Richard Francis Xavier Manning, known as Brennan Manning (April 27, 1934 – April 12, 2013) was an American author,

laicized In the canon law of the Catholic Church, the loss of clerical state (commonly referred to as laicization, dismissal, defrocking, and degradation) is the removal of a bishop, priest, or deacon from the status of being a member of the clergy. The t ...

priest, and public speaker. He is best known for his bestselling book ''

The Ragamuffin Gospel ''The Ragamuffin Gospel'' is a book about Christianity by former Franciscan priest Brennan Manning. Manning argues that Jesus' gospel was one of grace, and that efforts to earn salvation are misguided, as it is impossible. He laments that the tr ...

''.

Biography

Born and raised in

Depression-era The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, Manning finished high school, enlisted in the

US Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through com ...

, and fought in the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. After returning to the United States, he enrolled at

Saint Francis University Saint Francis University (SFU) is a private Catholic university in Loretto, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1847 and conducted under the tradition of the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular. The university is situated on in the fore ...

Loretto, Pennsylvania Loretto is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,302. Like the rest of Cambria County, it is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. Loretto is the home of Saint Franc ...

. Upon his graduation from the seminary in 1963, Manning was ordained a

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

priest. In the late 1960s, Manning joined the Little Brothers of Jesus of

Charles de Foucauld Charles Eugène de Foucauld de Pontbriand, Viscount of Foucauld (15 September 1858 – 1 December 1916) was a French soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnographer, Catholic priest and hermit who lived among the Tuareg people in the Sahara in Alg ...

, a religious institute committed to an uncloistered, contemplative life among the poor. Manning transported water via donkey, worked as a mason's assistant and a dishwasher in France, was imprisoned (by choice) in Switzerland, and spent six months in a remote cave in the

Zaragoza Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...

desert. In the 1970s, Manning returned to the United States and began writing after confronting his

alcoholism Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...

. The following quote appeared in the prelude to dc Talk's song "What if I Stumble?" It also appeared on an intro track for the Christian metalcore band

War of Ages War of Ages (sometimes abbreviated WoA; formerly known as Point Zero) is an American Christian metal band formed in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 2002. The band's self-titled debut album '' War of Ages'' was released in 2005, and in February 2006, th ...

on its album ''Fire From the Tomb'':

Bibliography

* ''Gentle Revolutionaries'', 1970 * ''Souvenirs of Solitude'', 1979 * ''Stranger to Self-Hatred'', 1981 * ''Parable of William Juan'', 1985 * ''Prophets & Lovers: In Search of the Holy Spirit'', 1985 * ''Lion and Lamb/the Relentless Tenderness of Jesus'', 1986 * ''The Signature of Jesus'', 1988 * . * ''Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging'', 1994 (NavPress) * ''The Signature of Jesus'', 1996 * ''The Boy Who Cried Abba: A Parable of Trust and Acceptance'', 1996 * ''Reflections for Ragamuffins: Daily Devotions from the Writings of Brennan Manning'', 1998 * ''Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin's Path to God'', 2001 * ''Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven'', 2001 (foreword only) * * ''The Journey of the Prodigal: A Parable of Sin and Redemption'', 2002 (b) * ''A Glimpse of Jesus: The Stranger to Self-Hatred'', 2003 * ''Posers, Fakers, and Wannabes: Unmasking the Real You'', 2003 * ''The Importance of Being Foolish: How to think like Jesus'' 2006 * ''The Furious Longing of God'', 2009 * ''Souvenirs of Solitude: Finding Rest in Abba's Embrace'', 2009 (2nd Ed, NavPress) * ''Patched Together: A Story of My Story'', 2010 * ''All Is Grace: A Ragamuffin Memoir'', 2011

Filmography

* ''Ragamuffin'', 2014 (portrayed by Charles Lawlor) * ''Brennan'', 2016

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Manning, Brennan 1934 births Writers from New York City 2013 deaths United States Marines Laicized Roman Catholic priests American Roman Catholics American spiritual writers Saint Francis University alumni