''Introduction to the Devout Life'' (French: ''Introduction à la vie dévote'') is a book written by Saint

Francis de Sales Francis de Sales (french: François de Sales; it, Francesco di Sales; 21 August 156728 December 1622) was a Bishop of Geneva and is revered as a saint in the Catholic Church. He became noted for his deep faith and his gentle approach to ...

, the first edition being published in 1609. The final edition was published in 1619, prior to the death of Francis in 1622. It enjoyed wide popularity, and was well received in both

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to ...

and

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

circles, evidenced by its translation into all major languages of the day. It is typically categorized as a form of reading known as

lectio divina In Western Christianity, ''Lectio Divina'' (Latin for "Divine Reading") is a traditional monastic practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God's word. In the v ...

("divine reading"), based on the Christian

monastic Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic life plays an important ro ...

practice of spiritual reading. Like ''

The Imitation of Christ ''The Imitation of Christ'', by Thomas à Kempis, is a Christian devotional book first composed in Medieval Latin as ''De Imitatione Christi'' ( 1418–1427).''An introductory Dictionary of Theology and Religious studies'', by Orlando O. Esp� ...

'' by Thomas a Kempis, it is considered a spiritual classic in the Christian tradition. The work is also used as a guide in Christian

spiritual direction Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters of the div ...

Background

During his lifetime, Francis de Sales gave spiritual direction to many individuals. ''Introduction to the Devout Life'' is a compilation of letters and notes used in the spiritual direction of his cousin, Madame Marie de Charmoisy, the wife of an ambassador of the

Duke of Savoy The titles of count, then of duke of Savoy are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the county was held by the House of Savoy. The County of Savoy was elevated to a duchy at the ...

. (Marie de Charmoisy, or Louise de Charmoisy? The historical record suggests that her name was Louise, but somewhere around 2015, scholars start referring to her as Marie...) The correspondence began when Madame de Charmoisy, in Annecy, confided to Francis her desire for piety amidst the struggles and distractions associated with life at court. When Madame de Charmoisy returned to Paris, she showed the letters to her confessor, Jesuit Father Jean Fourier, who encouraged De Sales to publish them. It was first published in January 1609.

Purpose

While the letters are addressed to "Philothea" (Lover of God), they include the substance of correspondence with others as well as Marie de Charmoisy. De Sales explained: "I address my words to Philothea, since I wish to direct what was first written to one person alone to the general benefit of many souls; ..." Unlike many other writings in this category, it is distinguished by addressing itself to all Christians in any state of life, rather than to just those who have been called to a religious vocation.

Charles Borromeo Charles Borromeo ( it, Carlo Borromeo; la, Carolus Borromeus; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was the Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584 and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was a leading figure of the Counter-Reformation combat a ...

had a great influence on Francis de Sales because of his pastoral approach to bringing devotion to the Christian in the world. De Sales said, "My purpose is to instruct those who live in town, within families, or at court, and are obliged to live an ordinary life as to outward appearances." "It is an error, or rather a heresy, to wish to banish the devout life from the regiment of soldiers, the mechanic's shop, the court of princes, or the home of married people. ... Wherever we may be, we can and should aspire to the perfect life."

Content

The "Introduction" is composed of five parts or "books", each pertaining to a stage in the Christian's spiritual journey. *Part I: Attaining a Firm Resolution to the Devout Life *Part II: Prayer and the Sacraments *Part III: The Practice of Virtue (patience, meekness, humility, obedience, chastity, and poverty) *Part IV: Some Ordinary Temptations and how to overcome them *Part V: Renewing and Confirming the Soul in Devotion

Style

Francis saw the pursuit of holiness as something possible to each and every Christian, regardless of vocation, temperament or age. He presents spirituality in simple, ordinary French with references to images from daily life and popular and natural history. According to poet

Kathleen Norris Kathleen Thompson Norris (July 16, 1880 – January 18, 1966) was an American novelist and newspaper columnist. She was one of the most widely read and highest paid female writers in the United States for nearly fifty years, from 1911 to 1959. N ...

, "De Sales’s easy way of employing images from nature is one of the great pleasures of his book."Norris, Kathleen. "Why St. Francis de Sales’s ‘Devout Life’ still resonates today", ''America'', July 5, 2017
/ref>

Analysis

According to Mark Plaushin O.S.F.S., Francis De Sales' approach is "

Christian humanism Christian humanism regards humanist principles like universal human dignity, individual freedom, and the importance of happiness as essential and principal or even exclusive components of the teachings of Jesus. Proponents of the term trace the co ...

", an optimism about the human potential for cooperation with God toward redemption. Plaushin O.S.F.S., Mark. "St.Francis de Sales' Introduction to the Devout Life, 1609-2009", ''Homilectic and Pastoral Review'', p.28, March 2010
/ref> Plaushin calls this "De Sales' most remarkable gift to the church."

References

External links

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Version from Catholicity.com
{{Authority control Books about Christianity 1609 books Christian devotional literature 17th-century Christian texts