News Article

Gonzaga University President and alumnus Rev. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., a 1974 Gonzaga alumnus, recently published his newest book, “Five Pillars of the Spiritual Life: A Practical Guide to Prayer for Active People.” The book, produced by Ignatius Press, was released earlier this spring.

“Five Pillars” offers a rich, practical guide for busy people who wish to develop a more meaningful prayer life. Based on the many retreats and seminars that Rev. Spitzer has given over the years, the book presents five essential means through which the contemplative and active aspects of people’s lives can come together to strengthen their spiritual lives. These five elements are 1) the Eucharist, 2) spontaneous prayer, 3) the Beatitudes, 4) a partnership with the Holy Spirit, and 5) the contemplative life itself.

Like Pope Benedict’s “Jesus of Nazareth,” Rev. Spitzer’s book is a “strong statement of New Testament spirituality and provides an escape from the ‘bleaching of Christ’s image,’ ” said Rev. Benedict J. Groeschel, another Catholic priest-author published by Ignatius Press. “Informed Catholic readers are summoned by this book to take the Christ of the Gospels intelligently and seriously.”

Rev. Spitzer has served as Gonzaga’s 25th president since 1998. He earned a doctorate in philosophy from the Catholic University of America and a master’s of Divinity degree from the Gregorian University in Rome. He has been active in founding seven institutes and organizations devoted to spiritual life, ethics and philosophy, including the Center for Life Principles and GU’s Institute of Ethics, among others.

Rev. Spitzer is a prolific writer whose articles have appeared in journals such as the International Philosophical Quarterly and the Journal of Ultimate Reality and Meaning. In addition to “Five Pillars,” he has authored two books and more than a dozen articles since 1999. His previous two book titles were: “The Spirit of Leadership: Optimizing Creativity and Change in Organizations” (Provo, Utah: Executive Excellence Publishers, June 2000) and “Healing the Culture: A Commonsense Philosophy of Happiness, Freedom, and the Life Issues” (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, October 2000).

For more information, contact the GU public relations office at (509) 323-6398 or visit Rev. Spitzer’s Web site. To purchase “Five Pillars,” visit the GU Bookstore or the Ignatius Press Web site.