Reading books on spiritual direction is like reading books on prayer. They can be helpful, but there is no substitute for practice. The best way to learn is by doing, experimenting. Yet because there’s so much confusion surrounding it, here are some resources, from simplest to more advanced.
The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction by Eugene Peterson. The title says it all as Peterson calls conscientious pastors to return spiritual direction to the heart of ministry.
Holy Listening: The Art of Spiritual Direction by Margaret Guenther. Deceptively short and easy to read and yet a good place to start. A small book to savor.
Two other primers if you want a basic introduction. Check out Gordon Smith’s Spiritual Direction: A Guide to Giving and Receiving Direction. Or Jeanette Bakke’s Holy Invitations: Exploring Spiritual Direction.
Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith by Henri Nouwen. Put together after his death from various lectures, this, like most of Nouwen’s books, is both simple and profound.
Sacred Companions: The Gift of Spiritual Friendship and Direction by David Benner. Full of wisdom and also helps deepen our understanding of what makes for a true spiritual friend.
The Practice of Spiritual Direction by William Barry. Provides a good introduction and weaves together spiritual direction with insights from modern psychotherapy.
Spiritual Direction and the Care of Souls: A Guide to Christian Approaches and Practices by Gary Moon and David Benner. A thorough introduction gives a lay of the land, followed by essays on spiritual direction from various theological backgrounds.
Thomas Merton: Spiritual Direction and Meditation. If you want to dive into the deep end, this book is meaty and challenging.
Soul Friend by Kenneth Leech. If you went to graduate school and took a course on spiritual direction, most likely this would be required reading. Distinguishes direction from therapy and pastoral counseling, gives a history of the practice and a detailed conversation on prayer.