freedom and clarity, especially in our days of ecclesiastical and political confusion, would do well to read this book."
—Weekly Standard

"For anyone in need of hope, this volume -- with its reliable understanding of history and Catholic witness, sound analysis, and the humor of both the author and the saint -- delivers in abundance."—National Review

"[A] touching and insightful memoir...Weigel never loses sight of his main purpose: to illuminate the character and mind of the 'emblematic figure of the second half of the twentieth century.'"
—Commentary

"[F]ascinating and insightful...Weigel details the many personal meetings he had with John Paul, as well as with his friends and collaborators, both in Poland and the Vatican. These lengthy and substantive encounters provided much of the rich material for his biography...Weigel's fine intellect and delight in friendship shine forth in this memoir... The book is written with Weigelian verve, replete with quotable anecdotes that are often amusing and always telling."
—The Catholic Thing

"An enchanting biography about a popular pope."—Publishers Weekly

"A page-turner for fans of John Paul II, devotees of papal history, or those who simply enjoy a good and literate personal story."
—Kirkus

"A delightful series of linked, autobiographical vignettes."
—Catholic Standpoint (UK)

"There's no better eyewitness to the life and papacy of St. John Paul II than George Weigel, and this touching, intimate memoirs tells the story of their improbable friendship. It's a must-read, not simply because it adds to recent Church history, but because it feeds the heart and soul."
—John L. Allen Jr,. Editor of Crux

"In this album of memories, George Weigel not only gives us an affecting intimate portrait of Saint John Paul II, but an up-close and personal view of the men who helped shape Holy See diplomacy during the late Pope's eventful pontificate. Lessons in Hope is much more than a memoir, for no one understands Catholic international relations theory better than Weigel, and no one has written with more sympathetic understanding of the challenges facing the post-conciliar Church."
—Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon, Learned HandProfessor of Law, Harvard University

"This book recalls a particularly splendid moment in the recent history of Catholicism, a time when a saintly Pope exerted a decisive influence on both the Church and the wider society. But above all, it tells a compelling story of divine providence, the manner in which God wove two lives together--George Weigel's and John Paul II's--for their mutual benefit. Briskly written, intelligent, funny, filled with good stories, Lessons in Hope will be a joy to anyone who reads it."—BishopRobert Barron

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