would you please share my book

Added on by Matthew Sutton.

Heaven Opens: The Trinitarian Mysticism of Adrienne von Speyr, my book is available.

“Sutton’s deep penetration into Adrienne’s mystical gifts offers an excellent introduction to her unique vision and also helps hit the ‘reveal codes’ button for von Balthasar’s theology.” - Rev. Raymond Gawronski, S.J.

I don’t write here to sell books, but do share what I create in my writing and teaching. My newest book captures the foundation of my theological and spiritual work as I develop the profound mysticism of Adrienne von Speyr. You can find out more about it here.

If you’ve read my book, would you please considering sharing it with others by reviewing it in journals or online?

“In this significant monograph, Sutton brings expositional clarity and conceptual rigor to the extensive textual legacy of Adrienne von Speyr. It is a real accomplishment.” Dr. Paul Nimmo

All your help sharing my book gives me support to work on the next book, which will be available soon. I can’t wait to share this new one with you.

“This book has the potential to do for Adrienne von Speyr’s theology what Father Edward Oakes’ Pattern of Redemption did for Hans Urs von Balthasar’s in the mid-1990s, in this case by accessibly introducing Adrienne to a generation of students and scholars.” Dr. Matthew Levering

Please read and share my book. You can find it in print and as an ebook. Thank you for caring to share these ideas.

lohfink on jesus

Added on by Matthew Sutton.

I loved using Gerhard Lohfink’s book, Jesus of Nazareth: What He Wanted, Who He Was, for teaching a thoroughly biblical Christology in my introductory Christianity course. In order to the teach this wonderful book, I developed several reading assignment sheets. Here they are:

Reading Comprehension Sheets:

  1. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 1: Assignment 1
  2. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 2: Assignment 2
  3. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 3: Assignment 3
  4. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 4: Assignment 4
  5. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 5 - 6: Assignment 5
  6. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 7: Assignment 6
  7. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 8 - 9: Assignment 7
  8. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 11 - 12: Assignment 8
  9. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 13: Assignment 9
  10. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 15: Assignment 10
  11. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 16 - 17: Assignment 11
  12. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 18: Assignment 12
  13. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 19: Assignment 13
  14. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 20: Assignment 14
  15. Lohfink - Jesus - Chapter 21: Assignment 15

Gerard Lohfink, Jesus of Nazareth: What He Wanted, Who He Was, trans. Linda M. Maloney (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2012). ISBN: 978-0814683088. Paperback, Kindle.

lohfink on the church

Added on by Matthew Sutton.

I loved using Gerhard Lohfink’s book, Does God Need the Church?: Toward a Theology of the People of God, for teaching a thoroughly biblical Catholic theology of the Church. In order to the teach this wonderful book, I developed several reading assignment sheets. Here they are:

Reading Comprehension Sheets:

  1. Lohfink - Need - pgs. vii - 26: Assignment 1
  2. Lohfink - Need - pgs. 26 - 49: Assignment 2
  3. Lohfink - Need - pgs. 50 - 74: Assignment 3
  4. Lohfink - Need - pgs. 74 - 106: Assignment 4
  5. Lohfink - Need - pgs. 106 - 120: Assignment 5
  6. Lohfink - Need - pgs. 121 - 134: Assignment 6
  7. Lohfink - Need - pgs. 134 - 150: Assignment 7
  8. Lohfink - Need - pgs. 150 - 184: Assignment 8
  9. Lohfink - Need - pgs. 184 - 201: Assignment 9
  10. Lohfink - Need - pgs. 203 - 236: Assignment 10
  11. Lohfink - Need - pgs. 236 - 264: Assignment 11
  12. Lohfink - Need - pgs. 264 - 309: Assignment 12

Gerard Lohfink, Does God Need the Church?: Toward a Theology of the People of God, trans. Linda M. Maloney (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1999). ISBN: 0814659284. Paperback, Kindle.

review of heaven opens

Added on by Matthew Sutton.

The kind, Cyrus Olsen of the University of Scranton, reviews my book, Heaven Opens:

"The central thesis of the book is that the fulfilled mission of the Son opens heaven “to the Trinity and reveals the original image of the eternal, immanent relations of triune love”. Given that the bulk of von Speyr’s work is untranslated, Sutton’s study of the German and French renders a great service to the church and the academy in English-speaking contexts. ... Von Speyr needs an apologist capable of accounting for her analogical imagination if her trinitarian theology is to be taken more seriously today. ... Sutton may be poised to deliver an account."

Review PDF here. Citation: Cyrus P. Olsen, III (2014). Horizons, 41, pp 401-402 doi:10.1017/hor.2014.66

Buy my book on amazon or learn more here.

setbacks and comebacks

Added on by Matthew Sutton.

I had wanted to complete a marathon. I had a setback and could not.

I trained for a long time to run the famous Brooklyn Marathon on November 15. But on September 26 during my long training run, I injured some tiny connective tissue in my right knee. I rested a week and then ran my longest run of the training, 20 miles, my longest run ever since ten years ago when I had completed the Chicago Marathon. Somehow, I was able to complete this 20 mile training run even though my knee was on fire. I depended on my spirit being on fire. You see, I wanted this run so badly to prove to myself that I could run the marathon. If I could endure the pain, I could complete this major goal I felt called to do for our sports4compassion community. After the very long training run, I rested for a little longer than usual and missed some small training runs. No big deal, I thought, since I had done the epic 20 mile run. I then tried to sneak in another two runs even with a still very sharp and constant pain in my right knee. It is hard to know for sure, but after those two runs, I think I completely damaged my knee for the long term. Since October 12, I have not been able to run or even walk for more than a mile without my leg giving out. So my sports for compassion has become a kind of sitting for compassion.

I used to think this pain and setback was just part of the training, just part of taking my body, mind, and spirit beyond what it had done. But now, I honestly feel very disappointed in myself. The setback is all I can see when the surge of pain comes up my knee into the hip and then strikes my heart. When I give this disappointment room in my mind, it takes over and brings me further into a downward spiral of even greater disappointment. Have you been in this downward spiral? I'm there now.

My prayer has been for wisdom and healing. I have prayed that I could somehow run this event for all those cheering for me and supporting our mission.

This year has been a blessing to me and many others because of our new sports4compassion movement. I know our friends at Heart's Home in Brooklyn have received your donations that support them doing their mission to be a presence of God to the forgotten. This year, we have experienced a great generosity of giving that included several half marathons, 5k races, and some epic bike races. For me, the Brooklyn Marathon was going to be my crowning gift and achievement for my year of health for myself and others, especially those most in need.

But this beyond did not go as I wanted.

I have to be honest with you, I am disappointed in myself. I have struggled to except this injury that has prevented me from running for myself and for others. I believed in myself to be running for you. And now I can not run.

But the Lord surprised me as he always does.

In prayer searching for his meaning in this setback, I have came to realize that by his grace, by his abundant grace, my running long races were a grace but also my not being able to run long races were a grace too.

What I have come to learn is that more people relate to my having this major setback than my other accomplishments for this movement. Telling my story of being setback has brought out other people's stories of setbacks. They hear my pain and reveal their pain. We share our sufferings and we search for the meaing within them. We together hear the Lord speaking to us even in this storm because he answers us "in the secret place of thunder" (Psalm 81:7).

Previously I had talked about my call to running a marathon this year as a call to follow Jesus' beyond. And it still is. I did not realize now that this beyond was not going to be 26.2 miles long, but instead the long run of learning even more deeply that it is all about him and always about his compassion for me and you.

My story is not done. Sports for compassion is not done. I will run this marathon for you. I will comeback.

This setback just prepares my comeback.

And so for you too. Whatever setback you have now is only preparing you for your great comeback in Lord Jesus Christ.

Stay tuned and keep supporting.