A Love Story
By Frederick Franck
“Here insights that clash in the chill of the brain seem to fuse easily in the warmth of the heart and beget a religious orientation to life as such, to Existence as the Mystery of Mysteries.”
—from Pacem in Terris: a love story
Thirty years ago, Frederick Franck, author of The Zen of Seeing, Angelus Silesius, and a dozen other books, began work on a property he and his wife Claske had acquired in Warwick, New York. Originals of his world-renowned sculptures found their home on the grounds. The sacred nature of his artistry has attracted the attention of pilgrims of all walks in life and from all continents. Pacem in Terris has become the meeting place of many wisdom traditions, all in search of what Franck calls “the all-too-human.”
In Pacem in Terris: a love story, Franck relates the remarkable history of his monumental undertaking—to create a sacred site open to peoples of the world—from its impoverished beginnings to its triumphal present. The material obstacles and artistic challenges of this true story of human love remind us of the forgotten power of a personal search for meaning and the extraordinary help and recognition that are drawn to a simply human effort.
“Franck’s words are thrilling, especially as evidence of his vocation as one who brings things together…. When Pacem in Terris was opened in 1966, Franck wrote: ‘May the spirit soar and make us humans see our unity.’ By purchasing, reading, and sharing this paperback treasure, you are doing just that!”
—Spirituality and Health
“For the pilgrim in each of us who would journey into Eastern and Western spiritual traditions to chart a path in this troubled time…. Wise, witty, compassionate observations jolt us awake to the wealth of our planetary heritage.”
—Joanna Macy, author of Widening Circles and World as Lover, World as Self
