“There can hardly be a better practice in the spiritual life than that of meeting everything as an expression of the will of God.” With this conviction, Dom Hubert van Zeller offers a concise and deeply rooted guide to one of the most essential and misunderstood aspects of Christian spirituality: abandonment to God’s will.
Grounded in the wisdom of the saints and doctors of the Church, The Will of God in Other Words walks readers through what surrender to God truly means and what it does not mean. Van Zeller carefully traces the fine line between genuine abandonment, false passivity, and self-reliant activism. Rejecting both Quietism (which negates human responsibility) and Pelagian “do-it-yourself” spirituality, he presents a balanced, practical, and liberating path that unites trust in God with responsible action.
With characteristic clarity, insight, and spiritual realism, van Zeller explains how habitual acceptance of God’s will transforms our perspective, shapes our prayer, aligns us with Christ’s disposition toward the Father, and brings the peace “that surpasses understanding.” This book is an ideal entry point—or a needed corrective—for anyone seeking to live more fully under God’s loving guidance and providence.
About the Author
Dom Hubert van Zeller (1905–1984) was a Benedictine monk of Downside Abbey in Bath, England. Born in British-controlled Egypt and educated at Downside, he humorously remarked that he “passed no examinations—merely bypassed them.” A prolific author, he wrote on Scripture, spirituality, biography, and fiction, and was also known for his minimalist sculpture and witty cartoons. A friend of Ronald Knox and Evelyn Waugh, his writing was praised for its “vitality and elegance.”
