Biography: religious and spiritual Books

Book SynopsisFor over 100 years, the British Academy has published Biographical Memoirs - extended obituaries - of its deceased Fellows. Collectively these memoirs make up a chapter in the intellectual history of Britain, and are used as a source by biographers and historians. These memoirs have previously been published annually within the Proceedings of the British Academy, most recently as separate volumes within the series. New Biographical Memoirs will now be made available online by the British Academy as an open-access resource; but they will still also be published in an annual hardback volume, though no longer in the Proceedings series.This latest annual volume celebrates the lives of 24 scholars: Raymond Allchin, Carmen Blacker, Ian Brownlie, John Burrow, Pierre Chaplais, Kenneth Dover, Philippa Foot, Norman Gash, John Gould, Margaret Gowing, John Griffith, Rupert Hall, Marie Boas Hall, Ian Jack, George Kane, Neil MacCormick, Robert Markus, John North, Roy Porter, Tony Quinton, Geoffrey RTable of ContentsFRANK RAYMOND ALLCHIN ; CARMEN ELIZABETH BLACKER ; IAN BROWNLIE ; JOHN WYNN BURROW ; PIERRE CHAPLAIS ; KENNETH JAMES DOVER ; PHILIPPA RUTH FOOT ; NORMAN GASH ; JOHN PHILIP ALGERNON GOULD ; MARGARET MARY GOWING ; JOHN ANEURIN GREY GRIFFITH ; ALFRED RUPERT HALL & MARIE BOAS HALL ; IAN ROBERT JAMES JACK ; GEORGE KANE ; DONALD NEIL MacCORMICK ; ROBERT AUSTIN MARKUS ; JOHN DAVID NORTH ; ROY PORTER ; ANTHONY MEREDITH QUINTON ; GEOFFREY EDWIN RICKMAN ; ALFRED WILLIAM BRIAN SIMPSON ; ROBERT McLACHLAN WILSON ; ROBERT IVOR WOODS

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Book SynopsisChronicling the drama of Francisca's interrogation and her spirited but ultimately unsuccessful defense, The Inquisition of Francisca - transcribed from more than three hundred folios and published for the first time in any language - will be a valuable resource for both specialists and students of the history and religion of Spain in the.

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Book SynopsisOffers an account of the Protestant Reformation, reporting on the larger clashes between Protestants and Catholics, and also on events in the author's convent. This work provides a fresh perspective on struggles for religious and political power in sixteenth-century Geneva and a glimpse at early modern monastic life.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This careful, convincing intellectual biography of philosopher/historian Gershom Scholem (1897-1982) occasions rethinking the relationship between Scholem's scholarship on kabbalah and sabbatism and his personal journey as a Zionist. Scholem grew up in Germany and in the early 1920s emigrated to what was to become the State of Israel. Engel argues that Scholem's 'unusually wide' and continuing prominence, unexpected for a scholar of an esoteric area of history, results from the profundity of his reflections on central questions of Jewish and European life in the 20th century. Engel critiques previous biographical treatments of Scholem that found in his work an assertion that kabbalah expressed a single metaphysical truth underlying all facets of Jewish history and philosophy. Engel contends that Scholem was more creative than that--that he wove into narratives 'the old and the new, the esoteric and the political, the personal and the social' and in so doing broadened the discussion. Thus, Scholem's scholarship reflects his own life experience even as it reveals a community's need to transform in the face of historical trauma. This engaging, important biography teaches one a great deal about 20th-century European and Jewish history. Highly recommended."--Choice "Engel ultimately portrays the Scholem beloved by Prochnik, Ozick, Bloom, and others as a romanticized "image" separate from the "demystified figure of 'Scholem'."--The Hedgehog Review "Engel has written a fascinating study of this nearly incomparable modern Jewish thinker. He has excavated the implicit, making explicit the lines of connection between Scholem's life and his work.... As Scholem transcends the boundary between a scholar of Jewish history and a subject of Jewish history scholarship, Engel's biography merits a place in the debate over the man and his thought."--H-Net Reviews "Amir Engel claims to have 'demystified' his subject by seamlessly connecting, if not reducing, Scholem's scholarship to his personal, political, and historical context; Engel regards this as his 'most substantial finding.'"--Jewish Review of Books

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewElliot R. Wolfson's new work is a masterful exposition of the phenomenology and ontology of Habad thought, particularly its bearing on messianic mysteries and consciousness. This study is an extraordinary integration of precise philology, philosophical comprehension, and the inner course of Habad theosophy as it flows through the discourses of its seven masters. Wolfson analyzes the climactic position of Rabbi Schneerson within this complex with exemplary and original insight. -- Michael Fishbane, Nathan Cummings Professor of Jewish Studies, University of Chicago Elliot R. Wolfson's dark brilliance is itself an open secret, unfolding mesmerizing rhythms of chiastic paradox. The relevance of his commentary cannot be confined to the study of a particular movement, religion, or discipline. In this philosophical meditation on a controversial strand of recent messianism, a profound historical kabbalism appears edged with a postmodern Kafkaesque irony--in the legacy of a 'future that is already present as the present that is always future.' -- Catherine Keller, Drew University, and author of Face of the Deep: A Theology of Becoming This highly original reading of Menachem Mendel Schneerson's messianic doctrine renders irrelevant much of the ongoing speculation and debate on the question of whether or not the Lubavitcher Rebbe, like the bulk of his following, believed that he was the Messiah. The book argues insightfully that beneath his well-attested endeavors to demonstrate the imminence the messianic advent, and his resort to the traditional language of Jewish messianic speculation, lays the paradoxical 'open secret' of a totally impersonal Messiah who, reflecting the nature of the infinite kabbalistic godhead itself, can be revealed in the world only by way of concealment. His advent is conceptualized as a universal expansion of spiritual consciousness, a nonevent that continuously occurs, has occurred, and will occur 'immediately, without delay, in actuality,' which effectively means beyond measurable time. -- Ada Rapoport-Albert, University College London Wolfson's spiritual quest is contagious, and the intrepid reader will brave the many difficult passages in order to follow him -- Lawrence Grossman Forward Every researcher or enlightened reader should be interested in this profound construction, in order to understand the most significant Jewish messianic phenomenon in the Jewish world of the last two generations. -- Alon Dahan H-Judaic Wolfson has not only produced an excellent study of Rabbi Mena?em Mendel Schneerson's views, but he has argued convincingly that this work will serve as a paradigm for Jewish philosophic thought. -- H.D. Uriel Smith Philosophy East and WestTable of ContentsPreface Note on the Transliteration Introduction: Behind the Veil Unveiled 1. Concealing the Concealment: The Politics of the Esoteric 2. A/voiding Place: Apophatic Embodiment 3. Semiotic Transubstantiation of the Somatic 4. Messianic Torah: Hypernomian Transvaluation 5. Female Encircles Male: Gender Transposition 6. Apocalyptic Crossing: Beyond the (Non)Jewish Other Postface: In an Instant-Advent of the (Non)event Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe Mohegan-Brothertown minister Samson Occom (1723–1792) was a prominent political and religious leader of the Indigenous peoples of present-day New York and New England. In this groundbreaking book, Ryan Carr argues that Occom’s writings were deeply rooted in Indigenous traditions of hospitality, diplomacy, and openness to strangers.Trade ReviewIn Samson Occom, Ryan Carr makes the powerfully argued case for expanding our interpretive practices regarding Occom through consideration of his work on its own terms—ones that respect what we can know of Occom’s purposes and perspectives. Through careful and broadly considered historical research, Carr creates an impressive network of connected histories through which to situate Occom as a thinker, writer, and leader. -- Robert Warrior, coauthor of American Indian Literary NationalismRyan Carr has produced a strikingly fresh account of Samson Occom's rendering of Christianity as a tool to maneuver the catastrophe of settler colonialism by centering Indigenous community. He subtly narrates how Occom used language to traverse vast distances in practicing radical hospitality and to elicit ancient notions of sacredness. -- Jean M. O’Brien, coeditor of Allotment Stories: Indigenous Land Relations Under Settler SiegeIn this magnificent contribution to Native literary history and early American studies, Ryan Carr reconstructs Samson Occom in a way that keeps his complicated humanity, well, complicated, especially when considering Occom as a religious thinker and public intellectual. This book is original, erudite, edifying, and beautifully written. I recommend it highly. -- Scott Richard Lyons, author of X-Marks: Native Signatures of AssentTable of ContentsForeword by Amy Medford and Megan FuloppAcknowledgmentsIntroduction, on the Occasion of Samson Occom’s Three Hundredth BirthdayPart I1. “Asylum for Strangers”: An Approach to Occom’s Traditionalism2. Occom Obviously: Literary Studies and the Problem of Indigenous KnowledgePart II3. A Theology of Land and Peoplehood4. Piety and Placemaking: Styles of Strangerhood Among Occom and His KinPart III5. Seft at Last: Occom’s 1768 Autobiography in Native Space6. “Time to Awake”: Occom on Perception, Alienation, and “Pure Religion”Conclusion: “Good Enthusiasm”Appendix: Unpublished Letters by Susanna Wheatley and Samson OccomNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe Mohegan-Brothertown minister Samson Occom (1723–1792) was a prominent political and religious leader of the Indigenous peoples of present-day New York and New England. In this groundbreaking book, Ryan Carr argues that Occom’s writings were deeply rooted in Indigenous traditions of hospitality, diplomacy, and openness to strangers.Trade ReviewIn Samson Occom, Ryan Carr makes the powerfully argued case for expanding our interpretive practices regarding Occom through consideration of his work on its own terms—ones that respect what we can know of Occom’s purposes and perspectives. Through careful and broadly considered historical research, Carr creates an impressive network of connected histories through which to situate Occom as a thinker, writer, and leader. -- Robert Warrior, coauthor of American Indian Literary NationalismRyan Carr has produced a strikingly fresh account of Samson Occom's rendering of Christianity as a tool to maneuver the catastrophe of settler colonialism by centering Indigenous community. He subtly narrates how Occom used language to traverse vast distances in practicing radical hospitality and to elicit ancient notions of sacredness. -- Jean M. O’Brien, coeditor of Allotment Stories: Indigenous Land Relations Under Settler SiegeIn this magnificent contribution to Native literary history and early American studies, Ryan Carr reconstructs Samson Occom in a way that keeps his complicated humanity, well, complicated, especially when considering Occom as a religious thinker and public intellectual. This book is original, erudite, edifying, and beautifully written. I recommend it highly. -- Scott Richard Lyons, author of X-Marks: Native Signatures of AssentTable of ContentsForeword by Amy Medford and Megan FuloppAcknowledgmentsIntroduction, on the Occasion of Samson Occom’s Three Hundredth BirthdayPart I1. “Asylum for Strangers”: An Approach to Occom’s Traditionalism2. Occom Obviously: Literary Studies and the Problem of Indigenous KnowledgePart II3. A Theology of Land and Peoplehood4. Piety and Placemaking: Styles of Strangerhood Among Occom and His KinPart III5. Seft at Last: Occom’s 1768 Autobiography in Native Space6. “Time to Awake”: Occom on Perception, Alienation, and “Pure Religion”Conclusion: “Good Enthusiasm”Appendix: Unpublished Letters by Susanna Wheatley and Samson OccomNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe story of America's first black bishop and his struggle, against white apathy, lack of funds, and jurisdictional ambiguity, to rebuild the African-American component of the Episcopal Church in the context of a segregated church.Trade Review"A minutely and scrupulously detailed biography and analysis of the first Black man appointed to be a bishop in the Episcopal Church."--Paul Harvery, Religious Studies Review"Beary's conclusions to this deeply researched and well-written study are important and solid. His work will be useful to many, particularly students of southern religious history and race relations."--Terry D. Goddard, Arkansas Historical Quarterly"This meticulously researched, sensitively written, and readable book is a church history with a difference. It is a biography of Edward T. Demby, the first Black bishop in the Episcopal Church, and a history of race relations within that church."--William Norton, Journal of the West"A riveting and valuable analysis of the long and often dehumanizing struggles of the Reverend Edward T. Demby as he fought on two equally difficult fronts: to become the first duly elected Black bishop in the Episcopal Church and to expose and overcome the racism that marked both Episcopalianism and the secular society of his age. . . . Beary's historical analysis of racism in the Episcopal Church shines such a powerful floodlight on this truth that racist confessors should no longer be able to hide behind ecclesia's walls."--Paul R. Griffin, Anglican and Episcopal History"This relentlessly honest, scrupulously researched and well-written biography rises above praise and blame and allows the life of a remarkable Christian to speak for itself. In the process, he also illuminates the moral geography of an era." -- Robert Neralich, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette"Beary skillfully narrates the shifting alliances within the Episcopal Church and shows how race was but one aspect of a more elemental struggle for power. He demonstrates how Demby's steadiness of purpose and nonconfrontational manner gathered allies on both sides of the color line and how, ultimately, his judgment and the weight of his experience carried the church past its segregationist experiment." -- African Sun Times"A fine study, not just of the life of an individual, but of an era in the life of the Church. Bishop Demby reminds us that even in the midst of the painful and the unjust, the work of the Spirit cannot be entirely extinguished." -- Caroline T. Marshall, The Historiographer

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Book SynopsisBelieving deeply that the gospel touched every aspect of a person's life, Peter Cartwright was a man who held fast to his principles, resulting in a life of itinerant preaching and thirty years of political quarrels with Abraham Lincoln. This is a biography of Peter Cartwright.Trade ReviewWinner of the first annual Saddlebag Award, given by the Historical Society of the United Methodist Church (2006).

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Book SynopsisIn Baring Witness, Holly Welker and thirty-six Mormon women write about devotion and love and luck, about the wonder of discovery, and about the journeys, both thorny and magical, to humor, grace, and contentment. They speak to a diversity of life experiences: what happens when one partner rejects Church teachings; marrying outside one's faith; the pain of divorce and widowhood; the horrors of spousal abuse; the hard journey from visions of an idealized marriage to the everyday truth; sexuality within Mormon marriage; how the pressure to find a husband shapes young women's actions and sense of self; and the ways Mormon belief and culture can influence second marriages and same-sex unions. The result is an unflinching look at the earthly realities of an institution central to Mormon life.Trade ReviewHonorable Mention in Creative Non-Fiction, Association for Mormon Letters, 2017 "Reading this collection of intimate, intelligent, and terribly interesting essays is an exercise in empathy that truly ought to be considered required reading to the 21st century Latter-day Saint seeking to truly mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. Baring Witness broadcasts voices of Mormon women that are all too often quietly dismissed in the broader aspects of our culture. In the end, these stories consist of sacred narratives—not so much a record of God’s dealing with people but of people’s dealing with God.”--Association for Mormon Letters"The stories are fresh, raw, filled with riveting, sometimes shocking details — and impossible to predict the end from the beginning. They are both universal and uniquely LDS.”—The Salt Lake Tribune, Peggy Fletcher Stack"If you enjoy reading stories about LDS women, about both the hard times and the good times, this book is definitely for you." --Exponent"Welker has facilitated a range of lived experiences on how Mormon women negotiate secular expectations of equality and religious patriarchy. She is creating conversations between Mormon congregations, Non-Mormon communities, and Mormon scholarship by informing us how Mormon women rebel, respond and reproduce gender inequality through marriage and expectations of relationships. Therefore, these essays are concrete examples of the contested territory that Mormon women encounter, as they simultaneously re-entrench and assimilate between secular values and faith beliefs in a religion that situates its marriage as being of divine design."--Religion and Gender"Lively and fascinating." --Novo Religio"Illuminating and heartfelt, frequently moving and sometimes hilarious, these essays explore moments of failure and fulfilment, laying bare the all too often unspoken confinements, complications and comforts of love, sex, and marriage."--Carys Bray, author of A Song for Issy Bradley"One need not be Mormon to savor this collection of bold and varied essays about the joys and conflicts, the highs and lows, the complexities and contradictions of being a smart Mormon woman today. Beautifully written and impeccably edited, Baring Witness provides not just a wealth of information and experience, but also a truly great read."—Cathi Hanauer, author of Gone and editor of The Bitch Is Back

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Book SynopsisEugene England championed an optimistic Mormon faith open to liberalizing ideas from American culture. At the same time, he remained devoted to a conservative Mormonism that he saw as a vehicle for progress even as it narrowed the range of acceptable belief. Kristine L. Haglund views England's writing through the tensions produced by his often-opposed intellectual and spiritual commitments. Though labeled a liberal, England had a traditional Latter-day Saint background and always sought to address fundamental questions in Mormon terms. His intellectually adventurous essays sometimes put him at odds with Church authorities and fellow believers. But he also influenced a generation of thinkers and cofounded Dialogue, a Mormon academic and literary journal acclaimed for the broad range of its thought. A fascinating portrait of a Mormon intellectual and his times, Eugene England reveals a believing scholar who emerged from the lived experiences of his faith to engage with the changes roilTrade Review"Haglund's analysis truly shines when she places England in context with other thinkers. . . The most powerful parts of Haglund's work are when she demonstrates how England lived during a transition moment for Mormonism." --By Common Consent"Haglund's brief, elegant study brings back the restless personality of the late Eugene England, one of Mormonism's most energetic thinkers and intellectuals, wrestling with the tensions between independent thought and loyal belief. This book illuminates an entire era in Mormon intellectual history."--Claudia L. Bushman, author of Contemporary Mormonism: Latter-day Saints in Modern America"Eugene England was the most gifted Latter-day Saint essayist of the late twentieth century, influencing an entire generation of thinkers and strivers. In Kristine Haglund’s deft handling, we also come to appreciate England as embodying the paradoxes and tensions of modern religion: liberal and conservative, faith and reason, individual and community, autonomy and authority. This book will enable a whole new generation to rediscover the wisdom and wrestle of one of twentieth-century Mormonism’s most remarkable souls and intellects."--Patrick Q. Mason, Utah State University

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Michael Austin has produced an admirable introduction to the life and work of Vardis Fisher, arguably the most prominent (and prolific!) novelist to emerge from the Intermountain region in the twentieth century." --Journal of Mormon History"A remarkably well-written, engaging, and informative read." --Mormon Studies Review“Vardis Fisher was a key founder of both American Western and Mormon literatures, a master storyteller with a remarkable life, ‘an unbeliever who was Mormon to his core’. Michael Austin, Mormon literature’s leading scholar, reintroduces Fisher and lovingly reinterprets these remarkable novels for a new generation.”--Andrew Hall, Association for Mormon Letters

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This fine-grained study is a must for students of contemporary American religion and politics." --Publishers Weekly"Do All the Good You Can is an encomium to Hillary Rodham Clinton as a politician and a Methodist." --Foreword Reviews"Smith’s even-handed biography will shed new light on this little-known aspect of Clinton’s character and career." --Third Coast Review“Through careful scholarship and insightful analysis, Gary Scott Smith demonstrates how Clinton’s progressive Christianity--rooted in a commitment to her childhood Methodism--was central to her public life, and key to her ability to endure numerous personal setbacks. Smith’s book not only is an important work for understanding Hillary Clinton’s political career but contributes to our understanding of religion’s undervalued role in shaping the political left in recent American history.”--Christopher H. Evans, Do Everything: The Biography of Frances E. Willard“People are fascinated by, even obsessed with, Hillary Clinton’s faith, and they have not been shy about taking extreme positions, some rabidly skeptical and others blindly accepting of her sincerity. Gary Scott Smith provides a dramatic overview of the extraordinary range and depth of public perception about Clinton’s religiosity, and how those views were infracted by gender, the changing role of First Ladies, and the sharp fracturing of the American religious landscape.”--Margaret Bendroth, author of The Last Puritans: Mainline Protestants and the Power of the PastTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction: “Stay in Love with God” “I Felt My Heart Strangely Warmed”: Clinton’s Spiritual Roots “Let Your Light Shine to All”: From Wellesley to the White House “Light Yourself on Fire with Passion”: America’s First Lady “Be Rigorous in Judging Ourselves and Gracious in Judging Others”: New York Senator and 2008 Presidential Candidate “I Look upon All the World as My Parish”: Secretary of State and Seeking the Oval Office “Be Not Weary of Well Doing”: The 2016 Presidential Campaign “God Grant That I May Never Live to Be Useless!” Notes Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“For practitioners and observers alike, the gospel of the Restoration is rich enough in theological innovation to distract from the simple fact: the prime directive to all disciples is to ‘do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.’ No Saint better exemplified that discipleship in his ‘deceptively simple’ writings and life of teaching and serving than Lowell Bennion, and no figure from the LDS past more deserves to be reintroduced to a new generation of readers. George Handley beautifully celebrates and explicates the life and thought of a largely forgotten hero.”--Terryl L. Givens, author of Stretching the Heavens: Eugene England and the Crisis of Modern MormonismTable of ContentsForeword to the Introductions to Mormon Thought Series Matthew Bowman and Joseph Spencer Acknowledgments The Life of a Mormon Educator The Abundant Life A Rational Faith Social Morality Bibliographical Essay Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisUpdated with a new preface and more than a dozen photographs of King and his contemporaries, this edition presents the unforgettable story of King's life and death for a new generation.Trade Review"Shelves devoted to modern American history can't be considered complete without it."--Booklist"An excellent book that will do more to keep Martin Luther King and his 'dream' alive in a different era than would more fulsome tributes."--Louis R. Harlan, American Historical Review "A well-researched, clearly written and well-balanced account."--Charles V. Hamilton, New York Times Book Review "Initially published soon after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., David Levering Lewis's biography was an extraordinary achievement--a readable narrative full of historical insight. He judiciously illuminates King's achievements while also acknowledging his flaws and limitations. Subsequent studies have provided more detailed accounts of various aspects of King's life, but Lewis's perceptive portrait continues to reward readers seeking to understand King's historical significance." --Clayborne Carson, Director, Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute"David Levering Lewis's classic biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. captured the voices and feeling of the times in its thoughtful and thorough early review of Dr. King’s legacy. I am deeply grateful it is being introduced to a new generation of readers and commend it to all."--Marian Wright Edelman, President, Children's Defense Fund

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHonorable Mention in Creative Non-Fiction, Association for Mormon Letters, 2017 "Reading this collection of intimate, intelligent, and terribly interesting essays is an exercise in empathy that truly ought to be considered required reading to the 21st century Latter-day Saint seeking to truly mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. Baring Witness broadcasts voices of Mormon women that are all too often quietly dismissed in the broader aspects of our culture. In the end, these stories consist of sacred narratives—not so much a record of God’s dealing with people but of people’s dealing with God.”--Association for Mormon Letters"The stories are fresh, raw, filled with riveting, sometimes shocking details — and impossible to predict the end from the beginning. They are both universal and uniquely LDS.”—The Salt Lake Tribune, Peggy Fletcher Stack"If you enjoy reading stories about LDS women, about both the hard times and the good times, this book is definitely for you." --Exponent"Welker has facilitated a range of lived experiences on how Mormon women negotiate secular expectations of equality and religious patriarchy. She is creating conversations between Mormon congregations, Non-Mormon communities, and Mormon scholarship by informing us how Mormon women rebel, respond and reproduce gender inequality through marriage and expectations of relationships. Therefore, these essays are concrete examples of the contested territory that Mormon women encounter, as they simultaneously re-entrench and assimilate between secular values and faith beliefs in a religion that situates its marriage as being of divine design."--Religion and Gender"Lively and fascinating." --Novo Religio"Illuminating and heartfelt, frequently moving and sometimes hilarious, these essays explore moments of failure and fulfilment, laying bare the all too often unspoken confinements, complications and comforts of love, sex, and marriage."--Carys Bray, author of A Song for Issy Bradley"One need not be Mormon to savor this collection of bold and varied essays about the joys and conflicts, the highs and lows, the complexities and contradictions of being a smart Mormon woman today. Beautifully written and impeccably edited, Baring Witness provides not just a wealth of information and experience, but also a truly great read."—Cathi Hanauer, author of Gone and editor of The Bitch Is Back

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"As a towering figure of midcentury anti-Communist activism, Benson stands at the center of these emerging epistemological circuits--a surprising, improbable, and perversely delightful payoff to the satisfying and multifaceted collection." --Journal of Mormon History "Thunder from the Right is a fascinating volume on the life, political career, and ministry of the most famous Mormon in politics prior to Mitt Romney, as well as on the inner workings of the LDS Church during the apostleship and presidency of Ezra Taft Benson. Matthew Harris and the other contributors have constructed a detailed look at an LDS Church official who freely blended politics and religion and helped set the LDS Church and its membership on a course of political conservatism that it only now is moving away from. This is a must read for LDS scholars and lay audiences who want to understand both how one church leader sought to place his stamp on LDS political views and how fellow church leaders and members at the time were leery of being defined by the extremist worldview of Ezra Taft Benson."--Richard Davis, Brigham Young University"Thunder From the Right is an outstanding book by an excellent group of scholars who have written a collection of essays that will amaze, fascinate, inform and probably trouble you." --Association of Mormon Letter"The essays in this book help to flesh out the life and character of one the most influential and controversial Mormon leaders of the twentieth century. In doing so they make an important contribution to a too often neglected period in Latter-day Saint history."--Nathan B. Oman, author of The Dignity of Commerce: Markets and the Moral Foundations of Contract Law​"An impressive and thought-provoking volume. Thunder from the Right delivers on its promise to 'offer a fresh and stimulating retrospective assessment of Ezra Taft Benson's life and legacy.' The book illuminates the significant relationship between the Mormon faith and the rise of the New Right in the United States, adding considerably to our understanding of the role of religion in shaping Cold War domestic politics." --Mormon Studies Review​"This volume provides an important overview of Benson's public life and legacy. The contributors are respected, serious scholars. Highly recommended." --Choice"As a towering figure of midcentury anti-Communist activism, Benson stands at the center of these emerging epistemological circuits--a surprising, improbable, and perversely delightful payoff to the satisfying and multifaceted collection." --Journal of Mormon History​"Thunder From the Right is an outstanding book by an excellent group of scholars who have written a collection of essays that will amaze, fascinate, inform and probably trouble you." --Association of Mormon Letters

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Michael Austin has produced an admirable introduction to the life and work of Vardis Fisher, arguably the most prominent (and prolific!) novelist to emerge from the Intermountain region in the twentieth century." --Journal of Mormon History"A remarkably well-written, engaging, and informative read." --Mormon Studies Review“Vardis Fisher was a key founder of both American Western and Mormon literatures, a master storyteller with a remarkable life, ‘an unbeliever who was Mormon to his core’. Michael Austin, Mormon literature’s leading scholar, reintroduces Fisher and lovingly reinterprets these remarkable novels for a new generation.”--Andrew Hall, Association for Mormon Letters

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“For practitioners and observers alike, the gospel of the Restoration is rich enough in theological innovation to distract from the simple fact: the prime directive to all disciples is to ‘do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.’ No Saint better exemplified that discipleship in his ‘deceptively simple’ writings and life of teaching and serving than Lowell Bennion, and no figure from the LDS past more deserves to be reintroduced to a new generation of readers. George Handley beautifully celebrates and explicates the life and thought of a largely forgotten hero.”--Terryl L. Givens, author of Stretching the Heavens: Eugene England and the Crisis of Modern MormonismTable of ContentsForeword to the Introductions to Mormon Thought Series Matthew Bowman and Joseph Spencer Acknowledgments The Life of a Mormon Educator The Abundant Life A Rational Faith Social Morality Bibliographical Essay Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisFighting against the powerful constraints of her upbringing, this biography focuses on Ward's contribution to Catholicism. Throughout her life she wrote, lectured and raised money for her causes; founding the Catholic Housing Aid Society, and the Catholic publishers, Sheed and Ward.Trade Review“Professor Dana Greene demostrates great courage and the proper amount of happy foolishness as she expertly and with great sholarship presents us The Living of Maisie Ward.” –St. Anthony Messenger“In writing the life of this exceptional woman. . . Greene reconstructs the several worlds inhabited by her protagonist, worlds which need to be reinstated within the Catholic historical memory.” —The Catholic Historical Review“This book is a thoroughly researched and informative description of an intriguing corner of the Catholic world. Greene offers balanced evaluations of Ward’s books and quite properly extols the extraordinary devotion Maisie and Frank had for each other.” —Journal of Religion"This is a well-written, well-documented work, and it includes an extensive index and bibliography. Anyone interested in Catholic lay ministry and the lives of women who made a difference will find this a fascinating piece of writing." —Spiritual Life"This book is for those who followed Maisie Ward and the exciting decades of the 1920s to the 1950s in Catholic publishing. Sheed and Ward did much to advance Catholic writing and scholarship. This well-researched, readable and enjoyable biography of one-half of the partnership is a joy to have.” — Library Association

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Book SynopsisOrthodoxy and the Roman Papacy offers a comprehensive examination of the papacy from an Orthodox perspective that seeks to find a way toward Church unity.Trade Review“In Orthodoxy and the Roman Papacy: Ut Unum Sint and the Prospects of East-West Unity, not only does Adam A. J. DeVille give a historical and theological background to the thorny problem of the papacy in ecumenical dialogue; he also outlines what a reintegrated Church would look like by suggesting a way the papacy could function. Taking what both Orthodox and Catholic ecumenists have said, he paints a practical portrait of a unified Church. This is a novel and important contribution.” —David Fagerberg, University of Notre Dame"John Paul II’s remarkable encyclical Ut Unum Sint gives occasion for a comprehensive review and analysis of the steady, though often sputtering movement toward Orthodox and Roman Catholic rapprochement in our day. DeVille identifies the major voices, the churches involved, and assesses in particular the place and role of the Papacy in this process. Orthodoxy and the Papacy does a great service in promoting the ecumenical conversation, and will be an edifying resource to all that are interested in it." —Vigen Guroian, University of Virginia"Adam A. J. DeVille looks not only at the history of ecumenism from the Catholic side since Vatican II but also at more than a dozen of the leading Orthodox theologians internationally and their perspectives on the role and status of the bishop of Rome. Not since The Primacy of Peter: Essays in Ecclesiology and the Early Church, a collection of post Vatican II Orthodox views published over twenty years ago, has there been such an extensive and focused presentation of Orthodox points of view." —Michael Plekon, Baruch College"The book's strengths are its contemporary focus on a topic of considerable ecumenical importance and its scholarly attention to the rich diversity of views and developments with regard to the patriarchal office vis-a-vis the papacy. DeVille's contribution is his thoroughgoing accumulation of fact and opinion in a contemporary ecumenical context. In doing so he informs readers about the depth and breadth of efforts by so many currently dedicated to restoring East-West unity in the church." —America“DeVille has produced a first-rate example of creative theological scholarship, extensively researched and engagingly written. The sympathetic and accurate attention to Orthodox viewpoints, as well as attention to the nooks and crannies of Catholic history, make certain that Orthodoxy and the Roman Papacy will be a touchstone for future ecumenical dialogue.” —Catholic World Report“DeVille has here meticulously gathered a cross-section of insights as seen by Orthodox and Roman Catholic theologians from 1960 to 2006 about the role of the papacy. His project responds in part to the invitation of Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Ut unum sint (1995) to examine how the ministry of the Roman pontiff might further promote church unity.” —Theological Studies"Anyone concerned with Catholic-Orthodox unity should read this book. Indeed, anyone who wishes to understand this subject must be familiar with this book. DeVille has written an indispensible, scholarly book.” —Religion in Eastern Europe“DeVille’s exploration of patriarchal and papal responsibilities is offered as a creative way out of the ecclesiological and ecumenical impasse in the current dialogue between the great churches of East and West. . . . As DeVille has capably shown in this study, the challenges of Ut Unum Sint are ones that we will need to heed.” —The Living Church“He examines the relationship between the Eastern (and, to some extent, Oriental) Orthodox Churches and the Roman Catholic Church with regard to the central issue of papal primacy, in the interest of not only appraising the situation but of offering some suggestions for the future. DeVille is certainly to be commended for developing such an unusually proactive position . . . . Deville’s proposal has all the force and tidiness of a good thought experiment.” —Reviews in Religion and Theology

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Book SynopsisThis book is a biography of Pope Innocent III. Avoiding the many scholarly controversies concerning the pope, it offers a concise and balanced portrait of the man and his pontificate. Its chronological organization-unusual in biographies of Innocent-enables the reader to see how the pope was usually dealing with many different subjects at the same time, and that the events in one aspect of his life could influence his views of other topics. This structure, together with the thorough documentation, can provide new insights even for scholars well-versed in his pontificate. Written in clear, jargon-free English, the book also gives the students and general reader a good sense of this pope and of the medieval papacy.Trade Review“Thank goodness that John C. Moore’s biography of Pope Innocent III is finally available in an affordable format. His clarity of language, nuanced analysis, and evident mastery of both the sources and the wealth of studies devoted to this pope, whose pontificate was a major watershed in Western history, make Moore’s study a ‘must have’ addition to the library of every medieval student and scholar.” —Alfred J. Andrea, The University of Vermont"Refusing to be driven by one or another of the great operatic episodes of Innocent's pontificate, Moore has produced the most comprehensive and rounded study ever written of the man and the pope—the very readable history of a pontificate from day to day." —Edward M. Peters, Henry Charles Lea Professor of History, University of Pennsylvania“Moore makes a self-consciously bold choice by deciding to abandon the prevailing thematic approach to Innocent and instead to organize his material chronologically. . . . Generously quoting from Innocent’s pre-papal works, papal sermons, and, above all, papal letters, Moore allows his subject the chance to speak for himself. Three well-produced illustrations, two from the thirteenth century, one from the twentieth, depict Innocent’s persona hieratically. More intimately, however, we glimpse him momentarily relaxed and good-humored, thanks to the prose of Gerald of Wales. . . . Moore’s prose is eminently readable. . . . Inherently complex matters of papal diplomacy and relations with troublesome Christian kings are ludicly explained.” —Speculum“This book assesses Innocent’s personal attitudes as expressed both in his ecclesiological ideas and in his practical actions and describes events on the basis of a wide range of sources (papal letters, decrees and sermons). In addition Moore’s chronological approach establishes the actual framework within which Innocent built up his policy.” —Journal of Ecclesiastical History“The author’s presentation of Innocent’s person and pontificate is eminently fair. The complexity of the individual and his times are remarkably well documented. The author has given us an interesting, comprehensive and readable history of an important Pope and an important period in the history of the Church.” —Catholic Library World“John C. Moore was a distinguished expert on Innocent III and his pontificate before the publication of this volume and his reputation will be enhanced by this thorough and searching scholarly biography of the pope. Moore sets out to provide an insight into the reality of the pontificate as Innocent experienced it, and thus he is very good at evoking details of life in the papal court. Moore’s biography is wide-ranging, showing the preoccupations of the pope at all of the stages of his pontificate.” —English Historical Review“The intention of John C. Moore’s biography of Pope Innocent III, originally published by Brill in 2003, is to provide a chronological account of the life of one of the most influential and able of the medieval pontiffs. By abandoning the more usual thematic approach to Innocent’s pontificate, Moore wants us to better appreciate ‘how the events in one area of his experience may have influenced his reactions to events in others’. . . In spite of its structural problems, Moore’s is the best biography of Innocent III, and this paperback edition should now make it available to the very students of history for whom it was intended.” —The Catholic Historical Review

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Book SynopsisOne of the most respected figures in Catholic higher education, the Reverend Edward A. Malloy has written a thoroughly engaging first installment of his three-volume memoir. This book covers the years from his birth in 1941 to 1975, when he received his doctorate in Christian ethics from Vanderbilt. Written in his trademark self-effacing and humorous style, Malloy's book portrays his childhood growing up in the northeast Washington, D.C., neighborhood of Brookland (the neighborhood's alias was Little Rome because of all the Catholic church-related institutions it encompassed). Malloy describes his family and early education, his growing love of sports, and his years at Archbishop Carroll High School where he played on an extraordinarily successful basketball team. The next five chapters chronicle his undergraduate years at Notre Dame, where he was recruited to play basketball, his decision to become a priest, his seminary experience, the taking of final vows, and his graduate schoolTrade Review“The first volume of Monk Malloy's memoir is more than a collection of personal reminiscences of the early decades of his life by a retired Catholic university president. At its heart the volume is also a detailed chronicle of the formation of a son who, from his youth during the second half of the last century, absorbed the religious faith and convictions of his representative middle-class Irish American Catholic family. It is the influence of that faith and cultural heritage throughout his personal and professional formation that grounds Monk's aspirations and achievements as priest, religious, and educator.” —Ernest Bartell, C.S.C., Faculty Fellow, Kellogg Institute for International Studies, University of Notre Dame"Time has taken Monk and me in totally different directions from our high school days together at Archbishop Carroll High School. It was enjoyable getting reacquainted through this book. I found his very accurate description of his shooting ability most amusing!" —John Thompson, Basketball Coach Emeritus, Georgetown University"As one of the many fans of Father Ed 'Monk' Malloy, I was delighted to peruse his new autobiography which he has graciously written. It brings to life many of the highlights of his life and explains many of the great characteristics that have lead him to be much admired in our world. I trust many others will share in this delight. I congratulate Monk on this wonderful account." —Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., President Emeritus, University of Notre Dame"It's great to see that basketball should be such an important part of such an important life. I really enjoyed reading this book and I'm sure other people will also." —Lou Carnesecca, Basketball Coach Emeritus, St. John's University“Father Monk gives an insight into his life by sharing success, challenges, and a destiny of response to a call to be a Holy Cross religious-priest. It is a journey of a soul!” —Rev. Thomas E. Chambers, CSC, President Emeritus, Our Lady of Holy Cross College, New Orleans"One of the greatest blessings in life is the opportunity to touch people's lives. Father Malloy has done that as a player, teacher, priest, and President of the University of Notre Dame . . . and he has done it again in this inspiring and motivating book. Be prepared to laugh. Monk can really spin a tale." —Morgan Wootten, coach Emeritus, DeMatha High School“ ‘. . . my story is in some ways the typical American success story,’ Monk Malloy says. ‘My parents were both high school educated and I was the first member of our extended family to go to college.’ . . . Malloy says that he wrote the first volume [of his memoir] in a way that shows how his personal story was transformed by the changes taking place in society and within the Catholic Church.” —South Bend Tribune"The president of the University of Notre Dame from 1987 to 2005 provides an informative and readable memoir starting from birth to completion of graduate studies. Readers from Notre Dame's constituency, such as this alumnus, will find Monk's formative experiences and perspectives on Notre Dame persons and issues especially interesting. For historians and others, Monk reveals the early years of a major figure in higher education and a rich personal account of a Catholic priest's formation in an era of rapid change." —The Catholic Historical Review"Monk's Tale offers a clear testimony to the formative years of one of Indiana's most solid university administrators. The book will appeal to those with a connection to Notre Dame. Other readers will appreciate Malloy's meticulously reconstructed cultural and religious history. . . . Monk's Tale is an important addition to understanding the dynamics within one of the best-known universities in both the state and nation." —Indiana Magazine of History

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Book SynopsisIn Monk's Tale: Way Stations on the Journey, Father Malloy carries forward the story of his professional life from when he joined the Notre Dame faculty in 1974 to his election as president of Notre Dame. His journey in this volume begins with the various administrative responsibilities he undertook on the seminary staff and in the theology department during his early years as an administrator and teacher, and continues through his tenure as vice-president and associate provost, up to the process that led to his selection as Notre Dame's sixteenth president. He reveals his day-to-day responsibilities and the challenges they presented as well as the ways in which his domestic and international travel gave him a broader view of the opportunities and issues facing higher education.Less time-bound than the first volume, this second volume of Father Malloy''s memoirs provides an account of his many commitments as a teacher, scholar, and pastor; as a staff person in an underTrade Review"This middle volume of Monk Malloy's projected three-volume memoir posts abundant proof that the examined life is surely worth living. Readers will meet an internationally minded priest, professor, scholar, dormitory chaplain, adviser, and administrator on his way to the presidency of Notre Dame. He exemplifies what it means to be a priest in American Catholic higher education. The forthcoming third volume will tell the story of what went on between his ears and across his desk during his eighteen years as president of the University of Notre Dame." —William J. Byron, S.J., St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia"Monk Malloy makes his thoughtful and remarkably detailed account of his early priestly years at Notre Dame the perfect foil for his candid, forceful and long-needed reflection on the writing and application of Ex Corde Ecclesiae to America’s Catholic colleges and universities." —J. Donald Monan, S.J., Boston College“Monk Malloy’s candid and revealing book could well be titled ‘The Making of A Catholic College President.’ It is a moving story of Monk’s personal growth from priest and professor to president of Notre Dame. Along the way, Monk provides a rare inside look at Catholic higher education in America and its bruising battles with the Vatican over the meaning of Catholic identity in our pluralistic society. It’s a story that makes you proud to be a Catholic.” —Joseph A. Califano, Jr., National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (Califano is former US Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and also, Founder and Chair of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University)“ . . . the middle volume of a projected three-volume memoir by Malloy, covering his years at the University of Notre Dame before he became the institution’s president.” —Publishers Weekly“[T]he second volume of Malloy’s three-part autobiography . . . covers the 13-year period in which Malloy worked on the seminary staff and as a Notre Dame professor, administrator, vice president and associate provost. Monk’s Tale also provides readers with Malloy’s dealings with students as a resident of Sorin Hall.” —South Bend Tribune“Monk’s Tale: Way Stations on the Journey is a continuing memoir from Malloy as he tells his story of joining the faculty at the University of Notre Dame, climbing the ranks and seeing much of what the campus had to offer through the years, including a strong impact on Catholic higher education throughout the United States.” —The Midwest Book Review“Father Malloy’s book is a good read because of the voice of Father ‘Monk.’ He comes across as a really likeable and good person . . . . The reader cares about Father Monk’s observations because you care about Father Monk.” —New Catholic Books & Media“Charmingly written, the memoirs include many interesting anecdotes, told with candor, by Father Malloy of his experience in many different roles and situations. The personal challenges facing Father Malloy during his Notre Dame presidency and the significant role he played in the apostolic constitution’s creation are described in a thoroughly interesting style. The book will not just appeal to Notre Dame alumni and supporters, but to anyone interested in Catholic higher education in the United States.” —Catholic Library World

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Book SynopsisWolf’s study of Juan de Segovia deftly weaves together the Castilian’s education, career as a staunch conciliarist, and peaceful approach to Islam.Trade Review“A theologian, translator of the Qur’an and lifelong advocate for forging peaceful relations between Christians and Muslims, Juan de Segovia was a prominent thinker in fifteenth century Europe. The author presents a chronological narrative that follows the thought and career of Segovia, who departed from the dominant views of his day to advance arguments he knew would subject him to criticism.” —Notre Dame Magazine“Wolf’s study of Juan de Segovia deftly weaves together the Castilian’s education, career as a staunch conciliarist, and peaceful approach to Islam . . . . In Wolf’s atmospheric and meticulous study, Segovia remains compelling as a scholar who drew upon his personal experience, biblical study, and conciliarist politics to form a peaceful response to a problem that persists even today. It is certain to become essential reading for scholars of premodern Christian-Muslim relations.” —Renaissance Quarterly“Ann Marie Wolf’s new book is a much-needed study that approaches Juan from a fresh perspective . . . . Juan de Segovia and the Fight for Peace is an engaging and important contribution to intellectual and ecclesiastical history of the fifteenth century. Wolf portrays the Spanish theologian’s struggle for peace between Christians and Muslims vividly and affectionately. Anyone who is interested in interfaith dialogue in the late Middle Ages cannot afford to miss this book.” —Parergon“Wolf’s study has many merits, such as its meticulous presentation of Juan de Segovia’s pivotal experiences as a scholar in Salamanca and as a member of the Council of Basel and its approach to the secular priest’s grounds for his future perspective regarding non-Christian populations.” —Sixteenth Century Journal“Anne Marie Wolf’s analysis of the life and thoughts of fifteenth-century Castilian conciliarist and Church reformer Juan de Segovia is an accessible and engaging intellectual history of a figure that historians have traditionally found difficult to classify. Wolf’s book constitutes an excellent contribution to our growing understanding of the range of Christian perceptions of Islam in the later Middle Ages—a topic which, as she points out, remains far less studied and understood than Christian portrayals of Judaism in that era.” —American Historical Review“There is a great deal to admire about this book as an intellectual biography. Wolf writes in pellucid prose. She carefully navigates between earlier scholarship on Juan de Segovia, the Christian polemical tradition against Islam, and the social history of Christian-Muslim interaction.” —Speculum“Wolf provides new insights in this book, in particular on Segovia’s use of the Bible and his original call for peace between Christianity and Islamic world. Due to its keen interpretation of Segovia’s life and works, it shall remain at the core of this research field for a long time to come.” —The Catholic Historical Review "This is an important book in linking medieval with modern thought and efforts to create understanding between Christianity and Islam. . . . Anne Marie Wolf has mastered Segovia’s writings, and she also presents the reader with recent work not only on Segovia but also on his larger theological context and place in church history. . . . Wolf succeeds in presenting a believable and sympathetic portrait of a European thinker who has either been ignored or slighted in his afterlife." —The Journal of Religion“What makes Wolf’s approach a new and innovative one is her attempt to combine Juan de Segovia’s role as a participant, discussant, and historiographer of the Council of Basel (1431-1449) and as a leading Christian and theologian in fighting Islam, and to explain [his] attitudes towards matters of ecclesiology . . . and interreligious dialogue . . . as two sides of the same coin. This a priori hypothesis is turned into an a posteriori proof by Wolf’s detailed and well-written analysis.” —Medievalia et Humanistica“Wolf deserves credit for tackling with admirable thoroughness and insight this obscure and complex personality, and for shedding further light on the complex currents of religious thought that characterized the Christian West at a time of increasing anxiety and conflict with Muslims, both at home and abroad.” —Renaissance and Reformation

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Book SynopsisMore than an account of Ozanam’s life, Antoine Frédéric Ozanam is a comprehensive study of the teachings of the principal founder of Society of St. Vincent de Paul.Trade Review“This is likely to become the definitive biographical work on Ozanam for the foreseeable future. I was most impressed by the author's ability to personalize Ozanam without descending into the seductions of hagiography. This book fulfills the author's strategic plan of explicating Ozanam's impressive work as a leading lawyer and literary scholar, the worth and value of true friendship; and in setting the stage for central elements of Catholic social teaching to come to full fruition in our time. ” —David L. Gregory, The Dorothy Day Professor of Law, St. John’s University"Historian Raymond Sickinger’s affection for his subject surfaces throughout his new biography of Frederic Ozanam. It is an earned affection, as Sickinger meticulously documents, using rich archival and primary sources, the spiritual, civic and personal experiences that informed Ozanam’s life and led him to found the St. Vincent dePaul Society. Sickinger also offers a reading of Ozanam’s life that suggests the degree to which he identified and considered key problems of power, charity and systems change that remain present in the helping professions. Finally, Sickinger draws parallels between Ozanam’s lifelong efforts and the current civic engagement movement: helping young people find life purpose; restoring democracy; and making compassion and service core values of communal, public life. The book is a pleasure to read and a significant contribution to the global history of community service." —Keith Morton, Providence College"Raymond Sickinger’s insightful book on the founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul offers English-speaking readers an arresting portrait of a Catholic layman moved to prophetic action by the promptings of his faith as well as a grounding in the spiritual depths of a lay movement that challenges its members to grow in holiness in the course of serving the poor. Locating his subject amid the challenges of the political, intellectual, and religious turmoil of ninteenth-century France, Sickinger not only highlights Ozanam’s significant role in the history of Catholic lay spirituality but assesses him in light of the thought-provoking legacy he has left the contemporary church." —Wendy M. Wright, Creighton University"Antoine Frédéric Ozanam gives us not just the story of an interesting man living at an interesting time, but also a clear picture of why he should still matter to us today. Raymond Sickinger’s affinity for Ozanam yields contemporary insights into Frédéric's ideas about systemic thinking, servant leadership, suffering, politics, and spirituality. The book chronicles a legacy that will have relevance for any reader trying to integrate a meaningful spirituality into their professional, family, and political lives." —Ralph Middlecamp, president, National Council of the United States, Society of St. Vincent de Paul"Frédéric Ozanam was one of a number of influential Catholics in postrevolutionary France who was seeking ways Catholicism could authentically reconstitute itself after the disaster of the ancien régime. Raymond Sickinger does Catholic scholars a tremendous service by reframing Ozanam, analyzing his importance in his own context, and identifying the myriad ways his legacy remains relevant for the church today." —Thomas O'Brien, DePaul University"At last. Raymond Sickinger has gifted us: we now have an excellent biography of Blessed Antoine Frédéric Ozanam in English. It has been years since there has been any complete biographic work on Ozanam in English. There are several high-caliber biographies in French, but there has been no indication that they will ever be translated into English or Spanish." —Ronald Ramson, C.M., author of Praying with Frédéric Ozanam"Raymond Sickinger offers us a long awaited well researched and written biography of Frederic Ozanam, a model of holiness for the laity. Ozanam lived out the Gospel call to holiness through caring for the spiritual and material needs of people who are poor. This highly readable book will inspire the reader to service and love of neighbor." —Deacon Gene Smith, Past President of the National Council, St. Vincent de Paul Society"Sickinger . . . unveils the life of an early-19th-century Catholic who is surprisingly relevant to modern times. Ozanam was a devout French Catholic, a prominent scholar, and the principal founder of the lay Catholic charity St. Vincent de Paul. . . . Sickinger meticulously shows how, through visiting and supporting the poor, Ozanam became an advocate of ideas considered radical in his day, such as trade unionism, progressive taxation, and a guaranteed job. . . . the book effectively portrays Ozanam as a compassionate advocate for the poor and deftly highlights the powerful lessons in this 19th-century saint's witness." —Publishers Weekly"Ozanam (1813–1853), one of the founders and definite inspiration for the worldwide Society of St. Vincent de Paul, left an indelible mark on his native France at a time when the Church's social teachings were coming into greater clarity and practice. . . . Ozanam's life is given in detail by Sickinger, but what makes the biography more fulsome is an analysis of his impact, particularly upon the developing social teachings of the Church." —CatholicBooksReview "Thanks to Sickinger’s faithfulness to his authentic subject—which is to say, the man himself, not the image of the man—this book is sure to become the definitive biography of Ozanam for decades, if not longer. . . . Ozanam is a relatively unknown but important, even pivotal, figure in the Church’s recent history. Whether you are a Vincentian, Catholic Worker, both, or neither, I can’t think of a better introduction to the inspiring life and enduring legacy of Antoine Frédéric Ozanam." — Patheos "One question readers might have after reading Antoine Frederic Ozanam is this: When will this man be canonized a saint?. . . . While many are familiar with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the charitable work it does, what they will learn here is how the society came to be and what made it different from the work of other charitable groups. " —The Visitor "Antoine Frédéric Ozanam, the Catholic teacher and writer best known as the principal founder of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, was born to a French family in 1813. He died at the relatively young age of 40, but his legacy continues to be felt around the world in the estimated 800,000 members of the Society who serve the poor in 135 countries today. His life offers many lessons for the contemporary reader, lessons that Dr. Ray Sickinger . . . explores in a new biography." —Rhode Island Catholic“Raymond L. Sickinger’s Antoine Frédéric Ozanamnow reigns as the definitive biography of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s principal founder. . . . [A] must-read not only for all Vincentians wishing to deepen their understanding of the society’s origins and ongoing mission, but also for anyone seeking an account of model Catholicism born in adversity and perfected through charity.” —Catholic Library World

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Book SynopsisJohn C. H. Wu's arresting autobiography recounts his life and influence on Chinese Christianity and develops a synthesis between Catholicism and the ancient culture of China.Trade Review“Now in a new edition that includes a foreword written by Wu’s son, John Wu, Jr., makes Beyond East and West a profoundly beautiful book by one of the most influential Chinese lay Catholic intellectuals of the twentieth century available for a new generation of readers hungry for spiritual sustenance.” —Midwest Book Review"John C. H. Wu's Beyond East and West is truly among the great classics of Sino-Western and Sino-Christian writing. It is a great service that the University of Notre Dame Press is making Wu's poignant memoir available again—scholars and general readers will rediscover the rich intellectual and spiritual reflections that only Wu can offer." —Anthony E. Clark, Edward B. Lindaman Endowed Chair, Whitworth University"John Wu's story of his conversion to Catholicism, although perhaps not as well known today, is rightly placed alongside the illustrious early to mid-twentieth century convert stories that we know so well: Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Karl Stern, Edith Stein, and others. This magnificent memoir is all the more remarkable because Dr. Wu brought his Chinese heritage into the Church to enrich her, rather than leaving it behind at the church door. Anyone interested in inculturation of the faith, Chinese Catholicism, profound and eloquent spiritual wisdom, or simply the dramatic story of a great soul, a learned scholar, and a husband and father (of thirteen children), will enjoy this book and profit from it greatly." —John Cavadini, University of Notre Dame"John C. H. Wu's autobiography, Beyond East and West, recounts the story of his early life, education (including his correspondence with Oliver Wendell Holmes), law career, and drafting of the constitution of the Republic of China. He also relates his conversion and first years as a Catholic, his translation of the Bible into Classical Chinese in collaboration with Chinese president, Chiang Kai-Shek, and service as China's ambassador to the Holy See. The book reveals the development of his thought, arriving through experience at the conclusion that the wisdom in all of China's traditions, especially Confucian thought, Taoism, and Buddhism, point to universal truths that originate from, and are fulfilled in, Christ." —John A. Lindblom, University of Notre Dame"The life-long pilgrimage of a Chinese intellectual full of wisdom, courage and faith." —Chien-Jen Chen, vice president of Taiwan (ROC)

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Book SynopsisThis book was a labor of love, and I hope my readers can share my pleasure in, once again, telling the stories of a place dear to us all. Father Monk Malloy, from the introductionThis wonderful collection of humorous, poignant, and revealing stories and anecdotes offers special insight into the university that Father Malloy has served so faithfully. Monk's Notre Dame has a story to tell about nearly every aspect of life at Notre Dame. Father Malloy intersperses fresh insight on traditional campus events, such as new students moving into the residence halls and the annual bookstore basketball tournament, with lesser-known stories, such as the mysterious disappearance and dramatic reappearance of a statue of Father Edward Sorin at the helm of a motorboat on St. Mary's Lake.Father Malloy also presents charming vignettes about the people who have made Notre Dame the place it is. He offers a personal tribute to the legendary Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh and iTrade Review"As someone has remarked, Notre Dame is a carried book. And as a result, it is of necessity a prime locus for storytelling. . . . The origin of this collection of stories and essays was my notion that I had a responsibility to share with others the many tales passed on to me. . . . This book was a labor of love, and I hope my readers can share my pleasure in, once again, telling the stories of a place dear to us all." —Father Edward Malloy, from the introduction"After more than forty years as student, professor, and top administrator at the University of Notre Dame, Fr. Edward 'Monk' Malloy reminisces about the institution he has served and loved. Anecdotes abound of idiosyncratic professors, residence hall pranks, Holy Week liturgies, peculiarities of campus buildings, athletic victories and defeats, and insights into the author's own personality through it all." —Rev. Thomas E. Blantz, C.S.C., author of The University of Notre Dame: A History“The stories and essays that compose Monk’s Notre Dame speak to the singularity of this university as a place full of rich traditions, strong faith, and authentic community. With warmth and humility, Fr. Malloy gives us the sort of insights that come only with a lifetime spent serving Our Lady’s university.” —Shannon Cullinan, executive vice president, University of Notre Dame“As a student, administrator, faculty member, priest-in-residence, and more, Fr. Malloy has seen our university from virtually every perspective. This book gives us all the opportunity to learn from and enjoy Notre Dame as seen through the eyes of my predecessor as president, fellow Holy Cross priest, and friend, Monk Malloy. I recommend it for anyone who loves Notre Dame or wants to better know this special place.” —Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president, University of Notre Dame"Yet another remarkable work from a prolific writer, mentor, and educator, Monk's Notre Dame is a fast-paced, easy-to-digest, and expansive series of vignettes on all aspects of life at Notre Dame. Undoubtedly, this extraordinary book will become a must-read for the Notre Dame aficionado or casual fan." —Lou Nanni, vice president of university relations, University of Notre Dame"For those who know Notre Dame (and even those who don't!), Monk's Notre Dame is sure to delight. This heartwarming "narrative of the institution" is full of stories and anecdotes that bring to life the essence of Notre Dame told from the perspective of one of her most loyal sons. I will surely recommend it to all the alumni of Notre Dame." —Dolly Duffy, executive director, University of Notre Dame Alumni Association"Over the course of a half-century, few have had the opportunity to observe Notre Dame from as many perspectives (student, student-athlete, dorm staff, professor, administrator, university president) as Fr. Monk Malloy. In Monk’s Notre Dame, he shares a collection of colorful anecdotes, a historical glimpse of the people, places, and events defining the life of the university during his tenure. My unexpected delight was how many of his reflections unearthed long-forgotten personal recollections and reminded me of the unique nature of each Notre Dame experience." —Missy Conboy, senior deputy director of athletics, University of Notre Dame"With humility, humor, and keen insight, in Monk’s Notre Dame Fr. Malloy chronicles the people, places, sights, and sounds that make up this special place. In these pages, he emerges as Notre Dame’s master tour guide and bard." —Patricia A. O'Hara, professor emerita of law, University of Notre Dame

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“In working on Light Of The Night , the author has relied on texts which can definitively be said to come from the hand of Thérèse. In contrast to the sentimentality which is so often associated with her, he has found a powerful, lively figure, full of humanity even in the depths of the spiritual night she experienced during her last months—the spiritual night which others have tried to suppress or deny. Light Of The Night is an invaluable contribution towards a better and more accurate understanding of the life and message of Thérèse of Lisieux.” —The Midwest Book Review

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Book SynopsisThe authorized biography of John Habgood by one of the people who knew him best, that 'ecclesiastical version of Alan Bennett', Bishop David WilbourneTrade ReviewAn absolutely beautiful piece of work which well catches Archbishop Habgood, the last Anglican theologian I used to make the walk to the Lords’ chamber to hear speak. Lord Habgood would smile with pleasure and amusement to read it. -- Matthew ParrisFew are better placed than David Wilbourne to open up the life of one of the twentieth century's great Anglican figures. Scientist of precocious prodigy, shooter of silent looks, sincerely loved pastor and friend; all the sides of the astonishing man that was John Habgood are brought to life here with wit, poignancy, and affection. -- Fergus Butler-Gallie, author of A Field Guide to the English ClergyBeautiful, humorous, touching and revealing. -- Justin Welby, Archbishop of CanterburyWith all the wit and originality of his earlier books, David Wilbourne offers a warm, perceptive portrait of one of the great Anglican intellects of the last hundred years. Those who thought John Habgood only a cerebral and rather remote personality will find a very three-dimensional figure here; and we are given some sense of just what a rich – and sometimes even risky – contribution Archbishop Habgood made to the good of both society and Church. -- Lord Rowan Williams, Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge and Archbishop of Canterbury (2002-12)Lord Habgood was a towering presence, physically, intellectually, and spiritually, and David paints a wonderful picture of this sorely missed servant of God. -- John Sentamu, Archbishop of York (2005-20)‘In this excellent biography the true John Habgood emerges . . . I count it a huge privilege to have worked closely with John, a wise human being and clearly one of the outstanding Archbishops of the twentieth century.’ -- Lord Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury (1991–2002)John Habgood was a man of great intellectual and moral substance who played a key role at a difficult time for the Church of England. David Wilbourne, his former chaplain, catches the essence of the man with admiration, affection and humour in this highly readable and important biography. -- Lord Richard Harries, Bishop of Oxford (1987-2006)As Archbishop’s Chaplain the author was privileged to know and understand him. For those who stood in awe of Archbishop John and thought him aloof, this book portrays a man of prayer and personal simplicity, devoted to his family and a caring pastor. The author tells the story of John Habgood with admiration, affection and with humour which brings both tears of laughter and tears of sadness at the loss of a great and wise Archbishop. -- Dame Mary TannerThis biography is perceptive, sensitive, wide-ranging, intelligent and honest, qualities which John Habgood himself possessed in abundance. It captures him magnificently and shows how very fortunate the Church of England – and the wider Church – was to have this prayerful, thoughtful, highly articulate apologist as one of its leaders, even if it did not always appreciate the great gifts he put at its disposal. -- Barry Morgan, Archbishop of Wales (2003-17)David Wilbourne’s rooted biography has taught me much about John the human being, who delighted in the sacrament of the present moment, and who seems to go on teaching me how to be a Christian and a bishop. -- Graham Usher, Bishop of NorwichWith his perceptive insights and sometimes wry sense of humour, David Wilbourne brings ‘Just John’ to life as a towering intellect, a pastor, priest and bishop bearing the huge burdens and responsibilities of both Church and state, yet never succumbing to the pettiness of factions, disputes and differences - and always seeking to bring and hold people together. -- Lord David Hope, Archbishop of York (1995-2005)A sensitive, insightful and loving portrait of a great Archbishop of York. -- George Stack, RC Archbishop of CardiffWith his customary wit and nerve to tell it as it is, David Wilbourne well catches John Habgood, who despite his alleged coldness, was one of the most genuine and gentle of men. -- Gordon Bates, Bishop of Whitby (1983-99)John Habgood was a giant of the twentieth century and no-one is better placed to write his biography than David Wilbourne . . . David has poetry in his soul and writes beautifully as well as perceptively. -- John Inge, Bishop of WorcesterSomeone described a biography as a novel with an index! As John Habgood's last Episcopal appointment, I can vouch that this is no novel. Bishop David Wilbourne, once his Chaplain, captures faithfully the public face and the private thoughts of one of the greatest bishops of the twentieth century. David ministered with him and to him. He shows how John Habgood shaped the Church of England and defined its role and relationship to the State. In these pages you'll hear the Archbishop's wisdom, feel his pastoral touch and see his vision for a Church immersed and baptized into God's world. -- James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool (1998-2013)A beautifully-crafted and intimate portrait of one of the Church of England's most profound thinkers of recent times. -- Angela Tilby, Canon Emeritus of Christ Church, Oxford, BBC Radio Four Thought for the Day contributor, author and BBC producer. . . provides a rich pageant of the life of the Church of England in the latter half of the 20th century . . . warmly recommended. * Transforming Ministry *A valuable biography of an unusually influential priest, scientist, college principal, bishop, archbishop, husband and father. -- Malcolm Grundy * Rural Theology *

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Book SynopsisAn authoritative and illuminating profile of the new pope by two seasoned Vatican reporters - his humble background, his rise to the papacy and his compelling spiritual vision, illustrated with over 150 colour photographs.

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Book SynopsisBiography of a midwife missionary in Borneo.Trade Review[On BEDPANS & BOBBY SOCKS] "Call the Midwife meets Thelma and Louise - a warm, funny and nostalgic memoir.", Daily Mail;"This lovely memoir takes us back to the late 1950s, when two English nurses from Newcastle General set off to live and work in the United States. Their culture shocks and experiences make for an enjoyable tale.", Nursing Standard, Journal of The Royal College of Nursing;[On IS THE VICAR IN, PET?] "[A] gentle story of a cosy, secure childhood among a community whose hearts were as warm as the coal fires that burned in their hearths.", Daily Mail;[On WHEN THE WAR IS OVER] "When the War Is Over is a beautifully written nostalgia trip and is a delight to read.", The Bookbag

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Book SynopsisA biography of the author of The Man Without a Country that vividly portrays his fascinating and often turbulent era.Table of Contents Foreword and Acknowledgments I. A New England Boyhood II. Noblesse Oblige III. What Career? IV. Wanderjahre V. Good Society VI. The Gospel of Freedom VII. Ninety Days’ Worth of Europe VIII. My Double and How He Undid Me IX. If, Yes, and Perhaps X. The Ingham Papers XI. Old and New XII. His Level Best XIII. Memories of a Hundred Years XIV. Prayers in the Senate Index

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Book SynopsisAs China struggled to redefine itself at the turn of the twentieth century, nationalism, religion, and material culture intertwined in revealing ways. This phenomenon is evident in the twin biographies of North China's leading Catholic bishop of the time, Alphonse Favier (18371905), and the Beitang cathedral, epicenter of the Roman Catholic mission in China through incarnations that began in 1701. After its relocation and reconstruction under Favier's supervision, the cathedraland Faviermiraculously survived a two-month siege in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion. Featuring a French Gothic Revival design augmented by Chinese dragonshaped gargoyles, marble balustrades in the style of Daoist and Buddhist temples, and other Chinese aesthetic flourishes, Beitang remains an icon of Sino-Western interaction. Anthony Clark draws on archival materials from the Vatican and collections in France, Italy, China, Poland, and the United States to trace the prominent role of French architecture in intTrade Review"Clark’s book represents a valuable contribution in presenting the life and work of perhaps the most important Catholic bishop in nineteenth-century China" * Monumenta Serica *"[S]heds new light on an otherwise understudied era of architectural production in imperial China. The importance of the book lies in Clark's extensive archival work, which has yielded new textual and visual evidence of missionary-related activities in Qing China." * Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians *"Clark connects scholarship on architecture with the political history of modern China. Broadly mobilizing secondary sources from political, missionary, and architectural studies, the book provides an account that largely harmonises with established historical narratives." * Architecture Beyond Europe *"Clark’s groundbreaking book delivers a pathway by which to approach China’s “century of humiliation” through piecing together Favier’s personal career, his long-forgotten architecture, and Sino-European conflicts... enriches our nuanced understanding of the nature of the Sino-European conflicts." * East Asian Science Technology and Medicine *"[P]aints a vivid picture of the intricate relationships between Catholic missionaries in China and the local community... a most valuable contribution to colonial studies, architectural history, and Sino-Western interactions. [Clark] has...paved the way for what has enormous potential for further discussion and research." * Religious Studies Review *"Examining Favier’s influence on the “fate of late-imperial China,” Clark’s monograph weaves an engaging narrative of his missionary career in China into the macrohistory of the Sino-Western cultural and political interactions. By focusing on Gothic architecture as Favier’s means for cultural and religious diplomacy, the book provides us with a unique angle to relate Gothic architecture to his Eurocentrism and French nationalism; and the vivid description of the Gothic features in Beitang and his other Catholic churches lends strength to the theme of the book." * Chinese Historical Review *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Empathic. . . . As long as there are hearts to swell, ‘Always’ and ‘How Deep Is the Ocean’ will swell them.”—Eric Grode, New York Times Book Review“Propulsive and appealing.”—Brad Leithauser, Wall Street Journal“James Kaplan’s Irving Berlin is just like its subject: taut, vibrant, and thrumming with the irresistible words and music of America’s songwriter laureate. It’s by turns a buoyant and poignant trip across the tumultuous 20th century, through the eyes of an artist who helped define its popular taste. Kaplan reclaims the proud Jewish identity of the patriotic immigrant who knew that his country was blessed, because he had been.”—Todd S. Purdum, author of Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway RevolutionPraise for James Kaplan: “This is biography at its very best—the story of a fascinating character brought to life as never before through superb writing, impeccable research and penetrating insight. It is a terrific book.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin, on Frank: The Voice

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Besides being approachably succinct, Avineri’s sympathetic account is distinguished by its appearance in the highly regarded Jewish Lives series."—James Miller, New York Times"Mr. Avineri’s treatment of Marx is a perceptive and fair-minded corrective to superficial treatments of the man. . . . [H]ere lies the central strength of this short biography: It tells us what Marx actually wrote."—Jonathan Rose, Wall Street Journal“The biographer cuts through his subject’s [prose], distilling its underlying theory of man’s alienation from the work of his hands by the commercialization of labor in far simpler terms than the writer himself.”—Sara Jo Ben Zvi, Segula “Shlomo Avineri [. . .] presents a beautifully clear introduction to Marx's thought and its Hegelian origins”—Vernon Bogdanor, Jewish Chronicle“Fascinating”—Colin Shindler, History Today"[A] brilliant biography that drags Marx, kicking and screaming, back into the Rhinish Jewish community that shaped him. One can respect Marx’s desire to renounce his cultural heritage and to be judged as a cosmopolitan, global thinker. But Avineri deserves our gratitude for placing Marx in the context he chose to leave behind, not least because, beyond the purposes of yet another reinterpretation of Marx’s thought, this perspective yields new insights pertinent to today’s global challenges."—Yiannis Varoufakis, Project Syndicate“Shlomo Avineri has written a wonderfully perceptive and nuanced biography of Karl Marx--paying all due attention (but no more than that) to Jewish interests, Marx's and ours. His book is both intellectually and politically engaging--and a pleasure to read.”—Michael Walzer, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ

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Book SynopsisFrom the prizewinning Jewish Lives series, a meditation on the deeply Jewish and surprisingly spiritual roots of Stan Lee and Marvel Comics Few artists have had as much of an impact on American popular culture as Stan Lee. The characters he createdSpider-Man and Iron Man, the X-Men and the Fantastic Fouroccupy Hollywood's imagination and production schedules, generate billions at the box office, and come as close as anything we have to a shared American mythology. This illuminating biography focuses as much on Lee's ideas as it does on his unlikely rise to stardom. It surveys his cultural and religious upbringing and draws surprising connections between celebrated comic book heroes and the ancient tales of the Bible, the Talmud, and Jewish mysticism. Was Spider-Man just a reincarnation of Cain? Is the Incredible Hulk simply Adam by another name? From close readings of Lee's work to little-known anecdotes from Marvel's history, the book paints a portrait of Lee that goes much deeper Trade Review"Mr. Leibovitz provides fresh interpretations of the Marvel universe, itself a super-heroic feat. Lee’s contentious heroes, he finds, take their cue from the Talmud, which unveiled spiritual truths through the clash of opposing interpretations."—Michael Saler, Wall Street Journal“The Marvel and DC universes are almost certainly the most extensive pieces of continuous narrative in human history—which should commend them to the attention of anybody interested in culture…The Jewishness of the early comics industry…is ever present in the story…[and] Leibovitz drills deeply into this.”—Sam Leith, ProspectCHOICE 2021 Outstanding Academic Title“Liel Leibovitz’s Stan Lee: A Life in Comics interprets Lee’s and his collaborators’ Marvel co-creations—such as the X-Men and Spider-Man—in a uniquely Jewish context, bringing fresh insights and added dimension to characters whose genius lies, in part, in their ability to credibly sustain such interpretations.”—Danny Fingeroth, author of A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee“From one of our most incisive Jewish cultural critics—someone who is equally at home in the history of Jewish thought and text and the pop culture world of the postwar period—this is a thoroughly entertaining, deeply intelligent, and highly thoughtful work.”—Jeremy Dauber, author of Jewish Comedy: A Serious History

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Book SynopsisA biography of the rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who became a symbol of the marriage between religion and social justiceTrade Review“This highly appreciative biography of Heschel benefits from hindsight throughout. . . . Zelizer’s constantly looking for early signs of his protagonist’s radical social activism, for his Heschel is not only the author of the highly influential Prophets, he is also driven—like the subjects of that work—‘to communicate God’s anguish to the world.’”—Sara Jo Ben Zvi, Segula“Julian E. Zelizer does a fine job in evoking the different social and cultural milieux in which Heschel moved, from the often grinding poverty but religious richness of Jewish life in Warsaw to the comforts of America, where the primary threat to the Jewish community was spiritual desiccation.”—Simon Rocker, Jewish Chronicle“Zelizer covers the life and career of Heschel thoroughly and elegantly. This book will find an enthusiastic and appreciative public.”—Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple“Julian Zelizer’s Abraham Joshua Heschel transcends time and place. The life of Heschel moves seamlessly from inside the Jewish world to exhilarating movements of the 1960s and the quest for peace and justice. Zelizer shows how Heschel’s words, thoughts, and actions resonate to this day.”—Hasia Diner, author of Julius Rosenwald: Repairing the World“Julian Zelizer’s exciting new biography brings Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel to life. Zelizer brings his own unique lens as a political historian and sheds new light on a life well and inspirationally led.”—Rabbi Shai Held, author of Abraham Joshua Heschel: The Call of Transcendence

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Book SynopsisAn eye-opening biography of a woman whose life intersected with three distinct cultures in eighteenth-century America: colonial New England, French Canadian, and Native AmericanEsther Wheelwright's journeyfrom Puritan girl, to Wabanaki captive, to mother superior ofthe largest Catholic convent in French Canadais one of the most fascinating personal stories in the annals of what we call colonial history.' Deeply researched, and wonderfully contextualized . . .[this book] opens a wide window on three major cultural venues, whose interplay defined and shaped a whole era.John Demos, author of The Unredeemed Captive: A Family Story from Early America Born and raised in a New England garrison town, Esther Wheelwright (16961780) was captured by Wabanaki Indians at age seven. Among them, she became a Catholic and lived like any other young girl in the tribe. At age twelve, she was enrolled at a French-Canadian Ursuline convent, where she would spend the rest of her life, eventually becoming the order's only foreign-born mother superior. Among these three major cultures of colonial North America, Wheelwright's life was exceptional: border-crossing, multilingual, and multicultural. This meticulously researched book discovers her life through the communities of girls and women around her: the free and enslaved women who raised her in Wells, Maine; the Wabanaki women who cared for her, catechized her, and taught her to work as an Indian girl; the French-Canadian and Native girls who were her classmates in the Ursuline school; and the Ursuline nuns who led her to a religious life.

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Book SynopsisA fresh look at Acts of the Apostles and its depiction of Jewish identity within the larger Roman era When considering Jewish identity in Acts of the Apostles, scholars have often emphasized Jewish and Christian religious difference, an emphasis that masks the intersections of civic, ethnic, and religious identifications in antiquity. Christopher Stroup's innovative work explores the depiction of Jewish and Christian identity by analyzing ethnicity within a broader material and epigraphic context. Examining Acts through a new lens, he shows that the text presents Jews and Jewish identity in multiple, complex ways, rather than as a simple foil for Christianity. Stroup convincingly argues that when the modern distinctions among ethnic, religious, and civic identities are suspended, the innovative ethnic rhetoric of the author of Acts comes into focus. The author of Acts leverages the power of gods, ancestry, and physical space to legitimate Christian identity as a type of Jewish idenTrade Review“If ancient gods and humans formed family groups, what did it mean for non-Jews to make an exclusive commitment to the god of Israel? Reading Acts with this question in mind, Christopher Stroup creatively explores how Luke reconfigured ethnicity, identity and divinity within the matrix of the early imperial city.”—Paula Fredriksen, author of When Christians Were Jews “Stroup combines archaeology and theory to push well beyond previous discussions of the identity of both Jews and followers of Jesus in Acts. This is the new required discussion partner on these issues!”—Lawrence M. Wills, author of Not God's People“Ingeniously conceived and brilliantly argued, this book is a major step forward in our understanding of Acts and how being a follower of Jesus was a way of being both a real Jew and distinct from other Jews in the Roman World.”—Guy MacLean Rogers, Wellesley College “A welcome intervention, this bold and engaging volume demands a new approach to Acts and Christian origins. This is a necessary book, valuable for anyone interested in the interpretation of Acts, the rise of Christianity, and discursive constructions of human difference.”—Jennifer Knust, Duke University “This insightful volume convincingly challenges the common notion that ‘Jew’ is an ethnic category, while ‘Christian’ is its nonethnic opposite. In this masterful demonstration of interdisciplinary scholarship, Stroup provides a fresh and provocative reading of one of the earliest Christian attempts at rhetorical identity formation, the Acts of the Apostles.”—Michal Beth Dinkler, author of Literary Theory and the New Testament

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Storin offers a thought-provoking analysis. . . . [and the] book is a welcome addition to the scholarship on Gregory’s self-presentation and will certainly stimulate further discussion about the ways we read his letter collection." * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *"Provides clear and succinct introductions to several aspects of the social and intellectual life of Late Antiquity. It is, moreover, a commendable illustration of how these insights can be applied to specific texts." * Scoreboard for Classical Studies *"Will prove valuable not only to scholars of Gregory or ancient epistolography, but all those interested in the interdependent constructions of rhetoric, philosophy, and the self in late antiquity." * Ancient Jew Review *"Self-Portrait in Three Colors adds nuance and depth to our understanding of the life and times of Gregory of Nazianzus." * Reading Religion * "Indispensable." * Augustiniana *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Note on Translations 1. An Epistolary Autobiography 2. The Architecture of the Letter Collection 3. “The Most Eloquent Gregory” 4. “Father of Philosophers” 5. “Basilist” Epilogue Abbreviations Notes Works Cited Index of Gregory’s Epistulae Index of Subjects

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Book SynopsisMore than a conventional biography, Grant Wacker’s interpretive study deepens our understanding of why Billy Graham has mattered so much to so many, and how his uncanny ability to appropriate trends in the wider culture allowed him to transform his born-again theology into a moral vocabulary capturing the aspirations and fears of average Americans.Trade ReviewWacker’s style is clear and engaging, and Graham’s story has plenty to recommend it… What makes Wacker’s book not just readable but engrossing, however, is what it reveals about American evangelicalism. Many of evangelicalism’s most salient characteristics seem to inhere in the person and career of Billy Graham. -- Barton Swaim * Wall Street Journal *Excellent… It is not a biography, but rather a disciplined, admirably fair-minded effort to understand and explain how 20th-century American culture produced a figure like Billy Graham, and how Graham in turn helped to shape that same culture. -- Robert P. George * New York Times Book Review *Wacker has spent the better part of his career observing the battle over Graham’s legacy. His biography America’s Pastor is an exhaustive and judicious effort to settle this cultural obsession with Graham and assess his influence. Other scholars have written doorstop-size narrative accounts of Graham’s life, tracing events from his childhood on a North Carolina dairy farm through his massive revival campaigns and frequent visits to the White House. Wacker has produced a different kind of book. He has, it appears, read every work of scholarship about Graham, from the mightiest bestseller to the lowliest unpublished doctoral thesis. He has combed through a mountain of archival sources. The result is not a conventional biography, but a series of interpretive essays that evaluate Graham’s various roles in twentieth-century America, from ‘Preacher’ and ‘Entrepreneur’ to ‘Southerner’ and evangelical ‘Patriarch.’ The result is the most comprehensive and balanced analysis of Billy Graham ever published. -- Molly Worthen * The Nation *This is a major book by a major historian of American religion about a major religious figure in American history… [A] magnificently written and meticulously researched study of what Billy Graham meant at different times to Americans and what America meant to an evolving Billy Graham. -- Kenneth L. Woodward * America *It is required reading for anyone seriously interested in evangelicalism, 20th century American history, or the sociology of religion… For a thematic view of how Graham affected (and was affected by) American culture, Wacker’s book is unparalleled. And if you’re one of the many evangelicals under 40 who are only vaguely aware of how Graham shaped your world, you need this book. -- Ted Olsen * Christianity Today *[Wacker’s] writing is accessible and vivid. And he takes a great deal of care in fleshing out the nuances of Graham’s life and sketching the ways Graham emerged out of the fundamentalist movement and came to reshape the contours of American evangelicalism to the degree that he became a spokesperson for an American Protestantism committed to Jesus but tolerant and peaceful toward others. Neither do Wacker’s insights overlook criticism of Graham, especially in the area of race… Wacker doesn’t sugarcoat Graham’s shortcomings, but this is, for the most part, a sympathetic portrayal of a preacher who helped a subgroup of devout Christians move from the sidelines to the center. -- Yonat Shimron * News & Observer *A fascinating read for all who recognize Billy Graham’s unique and powerful ministry and wonder if we will see his like again. -- Martin Poole * Baptist Times *Beautifully written…[and] the best general study of the Billy Graham Phenomenon… America’s Pastor charts a parallel evolution in Graham’s social and political career, and with a parallel ideological structure. -- Mark Knoll * Books & Culture *Lively and learned… Highly readable. -- Stephen J. Whitfield * Chronicle of Higher Education *It is a major work that gives insight not only into the achievement of Billy Graham but into American history in the second half of the 20th Century. Graham’s flaws and his successes are fairly recorded. -- Paul Richardson * Church of England Newspaper *Unlike many accounts of Billy Graham’s life and ministry, Grant Wacker’s America’s Pastor: Billy Graham and the Shaping of a Nation does not construct a heroic fable, nor does he deconstruct the evangelist as a lumbering proselytizer… Wacker’s analysis of Graham’s strengths and weaknesses is thorough and fair… An iconic life that America’s Pastor captures so well. -- Robert L. Kehoe III * First Things *Wacker’s engaging, comprehensive, and sympathetic (although not uncritical) study of Graham’s multifaceted career is an admirable introduction both to Graham and to the evangelical movement he worked so hard to build. -- Walter Russel Mead * Foreign Affairs *[Wacker] adds to the voluminous Graham literature with a scholarly yet captivating narrative that situates Graham alongside King and John Paul II as the men most responsible under God for shaping our current spiritual climate, especially in the United States. -- Collin Hansen * The Gospel Coalition *Wacker’s examination of Graham’s place in U.S. politics and culture forms one of the most interesting, and at times surprising, aspects of his book… There is much in the book that even a reader with only a passing interest in modern religion will find interesting. -- David Woolner * Irish Times *Wacker, who admires Graham, though not uncritically so, examines the evolution that took place from the hell fire and brimstone preacher three-quarters of a century ago to the polished international communicator, renowned throughout the world… This book is an honest appraisal of the man himself and the organization of which he was a part. It’s thoroughly researched and worth reading. -- Paul Hulme * Methodist Recorder *What a book. I think it is hard for those of us who have lived in the Billy Graham era to recognize just how significant this time has been in the history of the church… This volume traces the life of Graham, and fits his ministry in the context of American cultural, political, and religious history. -- Russell Moore * Moore to the Point (blog) *Provides a judicious assessment of Graham’s six decades as a preacher, pastor, public figure, entrepreneur, southerner, and icon. -- Glenn C. Altschuler * The Oregonian *[Graham’s] legacy deserves as fine a book as this one. -- Peter Smith * Pittsburgh Post-Gazette *This is a fascinating book which is hard to put down. Beautifully written, with humor and compassion as well as critical rigor… Exploring [Graham’s] steady but dramatic transformation makes absorbing reading and brought me hope for the rest of us. -- Ruth Allen * Reform *America’s Pastor: Billy Graham and the Shaping of a Nation is a timely cultural biography. One of the world authorities on the subject of American Evangelicalism, Wacker makes a strong claim for Graham’s historical importance. -- Jon M. Sweeney * The Tablet *Wacker examines not so much what Graham did as how he did it—a matter of manners and management as much as of vision and talent… Wacker’s procedure allows appreciation of how Graham affected the image of the modern southerner (he desegregated his crusades in 1954); helped shape the new evangelicalism out of fundamentalist, Pentecostal, and the older evangelical churches; and much more, primarily through embodying at their best the middle-class American culture and mores in which he was raised. Wacker doesn’t shrink, however, from showing how Graham’s fascination with presidential politics led him astray repeatedly while allowing that he was a genuine spiritual counselor to the presidents—Lyndon Johnson, in particular. If a great subject deserves a great book, Billy Graham has one. -- Ray Olson * Booklist (starred review) *The work of a church historian in his best form, this masterpiece presents a fine-grained study of America’s best-known preacher and his role in the shaping of mainstream Evangelicalism in the mid-20th century… Wacker’s close study gives readers a glimpse of Graham’s complexity, including the paradoxes that made him both beloved and controversial. -- B. W. Hamilton * Choice *A scholarly, analytical and sympathetic biography of the evangelist Billy Graham…We emerge with a more complete, nuanced understanding of Graham’s personality and ministry…Also shows us a profoundly authentic Graham, a true believer, a man who was not mercenary, who practiced what he preached, whose principal weaknesses might have been his name-dropping and hobnobbing with the rich and the powerful. * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *Wacker’s analysis situates the salient elements of Graham’s remarkable success and longevity in the chaotic American social and religious consciousness of the 20th century…In the intersection of ego and message, Wacker excels at examining Graham’s complex public/private persona…A valuable look at the pastor of 20th-century American religious consciousness. -- Sandra Collins * Library Journal *In this elegantly written and compulsively readable account, Wacker…probes the ways that Graham touched so many so deeply while aiming to provide the moral voice for a nation. Interweaving biography with social and intellectual history, Wacker suggests that Graham’s brilliance shone brightly from his many facets—preacher, pastor, Southerner, and entrepreneur, among others—and so his hearers had many ways to see themselves reflected in him. In the end, Wacker points out that Graham’s pragmatic vision of an America that’s true to its ideals enabled him to adapt trends in the wider culture for his own evangelistic and moral-reform purposes. * Publishers Weekly *A striking and authoritative account of one of the most influential Americans of recent times. Wacker writes gracefully and offers a fund of astute insights. By exploring Graham’s background, his character, his beliefs, and his work, he reveals how Graham could move so comfortably among the powerful and at the same time always be able to speak effectively to so many ordinary people. Both Graham’s admirers and his critics will come away from America’s Pastor with a fresh appreciation of the man and his world. -- George M. Marsden, author of The Twilight of the American Enlightenment: The 1950s and the Crisis of Liberal BeliefGrant Wacker has given us a superb—and richly detailed—portrait of Billy Graham, presented in the context of a solid cultural and historical analysis of the era in which Graham served as the kind of religious leader we are not likely to see again. And all of this from a marvelous storyteller. Wacker’s deeply moving epilogue can stand alone as a model of inspiring prose! -- Richard J. Mouw, Professor of Faith and Public Life and former President, Fuller Theological SeminaryAmerica’s Pastor is a masterful study of the life and influence of Billy Graham. With power and grace, Grant Wacker explains who Graham was, how his message and organization developed, and why he came to exercise such extraordinary influence in America. It is the most incisive—and accessible—study of Billy Graham that has been written. -- Nathan O. Hatch, President, Wake Forest UniversityBilly Graham has finally gotten the book he deserves. Written by one of the finest American religious historians of our time, this book is as captivating as Graham himself: eloquent, incisive, witty, and empathetic. I couldn’t put it down. -- Catherine A. Brekus, author of Sarah Osborn’s World: The Rise of Evangelical Christianity in Early AmericaGrant Wacker brings his incomparable historical skills to illuminate an icon of American Protestant life. His treatment is at once deeply humane and extraordinarily learned, and he examines Graham’s foundational status with a breathtaking range and savvy. In these pages we come to know Graham, but more importantly, we gain profound insight into the broadest contours of U.S. religious life in the last half of the twentieth century. -- Laurie Maffly-Kipp, author of Setting Down the Sacred Past: African-American Race Histories

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Book SynopsisThe Bible is full of ancient texts long predating the assembly of Judaism’s and Christianity’s sacred books. Why these texts, and how were they transformed on the journey from folk tale to holy writ? Konrad Schmid and Jens Schröter unearth the history, in the process overturning assumptions about the relationship between the Old and New Testaments.Trade ReviewA landmark…This is a rich book treating the historical traditions that lie within the texts, the oral traditions that transmitted them down the generations, the processes by which texts were formed and collected within scribal culture, and the way in which this gradually led to the formation of various canons…If you have time to read only one book on the Bible this year, make sure that it is this one. -- Katherine J. Dell * Church Times *Excellent…With a sure touch, the authors lead the reader through the geopolitical context of the Hebrew Bible and the setting and background of the New Testament, finding something to say about practically every book’s origins and development…The Bible is not a fixed entity, clearly delineated from all other writings, even though our culture tends to see it so. -- John Barton * The Tablet *Outlines how different forms of the Bible came into being. Their focus is historical and philological rather than theological or literary. Yet the story they tell is engrossing: that of an unstable world needing to attend to the values of God’s kingdom. They help a non-specialist reader appreciate the fascinating diversity of ways in which the Bible’s message was regularly reinterpreted in a changing political situation…Together, Schmid and Schröter…show that the history of the Bible is much less fixed than has been imagined. -- Constant J. Mews * Australian Book Review *A richly detailed resource…packed with interesting information about the Bible and its use in the Jewish and Christian traditions. * Choice *The Making of the Bible is an impressive and up-to-date account of its subject matter, simultaneously comprehensive…and concise… The prose is accessible to non-specialists. And while biblical scholars will already know much on offer here, even they will be surprised by the occasional fact or theory. The book will be most useful as an introductory textbook in masters-level classes and as an entrée to the topic for outsiders to the guild. The sheer amount of information packed between the covers is an achievement in itself. -- Brad East * Interpretation *A remarkable deep dive into foundational books whose origins are often taken for granted. * Publishers Weekly *With this exemplary account of both origins and canonization, Schmid and Schröter have given us a superb book on how the Bible came into being. The Making of the Bible is invaluable for anyone interested in Scripture and in the intertwined histories of Judaism and Christianity. -- John Barton, author of A History of the Bible: The Book and Its FaithsThe Making of the Bible will be a go-to for me. It does for the history of the Bible what I’ve sought to do for the Bible’s languages: to make this book real. -- Sarah Ruden, author of The Gospels: A New TranslationAn erudite history of ‘How We Got the Bible’ that addresses the key issues—historical backgrounds, oral traditions, ancient manuscripts, canon formation, and the books that were left out. Schmid and Schröter are expert guides along these rocky paths for all readers interested in the New Testament and the Hebrew Bible. -- Bart Ehrman, author of Heaven and Hell: A History of the AfterlifeThis impressive book tells the story of how the Bible was made. In the process of that telling, the authors unearth a second story of equal significance: how these different Bibles formed us, creating a world shaped by sacred scripture. Today, we're grappling with the consequences of both stories, which makes this book an essential guide for the future. -- Martin Puchner, author of The Written World: The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, and CivilizationThis comprehensive book on the Bible—the Hebrew Bible as well as the New Testament—by two world-renowned theologians is for students and teachers alike. It will be read with pleasure and benefit by everyone interested in the most important document of Western civilization. -- Thomas Römer, author of The Invention of God

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