__A guided tour of spiritual autobiography that grants readers new insights and appreciation of the genre__The genre of spiritual autobiography has flourished ever since Augustine essentially invented it in the fourth century. In Our Hearts Are Restless, Richard Lischer--himself the author of two spiritual memoirs--takes readers on a guided tour of the genre, examining the life writings of twenty-one
figures from the obvious (Thomas Merton) to the surprising (James Baldwin); and from the ancient (the aforementioned Augustine) to the contemporary (Anne Lamott). Lischer is a perceptive reader and interpreter of these writings, and a thoughtful and engaging guide to the genre. Readers will come away with new insights into these figures' lives--spiritual and otherwise--but also a new appreciation of the art and craft of spiritual writing.