Seeds of Hope

Selections from the books ( Reaching Out ; Genesse Diary ) and articles with which Nouwen, priest, social activist and spiritual mentor, has reached a popular audience are included in this collection that centers on the theme and universal application of hope. An introductory biographical overview covers 20 years of his public, diversified ministry. We learn of Nouwen's youth in a Dutch family, his seminary experience, professional appointments including stints at Yale and Harvard, missionary activity in South and Central America and, today, residence in a French community of handicapped persons. Nouwen brings fresh insights and contemporary interpretations to exploration of eternal verities in existential settings. Recording his own quest for vocation, ``the voice he listens for in the silence of his heart,'' he touches similarly searching people through the grace and clarity of his expression. (Mar.)