It's striking how similar her conclusions are but then, the authors' perspectives are rather similar.

I have Williams's book and I bought it knowing what it would be. I bought it anyway.

Book Reviews:

Mother Angelica's Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality, reviewed by Sr. Mona Castelazo:

[Mother Angelica] views life from a dualistic, rather than an incarnational perspective, describing the self as miserable, small, soiled and sinful. God's image only applies to the soul ...

Rather than seeing Christians in communion, Mother Angelica generally presents others as occasions for practicing virtue. She preaches a theology of ascent and achievement, emphasizing the accumulation of virtue to attain a measurable degree of glory in heaven.

The book does provide engaging, nostalgic material, similar to parts of "Late Nite Catechism."

Authors provide prayers and lessons, from didactic to personal, Catholic News Service, 6/18/07.

Spiritual Progress: Becoming the Christian You Want To Be, reviewed by Sr. Mona Castelazo:

His book reflects ... the religious instruction predating the Second Vatican Council, which emphasized intellectual belief and external performance.

It covers most aspects of traditional Catholic teaching, including holiness, God's will, prayer, the imitation of Christ, sacraments, Mary, faith, humility, sin, the world, the flesh, the devil and apostolic action.

The tone is paternalistic and the rhetoric uninspiring.

Father Williams advocates a theology of ascent, of climbing the spiritual ladder through performance to become "the Christian you want to be."

The book presents God as primarily transcendent rather than in-dwelling or incarnational.

Life is seen as a dramatic, dualistic struggle between good and evil. However, for educational purposes, the book might well be studied as an excellent compendium of pre-Vatican II viewpoints and practices.

"Two books offer contrasting spiritual guidelines", The-Tidings.com, 2/9/2007.