I highly recommend anyone interested in ecumenism or Christian and Islamic studies to read this book. Salenson weaves together not only a very good biographical story about Christian and his fellow monks but at the same time discusses how the Christian practices of prayer, lectio divina, eucharistic, sacraments, fasting, feasting, and almsgiving can be deepened by an openness to what Abbot de Cherge called 'radical hospitality' or 'friendship.' Today, as parts of the Church become more closed minded, more sectarian, more inward-looking, we need more words of wisdom from people such as Abbot de Cherge, who provide us with hope in this world which seems to lack hope.Fr. William C. Mills, Author of Encountering Jesus in the Gospels