Gossip. Lying. Flattery. Crass words. As we grow in Christian maturity, many of us are aware that we fall frequently into sins of speech. We realize instinctually that these faults are holding us back from the fullness of life. But what can we do about them?
Training the Tongue and Growing Beyond Sins of Speech promises to help us attain verbal virtue. As this brief book shows, by cultivating healthy habits, we can effectively crowd out sinful speech and experience the gift of our tongue as God intended. Dynamic preacher and teacher Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., directs our attention to the primary purpose of speech—communion with God and each other—and considers a whole range of methods to develop our humanity in service of that end.
Fr. Gregory invites us to consider the importance of practices like truth-telling, correction, humor, and prayer within the context of our earthly and heavenly conversations. Enter more whole-heartedly (and freely) into relationships. Harness the power of speech for the good of your soul. And, with Training the Tongue as a delightful guide, reclaim communication as a tool for true communion with God and man alike.
About the Author
Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. teaches Dogmatic and Moral Theology at the Dominican House of Studies and works as an Assistant Director of the Thomistic Institute. He was ordained a priest in 2016 and holds a doctorate from the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). He is the author of several books and articles including Your Eucharistic Identity: A Sacramental Guide to the Fullness of Life and Justice: Judge Rightly, Give Freely. He is a regular contributor to several podcasts including Pints with Aquinas, Catholic Classics, and Godsplaining.
What People Are Saying
"I have always been impressed with and deeply moved by whatever Fr. Gregory has had to say, both to me directly and in his numerous podcasts, presentations, and writing. To have his advice about how to become a good steward of our words is a real gift. His insights, encouragement, advice, and cautionary tales serve as a fantastic guide for both my professional and personal life, and I know it will do the same for many others."
"Fr. Gregory has written a book that you will wish you had read years ago. Filled with direct yet gracious wisdom, Training the Tongue serves as an unexpected examination of conscience—one that's both beautifully crafted and genuinely enjoyable. Training the Tongue is part memoir, part self-help, and part systemic philosophy. If Winston Churchill had rewritten Chicken Soup for the Soul, it might read something like this."
"Fr. Gregory new book is as sharp as a two-edged sword and as healing as balm. Training the Tongue is witty, wise, and wonderfully Dominican: a manual for transforming our words from weapons of destruction into instruments of grace."
"With the reality that we will each be called to give an account for every word we speak, Training the Tongue is a crucial guide. Fr. Gregory provides beautiful insights into how we can converse, correct, and convict with both grace and truth."
"Few books manage to be both deeply theological and immediately practical. Training the Tongue is one of them. By shedding light on sins of the tongue that are often overlooked even by faithful Christians, Fr. Gregory shows how our words can become instruments of grace and communion with God and others. Every Christian should read this."
"I want to impulsively blurt out my praise for Fr. Gregory's insightful analysis of human speech, but I will heed his advice and train my tongue in the methods he thoughtfully describes throughout this excellent book."
Reclaim Communication as a Tool for True Communion with God and Each Other
Training the Tongue and Growing Beyond Sins of Speech promises to help us attain verbal virtue. As this brief book shows, by cultivating healthy habits, we can effectively crowd out sinful speech and experience the gift of our tongue as God intended.
Chapter 1: Telling the Truth
Chapter 2: Inquiring Together
Chapter 3: Building Each Other Up
Chapter 4: Offering Correction
Chapter 5: Playing with Humor
Chapter 6: Giving Instruction
Chapter 7: Talking to God
Harness the Power of Speech
Fr. Gregory invites us to consider the importance of practices like truth-telling, correction, humor, and prayer within the context of our earthly and heavenly conversations. Enter more whole-heartedly (and freely) into relationships.
