Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church Books

Book Synopsis127 short chapters the story of one of the world’s largest religions. A History of the Catholic Church tells in 127 short chapters the story of one of the world’s largest religions from its roots in Jewish history to the pontificate of Benedict XVI. In a taut narrative, it describes how the small community of those who believed that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God grew into a powerful institution whose patriarch, the pope, claimed both secular and spiritual jurisdiction over all the nations of Christendom. There are chapters on the major challenges it faced such as the rise of Islam, the schism with the Orthodox Church, the Protestant Reformation, French Revolution, Bolshevism, Nazism and secularism. There are also short chapters on Catholic art, architecture, philosophy and literature. It is not an academic treatise but a selection of episodes chosen to entertain as well as inform the reader. Piers Paul Read is the author of 17 novels and eight works of non-fiction, among them Alive. The Story of the Andes Survivors (1974). He studied History at Cambridge University, and has written a history of the crusading order, The Templars (1999), and an account of the infamous miscarriage of justice in France in the nineteenth century, The Dreyfus Affair (2012). The Templars ‘A highly readable and nicely paced book that draws on the lessons of modern historical scholarship while also communicating a sense of narrative excitement and drive.’ Evening Standard The Dreyfus Affair ‘In bringing his novelist’s eye to bear on events, Read ensures they unfold with a compelling sense of drama.’ The Sunday Times

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Book Synopsis‘What I wanted was for Malachy Finegan to be exposed. I felt that the wee boy I had been might be stepping from the darkness, and I needed him to be heard and to be believed.’ When he was twelve and in first year at St Colman’s College in Newry, Gerard Gorman was abused by paedophile priest Father Malachy Finegan. Gerard was so traumatised that for many years he was unable to talk about what had happened to him. So Young is Gerard’s powerful and courageous account of how he finally found a voice to tell his story. In this memoir – with the help of his brother, the poet Damian Gorman - he talks openly about the abuse he suffered and the impact it had on his life and on the lives of those around him. He describes too his role in exposing Finegan and his long and painful battle with the Catholic Church – in and out of the civil courts – to force it to acknowledge the harm done to him and the cover-up that perpetuated Finegan’s abuse. Brave, moving and open-hearted, So Young is a powerful account of surviving abuse and a damning indictment of an institution that continues to stonewall victims.Trade Review‘an ordinary life was stolen from a young boy but he is still here, strong and unafraid to tell his story’ -- George Larmour * Amazon *‘Gerard…had begun to find his voice, with all the stress, pain, emotional vulnerability that process brought with it’ -- Eamon Baker * Derry Now *‘Courageous, unflinching, dignified - words cannot do Gorman justice’ -- NJ McGarrigle * Irish Times *So Young is Gerard's powerful and courageous account of how he finally found a voice to tell his story. In this memoir - with the help of his brother, the poet Damian Gorman - he talks openly about the abuse he suffered and the impact it had on his life and on the lives of those around him. He describes too his role in exposing Finegan and his long and painful battle with the Catholic Church - in and out of the civil courts - to force it to acknowledge the harm done to him and the cover-up that perpetuated Finegan's abuse. Brave, moving and open-hearted, so Young is a powerful account of surviving abuse and a damning indictment of an institution that continues to stonewall victims. I cannot remember ever if, after reading a book, I cried. But, after reading So Young, I shed a few tears. It is so moving to read Gerard Gorman's story of how, at twelve-years-old, he was raped and sexually abused repeatedly by a Catholic priest, Father Malachy Finegan. His story of carrying around his "secret" for decades, not telling a soul, even his loving, caring mother, is heartbreaking. Gerard relates his rollercoaster life story with unharnessed candour - from the terrible, wicked abuse he suffered, to the challenges of his family life including living with an erratic-tempered father, to his experiences in The Troubles, to married life, his relationships with his wife and children, and all the time carrying the heavy burden of what happened to him back in St Colman's College with that despicable priest who, it must be emphasised, was protected by Catholic authorities until his death. But, once Gerard started receiving treatment for mental health issues, he gradually found a way to open up and eventually he told his doctor about Finegan and what he had done. Having finally found a way to utter the words he had suppressed for forty years and more, a door opened that eventually led him out onto a long journey through the courts to fight for justice. It may sound bizarre, but this is a beautiful book borne out of terrible circumstances, events that Gerard will never forget, but at least he received a kind of justice and added his voice to those other victims crying out to be believed against the might of a powerful religious institution. And what made me shed a few tears? Apart from being angry, upset and sad at various times, the chapter containing the emotional "impact statements" of Gerard's wife and children, and Gerard's closing words as he thanked those who helped and supported him through the dark years: "And finally I want to thank a twelve-year-old boy. A small boy I initially hated but grew to love." Gerard Gorman and his brother Damian have done a remarkable job with this book. Highly recommended. -- Joe Cushnan * Dropped the Moon blog *

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Book Synopsisthe Jesuits have always defined themselves, not by any particular place or specific ministry, but by a universal outreach. they were ready to go wherever the needs were great and the opportunities promising. Adaptability became their hallmark. From early on the Jesuits spread rapidly: to the Far East, starting with Francis Xavier in 1540, to North and South America, to Africa and eventually to Australasia. In their reports to Rome, they spoke about the different situations they faced, their successes and failures, their frustrations and hopes. This little volume tells the stories of a few of these Jesuits, from different continents and eras. In the hope that their commitment and struggles will prove inspirational once again today.

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Book SynopsisIn Catholicism, sainthood is the highest state of holiness for any soul in Heaven. There are more than 10,000 saints that have been canonized by the Catholic Church – some were exemplary models, others extraordinary teachers, while some worked miracles or changed the lives of millions through their guidance and good works. Arranged in chronological order, the book covers all the major saints, from St Paul, the Apostle who did most to spread Christianity following the death of Christ, and established Christian communities in Asia Minor – to Pope John Paul II, famous for being a peacemaker and providing spiritual inspiration during the fall of communism. In between, this compact volume covers well-known historical figures such as Joan of Arc, who defended the honour of France in the Medieval era, the philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas, and lesser-known saints such as Zita, the 13th century patron saint of maids and domestic servants. Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding and with 150 illustrations and artworks of saints from every part of the world, this book will fascinate anyone interested in inspiring – and often very human – religious figures from Biblical times to the present.Table of ContentsContents:BC St. Raphael the archangel (2/3rd century BC) St Mary the Blessed Virgin (18 BC) St Joseph (1st century BC) St. Joachim (75 BC) St. Anne (49 BC) St. Gabriel, the Archangel Anna the Prophetess (1st century) St. Elizabeth (biblical – 1st century BC)1st Century AD The Holy Innocents (contemporaries of Christ) St. Mary Magdalene St Philip (1st century AD) St Bartholomew (1st century) St Matthew (1st century) St Thomas (1st century) St James the Less (1st century) St Jude (1st century) St Simon (1st century) St Matthias (1st century) St James the Great (1st century) Luke the Evangelist (1 AD-16 AD) St. John the Baptist (1st century) St. Paul (5 AD) St. Peter (30/64 AD) St. Stephen (5 AD) St. Andrew the Apostle (5 AD) St John the Apostle (6 AD) St. Mark (12 AD) St Veronica (1st Century)AD 100-400 St. Felicitas of Rome (101 AD) St. Apollonia (2nd Century) St. Michael the Archangel (2nd/3rd century) St. Valentine (3rd Century) St. Christopher (3rd Century) St. Catherine of Alexandria (4th century) St. Julian the Hospitaller (4th Century) St. Lawrence (3rd century) St. Denis of Paris (3rd Century) St. Augustine of Hippo (354 AD) St. Agatha (231 AD) St Cyprian (210) St. Blaise (276) St. Lucy (3rd/4th century) St. Monica (332 AD) St. Sebastian (255 AD) St. Philomena (291 AD) St. Agnes (291 AD) St. Victor and Corona (170 AD) Sts Andronicus, Probus, and Tarachus (239AD) St Helena (246/248 AD) St. Basil the Great (330) St. Nicholas (270 AD) St. Anastasia (281 AD) St Devota (d. 303) St Martin of Tours (316) St. Ambrose (339AD) St. George (303 AD) St. Fortunatus of Spoleto (400 AD) St. Patrick (5th century)AD 400-1000 St. Leo the Great (400) St. Alexis of Rome (c.400 AD) St. Brigid of Ireland (451) St. Genevieve (419 AD) St. Benedict (480) St. Columba (521 AD) St. Gobnait (6th century) St. Emma (975 AD) St. Chrodegang (712 AD) St. Alena (640 AD) St. Scholastica (480) St. Florentina of Cartagena (612 AD) St. Wilibald (700 AD) St. Adelaide (931) St Gertrude of Nivelles (628 AD) St. Virgil of Salzburg (700) St. Paulinus II of Aquileia (726) St. Hunna St Theophanes the Confessor (c. 758/760) Sts. Cyril and Methodius (826 and 815) St Ansgar (801) St. Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor St. Edward Pope Saint Gregory the Great (540) St. Wenceslaus (907 AD)**AD 1000-1500 ** St. Edward St. Lidwina (1380) St Joan of Arc (1412) St Catherine of Siena (1347) St. Hedwig (1174) St. Francis of Assisi (1181) St. Anthony of Padua (1195) St. Rita (1381) St. Veronica of Milan (1445) St. Casimir (1458) St. Clare of Assisi (1194) St. Elizabeth of Hungary (1207) St. Thomas Aquinas (1225) St. Gertrude the Great (1256) St. Roch (1295) St. Bridget of Sweden (1303) St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090) St. John of God (1495) St. Zita (1212) St. Peregrine Laziosi (1260) St. Colette (1381) St. Margaret of Scotland (1045) St. Juan Diego (1474) St. Angela Merici (1474) St. Ignatius Loyola (1491)AD 1500-2000 St. Teresa of Avila (1515) St. Vincent de Paul (1581) St. Lorenzo Ruiz (1594) St. Philip Neri (1515) St. Charles Borromeo (1538) St. John of the Cross (1542) St. Martin de Porres (1579) St Rose of Lima (1586) St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656) St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696) St. Junípero Serra (1713) St. Felix of Nicosia (1715) St. Mary Frances of the Five Wounds (1715) St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774) St. Gerard Majella (1726) St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603) St. Damien of Molokai (1840) St. Catherine Laboure (1806) St. Dominic Savio (1842) St Thérèse of Lisieux (1873) St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850) St. Maria Guadalupe Garcia Zavala (1878) St. Maria Goretti (1890) St. Bernadette (1844) St. Padre Pio (1887) St. Teresia Benedicta a Cruce (1891) St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894) St. Theresa of Los Andes (1900) Laura Montoya (1874) Toribio de Mogrovejo (1538) Mariana of Jesus Paredes (1618) St. Faustina Kowalska (1905) Benedict Daswa (1946) St. Ambrose of Optina (1812) Clelia Barbieri (1847) Andrew Kim Taegon (1821) Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910) Oscar Romero (1917) St John Paul II (1920)

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Book SynopsisPublished in English for the first time, this is the full text of Che cosa è l’uomo?, the official 2019 statement of the Pontifical Biblical Commission on aspects of biblical anthropology. It focuses on four themes: human beings created by God; human beings in the garden; the human family; human beings in history.

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Book SynopsisReading the Bible Through Lent is the perfect accompaniment to Lenten study and reflection using the scripture readings of the Catholic liturgy. For every day of Lent, it provides the Bible readings for the day (taken from the Revised New Jerusalem Bible), with a short commentary, two questions for personal reflection and two prayers – all written by the Revd Dr Adrian Graffy, a member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission – enabling the Bible to be read in the contemplative tradition of Lectio Divina.

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Book SynopsisThe fifth volume of The Hackett Aquinas, a series of central philosophical treatises of Aquinas in new, state-of-the-art translations accompanied by a thorough commentary on the text.Acclaim for previous volumes in the series:The Treatise on Human Nature Translated, with Commentary, by Robert Pasnau "This very readable and accurate translation of the so-called Treatise on Human Nature strikes the right balance between literal rendition of Aquinas' Latin and naturalness of English expression, and thus will be of use both to new students of Aquinas and to those familiar with the original Latin. The commentary on the text should make the translation especially suitable for use in courses on Aquinas' philosophy of human nature and theory of knowledge." —Deborah Black, University of TorontoThe Treatise on the Divine Nature Translated, with Commentary, by Brian J. Shanley, O.P. "That Shanley's translation-cum-commentary can open students to such a rich appropriation of Aquinas explains why I call it 'superb.'" —David Burrell, The ThomistDisputed Questions on Virtue Translated by Jeffrey Hause and Claudia Eisen Murphy; Commentary by Jeffrey Hause "Hause and Murphy are to be congratulated. [Their volume's] strong points are numerous and important. The translation is clear and faithful. . . . Hause offers an extended commentary which is solid and helpful for beginning readers. . . . A gem." —R. E. Houser, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Touch the Wounds will be a source of great insight and inspiration for seekers, drawn potentially to Christian faith, and will liberate many others from stultifying forms of false certainty. It will open others again to ecumenical exchanges that will enrich their faith. The world needs more Tomáš Halík.” —Charles Taylor, co-author of Reconstructing Democracy“We’re part of a world full of wounds. For many people, the dark cloud of pain conceals the certainty of faith; the face of a benevolent God is hidden in the darkness that we are passing through together. But the Easter scene that inspired this book can speak to us with enormous urgency precisely at such a time. It is through Jesus’s wounds that the apostle Thomas sees God.” —from the preface"One of the most profound meditations on suffering, from a Christian perspective, that I have ever read." —James Martin, SJ, author of Learning to Pray"Tomáš Halík's Touch the Wounds is an elegant and profound set of meditations on the place and purpose and meaning of suffering. Halík shows that, and how, attention to suffering is attention to Jesus, and, therefore, a means of entry for Christians into the world's healing. It is a lovely book, and an inspiring one." —Paul J. Griffiths, author of Regret: A Theology"Tomáš Halík is one of the most insightful voices in contemporary Catholicism, and his book on the wounded church and sin in the church is a turning point in the effort to make sense of the ecclesial crisis that has taken shape in the last few years: from the new phase in the abuse crisis to the pandemic." —Massimo Faggioli, author of Catholicism and Citizenship"In this deeply personal narrative, Tomáš Halík invokes the figure of Thomas, less to affirm the importance of doubt in religious life than to remind us that Christian faith passes through our wounds and through the reality of pain and suffering. As ever, Halík manages to offer a fresh and hopeful Christian message without condemning the secular world." —Catherine Cornille, co-author of Christian Identity between Secularity and Plurality"What we need now is the voice of a prophet in the tradition of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah, who were unafraid to confront hypocrisy in high places and fearless in identifying the self-inflicted wounds of a society in desperate need of a particular and urgent healing touch. That prophetic voice for our time and our world belongs to Tomáš Halík, an impressive scholar who writes with flawless grace and instinct so that truth is disclosed page after page in his latest, powerful book." —Doris Donnelly, editor of Sacraments and Justice"Tomáš Halík's Touch the Wounds is a masterfully written, personal, and at the same time critical book that brings into dialogue contemporary life experience, biblical message, mystical tradition, and modern criticism of religion, all showing how in the wounds of our world as Christians we touch the wounds of God not by turning away from suffering but by confronting it. A fascinating, challenging, and encouraging vision." —Cardinal Walter Kasper, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity"Offers profound reflections on faith and its roots in suffering. . . . Halík’s erudition is dizzying . . . with a theological depth that makes for slow, rewarding reading. . . . those seeking deeper Christian insight will find much to gain." —Publishers Weekly"Consistent with his numerous other writings on faith in a post-religious and post-secular age, Halik, a Czech Roman Catholic priest, offers a series of meditative reflections on finding faith amidst our personal, interpersonal, and social wounds. . . . [T]he overall effect is a beautiful and challenging account of a Gospel-inspired faith that highlights the extreme paradox of God becoming flesh, and thus a God who indwells our creaturely vulnerability without reserve." —Theological Studies"A fine resource for Lenten and Eastertide reading—or, for that matter, in any season when wisdom is sought." —Commonweal“Masterfully translated—conveying both the insights and personality of Halík—by the distinguished Gerald Turner.... A balm to the soul for those who are battered by this world and find their own faith wounded.” —Scottish Theological Journal“A rich tapestry capable of nourishing and sustaining Christian faith and theology in a shifting cultural context. . . . Halík offers hope in rebuilding faith through facing up to the challenges of a future for which our recent past has not fully prepared us.” —Modern Theology"A profound yet accessible meditation on faith in our secular age. ...Halík offers not simply a corrective on how to approach seekers, but also a rich spiritual reflection intended to help us lead with our wounds....Halík’s book is a provocation in the best sense of the term, one that pushes his reader to leave behind a pristine faith that prefers to rest in certainty in exchange for one that asks the 'agonized question' and, like St. Thomas, does not shy from the wounded world." — AmericaTable of ContentsPreface to the English-language Edition The Gate of the Wounded Without Distance Arcanum Cordis A Torn Veil A Dancing God Worshiping the Lamb Stigmata and Forgiveness Knocking on the Wall Bodies A Little Place for Truth Veronica and the Imprint of the Face Wounds Transformed The Last Beatitude

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Book SynopsisPhenomenology has the strongest claim to the mantle of continental philosophy. Edward Baring shows that credit for its prodigious growth goes to a surprising group of early enthusiasts: Catholic intellectuals. Tracing debates in Europe from existentialism to speculative realism, he shows why European philosophy bears the mark of Catholicism.Trade ReviewBaring has achieved something very significant…Not just a story of ideas…but a story of how ideas spread across the boundaries between national communities or between secular and Catholic thought. -- Sarah Shortall * Commonweal *An important book that should appear on the shelves of every serious scholar committed to the study of either of its chosen fields. -- Jeffrey Bloechl * Theological Studies *Brilliantly conceived…By showing how Catholicism nourished the roots of modern European philosophy, Baring sheds invaluable light on ongoing discussions of the persistence of Christianity in a not-so-secular age. -- Brandon Bloch * Church History *A story of thought as an inter-personal, inter-institutional happening, where events of thinking take place between works, between thinkers…Baring tells continental philosophy’s church history. -- Elad Lapidot * Phenomenological Reviews *An impressive work that combines a broad scope and fluent, accessible style with the kind of deep detail usually confined to specialist studies. -- Clare Carlisle * Times Literary Supplement *Socrates modestly described himself as a midwife, helping others to give birth to a wisdom that was their own. The analogy springs to mind when reading this fascinating, well-researched and imaginative book by Edward Baring. His aim is to show something both striking and unexpected: that Catholicism is ‘the single most important explanation’ for the international success of phenomenology. -- Maximilian de Gaynesford * The Tablet *[A] very rich book…It is both profound and sweeping in its scope; it is almost a history of twentieth-century philosophy. -- Jude P. Dougherty * Review of Metaphysics *Baring’s history of phenomenology is itself phenomenological in its attention to hundreds of dramas of belief, the outcomes of which—contextualized but not determined by the Catholic Church—helped imprint the continental philosophy of the twentieth century with the strangeness of their unforeseen patterns…[A] rich, deeply researched book. -- Martyn Wendell Jones * Hedgehog Review *An exemplary model of the scholarship that is so needed in continental philosophy of religion: historically and philosophically learned, attuned as much to archives as to arguments. It is accessible without being simplistic, driven by narrative without sacrificing detail. -- Vincent Lloyd * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *A scholarly achievement of the highest order…a profoundly original and painstakingly detailed history of the shared conceptual spaces of phenomenology and Catholic thought…Successfully lay[s] out a genealogy of continental philosophy that spans (and indeed, calls into question) the separation of sacred and secular…As much a normative attempt to resolve a host of philosophical and theological disputes as it is a work of transnational intellectual history…Converts to the Real is a work of great erudition. -- Piotr H. Kosicki * Journal of Modern History *Well-written and direct, Converts to the Real is bold and well worth reading by all interested in philosophy or Catholicism. -- Graham McAleer * Law & Liberty *Excellent and exhaustively researched…A major contribution to the history of European philosophy in the 20th century, and of phenomenology more particularly. * Choice *Through archival research and an analysis of philosophical affinities, Baring traces the influence of neo-scholasticism on continental philosophy…A detailed study of the tight but often awkward relationship between Catholicism and continental philosophy in the first half of the twentieth-century and its philosophical and political implications. * Graduate Faculty Philosophy Journal *Converts to the Real tells an intriguing, valuable, and timely story about the religious leanings of European phenomenology, especially with respect to its associations with Neo-Scholasticism and the Catholic Church. Baring has done impressive archival research to create a narrative with considerable detail. An excellent book. -- Kevin Hart, University of VirginiaThe virtues of Edward Baring’s superb book are many. Converts to the Real demonstrates the importance of phenomenology—typically viewed as a philosopher’s philosophy—not only for twentieth-century European intellectual life but for key social and political trends as well. Its great achievement is to merge two contemporary histories by showing how transformations in modern Catholic thought turned phenomenology into the continental philosophy. -- Michael Gubser, author of The Far Reaches: Phenomenology, Ethics, and Social Renewal in Central Europe

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Book SynopsisThere are few instances of a contemporary Western European society more firmly welded to religion than Ireland is to Catholicism. For much of the twentieth century, to be considered a good Irish citizen was to be seen as a good and observant Catholic. Today, the opposite may increasingly be the case. The Irish Catholic Church, once a spiritual institution beyond question, is not only losing influence and relevance; in the eyes of many, it has become something utterly desacralized. In this book, Hugh Turpin offers an innovative and in-depth account of the nature and emergence of "ex-Catholicism"—a new model of the good, and secular, Irish person that is being rapidly adopted in Irish society. Using rich quantitative and qualitative research methods, Turpin explains the emergence and character of religious rejection in the Republic. He examines how numerous factors—including economic growth, social liberalization, attenuated domestic religious socialization, the institutional scandals and moral collapse of the Church, and the Church's lingering influence in social institutions and laws—have interacted to produce a rapid growth in ex-Catholicism. By tracing the frictions within and between practicing Catholics, cultural Catholics, and ex-Catholics in a period of profound cultural change and moral reckoning, Turpin shows how deeply the meanings of being religious or non-religious have changed in the country once described as "Holy Catholic Ireland."Trade Review"Turpin weaves regression models together with detailed accounts of individual and institutional agency, and with turns of phrase both humorous and profound, to produce our most holistic account of secularization to date. An interdisciplinary gem of a book."—Jonathan Lanman, Queen's University, Belfast"This is not only the best, most insightful book on the situation of religion and secularization in contemporary Ireland—it is one of the best, most insightful books written on secularization in general that I have read in a long time. Sharp, engaging, informative, thoughtful, and fascinating—this book is a must for anyone wanting to understand the evaporation of religion in the Western world."—Phil Zuckerman, Pitzer College"Turpin tells the fascinating story of what ordinary people think and feel about the disintegration of Catholic hegemony in Ireland. The book is enthralling: deeply researched, full of insights and exceptionally well written, it deserves all the praise and prizes that will come its way, if there is any justice in this world."—David Voas, University College London"Prior to Turpin's research, there had been no systematic, in-depth studies of those who could be classified as nones in the Republic of Ireland.Unholy Catholic Irelandis a first and important step in what I hope and anticipate will become a topic of further research – by Turpin and by other scholars. Based on both qualitative and quantitative research, it lays a strong foundation for future studies."—Gladys Ganiel, Slugger O'Toole"This study is to be warmly welcomed. It is written beautifully and makes a significant contribution to the field of the study of Irish Catholicism—and its rejection. Believers and non-believers alike will learn much from Turpin's findings, which invite us to reconsider the complexities of Irish religion and irreligion anew."—Salvador Ryan, The Irish Independent"Unholy Catholic Ireland brings a fresh and rich analysis to the study of Irish Catholicism, especially in the wake of decades of scandals. As such, it will appeal to students of Catholicism but especially, and more generally, those interested in better understanding religious change. And its methodological approach—combining the 'deep' insight of ethnographic work with the 'wide' analysis of social surveys—will serve as a guidepost for social scientists studying secularizing processes in other societies."—Brian Conway, Contemporary Sociology"Hugh Turpin provides the most comprehensive description and analysis of this conundrum [at the heart of Catholic Ireland]. This is an innovative, insightful, well-written book."—Tom Inglis, Journal of Contemporary ReligionTable of ContentsIntroduction 1. Secularization, the Desacralization of the Church, and the Emergence of Ethno-Catholic "Nones" 2. "Hostages of Catholicism": Quantifying the Nature and Scale of the Rejection of the Church 3. "For Emergency Use Only": The Waning of Religious Socialization 4. "A Load of Shite": Hidden Cultures of Catholic Unbelief 5. "This Is Our Rising": Secularization as a Second Struggle for "Irish Freedom" 6. "Awakening from Conscription": Ex-Catholicism as Anti-Nostalgic Moralized Authenticity 7. "Blessed Are Those Who Are Persecuted Because of Righteousness": Coping with a Spoiled Religious Identity Epilogue: "Anyone Else Not Bothered?"

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Book SynopsisScholars have often been quick to acknowledge Thomas Aquinas's distinctive retrieval of Aristotle's Greek philosophical heritage. Often lagging, however, has been a proper appreciation of both his originality and indebtedness in appropriating the great theological insights of the Greek Fathers of the Church. In a similar way to his integration of the Aristotelian philosophical corpus, Aquinas successfully interwove the often newly received and translated Greek patristic sources into a thirteenth-century theological framework, one dominated by the Latin Fathers. His use of the Greek Fathers definitively shaped his exposition of sacra doctrina in the fundamental areas of God and creation, Trinitarian theology, the moral life, and Christ and the Sacraments.For the sake of filling this lacuna and of piquing scholarly interest in Aquinas's relation to the Fathers of the Christian East, the Aquinas Center for Theological Renewal at Ave Maria University and the Thomistic Institute of the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception at the Dominican House of Studies co-sponsored an international gathering of scholars that took place at Ave Maria University under the title Thomas Aquinas and the Greek Fathers. Sensitive to the commonalities and the differences between Aquinas and the Greek Fathers, the essays in this volume have sprung from the theme of this conference and offer a harvest of some of the conference's fruits. At long last, scholars have a rich volume of diverse, penetrating essays that both underscore Aquinas's unique standing among the Latin scholastics in relationship to the Greek Fathers and point the way toward avenues of further study.

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Book SynopsisOne of the most influential texts in the Middle Ages, The Rule of Saint Benedict offers guidance about both the spiritual and organizational dimensions, from the loftiest to the lowliest, of monastic life. This new Latin-English edition has features for both first-time readers and scholars of medieval history and language.

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Book SynopsisThere was an eerie silence in the packed courtroom as everyone looked towards the foreman of the jury. 'Guilty' he pronounced five times.The third most senior Catholic cleric in the world had been found guilty of sex crimes against children, bringing shame to the Church on a scale never seen before in its history.Investigative journalist Lucie Morris-Marr was the first to break the story that Cardinal George Pell was being investigated by the police. In this riveting dispatch, she recounts how the cleric was trailed by a cloud of scandal as he rose to the most senior ranks of the church in Australia, all the way to his appointment by Pope Francis to the position of treasurer in the Vatican.Despite anger and accusations, it seemed nothing could stop George Pell. Yet in 2017 he was charged by detectives, returning to Australia to face trial.Take a front row seat in court with the author as she reveals the many intriguing developments in the secret legal proceedings which the media could not report at the time. Fallen reveals the full story of the brutal battle waged by the prince of the church as he fought to clear his name, including a ferocious bid to be freed from jail. The author also shares her own compelling personal journey investigating the biggest story of her career and the frequent attacks she endured from powerful Pell supporters. This book also charts how Pell's shocking conviction plunged the Vatican into an unprecedented global crisis after decades of clergy abuse cases.It is a vitally important story that will fascinate anyone interested in the failure of the Catholic Church to address the canker in its heart.Trade ReviewUtterly absorbing -- Peter Donoughue * Booknotes *Gripping and insightful -- Chrissie Foster * AM *Table of ContentsForeword by Chrissie Foster AMPrologue: The secret wait1. A whisper in the dark2. Big George from Ballarat3. Silencing the lambs4. Winter Gail5. Wake up the cardinal6. Courting controversy7. Belinda's burden8. The Cathedral trial9. War cry from Rome10. Play it again, Kid11. Beyond reasonable doubt12. The world's worst kept secret13. Friends in high places14. Solitary retreatNotes

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Book SynopsisJohn Cornwell is Senior Research Fellow at Jesus College, Cambridge, and an award-winning journalist and author. His THIEF IN THE NIGHT: THE DEATH OF POPE JOHN PAUL I (1989) was a world bestseller. He has written on Catholic issues for many publications including the Sunday Times, Independent, Observer and the Tablet.Table of ContentsThe Pacellis; hidden life; Papal power games; to Germany; Pacelli and Weimar; the glittering diplomat; Hitler and German Catholicism; Hitler and Pacelli; the Concordat in practice; Pius XI speaks out; darkness over Europe; triumph; Pacelli, Pope of peace; friend of Croatia; the holiness of Pius XII; Pacelli and the Holocaust; the Jews of Rome; saviour of Rome; Church triumphant' absolute power; Pius XII Redivivus. Sources: the "Silence" debate, and Sainthood.

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Book SynopsisUntil surprisingly recently the history of the Irish Catholic Church during the Northern Irish Troubles was written by Irish priests and bishops and was commemorative, rather than analytical. This study uses the Troubles as a case study to evaluate the role of the Catholic Church in mediating conflict.During the Troubles, these priests and bishops often worked behind the scenes, acting as go-betweens for the British government and republican paramilitaries, to bring about a peaceful solution. However, this study also looks more broadly at the actions of the American, Irish and English Catholic Churches, as well as that of the Vatican, to uncover the full impact of the Church on the conflict. This critical analysis of previously neglected state, Irish, and English Catholic Church archival material changes our perspective on the role of a religious institution in a modern conflict.Trade ReviewMargaret Scull's monograph offers an important contribution to the historical literature on Northern Ireland and, moreover, it is widely relevant to the study of organised Christianity in divided communities in times of civil unrest. * Eugenio F. Biagini, Sidney Sussex College, Journal of Contemporary History *The author has looked at a commendably wide range of material and has interviewed some key figures in Church and politics ... these interviews give real insight into the complementarities and antagonisms between the Church, nationalism and republicanism * Oliver P. Rafferty SJ, Journal of Ecclesiastical History *This is an important book and it should certainly be read carefully and mulled over by anyone interested in Northern Ireland specifically and in the intersections between politics and religion more generally, with all of the moral, ethical, and cultural considerations therein. * Margo Shea, H-Diplo *Margaret Scull's book The Catholic Church and the Northern Ireland Troubles, 1968-1998 transcends the parochial view on the Catholic Church during the Northern Ireland Conflict and instead situates it in a transnational framework. Thereby, she challenges established views and provides fresh insight...Scull's book hopefully will rekindle the interest of the Church's role in the conflict and will do away with the stereotype that the conflict was primarily the concern of the Irish Catholic Church with the English Catholic Church playing the part of a bystander. * Jan Freytag, British Catholic History *This volume is an important contribution to the scholarship of the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland; it is painstakingly researched and engagingly written...Margaret Scull has made a very significant contribution to the literature of the Northern Irish conflict; it is to be hoped that the book will be widely read and made available in paperback. * Stephen Hopkins, University of Leicester, Cercles *Dr Scull has injected fresh impetus into chronicling the often secretive roles played by the Catholic and Protestant Churches in the Irish Troubles. * John Cooney, The Irish Times *A rich and carefully-researched new book, The Catholic Church and the Northern Ireland Troubles, 1968-1999, offers fresh insights on the changing role of the Catholic Church and the personalities that drove its interventions during that fraught period. * Gladys Ganiel, slugger o'toole *It has been some time since Catholicism has been the subject of such a focused academic study. * Gladys Ganiel, Queen's University Belfast, Slugger O'Toole *

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Book SynopsisThis work shows how women between the 12th and 16th centuries were able to carve out areas of influence by exploiting the institutional church and by manipulating religious precepts. Contributors argue that women's participation in religious life offered them access to power in all its forms.Table of ContentsForeword by Catharine R. Stimpson Preface 1: Women and Religion in Late Medieval Italy: History and Historiography Daniel Bornstein 2: A Community of Female Penitents in Thirteenth-Century Padua Antonio Rigon 3: Clare, Agnes, and Their Earliest Followers: From the Poor Ladies of San Damiano to the Poor Clares Clara Gennaro 4: Anchoresses and Penitents in Thirteenth- and Fourteenth-Century Umbria Mario Sensi 5: Mendicant Friars and Female Pinzochere in Tuscany: From Social Marginality to Models of Sanctity Anna Benvenuti Papi 6: The Apostolic Canonization Proceedings of Clare of Montefalco, 1318-1319 Enrico Menesto 7: Female, Mystics, Visions, and Iconography Chiara Frugoni 8: Imitable Sanctity: The Legend of Maria of Venice Fernanda Sorelli 9: St. Bernardino of Siena, the Wife, and Possessions Roberto Rusconi 10: St. Francesca and the Female Religious Communities of Fifteenth-Century Rome Anna Esposito 11: Living Saints: A Typology of Female Sanctity in the Early Sixteenth Century Gabriella Zarri Afterword: Women Religious in Late Medieval Italy: New Sources and Directions Roberto Rusconi Index

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Book SynopsisIn these twelve essays, written or published in the 1980s, a historical theologian examines the changes that occurred as the Catholic tradition gave way to the Reformation and an interest in the phenomenon of believing replaced adherence to unchanging dogma.

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Book SynopsisThis text reflects on the centuries-old debate in Christianity: how do we reconcile the existence of evil in the world with the goodness of an omnipotent God, and how does God's omnipotence relate to people's responsibility for their own salvation or damnation?

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“The Difference Nothing Makes is incredibly learned, the product of a mature thinker who has been reading deeply and cross-sectionally for decades. The argument is sophisticated, intricate, and, in the end, convincing.” —Grant Kaplan, author of René Girard, Unlikely Apologist"I found this book to be immensely engaging and illuminating. It offers a finessed account of creatio ex nihilo, one that is protological, eschatological, and Christological. Admirably conversant with the constancies of traditional views, it recreates for contemporaries a fitting sense of the lovable surprise of the gift of being, and what G. M. Hopkins called 'the dearest freshness deep down things.' Very warmly recommended." —William Desmond, author of Godsends"The Difference Nothing Makes is not the usual, well-heeled essay in foundational theology. Conceived and born in the matrix of contemplation, Brian Robinette’s deeply engaging contribution is a learned, grounded, and perceptive exploration of creation, incarnation, and redemption in a refreshingly new register. An unintended fruit of this remarkable book is itself a subtle redemption of theology from its own self-conscious servitude to scripted cliché." —Martin Laird, O.S.A., author of An Ocean of Light"Deftly demonstrating nihil's semantic flexibility and fecundity, Robinette illuminates the expansive yet negative nature of the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo." —Modern Theology"A passionate and poetically written defence of God’s creation of the universe ‘from nothing’...provides much valuable material for reflection on the practice of contemplative prayer and the God–world relationship." —Theology"The ideas in this book are rigorous and carefully argued, and its vision of transformation based on a deep acceptance of the world’s givenness by God is also quite beautiful. ...We are in the author’s debt for this carefully argued, ecumenically engaged work of theology that is deeply attentive to connections between Christian theology and Christian life."—Reading ReligionTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Part I. Grammar and Contemplation 1. The Difference Nothing Makes 2. Undergoing Something from Nothing Part II. Christ as Concentrated Creation 3. Jesus and the Non-Other 4. Strange Victory Part III. Purgation and Union 5. On the Contemplative Consummation of Atheism 6. Return to Love Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisSince the beginnings of Christianity, veneration of the Virgin Mary has played a fundamental rôle in the confession of the Christian faith. This fully illustrated book explores Marian devotion and its significance.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the endeavors and activities of one of the most prominent early modern Irishmen in exile, the Franciscan Luke Wadding. Born in Ireland, educated in the Iberian Peninsula, Wadding arrived in Rome in 1618, where he would die in 1657. In the Eternal City, the Franciscan emerged as an outstanding theologian, a learned scholar, a diplomat, and a college founder. This innovative collection of chapters brings together a group of international scholars who provide a ground-breaking analysis of the many cultural, political, and religious facets of Wadding’s life. They illustrate the challenges and changes faced by an Irishman who emerged as one of the most outstanding global figures of the Catholic Reformation. The volume will attract scholars of the early modern period, early modern Catholicism, and Irish emigration.Table of Contents1. Introduction: Father Luke Wadding — A Multifaced Irishman in a Global World Part I: Wadding and the Iberian Peninsula 2. Irish Franciscans and the Santiago Province of Spain 3. "Learned, Attached and Reliable": Luke Wadding, Agent of the Spanish Monarchy Part II: Wadding and the Roman Context 4. Discovering Migration in the Seventeenth Century: Propaganda Fide, the Holy Office and Foreigners 5. Not Only a "Hibernese" in the Urbs: Luke Wadding and His Entourage in Seventeenth-Century Rome Part III: The Cultural World of Wadding 6. The Development of Libraries in the Seventeenth Century: Luke Wadding’s Library 7. Luke Wadding: A Life in and for Books 8. Luke Wadding and Scholars for the Arts in Seventeenth-Century Rome 9. The Wadding Circle and the History of Political Thought Part IV: Wadding and Ireland 10. Wadding and the Irish Tombs in St. Pietro in Montorio 11. The Vita Waddingi and the Memory of Confederate and Cromwellian Ireland 12. Conclusion

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Book SynopsisThis volume explores papal communication and its reception in the period c.1100â1300; it presents a range of interdisciplinary approaches and original insights into the construction of papal authority and local perceptions of papal power in the central Middle Ages.Some of the chapters in this book focus on the visual, ritual and spatial communication that visitors encountered when they met the peripatetic papal curia in Rome or elsewhere, and how this informed their experience of papal self-representation. The essays analyse papal clothing as well as the iconography, architecture and use of space in papal palaces and the titular churches of Rome. Other chapters explore communication over long distances and analyse the role of gifts and texts such as letters, sermons and historical writings in relation to papal communication. Importantly, this book emphasises the plurality of responses to papal communication by engaging with the reception of papal messages by different audiencTable of Contents1. Framing papal communication in the central Middle Ages Gerd Althoff, Iben Fonnesberg-Schmidt and William Kynan-Wilson2. Innocent III and the world of symbols of the papacyAgostino Paravicini Bagliani (translated by Gesine Oppitz-Trotman)3. Clothing as communication? Vestments and views of the papacy c.1300Maureen C. Miller4. Visitor experiences: art, architecture and space at the papal curia c.1200Iben Fonnesberg-Schmidt5. Communication in a visual mode: papal apse mosaics Dale Kinney6. Ritual, what else? Papal letters, sermons and the making of crusadersChristoph T. Maier7. Subverting the message: Master Gregory’s reception of and response to the Mirabilia Urbis RomaeWilliam Kynan-Wilson8. Roman soil and Roman sound in Irish hagiography Lucy Donkin

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisIntroduction to Catholic Theology is an accessible but in-depth examination of the ways in which Catholic theology is rooted in and informs Catholic practice.Table of ContentsAbbreviations and Texts xiii Introduction: From the Middle of Our Life’s Journey xv 1 The Nature and Sources of Catholic Theology 1 1.1 Catholics 2 1.1.1 Being and Becoming Catholic 3 1.1.2 Personal and Communal 4 1.1.3 Catholics and Other People 6 1.2 Theology: Fides et Ratio 7 1.2.1 Fides 9 1.2.2 Ratio 10 1.3 The Sources of Catholic Theology 12 1.3.1 Scripture 12 1.3.2 Tradition 19 1.3.3 Magisterium 22 Notes 26 References 27 2 God 28 2.1 The God of Scripture 29 2.2 Father, Son, and Spirit 35 2.2.1 The New Testament 35 2.2.2 The Road to Nicaea 38 2.2.3 The Road from Nicaea 43 2.2.3.1 Trouble with terminology 43 2.2.3.2 Relations and procession 45 2.2.3.3 Trinity and community 47 2.3 The Grammar of Divinity 50 2.3.1 Proofs of God’s Existence 50 2.3.1.1 Anselm’s “ontological argument” 51 2.3.1.2 Thomas Aquinas’s “five ways” 52 2.3.2 God and Being 56 2.3.3 Language on the Way to God 60 2.3.3.1 The positive and negative ways 60 2.3.3.2 Analogy 61 Notes 63 References 64 3 Creation and Fall 66 3.1 The God Who Creates 67 3.1.1 Creation in the Bible 67 3.1.2 What Does It Mean to Call God “Creator”? 71 3.1.2.1 Creation in goodness 71 3.1.2.2 Creation in freedom 73 3.1.2.3 Creation from nothing 74 3.2 The Created Order 76 3.2.1 Orderly Diversity 76 3.2.2 Angelic Life 78 3.2.3 Caused Causes 80 3.2.4 Creation and Modern Science 81 3.3 The Human Creature 84 3.3.1 Imago Dei 84 3.3.2 Polarities 86 3.3.2.1 Body and soul 87 3.3.2.2 Male and female 90 3.3.2.3 Nature and grace 94 3.4 Sin 96 3.4.1 The Fall 97 3.4.2 Evil and the Goodness of Creation 99 3.4.3 Original Sin 100 Notes 103 References 104 4 Jesus Christ 107 4.1 The Story of Jesus of Nazareth 109 4.1.1 The Messiah of Israel 111 4.1.2 The Ministry of Jesus: Proclaiming the Kingdom of God 114 4.1.2.1 Baptism and calling 114 4.1.2.2 Healer and wonder worker 116 4.1.2.3 Teacher 117 4.1.3 Death and Resurrection 119 4.2 The Person of Jesus Christ 124 4.2.1 The Road to Chalcedon 124 4.2.1.1 The prelude to controversy 125 4.2.1.2 Alexandria and Antioch 127 4.2.1.3 Two natures in one person 129 4.2.1.4 The meaning of the Chalcedonian definition 132 4.2.2 The Road from Chalcedon 134 4.2.2.1 The Christology of Thomas Aquinas 135 4.2.2.2 Devotion to the humanity of Christ 136 4.2.3 The Challenges of Modernity 138 4.2.3.1 Tradition and suspicion 139 4.2.3.2 The psychology of Jesus 140 4.2.3.3 The de-Westernizing of Jesus 143 4.3 The Work of Christ for Us and for Our Salvation 145 4.3.1 Christ as Priest and Offering 146 4.3.2 Christ as Prophet 150 4.3.3 Christ as Servant-King 152 Notes 156 References 157 5 The Spirit of Holiness 159 5.1 The Spirit of God 160 5.1.1 The Spirit in Scripture 161 5.1.2 The Spirit in Creed and Controversy 165 5.2 The Holy Spirit and Human Life: Disputed Questions over Grace 170 5.2.1 Grace and Predestination 171 5.2.2 Scholastic Distinctions 173 5.2.3 Justification by Faith, Catholics, and Protestants 176 5.2.4 Dominicans, Jesuits, and Jansenists 179 5.2.5 The Grace of Christ and the Salvation of Non-Christians 181 5.2.6 Spiritual Gifts and Charismatic Renewal 187 5.3 Mary 190 5.3.1 Disciple and Mother of Jesus 191 5.3.2 Theotokos 192 5.3.3 Extending the Narrative: Marian Doctrines 193 5.3.4 Contracting the Narrative: Mary and the Church 196 Notes 197 References 198 6 The Church 201 6.1 People of God and Body of Christ 202 6.2 The Pilgrimage of the People of God 206 6.2.1 Jew and Gentile in the Body of Christ 207 6.2.2 Catholics and Donatists in Africa 208 6.2.3 Pope Gregory VII and the Freedom of the Church 211 6.2.4 Reformations Protestant and Catholic 214 6.2.5 Freedom from the Church, and Vatican Council I on Papal Infallibility 216 6.2.6 Vatican Council II and Disputes over Reform 218 6.3 One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic 221 6.3.1 Diverse Unity 222 6.3.2 Holiness and Its Failures 224 6.3.3 Particular and Universal Catholicity 227 6.3.4 Apostolic Foundations 230 6.4 The Church’s Missionary Solidarity with Today’s World 232 Note 235 References 235 7 Praying Always 237 7.1 Hoop-jumpers and Do-gooders 238 7.2 Praying Always in an Ordinary Life 239 7.3 Praying Always in the Sacramental Economy 243 7.3.1 Efficacious Signs of Grace 244 7.3.2 Instituted by Christ 249 7.3.3 Entrusted to the Church 251 7.3.4 Divine Life Dispensed to Us 253 Notes 255 References 255 8 The Seven Sacraments 257 8.1 Sacraments of Initiation 258 8.1.1 Baptism 258 8.1.1.1 Baptism in Scripture and tradition 259 8.1.1.2 Baptismal meanings 262 8.1.2 Confirmation 264 8.1.2.1 Confirmation in Scripture and tradition 265 8.1.2.2 Spirited witness 266 8.1.3 Eucharist 268 8.1.3.1 The Eucharist in Scripture and tradition 269 8.1.3.2 Sacrifice, sacrament, and presence of Christ 272 8.2 Sacraments of Healing 276 8.2.1 Penance 276 8.2.1.1 Penance in Scripture and tradition 277 8.2.1.2 Reconciliation with God through the Body of Christ 280 8.2.2 Anointing of the Sick 283 8.2.2.1 Anointing of the Sick in Scripture and tradition 284 8.2.2.2 Illness in the economy of salvation 286 8.3 Sacraments at the Service of Communion 289 8.3.1 Holy Orders 289 8.3.1.1 Holy Orders in Scripture and tradition 290 8.3.1.2 The Church’s priesthood and the threefold ministry 296 8.3.2 Matrimony 298 8.3.2.1 Matrimony in Scripture and tradition 299 8.3.2.2 Communion, intimacy, and partnership 305 Notes 308 References 309 9 The Good Life 312 9.1 The Tradition of Living Well 313 9.1.1 Walking in the Way of Life 313 9.1.2 Catechists and Confessors 317 9.1.3 Casuistry and the Birth of Moral Theology 320 9.1.4 Catholics in the Modern Moral Marketplace 322 9.2 Love as Virtue 325 9.2.1 Happiness 326 9.2.2 What is Virtue? 329 9.2.3 Cardinal Virtues 331 9.2.4 Theological Virtues 335 9.3 Love as the Law of Christ 339 9.4 Perplexities of Action 343 References 345 10 The End 347 10.1 God’s Word of Promise 349 10.1.1 The Promise of Creation and Covenant 349 10.1.2 Jesus, the Kingdom, and Resurrection 352 10.1.3 Paul: Grieving with Hope 354 10.1.4 Apocalyptic Patience 355 10.2 Traditions of Catholic Hope 356 10.2.1 Worldly and Otherworldly 356 10.2.2 Solidarity with the Dead 359 10.2.3 Modernity, Progress, and Eschatology 363 10.3 Thinking the End 367 10.3.1 Timetables, Signs, and Images of Hope 368 10.3.2 Hope of Justice for the Dead 369 10.3.3 Heaven, Hell, and Universal Hope 372 10.4 The Substance of Things Hoped For 374 Notes 376 References 376 Appendix: Conciliar Formulae 378 Index of Scriptural Citations 382 Name and Subject Index 388

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Book SynopsisThis second volume of a projected six-volume set of the complete Vulgate Bible presents the Historical Books of the Bible, which tell of Joshua’s leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, the leadership of judges and kings, Israel’s steady departure from many of God’s precepts, the Babylonian Captivity, and the return of Israel from exile.

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Book SynopsisMarried and family life around the world has undergone a revolution in the last several decades: the radical democratization of intimacy in spousal and parent-child relationships. Previous principles of hierarchy, inequality, and duty that defined the relationships between husband, wife, and children have been challenged and often replaced by more fluid bonds of equality, intimacy, emotional self-disclosure, communication, and mutual trust. The key question that has emerged for our times, then, is how exactly do families sustain genuine mutuality, democracy, and strong relationships? Figuring out good answers to this question is the major theme of this book and the origin of the title Mutuality Matters. Three common strategies for creating just marriages have arisen: political and legal reform, smarter negotiating by women, and new cultural perceptions of marriage. While the authors in this book attend to all three strategies to different degrees, the primary focus is the third strategy: changing our cultural understanding of women and men in marriage. Moreover, to effect genuine cultural change, the authors recognize the need to enlist the help of religion as a key culture-forming element. Mutuality has become a common way for theologians from a variety of perspectives to talk about a more just love, a love that combines affection and justice. But many questions have been left unanswered: What exactly do people believe they have promised when they align themselves with Christian claims about love in their rituals of marriage and partnership? Do Christian views of love include the ideal of justice in marriage? Because accommodation or sacrifice is inevitable in any intimate human community, how can families insure that it will be mutual and just? How is marriage strengthened if justice is added to love at the core of mutuality? What does mutuality mean across time and distance, when participants are parents and children, when fathers are absent, when parents should be honored, or within a violent context? Is it possible to have democratic families without mutual sacrifice? Can submission be mutual? On these and other questions, the authors of this volume claim distinctive responsibility for rethinking Christian convictions about love and family life around the theme of mutuality and for strengthening the ministry of religious communities as those communities seek to empower and support families in their practice of mutuality. The essays written for this volume reflect the development of practical theology as one method for exploring the religious meanings of family and enhancing the practice of family living by 1) assuming that all theory has implications for practice and all practices are theory laden and 2) drawing into dialogue the knowledge and interpretations of a variety of perspectives including philosophy, biblical criticism, anthropology, liturgical studies, pastoral care, ethics, cross-cultural studies, and religious education. This collection of essays is noteworthy for both this interdisciplinary scope and its richly ecumenical representation.Trade ReviewAn important collection of essays focused on the challenge facing Christians of the 21st century: re-conceiving Christian love, particularly within families and between intimates, as radically egalitarian. From philosophical and theological defenses of the place of equality in the practice of love to descriptions of concrete practices within families and congregations, these essays are a thoughtful contribution on the side of gender justice to the on-going family values debate. -- Gloria H. Albrecht, University of Detroit MercyLike good wine and cheese, Herbert Anderson and his colleagues seem to get better with age. Sitting down to this feast of ideas, especially the appetizing concept of mutuality within marriage and family, allows the reader to nibble and sip with curiosity and delight. At the heart of this intellectual menu can be found Anderson's rich imagination, clinical experience and refreshing honesty. The critical ingredients of love, justice, forgiveness, respect, spirituality, and mutuality explored by contributing authors provide the recipe for a text that is not only mutually satisfying, but also one worth preserving. -- Joseph Gillespie, O.P., Parochial Vicar at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis, and supervisor in the American Association of Marriage and Family ThFinally a book dealing with a major revolution in our country and the world! Old concepts of marriage have given way to more fluid bonds of equality, communication and trust. This book explores issues of the mutuality of love, justice and gender relations in the context of marriage, pastoral ministry and congregational life. Both clergy and family therapists will find this book's wide range of perspectives and timely exploration of infrequently discussed topics helpful in the ongoing dialogue about the changing shape of marriage and family in the 21st century. -- William Hiebert, STM, executive director of Marriage and Family Counseling Service, Rock Island, IL and co-author of Pre- and Re-marital CounselingThis collection of essays is noteworthy for both this interdisciplinary scope and its richly ecumenical representation. * Family Therapy, Vol. 34, No. 3, 2007 *This excellent pastoral collection is a tremendous resource for rebutting conservative arguments and alarms that pervade the media, and for moving mutuality from an academic value into mainstream Christian concerns by examining the experience of real familes. -- Christine E. Gudorf, Florida International UniversityTable of ContentsPart 1 I. Perspectives on Love and Mutuality Chapter 2 The Family as a Crucible of Grace: Learning and Living the Language of Love Chapter 3 Just Love? Marriage and the Question of Justice Chapter 4 Mutuality, Reason, and Public Policy Chapter 5 Who submits to Whom? Submission and Mutuality in the Family Part 6 II. Mutuality Matters in Marriage Chapter 7 Between Rhetoric and Reality: Women and Men as Equal Partners in Home, Church, and the Marketplace Chapter 8 Gender Narratives and the Epidemic of Violence in Contemporary Families Chapter 9 Is Equality Tearing Families Apart? Chapter 10 Navigating Between Cultures: The Bicultural Family's Lived Realities Part 11 III. Mutuality Matters in the Family Chapter 12 Sloppy Mutuality: Just Love for Children and Adults Chapter 13 Over the River and through the Woods: Maintaining Emotional Presence across Geographical Distance Chapter 14 Honor Your Father and Your Mother: A New Look at "Family Values" Chapter 15 In Search of Goodenough Families: Cultural and Religious Perspectives Part 16 IV. Fostering Mutuality through Ministry Chapter 17 The Black Churches' Response to Father Absence in the African American Family Chapter 18 More than a Family Affair: Reflections on Baptizing Children Chapter 19 Conversion or Nurture: When We Thought the Debate Was Over Chapter 20 The Congregation as a Healing Community

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMatthew Levering has gathered some of the most insightful and beautiful texts in the Christian tradition concerning the art of dying in conformity to Christ. We attend to the engrossing accounts of the early martyrs, the lyrical, reflective texts of the church fathers, and the psychologically penetrating meditations of modern believers, and we learn from the saints how to die. This spiritually provocative book will prove beneficial, not only to scholars of Christianity, but also to pastors, catechists, and all those who minister to the dying. -- Rev. Robert Barron, associate professor of systematic theology, University of Saint Mary of the Lake and Sheed & Ward author of Bridging the GreOn Christian Dying has no single target audience, but may be useful for pastoral ministers, scholars, and those willing to contemplate the inevitable reality of death. -- Daniel J. Daly * The National Catholic Bioethics Center *Contemporary western cultures are marked by evasions and denials of the reality of death. Even within the churches, we attend more to funerals than to caring for people at the end of life. As a result, we have also lost a sense of dying as an art that is integrally connected to how we live and care for one another. This marvelous collection of Christian wisdom prophetically challenges us to confront what we would rather avoid, thereby stirring us to deeper and richer attention to what we really need: to recapture the life-giving art of dying. -- L. Gregory Jones, Dean of the Divinity School and Professor of Theology, Duke UniversityTable of ContentsPart 1 Introduction Chapter 2 St. Ignatius of Antioch Chapter 3 St. Polycarp of Smyrna Chapter 4 The Martyrs of Gaul Chapter 5 St. Anthony Chapter 6 St. Ambrose Chapter 7 St. Augustine Chapter 8 St. Thomas Aquinas Chapter 9 St. Catherine of Siena Chapter 10 St. Catherine of Genoa Chapter 11 St. Thomas More Chapter 12 St. John of the Cross Chapter 13 St. Francis de Sales Chapter 14 St. Joseph Cafasso Chapter 15 Blessed John Henry Newman Chapter 16 St. Therese of Lisieux

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Book SynopsisThis Catholic commentary on Romans interprets Scripture from within the living tradition of the Church for pastoral ministers, lay readers, and students.

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Book SynopsisRecounts the history and development of Jesuit higher education in the American South. R. Eric Platt hypothesises that the identity and mission of southern Jesuit colleges and universities may have functioned as catalytic concepts that affected the âœtown and gownâ relationships between the institutions and their host communities in ways that influenced whether they failed or adapted to survive.

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsList of Abbreviations | ix Introduction: Two Minds | 1 1 “Whiteness Visible”: Critical Whiteness Studies and O’Connor’s Fiction | 13 2 Race, Politics, and the Double Mind: Flannery’s Correspondence versus O’Connor’s Fiction | 36 3 Theology, Religion, and Race: Constant Conversion and the Beginning of Vision | 70 4 “Africanist Presence” and the Role of Black Bodies | 97 5 The Failure and Promise of Communion | 125 Acknowledgments | 145 Works Cited | 149 Index | 155

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