A Place for God: A Guide to Spiritual Retreats and Retreat Centers

Christian pilgrims yearning to get away from it all will find this book an invaluable guide to the why, how and where of retreat-making. Jones (Awake My Soul, 1999) discusses the theology of periodic rests for the soul and addresses the details that make or break a retreat (packing appropriately, for instance). One especially astute chapter acknowledges the difficulty of setting aside the time for silence and prayer. The bulk of the book consists of Jones's state-by-state listings of more than 250 retreat centers, which are mostly Catholic, with a strong Episcopalian representation and a smattering of other traditions, including Mennonite, Quaker and Eastern Orthodox. The usual suspects, such as Thomas Merton's famous Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, are found alongside fascinating alternatives such as the Orthodox Church's dog-breeding New Skete communities in upstate New York or the ecumenical Protestant Community of Jesus on Cape Cod. Jones provides practical information concerning costs, directions and accommodations (these range widely, from severe huts and institutional-style dormitories to lovely rooms with private baths). A useful glossary explains terms such as friary, hermitage and ""directed retreat"" (one that provides a spiritual counselor). This book should find an eager audience among the more than 1.2 million Catholics who went on retreat in 1997, as well as among like-minded Protestants and unaffiliated spiritual seekers. (Mar.)