Digital Verbum Edition
A new firsthand look at the life and thought of Pope John Paul II.
A longtime friend and student of the late Pope John Paul II, Stanislaw Grygiel in this book reflects on the life and thought of this extraordinary pope, giving new insight into his character and his vision of beauty as the path that leads us to God.
More than simply biographical information about John Paul II—who was Bishop Karol Wojtyla before he became pope—or a dry academic analysis of his teaching, Discovering the Human Person derives from Grygiel’s extensive firsthand interaction with Wojtyla. Grygiel reflects on the importance of Christian personalism, or communion, as the ground of John Paul II’s life, particularly in response to the communist environment that surrounded him in Poland. Grygiel also addresses the pope’s call for a new evangelization, his understanding of marriage and family, and the relationship of those to a genuine, healthy understanding of nation and state.
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This book is written by a man who not only knew John Paul II well and engaged in meaningful conversations with him over decades, but who also has the gift of great insight to understand his mind, heart, and historical significance. Reading this book, I felt drawn into that communion of persons that both John Paul II and Stanislaw Grygiel so movingly speak of in these pages. Among the plethora of books about John Paul II, this one stands out for its authenticity, eloquence, clarity of thought—and its ability to evoke the Presence in which we all live and move and have our being.
An utterly fascinating book! Speaking from the unique perspective of their fifty years of friendship, Stanislaw Grygiel offers keen insight into the life and work of St. John Paul II as well as the great issues of our time.
Grygiel offers a unique insight into the anthropology and personalism of Pope John Paul II especially in light of how the pope lived his philosophy in communion with God and other humans.
—Catholic Books
Stanislaw Grygiel is professor emeritus of philosophy and director of the Karol Wojtyla Chair at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Rome.