{"product_id":"talking-of-michelangelo-death-judgment-heaven-and-hell-in-the-burgundy-region","title":"Talking of Michelangelo: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell in the Burgundy Region","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"ns-product-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo you go to France for your fortieth birthday for a quiet time of prayer, good wine, and a peaceful monastic experience. What could possibly go wrong?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this bracingly honest and unexpectedly funny narrative, Peter Giersch recounts the journey that began as a simple getaway but evolved into the most transformative experience of his life. Follow the author as he takes you from the bustling streets of Paris to a secluded monastery in the Burgundy region – and then into the depths of a “dark night of the soul” that threatens the very foundations of his faith.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePart travelogue and part spiritual memoir, Giersch ponders the existential imperative in conversation with the great minds of Western civilization and twentieth-century pop culture. Blending vivid storytelling and unfiltered candor, Giersch’s story reflects J. D. Salinger’s first-person conversational style and C. S. Lewis’s intellectual approach to the Faith, making it a sort of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eCatcher in the Rye\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003emeets\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eMere Christianity\u003c\/i\u003e, which dares to voice the deepest doubts and questions we’ve all been grappling with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs his Ignatian retreat becomes a battleground of faith and doubt, Giersch grapples with the hardest issues – sex, sin, suffering, and mortality – and discovers that God is far more patient, creative, and mischievously loving than we ever imagined. The result is a gorgeous literary memoir that is brutally honest and relentlessly hopeful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor anyone who has ever sought God at the intersection of the secular world and the inner life, for anyone who has ever longed to figure out where God is hiding in the chaos of the twenty-first century, this book will bring clarity to the questions and joy in the answers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gb-container gb-container-a0127fd4 woo-endorsements-section\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"gb-inside-container\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-d3e5fdc6 gb-headline-text cam-description-heading\"\u003eEndorsements\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"endorsement-repeater-wrap\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"endorsement-repeater-row\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"endorsement-column-right\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I love the philosophical wanderings of Peter Giersch’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eTalking of Michelangelo\u003c\/i\u003e. This rare book is at once a traveling narrative, a philosophical meditation, and a substantive spiritual examination. Giersch writes with a literate, reflective voice that invites the reader to grapple with deeper questions that most of us instinctively sense but rarely confront. I encourage readers to take their time pondering the weighty musings of this urban mystic.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"endorsement-source\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"endorser-name\"\u003eDavid Engelhardt Pastor, King’s Church, Manhattan\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"endorser-title\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"endorsement-repeater-row\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"endorsement-column-right\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Anyone who wants to know why I have such deep respect for the Catholic tradition only needs to read this book by my friend Peter Giersch. Profoundly literary, devotional, and compelling ... a gorgeous memoir.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"endorsement-source\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"endorser-name\"\u003eEric Metaxas NYT Bestselling Author, Bonhoeffer; Podcaster and Host, Socrates in the City\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"endorser-title\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"endorsement-repeater-row\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"endorsement-column-right\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This book does not disappoint. As you read Peter Giersch’s tale about his search for deeper meaning, you may even recognize your own personal struggles in the story.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"endorsement-source\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"endorser-name\"\u003eRev. Francis Joseph Hoffman Chairman and CEO, Relevant Radio\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"endorser-title\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"endorsement-repeater-row\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"endorsement-column-right\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Peter Giersch’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eTalking of Michelangelo\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etranscends the bounds of a typical memoir, offering deep insight into modern man’s tendency to delude himself. Framed by an entertaining telling of his travels and an almost unbelievable retreat experience, this book shines a light on our ultimate reliance on the grace of Divine Providence. For anyone looking to engage modern culture from a faithful perspective,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eTalking of Michelangelo\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003ewill prove a trusty handbook.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"endorsement-source\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"endorser-name\"\u003eStephen D. Minnis President, Benedictine College, Atchison, Kansas\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"endorser-title\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"endorsement-repeater-row\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"endorsement-column-right\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Giersch is the consummate storyteller, guiding readers on an incredible journey through his book Talking of Michelangelo. We embark on our quest in the humble town of Milwaukee. Then we’re guided through the historical streets of Paris. Ultimately our journey ends in battle, when, in a Benedictine monastery in the heart of France, we glimpse the fires of Hell and a foretaste of Heaven. A great read that will certainly leave you changed.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"endorsement-source\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"endorser-name\"\u003eTom Peterson TV Host; Author; Founder, Catholics Come Home\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan class=\"endorser-title\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"woo-information-section\"\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"cam-description-heading\"\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003ctable class=\"woocommerce-product-attributes shop_attributes\" aria-label=\"Product Details\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"woocommerce-product-attributes-item woocommerce-product-attributes-item--dimensions\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"woocommerce-product-attributes-item__label\" scope=\"row\"\u003eDimensions\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"woocommerce-product-attributes-item__value\" data-o_content=\"N\/A\"\u003e8.5 × 5.5 × 0.625 in\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"woocommerce-product-attributes-item woocommerce-product-attributes-item--weight\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"woocommerce-product-attributes-item__label\" scope=\"row\"\u003eWeight\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"woocommerce-product-attributes-item__value\" data-o_content=\"N\/A\"\u003e10.4 oz\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr class=\"woocommerce-product-attributes-item woocommerce-product-attributes-item--sku-field sku-field-variable sku-field-variable-498751\"\u003e\n\u003cth class=\"woocommerce-product-attributes-item__label\" scope=\"row\"\u003eSKU\u003c\/th\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"woocommerce-product-attributes-item__value\"\u003e6721\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Sophia Institute Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48638393319643,"sku":"6721","price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2117\/2365\/files\/product-498749-0-1776695528.webp?v=1776896929","url":"https:\/\/catholicbookandgifts.com\/products\/talking-of-michelangelo-death-judgment-heaven-and-hell-in-the-burgundy-region","provider":"Catholic Book \u0026 Gift Store ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}