The Whole Language by Gregory Boyle

The Whole Language by Gregory Boyle

Gregory Boyle, the beloved Jesuit priest and author of the inspirational bestsellers Tattoos on the Heart and Barking to the Choir, returns with a call to witness the transformative power of tenderness, rooted in his lifetime of experience counseling gang members in Los Angeles.

Over the past thirty years, Gregory Boyle has transformed thousands of lives through his work as the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest and most successful gang-intervention program in the world. Boyle's new book, The Whole Language, follows the acclaimed bestsellers Tattoos on the Heart, hailed as an "astounding literary and spiritual feat" (Publishers Weekly) that is "destined to become a classic of both urban reportage and contemporary spirituality" (Los Angeles Times), and Barking to the Choir, deemed "a beautiful and important and soul-transporting book" by Elizabeth Gilbert, and declared by Ann Patchett to be "a book that shows what the platitudes of faith look like when they're put into action."

In a community struggling to overcome systemic poverty and violence, The Whole Language shows how those at Homeboy Industries fight despair and remain generous, hopeful, and tender. When Saul was thirteen years old, he killed his abusive stepfather in self-defense; after spending twenty-three years in juvenile and adult jail, he enters the Homeboy Industries training and healing programs and embraces their mission. Declaring, "I've decided to grow up to be somebody I always needed as a child," Saul shows tenderness toward the young men in his former shoes, treating them all like his sons and helping them to find their way. Before coming to Homeboy Industries, a young man named Abel was shot thirty-three times, landing him in a coma for six months followed by a year and a half recuperating in the hospital. He now travels on speaking tours with Boyle and gives guided tours around the Homeboy offices. One day a new trainee joins Abel as a shadow, and Abel recognizes him as the young man who had put him in a coma. "You give good tours," the trainee tells Abel. They both have embarked on a path to wholeness.

Boyle's moving stories challenge our ideas about God and about people, providing a window into a world filled with fellowship, compassion, and fewer barriers. Bursting with encouragement, humor, and hope, The Whole Language invites us to treat others--and ourselves--with acceptance and tenderness.

Gregory Boyle is a Jesuit priest from the United States and the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the world's largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program. He has been inducted into the California Hall of Fame and has earned the California Peace Prize. Boyle was recognized a Champion of Change by the White House in 2014. He was awarded the 2017 Laetare Medal by the University of Notre Dame, which is the oldest prize presented to American Catholics. Tattoos on the Heart and Barking to the Chorus are two of his best-selling books. He will donate all net revenues from The Entire Language, his third book, to Homeboy Industries.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781982128326
ISBN 10	1982128321
Title	The Whole Language
Author	Gregory Boyle
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
Year published	2021-10-19
Number of pages	256
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.