Through the Narrow Gate

This book is a jewel, so rich in personal detail, so thoughtful and full of insight, of ideas that connect with other philosophical schools of thought beyond Catholicism. It has been said that the first thing you must be able to do is love yourself, not in a selfish way but in a forgiving way, unders......more

I read this around the same time I read her The Gospel According to Woman, which I think allowed me to see how Armstrong's personal experience deeply shapes her reading of all the Christian writers she addresses in that book. Through the Narrow Gate was a little like entering another world, and I thi......more

I thought this book would be a general discussion of the author’s spiritual experience, but it is an honest-and painful-account of her entry into a convent at age 17. Her devout Catholic family tried to dissuade her, but she was strong-willed and wanted very much to have that perfect love of God abo......more

I probably could write a long essay on this book, so I'll just do a few short remarks. This is a fascinating memoir of the author's life journey as a nun in a convent in England in the 60's prior to the modernization ( Vatican II) of the Catholic church. The training is arduous, and I came to feel t......more

This is the scholar Karen Armstrong's first book, and it is fascinating. I've always loved to read about people who live vastly different lives from my own, and so a 17-year-old British girl entering a convent seemed like it would be an excellent read. I wasn't disappointed. We know going into the b......more