Philip Neri, the fire of joy

Philip Neri (1515-1595) is one of the most lovable and popular of saints, Christian humanist, practical joker and one of the Church's great contemplatives, he had such an impact on the degenerate Rome of his day that he quickly became a leading figure in the recovery of Catholic spirituality and culture that we associate with the Counter Reformation. In the midst of the Roman Renaissance, St. Philip was able to prove by his own example and in the lives of those who followed him that Christianity is the way to true and lasting happiness. His burning love for Christ found visible and tangible expression in the many visions and miracles recorded by those around him. Every evening he gathered his disciples to read and discuss the New Testament and then to pray together silently for half an hour. His aim, as he himself said, was to make people 'saints in their own homes'. Philip Neri: The Fire of Joy is the only major biography of Philip to appear during the 400th anniversary celebrations of the life of the saint. Already a bestseller in Germany, Spain and Italy, it draws on the most recent scholarship to paint a vivid, brilliant portrait of one of the most attractive and inspiring figures of Christianity.