The Very Rich Hours of Jacques Maritain is distinguished philosopher Ralph Mc Inerny’s hymn of praise to the spiritual and intellectual life of the great Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain (1881–1973). The structure of this work is modeled on the medieval book of hours, making use of the daily offices, from Matins through Compline, to examine each stage of the life of Maritain and his wife, Raïssa. Through this unique blending of biography and meditation, Mc Inerny creates a powerful portrait of the Maritains, one that reveals a model of the intellectual life as lived by Christian believers. Mc Inerny’s authoritative work provides an interesting and accessible avenue of entry to Maritain’s life and thought. Among the topics Mc Inerny covers are Maritain’s remarkable and diverse set of friends, his involvement in French politics, and the development of his views on the nature and future of democracy, the church, and Catholic intellectual life. By skillfully interweaving Maritain’s philosophy with anecdotes from his life, Mc Inerny demonstrates what distinguished Maritain as a Catholic philosopher and why he is a source of inspiration for Mc Inerny and others of his generation.
Mengenai Pengarang
Ralph Mc Inerny (1929–2010) was Michael P. Grace Professor of Medieval Studies and director emeritus of the Jacques Maritain Center at the University of Notre Dame. He was the author of numerous works in philosophy, literature, fiction, and journalism, including The Very Rich Hours of Jacques Maritain, A First Glance at St. Thomas Aquinas, and Characters in Search of Their Author, all published by the University of Notre Dame Press. He also wrote the well-known Father Dowling Mystery book series.