Catholics and Protestants have much to learn from the ‘saints’ who have gone before us, and from this self-revealing book by Colleen Carroll Campbell. Colleen unveils the reality discovered by many who have gone before us that true satisfaction, peace, and joy are not the results of our efforts to live a perfect life, but come as a gift of God’s love. To all who are burdened with shame and guilt in their efforts to do life right, the message of this book is liberating.

Whenever you find yourself comparing, competing, and trying to earn a gold star in life, read The Heart of Perfection. Colleen Carroll Campbell’s writing is grace-filled and life-giving. I loved this book!

This book is absolutely excellent and meets a very present need of many people. I wish it to be read by everyone!

Not always consciously, we are marked by a certain perfectionism, the feeling that to deserve God’s love and the love of others we must be perfect beings and follow a faultless journey to God. This perfectionism may seem generous and express the commitment to be good Christians, but it is actually disastrous. From her personal experience, from the example of the saints, from her meditation on Scripture, Colleen shows us with great spiritual truth and psychological sharpness how this perfectionism manifests itself, its consequences, and how to get rid of it to enter into the true freedom of the children of God.

One thing that gives me great joy in this book is to see how a woman, wife, and mother, engaged in a very active professional life, living in the complicated context of our society, can reach such an authentic experience of God and deep spiritual wisdom – something that may have been thought to be reserved for some particular vocations, such as religious life. This is an immense encouragement to lay people today who sometimes think that struggling with the problems of everyday family life may be an impediment to progress in the spiritual life. Colleen shows us that it’s the opposite, and we should be very grateful to her.

Delving into Campbell’s journey is like looking in a mirror revealing our own fears, pride, shame and fantasies of control that hold us back from accepting God’s grace. Her book reveals that spiritual perfectionism is not just a problem for helicopter parents and driven careerists. It is something we all struggle with…. The Heart of Perfection is full of insight into what motivates us to attempt to reach holiness through our own strength and how this obsession holds us back from spiritual progress. But Campbell does not invite us to a watered-down spirituality that resigns us to a “You’re okay, I’m okay” mentality. Instead, she opens up a world of radical dependence on God’s grace and the patient, humble obedience that draws us close to the heart of Jesus.

Poignant … There is so much to relate to in this book — from the outlined perfectionism traits via personal examples to the lessons from the saints who are highlighted. … The saintly wisdom makes this well worth the read.

Perfectionists already know many of the truths that can set us free. For instance, we know that God loves us, that he’s trustworthy, and that we don’t have to earn his love. But knowing is not enough. We also need such truths to penetrate our hardened hearts and calm our frazzled nerves. This book is here to help. Through engaging personal testimony and the masterful re-telling of lives of relatable saints, it effectively heals wounds that keep us from the joyful freedom of the children of God.