• Falling Upward

  • A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life
  • By: Richard Rohr
  • Narrated by: Richard Rohr
  • Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (3,656 ratings)

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Falling Upward  By  cover art

Falling Upward

By: Richard Rohr
Narrated by: Richard Rohr
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Publisher's summary

In the first half of life, we are naturally preoccupied with establishing ourselves; climbing, achieving, and performing. But as we grow older and encounter challenges and mistakes, we need to see ourselves in a different and more life-giving way. This message of falling down - that is in fact moving upward - is the most resisted and counterintuitive of messages in the world's religions.

Falling Upward offers a new paradigm for understanding one of the most profound of life's mysteries: how those who have fallen down are the only ones who understand "up". We grow spiritually more by doing it wrong than by doing it right, and the disappointments of life are actually stepping stones to the spiritual joys in the second half of life.

©2011 Richard Rohr (P)2011 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Critic reviews

"[P]rovocative." ( Publishers Weekly)
"[A] trustworthy guide to the spiritual life." (BlogCritics.org)
"Understanding the spiritual aspects of aging is as important as appreciating the systems and biological processes that age us. Richard Rohr has given us a perfect guide to what he calls the 'further journey,' a voyage into the mystery mystery and beauty of healthy spiritual maturity." (Mehmet Oz, M.D., host of the Dr. Oz Show)

What listeners say about Falling Upward

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A must

Tremendous amount of insights into life. Having it narrated by Rohr is a bonus. A parallel book I would recommend is From Doubt to Faith by Brian McClaren

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true enlightenment

I'm truly thankful these words found me. I found so many points that illuminated my current existence.

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What a blessing to mankind .....

Cannot wait to read it again...savoring every morsel....thank you RR....you're the facilitator we all need...

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New Age, gnostic, syncretistic, panentheistic, apostasy

Do not be deceived! Richard Rohr, whatever he is, is not a Christian and does not espouse the basic tenets of of Christianity, i.e. that there is original sin in each of us, or that the incarnate Son of God so loved mankind that he came to live a perfect life in our stead, dying on the Cross for the propitiation of our sins, and was resurrected, so that we could be risen with Him. Rohr has his own brand of religion which is a works-based , enlightenment-will-save-you, panentheistic religion, for itching ears. He does not, either, espouse a Scripturally sound view of sexuality, but is very much in line with the zeitgeist, which is perhaps why he is so popular with the build-a-god crew. All this would be fine if he didn’t call himself Christian and lead so many off the path of true Freedom, and Grace.

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Elder

Starts of interesting but decays into a philosophical discussion that seems to never end. Leans heavily on mythological thinking

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Boring in my opinion

Struggling to finish. I don't disagree with the points he is making but he is hardly the first person to describe life this way, and his writing style is difficult to stay with. I was hoping for awesome tidbits to write down and highlight, but I got through nearly the entire thing and nothing stood out to me as a pivotal thought that I would discuss with my friends, write down to reference later, etc.

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Lovely to Hear Father Rohr Tell this Story

As with all of Fr. Rohr’s writings, this speaks to the heart and, so, to the heart of the problem we face as we try to get out of our own heads and into a greater reality. It is easily digestible and immediately nutritious. Highly recommend for those facing pivotal moments in life when it’s unclear how “falling up” is even possible.

The narration is sing-song at times, and this can momentarily distract from the profound messages. But this quality is easily offset by the direct wisdom of the teaching from the teacher.

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  • B
  • 02-26-21

Insightful and Helpful for those stepping into the second half of life

In effort to look introspectively into my own movement toward Jesus, I decided to challenge myself to listen to someone I have not heard from before. Pleasantly surprised, I found insight, some clarity, and simple understanding tied together from various sources to make a beautiful point. We are meant to move from the first half of life to a second half that provides rest for the soul.

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  • AJ
  • 02-14-21

changed my life

incredibly insightful, this book had made an impact on me that brings me back again and again. I've listened to it 3 times now. more will come!

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spiritual guidance

I loved this book; it has helped me understand my spiritual journey so much better!

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