Nouwen is in this book, as in all his books, deft, compassionate and insightful into the condition of human suffering and despair. He offers a number of insights into the then-current crisis of "nuclear man". While we might have moved beyond that particular historical epoch, many of the observations remain timely. The last part of the book lays out a very balanced and healthy approach for a minister to drawing from one's own suffering in order to minister to others. That said, this book was by far not his best. One could glean the same insights plus many more in either "The Return of the Prodigal Son" or "In the Name of Jesus". This book also happens to have been written before Nouwen's transfer to the L'Arche community in 1985 to serve the mentally handicapped. That experience had a deepening effect on Nouwen that seems to be a watershed for his writings both pre- and post-L'Arche—the latter being deeper, more Christ-centered, and somehow much more profound.

“For a deep understanding of our own pain makes it possible for us to convert our weakness and strength and to offer our own experiences as a source of healing to those who are often lost in the darkness of their own misunderstood sufferings.”

A stirring little book that moved me towards more affection for the Trinity. I imbibed this book slowly, like wine, because it is heady and rich. Thought-provoking. Especially enjoyed the chapter case study on a sick and dying man being visited by a pastor. Also feel great respect for Nouwen when I learned that he spent his last few years on earth ministering to disabled people- he believed what he preached.

This is up there with "Reaching Out" as one of Nouwen's books that remind the reader that he truly can do it all when it comes to Christian spirituality and faith. The book diagnosed current issues that humans face in their worldviews and identifies explicit remedies that a "minister" can partake in to heal these issues. This was a book on anthropology and Christianity's humble approach to meeting the hurts of the world. The dynamics of a "minister" and their own suffering plays a huge role in serving others. (Minister is in quotes because this is not explicit to the profession of a minister but a call to all Christians)

For a long time I was pretty bored with Nouwen after reading his well-known, spiritual books. Books like this remind me that he has put in the work of studying the world and how to offer sentiments to help the situation. I think I will read those books with more weight to them now.

One of Nouwen's classics. This book tells about how ministers can help people by embracing their own suffering and offering it to others as an offering in solidarity to those hurting.

Read it in my master's program and re-read it now as I was preparing to teach the same course on the integration of Christian faith and psychology.

I am always amazed at how contemporary his 'diagnosis' of the world and the human struggle is, even though it was written 50+ years ago. This book offers so many ideas to contemplate on, with his focus being on - How embracing our loneliness and woundedness is a pathway toward healing ourselves and others we are entrusted to walk alongside in their suffering. Compassion, vulnerabilty in our woundedness & hospitality toward the pain are necessary as we become fellow travelers to the wounded.

I’m glad for short, although still dense, books because I read this one twice, and it didn’t feel daunting to do so. It was honestly hard to really understand what I was reading in my first read through, but I was able to go more slowly and soak in the content on the second. I’m very tempted to bump this book into my loosely help top five most important books I’ve ever read. I honestly can’t tell right now if that’s due to a season of life or if I’ll still hold this book in the same light after some time passes.

The writing about compassion and hospitality strikes a deep chord in me, and I hope they are something that grows much deeper and more prevalent in my life.

“One compassionate face or one affectionate handshake can substitute for years of friendship when a person is in agony. Not only does love last forever, it needs only a second to be born.”

In The Wounded Healer, the Dutch priest Henri Nouwen resituates ministry in the context of shared human brokenness. Summarizing the book’s main premise, we might say that the one who ministers—whether as an ordained pastor or simply as one friend to another—does so most faithfully when drawing upon his or her own experiences of woundedness and healing.

This is not always the posture taken by celebrity pastors in North America. Nor, frankly, is this kind of compassion and care the posture that tends to characterize people like you and me.

While re-reading The Wounded Healer not long ago, I was reminded of another of Nouwen’s short books, In The Name of Jesus, which turns just about every notion of leadership—Christian or otherwise—on its head. In that book, I still remember being startled and unsettled when I read this line for the first time: “The Christian leader of the future is called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but his or her own vulnerable self.” The rest of the book is equally jarring—and equally liberating. Do read it if you haven’t already.

Returning to the pages of The Wounded Healer, Nouwen suggests three principles of Christian leadership. First, on the basis of the Incarnation as well as our vocation as Christ’s ambassadors, we’re called to be with others in their suffering. Next, we’re to lead others, however dimly we might see the way, into a recognition that life has meaning beyond the chaos and destruction around and within us. Finally, we’re called to be bearers of hope. Nouwen continues:

"Leadership therefore is not called Christian because it is permeated with optimism against all the odds of life, but because it is grounded in the historic Christ-event which is understood as a definitive breach in the deterministic chain of human trial and error, and as a dramatic affirmation that there is light on the other side of darkness."

For some of us, Nouwen’s principles won’t go far enough as we consider the very real burden of ministering to those in pain. Belief in the sovereignty of God and confidence in the reliability of scripture’s promises are two more that come to mind.

But Nouwen’s main framework holds: those who minister in the name of Christ must be present with those who suffer—as those who share the basic human condition of brokenness—even while pointing beyond the chaos and despair into glorious, inexhaustible light.

- See more at: http://timhoiland.com/2014/05/active-...

Stars are problematic, here. The "Ministry in Contemporary Society" bit is rather outdated. Contemporary society is different from what it was fifty years ago. But when Nouwen exposits the rest of the title--the image of the minister as wounded healer--the book becomes beautifully almost timeless. I believe that what he says is true. It is what I have come to believe, though not articulate, before I read him say it.

Enjoyed the second half of the book more than the slower-paced first half. Henri made some thought-provoking assertions and insights that continue to be sources of contemplation and reflection as I learn what it means to be a minister of the Gospel of Jesus. Probably the biggest thing that jumps out at me as I think about what I just read is his point that we, like Jesus, are called to use our individual wounds to assist in authentically helping heal others' wounds. His thoughts brought me to the realization that (contrary to popular Christian thinking) Jesus doesn't always necessarily take away whatever pain we are suffering from or experiencing; rather he enters into our pain w/ us, comforts us, and strengthens us to endure it, all the while promising us that a day will come when we will no longer experience that particular pain. Definitely a good short read.

Really enjoyed this one. Chapter 1 was a little tough to get into, but as the book progressed it got easier to read and understand. Chapter 4 was

I loved this book. My favorite read of the year. It really helps to make you aware of what our brokenness looks like in our everyday and ministerial life. And how, as ministers, we are called to participate in the healing of others.