Richard Francis Xavier Manning, known as Brennan Manning (April 27, 1934 – April 12, 2013) was an American author,
laicized priest, and public speaker.
He is best known for his bestselling book ''
The Ragamuffin Gospel''.
Biography
Born and raised in
Depression-era New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
, Manning finished high school, enlisted in the
US Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...
, and fought in the
Korean War
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Korean War
, partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict
, image = Korean War Montage 2.png
, image_size = 300px
, caption = Clockwise from top: ...
. After returning to the United States, he enrolled at
Saint Francis University
Saint Francis University (SFU) is a private Catholic university in Loretto, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1847 and conducted under the tradition of the Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular. The university is situated on in the fore ...
in
Loretto, Pennsylvania
Loretto is a borough in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,302. Like the rest of Cambria County, it is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. Loretto is the home of Saint Fr ...
. Upon his graduation from the seminary in 1963, Manning was ordained a
Franciscan
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
priest.
In the late 1960s, Manning joined the
Little Brothers of Jesus
The Little Brothers of Jesus (; ; abbreviated PFJ) is a male religious congregation within the Catholic Church of pontifical right inspired by Charles de Foucauld. Founded in 1933 in France, the congregation first established itself in French ...
of
Charles de Foucauld, a
religious institute
A religious institute is a type of institute of consecrated life in the Catholic Church whose members take religious vows and lead a life in community with fellow members. Religious institutes are one of the two types of institutes of consecra ...
committed to an uncloistered, contemplative life among the poor. Manning transported water via donkey, worked as a mason's assistant and a dishwasher in France, was imprisoned (by choice) in Switzerland, and spent six months in a remote cave in the
Zaragoza
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tribut ...
desert.
In the 1970s, Manning returned to the United States and began writing after confronting his
alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...
.
The following quote appeared in the prelude to
dc Talk
DC Talk (stylized as dc Talk) is a Christian rap and rock trio. The group was formed at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1987 by Toby McKeehan, Michael Tait, and Kevin Max Smith. They released five major studio albums together: ''D ...
's song "What if I Stumble?" It also appeared on an intro track for the Christian metalcore band
War of Ages
War of Ages (sometimes abbreviated WoA; formerly known as Point Zero) is an American Christian metal band formed in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 2002.
The band's self-titled debut album '' War of Ages'' was released in 2005, and in February 2006, th ...
on its album ''Fire From the Tomb'':
Bibliography
* ''Gentle Revolutionaries'', 1970
* ''Souvenirs of Solitude'', 1979
* ''Stranger to Self-Hatred'', 1981
* ''Parable of William Juan'', 1985
* ''Prophets & Lovers: In Search of the Holy Spirit'', 1985
* ''Lion and Lamb/the Relentless Tenderness of Jesus'', 1986
* ''The Signature of Jesus'', 1988
* .
* ''Abba's Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging'', 1994 (NavPress)
* ''The Signature of Jesus'', 1996
* ''The Boy Who Cried Abba: A Parable of Trust and Acceptance'', 1996
* ''Reflections for Ragamuffins: Daily Devotions from the Writings of Brennan Manning'', 1998
* ''Ruthless Trust: The Ragamuffin's Path to God'', 2001
* ''Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven'', 2001 (foreword only)
*
* ''The Journey of the Prodigal: A Parable of Sin and Redemption'', 2002 (b)
* ''A Glimpse of Jesus: The Stranger to Self-Hatred'', 2003
* ''Posers, Fakers, and Wannabes: Unmasking the Real You'', 2003
* ''The Importance of Being Foolish: How to think like Jesus'' 2006
* ''The Furious Longing of God'', 2009
* ''Souvenirs of Solitude: Finding Rest in Abba's Embrace'', 2009 (2nd Ed, NavPress)
* ''Patched Together: A Story of My Story'', 2010
* ''All Is Grace: A Ragamuffin Memoir'', 2011
Filmography
* ''Ragamuffin'', 2014 (portrayed by Charles Lawlor)
* ''Brennan'', 2016
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manning, Brennan
1934 births
Writers from New York City
2013 deaths
United States Marines
Laicized Roman Catholic priests
American Roman Catholics
American spiritual writers
Saint Francis University alumni