A regular question from enquirers to the Irish Dominicans revolves around suitable reading material for those interested in getting to know the Order. With this in mind, I normally send three books immediately to them as a way of introduction.
The first is 'Saint Dominic and the Order of Preachers' by Simon Tugwell OP (Domincan Publications, Dublin). This is a brief history of the founder of the Order and the book also charts the early years of growth of Dominican life. As an introduction, this is an invaluable gem.
Then I strongly recommend two books by the former Master of the Order, Timothy Radcliffe OP. The first 'Sing a New Song - The Christian Vocation' (Dominican Publications, Dublin) is a series of letters and addresses to the various branches of the Domincan family during his tenure as head of the Order worldwide. It gives a flavour of the life, concerns and mission of the Order at the end of the 20th century heading into the new millenium. An excellent exposition.
And finally, I would strongly recommend Timothy Radcliffe's 'I Call You Friends' (Continuum Publishing). The first portion of this book is an interview with Radcliffe and charts his own vocation story. Many of the questions and particularly the answers will resonate with many enquirers. Again, highly recommended.
If enquirers then wish to explore Dominican spirituality, prayer, authors, theology etc., I will recommend further reading. I will make this list available in part 2 of 'reading material' on this blog.
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