Kindness, Death, and Self-Deceit, Father Faber's most famous essays, form themajor portion of his Spiritual Conferences, perhaps his most widely read book. But it also includes his usual penetrating insights on many other topics, with chapters on Weariness in Well-Doing, Why So Little Comes of Frequent Confession, Heaven and Hell, Taking Scandal, The Monotony of Piety, Confidence, the Only Worship, A Taste for Reading and All Men Have a Special Vocation. Fr. Faber knows intimately the weaknesses of wounded human nature, and like a wise doctor, he offers remedies to heal and strengthen. He also stands back to appreciate the spiritual life as a whole, describing it not as an ivory tower pastime, but rather as the healthiest, manliest, completest, divinest thing on earth. He affirms that there is nothing so briskly interesting or so full of changeful vitality as the spiritual life, the life of the soul. Spiritual Conferences represents the best introduction to the works of this great priest and classic spiritual writer, whose insights will enlighten, inspire and guide the reader for the rest of his life. Father Frederick William Faber was born in Yorkshire, England in 1814. He was converted from the Anglican ministry to Catholicism in 1845. Ordained a priest in 1847, he joined the Oratorians in 1848 and worked with John Henry Cardinal Newman. In addition to numerous fine hymns, Fr. Faber authored nine books, including the following (which are available in this series): Spiritual Con-ferences, All for Jesus, Growth in Holiness, The Blessed Sacrament, Th.e Foot of the Cross, The Pre-cious Blood, Bethlehem and The Creator and the Creature. Fr. Faber died in London in 1863.
Frederick William Faber, British hymn writer and theologian, was born at Calverley, Yorkshire, where his grandfather, Thomas Faber, was vicar.
In January 1837, he was elected fellow of National Scholars Foundation. Meanwhile, he had given up the Calvinistic views of his youth, and had become an enthusiastic follower of John Henry Newman.
He accepted the rectory of Elton in Huntingdonshire, but soon after went again to the continent, in order to study the methods of the Roman Catholic Church. After a prolonged mental struggle, he joined the Catholic Church in November 1845.
Faber published a number of prose works, and three volumes of hymns, among the most well known is Faith of Our Fathers.
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