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Warne’s original study provides an insightful analysis of the role of contemplation and creation in the thought of Josef Pieper, illustrating the importance of this practice to earthly happiness and human flourishing.
What is the relationship between creation, contemplation, human flourishing, and moral development? Nathaniel Warne’s Josef Pieper on the Spiritual Life offers a sophisticated answer to this question through a systematic analysis of philosopher Josef Pieper’s (1904–1997) thought. Warne’s examination centers on the role of contemplation and creation in Pieper’s thinking, arguing that contemplation of the created order is a key feature of earthly happiness. By emphasizing the importance of contemplation, Pieper illustrates the deep interconnections between ethics, creation, and spirituality. For Warne, to posit a binary between the contemplative life and active life creates a false dichotomy. Following Pieper, Warne claims that theology and spirituality cannot be bracketed from ethics and social action—indeed, our lived experience in the world blurs the lines between these practices. Contemplation and action are closer together than are typically assumed, and they have important implications for both our spiritual development and our engagement with the world around us. Ultimately, Warne’s emphasis on creation and contemplation represents an attempt to resist a view of ethics and the spiritual life that is divorced from our environment. In response to this view, Warne argues that we need a renewed sense that creation and place are important for self-understanding. Contemplation of creation is, fundamentally, a form of communion with God—we thus need a more robust sense of how ethics and politics are rooted in God’s creative action. Taking Pieper as a guide, Warne’s study helps to deepen our thinking about these connections.
“The academic study of Pieper, combined with an intense focus on what it means for us to contemplate, gives this book a practical and urgent focus.” —Lewis Ayres, author of Augustine and the Trinity
"Warne writes in a way that is accessible to non-specialists, and this book will be of interest to those wanting a better background in Pieper’s thought and his innovative reading of Thomas Aquinas. It will also be valuable to those who wish to explore the implications of a theology of creation and contemplation for questions of human flourishing." —International Journal of Systemic Theology
"In this faithful and fitting tribute to the enduring value of Pieper’s multiple insights . . . Warne’s scholarly retrieval provides much worth careful pondering as we contemplate how we manage our personal and social lives. This book models how serious philosophy and theology can illuminate everyday existence." —Irish Theological Quarterly
"Warne’s aim is not primarily to offer a comprehensive account of Pieper’s thought, but rather to argue for an approach to ethics that is rooted in the central fact of creation, with contemplation serving as a bridge between metaphysics and ethics.." —Theological Studies
"More people should read Josef Pieper. . . . Nathaniel Warne . . . has done us a service in recovering Pieper’s vision." —The Living Church
Nathaniel A. Warne Adishian is the priest-in-charge of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Mishawaka, Indiana, and teaches theological ethics at Bexley Seabury Seminary. He is the author and editor of a number of books, including The Call to Happiness: Eudaimonism in English Puritan Thought and Emotions and Religious Dynamics, co-edited with Douglas J. Davies.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Part I
1. Creation and Contemplation
2. Creation and the Divine Ideas
Part II
3. Happiness and the Human Person
4. Cardinal Virtues and the Active life
5. Hope, Love, and Faith
Part III
6. World, Leisure, and Festival
7. Philosophy and Teaching
8. Relearning to See
9. Where Do We Go from Here?
Bibliography
Index