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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewReviews for the 1984 edition of Action: “Blondel’s masterwork, Action, remains a philosophical classic. It is a book that should be read by every mature philosopher and theologian.” —International Philosophical Quarterly “This translation by Oliva Blanchette is very welcome and quite readable. . . . [His] introduction is excellent and provides a clear and thorough preparation for the uninitiated reader.” —Philosophy of Religion “This translation of Blondel’s critique of life, [his] guide to living, is the best introduction to the man and his important kind of thinking, with a special eloquence and moving force in the reading of the whole.” —Religious Studies Review

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Book SynopsisAs ecological degradation continues to threaten permanent and dramatic changes for life on our planet, the question of how we can protect our imperiled Earth has become more pressing than ever before. In this book, Daniel Scheid draws on Catholic social thought as the foundation for a new type of interreligious ecological ethics, which he calls the cosmic common good, that sees humans as just a part of the greater whole of the cosmos. The cosmic common good emphasizes the instrumental and intrinsic value of nature and the integral connection between religious practice and the pursuit of the common good.Scheid begins his analysis by rooting his vision of the cosmic common good in the classical doctrines of creation found in the works of Augustine and Thomas Aquinas and in Thomas Berry''s interpretation of the evolutionary cosmic story. He goes on to explore conceptions of a cosmic common good in other traditions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and American Indian religion. Scheid demonstraTrade ReviewThe Cosmic Common Good will be a fine addition to academic libraries and highly appropriate for use in undergraduate courses on ethics, ecological studies, world religions, and comparative religions. The mix of primary and secondary sources Scheid engages competently provide excellent beginnings for scholarly research. Also helpful for advancing research are his informative endnotes, extensive bibliography, and index. * Jame Schaefer, Journal of Religion *This volume will be a valuable addition to the undergarduate, graduate, and seminary courses in ecological ethics, potentially opening the way towards more robust interreligious converstion about ecological concerns and providing the necessary methodological tools. * Margaret R. Pfeil, Journal of Catholic Social Thought *Scheid creates an innovative amalgam of ancient and modem theological insights and is to be lauded for attempting to overcome some of the inherent difficulties of hammering out a common interreligious ecological ethic by proposing a theoretical framework for a worldview that is centered on the cosmic common good. This kind of unity is precisely what the world needs if humanity is going to overcome the ecological crisis that threatens its existence. * Jeremiah Vallery, Religious Studies Review *Given the suffering caused by ecological degradation to humans and other creatures alike, theology is tasked in our day to bring the natural world back into view as a subject of religious and moral importance. In this broadly researched and clearly written book, Scheid sets out to do just that with one keystone element of Catholic social teaching: the common good. Not only does he rethink features of this principle, expanding it in an ecological direction, but he places this principle in dialogue with Hindu, Buddhist, and American Indian traditions. The point of arrival is an interreligious vision of the cosmic common good which can serve as a basis for ethical action to protect the planet, or 'to care for God's creation' in Catholic language... Toward that end this book makes a superb contribution. * Elizabeth A. Johnson, Theological Studies *Table of ContentsPreface ; Acknowledgements ; Chapter One: The Cosmic Common Good as a Ground for Interreligious Ecological Ethics ; Part I: A Catholic Cosmic Common Good ; Chapter Two: A Catholic Cosmic Common Good: Overview and Prospects ; Chapter Three: Classical Sources for a Catholic Cosmic Common Good: Augustine and Thomas Aquinas ; Chapter Four: Thomas Berry and an Evolutionary Catholic Cosmic Common Good ; Chapter Five: Earth Solidarity ; Chapter Six: Earth Rights ; Part II: The Cosmic Common Good and Interreligious Ecological Ethics ; Chapter Seven: Comparative Theology and Ecological Ethics ; Chapter Eight: Hindu Traditions: Dharmic Ecology ; Chapter Nine: Buddhist Traditions: Interdependence ; Chapter Ten: American Indian Traditions: Balance with All Our Relations ; Conclusion: An Interreligious Cosmic Common Good ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisPresents an account of the most feared and the most mysterious of medieval heretics. A crusade was launched to uproot them in the south of France, the Inquisition was developed to suppress them, and St Dominic founded his friars to preach against them. This book studies the rise and fall of the heresy from the 12th-century to 15th-century.Trade Review"Catharism was the most radical of medieval heresies. Since it touched most areas of Europe in some degree, research on its character and fortunes makes formidable demands on the learning and linguistic ability of any scholar who tackles it, not to mention demands also on his judgement. Malcolm Lambert, well known for his lucid and authoritative writings on medieval heresy, is a match for this challenging task. His new book, The Cathars, is to be welcomed as the most comprehensive and up-to-date treatment of the subject now available in English." Alexander Murray, University College, London "Lambert's command of the literature and his ability to integrate it into a coherent narrative are unmatched. His book deserves to become the standard account of medieval Catharism." Medieval Review "This is the first comprehensive study in English of the most mysterious and radical of medieval heresies. Malcolm Lambert ... 'combines scholarly investigation with lucid narrative.'" TD Book Survey "Malcolm Lambert, with deep erudition allied to pristine sensitive prose, masterfully narrates [the] distinctive history [of] the cathars ... The Cathars ... is, quite simply, indispensible." Catholic Historical ReviewTable of ContentsList of Illustrations. List of Maps. Acknowledgements. Introduction. 1. The Little Foxes. 2. The First Cathars. 3. The Wise Man from the East. 4. The Growth of Catharism. 5. Innocent III, Heresy and Reform. 6. The First Inquisitors. 7. The Cathars of Languedoc. 8. The Battle for Souls in Italy. 9. The Suffocating of Catharism in Languedoc. 10. The Last Missionary. 11. The Decline of Italian Catharism. 12. Inertia and Survival: the Bosnian Church. Epilogue: The Legacy of Catharism. List of Abbreviations. Index.

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Book SynopsisBetween 1650 and 1750, four Catholic churches were the best solar observatories in the world. This book tells how these observatories came to be, how they worked, and what they accomplished, providing a magnificent corrective to long-standing oversimplified accounts of the hostility between science and religion.Trade Review[The] improbable tale [of an astrological instrument saving a church] is just one of the gems recovered by Heilbron in a book that lingers lovingly over these forgotten instruments. Once big science, now architectural curios not infrequently buried under flagstones and pews, gnomons (or meridian lines, as they are more properly called) lie at the luminous conjunction of mathematics, philosophy, architecture, astronomy and church politics. Dusted off in this idiosyncratic history of astronomy during the scientific revolution, they provide an occasion to revisit perennial questions about the relationship between science and religion, reason and faith...[Readers] will be surprised to discover what Heilbron shows: that the Catholic Church served as perhaps the largest patron of sophisticated astronomical research throughout the controversies over Copernicus and his sun-centered scheme. -- D. Graham Burnett * New York Times Book Review *Dr. Heilbron reveals the ubiquity of the solar observatories, which heretofore were little known among scholars. And he shows that the church was not necessarily seeking knowledge for knowledge's sake, a traditional aim of pure science. Rather, like many patrons, it wanted something practical in return for its investments: mainly the improvement of the calendar so church officials could more accurately establish the date of Easter. -- William J. Broad * New York Times *A book both elegant and learned, exploring the installation of vast (but often easily overlooked) astronomical instruments in major churches by authorities sometimes thought, wrongly, to have opposed astronomical research. * New York Times Book Review *In this elegant work, Heilbron recounts how in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the Roman Catholic Church fashioned several of its major cathedrals into precision instruments for studying the motions of the sun. The aim was to determine the time between vernal equinoxes, so that the dates for Easter could be forecast accurately...Heilbron, upending common views of the Church's relationship to science after it condemned Galileo, shows that Rome handsomely supported astronomical studies, accepting the Copernican hypothesis as a fiction convenient for calculation. * New Yorker *Heilbron's book tells of the struggle to determine dates more accurately, including a little-known aspect of the history of the calendar--the use of churches as giant sundials to make astronomical measurements. -- Kate Noble * Time *The historical perception of post-Renaissance Italian astronomy has become so over-charged with the Roman Catholic Church's condemnation of Galileo in 1633 that it is commonly assumed that no significant science took place south of the Alps until the 19th century. But, as John Heilbron's learned, elegant and finely phrased book reminds us, this was not the case...Though Heilbron supplies all the necessary geometry to demonstrate how the meridianae [(a solar measuring instrument)] were constructed and used within the great architectural masterpieces into which they were incorporated, his book is arranged and illustrated in such a way that non-mathematical persons can enjoy it. -- Allan Chapman * Times Higher Education Supplement *John Heilbron's book does tell a gripping story and with a splendid literary flair...By subtly inserting critical comments, the author evaluates the interactions of science in its gestation with the culture of those centuries and the repercussions that these interactions have has down to our own times. And so it becomes a story about people, and Heilbron tells it in a masterfully human way. -- George V. Coyne * Nature *In The Sun in the Church, historian John Heilbron argues convincingly that long-held interpretations [in astronomy] are too simplistic and must be revised...Heilbron tells an important story, one that is not so much neglected as unknown among historians of science. Even in histories of astronomy, there is usually only a passing reference to it. -- Albert Van Helden * Science *The spectacle of the image of the sun projected on meridian lines in several of the great Italian cathedrals is captured in the beautiful color plates highlighting this book...This excellent book explains the difficulties posed by the inconvenient lengths of the lunar month and solar year, and discusses how observations of the solar image crossing a precisely aligned mark could solve the problem...The book is well written. -- D. E. Hogg * Choice *Heilbron chronicles the ironic relationship between astronomy and the Catholic Church as it seeks the means to determine [the date for Easter]. This is the story of politically astute astronomers and cardinals who have to reconcile church doctrine with Galileo's universe...The text is filled with fine detail and is richly illustrated. An erudite and scholarly work. -- James Olson * Library Journal *J. L. Heilbron depicts the unusual intersection of architecture, science, ecclesiastical and civil history, mathematics and philosophy that led the church to construct the buildings only a few years after it martyred Galileo. Erudite, accessible and wryly humorous, Heilbron's engaging book is a first-rate work of science history. * Publishers Weekly *A fascinating history of astronomy that shows, as no other work has done so well, what happened to Italian science after Galileo's trial. An astonishing display of erudition and linguistic control, with a wealth of fine details, this is a major history that carves out a unique territory. -- Owen Gingerich, Harvard UniversityThe innumerate reader will learn much from Heilbron's book, and may come away with a different appreciation of the stars above us. -- Ingrid D. Rowland * New York Review of Books *He tells his story in rich detail, reconstructing characters and circumstances with ironic verve. His theme is the meridian lines (meridianae) laid down in the marble floors of cathedrals for quantifying the sun’s annual motion… Heilbron’s book is a treasure trove of fascinating information. -- Curtis Wilson * Isis *This excellent book adds a welcome complexity to the historiography of astronomy in the years after Galileo's abjuration allegedly brought Italian astronomy to its knees…Heilbron's book also reinterprets the relations of science and religion in the shadow of the Galileo affair. The novelty of his argument is neither that religion can stimulate astronomy…nor that ecclesiastical patronage encouraged learning…It is rather that the Church signally fertilized astronomy in an era when most historians portray the two as antagonists…[one] will appreciate the witty prose of the argument and the elegant design of this important book. -- Michael H. Shank * Renaissance Quarterly *The Sun in the Church: Cathedrals as Solar Observatories is a historical, well-documented, scholarly book concerned both with the use of churches in Italy during the 16th and 18th centuries to obtain observations of the sun for calendric and scientific purposes and with the relationship between the Church of Rome and the heliocentric views of many of the scientists of those times. -- Arnold M. Heiser * Science Books and Films *Heilbron combines the history of astronomy, mathematics, architecture, patronage, and religion to tell a story that very much alters the common picture of the progress in astronomy in the early modern period and the place of the Catholic Church in that history. The story is well told, and the mathematics is given in a way that could discourage only the most innumerate. -- Sheila J. Rabin * The Sixteenth Century Journal *J. L. Heilbron's remarkable book draws our attention to church users of a very different kind: early modern astronomers measuring the solar path to correct the shift of the ancient Julian calendar…The Sun in the Church tells their history in detail, alongside an exceptionally comprehensive and clear account of medieval and early modern astronomy…The Sun in the Church is an illuminous book, possibly as durable as the meridianae it celebrates. -- Sergio Sanabria * Technology and Culture *This book offers a different kind of travel guide for the 'mathematical tourist,' providing an itinerary of Italian cities and churches in which to find meridians, analemmas, armillary spheres and gnomons. These are good reminders of the role of the church in the history of science and testify to the fact that everything applied to the church, even the most apparently ornamental, served a didactic purpose. -- Paul A. Calter and Kim Williams * Nexus Network Journal *

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Book SynopsisThe One and the Many presents metaphysics as an integrated whole, drawing on on Aquinas' themes, structure, and insight.Trade Review“Both students and teacher will benefit from a highly readable account of major themes in Aquinas’ metaphysics. The material is presented in a way accessible to those unfamiliar with the formidable Aristotelian apparatus usually presumed in textbook presentations of Aquinas. Clarke divides his book into short, easily digestible chapters.” —Theological Studies“This is the book that many of us have long been waiting for: the systematic exposition of the Thomistically inspired but creative metaphysical system of one of the foremost philosophers in the Thomistic tradition. The work is not a recapitulation of standard Thomistic metaphysics so much as a re-creation, on Thomistic principles, of a contemporary metaphysical view that pushes Thomas’ principles to new developments and applications. Clarke stresses participation in the act of existence, substance as dynamic, system as a new metaphysical category, philosophic ramifications of evolution and relativity, and the great circle of being embodied in the universe. The book is well suited to both as a text in a course in metaphysics and as an historically conscious source of insights for the professional philosopher.” —James W. Felt, S.J., John Nobili Professor of Philosophy, Santa Clara University“This book is rich in metaphysical insight and suggestiveness. At the same time it manages to be a rigorous presentation of Thomistic metaphysics suitable to contemporary life.” —Encounter"Clarke has written a very interesting and provocative book, one that is likely to inspire future students to study metaphysics in the Thomistic tradition. We are especially indebted to Clarke for his willingness to engage modern science and his contribution to the revival of metaphysics as a systematic study." —The Thomist“W. Norris Clarke is one of the giants of North American Thomism. For over fifty years he has been a learned and illuminating interpreter of the metaphysics of Aquinas . . . in this book he provides the most comprehensive presentation to date of his distinctive philosophical and metaphysical thinking. Overall, Clarke had produced a most stimulating and thought-provoking book on the subject of metaphysics. It is replete with insights and written with a rare generosity of spirit which is most uplifting to read.” —The Heythrop Journal“[A] masterly account of the metaphysical system which he has worked out over a lifetime of historical research, teaching, and writing. Those who have been waiting for this account will not be disappointed. The One and The Manyis a very important book and its contribution to speculative metaphysics and to the Thomistic tradition is outstanding.” —Maritain Notebook“...crisp, clear and easy to understand metaphysical arguments. It presents a well-justified Thomistic metaphysical theory. The importance of this book goes far beyond that of a good Thomistic textbook. Its ahistorical approach should enable The One and the Many to become a voice in contemporary discussions of metaphysical issues.” —The Review of Metaphysics“After a lifetime in the study and teaching of philosophy, especially to undergraduates at Fordham University, Norris Clarke has produced a valuable textbook of metaphysics, inspired by St. Thomas, and adapted to issues of the present day. It does not just repeat what St. Thomas said, but retrieves it, completes it, appropriates it, and systematises it.” —Australasian Catholic Record“Norris Clarke is a master of metaphysics, and one to whom others can well appretice themselves, since he is himself so astute an apprentice of classical figures in philosophy. This intended advanced text for systematic metaphysics is just that: advanced yet pedagogically planned; systematic yet suffused with heart. A sterling example from an exemplary oeuvre.” — David Burrell, C.S.C.

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Book SynopsisWhat you are doing I cannot do, what I’m doing you cannot do, but together we are doing something beautiful for God, and this is the greatness of God’s love for us.” —Mother Teresa, from Where There Is Love, There Is God In this book, Mother Teresa’s relationship with God and her commitment to those she served—the poorest of the poor—is powerfully explored in her own words. Taken largely from her private lessons to her sisters, published here for the first time, Where There Is Love, There Is God unveils her extraordinary faith in, and surrender to, God’s will.Love is perhaps the word that best summarizes Mother Teresa’s life and message. She sought to be an extension of God’s heart and hands in today’s world. She was called to be a missionary of charity, a carrier of God’s love to each person she met, especially those most in need. Yet she did not think that t

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Book SynopsisA revelatory exploration of the Jewish roots of the Last Supper that seeks to understand exactly what happened at Jesus’ final Passover.   “Clear, profound and practical—you do not want to miss this book.”—Dr. Scott Hahn, author of The Lamb’s Supper and The Fourth Cup    Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist shines fresh light on the Last Supper by looking at it through Jewish eyes. Using his in-depth knowledge of the Bible and ancient Judaism, Dr. Brant Pitre answers questions such as: What was the Passover like at the time of Jesus? What were the Jewish hopes for the Messiah? What was Jesus’ purpose in instituting the Eucharist during the feast of Passover? And, most important of all, what did Jesus mean when he said, “This is my body… This is my blood”? To answer these questions, Pitre explores ancient Jewish beliefs about the

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Book SynopsisThe official new Sunday Missal in a classically beautiful red imitation leather binding.Collins Missal is currently the authorised Missal for the Irish Catholic Church and the Australian Catholic Church. It is no longer the authorised Missal for the Catholic Church in England and Wales.The Collins Sunday Missal is fully updated with the new, approved Order of Mass, perfect for anyone wishing to prepare for Sunday Mass and take an active part in its celebration.With a closer and more direct translation of the original liturgy, more detailed and explanatory commentary and additional readings to help prepare and collect after Mass, The Sunday Missal will aid a closer, more transcendent experience during Sunday worship.New illustrations in the Romanesque tradition, four firmly stitched in ribbons, clear design, and quality printing, make Collins' Sunday Missal a durable, beautiful book from which to worship

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Book SynopsisThis is not merely the only complete summary of Christian doctrine that St. Thomas has written, but also a creative and even revolutionary work of Christian apologetics composed at the precise moment when Christian thought needed to be intellectually creative in order to master and assimilate the intelligence and wisdom of the Greeks and the Arabs.

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Book SynopsisIn the 16th century, European missionaries brought a foreign religion to China. Converts transformed this religion into a local one. Focusing on the still-active Catholic communities of Fuan county in Fujian, this project's implications extend to the fields of religious and social history and early modern history of global intercultural relations.Trade ReviewIn this rich reconstruction of the Dominican mission to Fujian, Menegon exposes the delicate maneuverings by which ordinary people managed a major cultural divide. His intimate portrait shows us how, in one community, Christianity became an indigenous, and resilient, Chinese religion four centuries ago. -- Timothy Brook, University of British ColumbiaCombining a thorough mastery of Spanish missionary records and profound knowledge of Chinese sites and their sources, this book sets a new standard for the study of Catholic missions and cultural encounter in Late Imperial China. -- R. Po-chia Hsia, Pennsylvania State UniversityIn this elegant and erudite book, Menegon uncovers the lost history of a four-hundred-year-old Catholic community in China, showing brilliantly how Christianity has become localized, how it has become Chinese, how it has become part of local life. The book convincingly undermines the widespread notion that what is most important about Christianity in China is its foreignness. It needs to be read not only by scholars of Christianity but also by all scholars of late imperial China, who ignore Christianity at the expense of a full understanding of religious life. As the number of Christians grows explosively in China today, this book offers an invaluable account of the past and useful material for reflecting on the future. -- Michael Szonyi, Harvard UniversityTable of ContentsMaps and Figures Abbreviations and Acronyms Introduction: "Truly Unfathomable"? 1. Fuan Literati, Jesuits, and Spanish Friars 2. Becoming Local: Conflict with Gods and Ancestors, 1634-1645 3. The Golden Age of Opportunity, 1645-1723 4. Suppression and Persistence, 1723-1840s 5. The Christians of Fuan 6. Christian Religious Fellowship in Mindong: Priests, Rituals, and Lay Institutions 7. Filial Piety, Ancestral Rituals, and Salvation 8. Virginity, Chastity, and Sex Conclusion-Ruptures: Fuan After the Opium Wars Notes on Sources Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn Glory of the Logos in the Flesh, Michael Waldstein helps readers of Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body enter this masterwork with clearer understanding. Part One, designed for entry-level readers, is a map of John Paul’s text, a summary of each paragraph with an explanation of the order of the argument. Part Two reflects on the breadth of reason (logos) in Plato’s Republic, Aristotle’s Physics, and the Gospel of John, in contrast to the narrowing of reason in Luther, Bacon, and Descartes. Part Three shows how this breadth of reason is at work in John Paul’s dialogue with Thomas Aquinas, John of the Cross, Kant, and Scheler.

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Book SynopsisIt is impossible to understand the late Middle Ages without grasping the importance of The Golden Legend, the most popular medieval collection of saints' lives. Assembled for clerical use in the thirteenth century by Genoese archbishop Jacobus de Voragine, the book became the medieval equivalent of a best seller. This title deals with this book.Trade Review"Generally arranged in order of the church year, beginning with Advent, the saints' lives appear chronologically, thus representing liturgical time, calendar time, sanctoral time, and divine time--the latter organizing sacred history into four periods from creation to consummation... This interpretive book by a master will complement the original text for medievalists and their students."--Choice "A testament to Le Goff's deep understanding of and passion for the Middle Ages. He breathes new life into a frequently studied subject... In Search of Sacred Time offers both an innovative look into the past and the work of a historian whose research continues to influence successive generations of scholars. The vitality and spirit of ingenuity with which Le Goff describes the Golden Legend and its author is a reminder of the overall message of his scholarship."--Kristina Markman, Comitatus Praise for the French edition:"We too often forget that Christianity is not merely a belief or value system, but a conception of time sanctified by the coming of Christ... To understand this, there is nothing better than reading this new book by Jacques Le Goff."--Paul Francois Paoli, Le Figaro Litteraire Praise for the French edition:"Astonishing erudition and familiarity... With Jacques Le Goff there is one thing that we are sure not to waste. Our time."--Laurent Lemire, Le Nouvel ObservateurTable of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgments xv 1. Jacobus de Voragine in His Time 1 2. The Major Inspirations for Jacobus de Voragine 9 3. The Prologue and the Temporale 14 * The Prologue 14 * The Temporale 19 4. The Sanctorale 22 * Saintliness and Christianity 22 * Saints in the Golden Legend 24 * All Saints Day 26 5. The Time of Renewal 33 * Advent 33 * The Saints of Advent 35 * Saint Andrew, Apostle 36 * Saint Nicholas 39 * Saint Lucy, Virgin 45 * Saint Thomas, Apostle 47 6. The Time of Reconciliation and Pilgrimage 51 * The Birth of Our Lord: Jesus According to the Flesh 52 * Saint Anastasia 55 * Saint Stephen 56 * Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist 59 * The Holy Innocents 62 * Saint Thomas of Canterbury 63 * Saint Sylvester 65 * The Circumcision of the Lord and the Epiphany of the Lord 68 * Saint Paul, Hermit, and Saint Anthony 73 * Saint Paul 76 * Saint John the Almsgiver 81 7. The Time of Deviation 84 * From Septuagesima to Quadragesima 86 * The Ember Day Fasts 89 * The Passion of the Lord 90 * The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary 92 * The Annunciation of the Lord 95 * Saint Gregory, Saint Benedict, and Saint Patrick 96 8. The Time of Reconciliation 100 * The Ascension of the Lord 103 * The Holy Spirit 106 * The Finding of the Holy Cross 108 * The Greater and Lesser Litanies 111 * Saint Ambrose 113 * Saint George 115 * Saint Mark, Evangelist 117 * Saint Peter Martyr 118 9. The Time of Pilgrimage 121 * The Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary 122 * The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary 126 * The Exaltation of the Holy Cross 128 * The Finding of Saint Stephen, the First Martyr, and the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist 130 * Multiple Saints 132 * Saint Maurice and His Companions 133 * Saints Dionysius, Rusticus, and Eleutherius 135 * The Eleven Thousand Virgins 137 * The Four Crowned Martyrs 138 * Saint John the Baptist 139 * Saint Peter, Apostle 141 * Saint Paul, Apostle 142 * Saint Christopher 143 * Saint Dominic 144 * Saint Bernard 145 * Saint Augustine 148 * Saint Michael, Archangel 152 * Saint Jerome 154 * Saint Francis 156 * Saint Martin, Bishop 157 * Saint Elizabeth of Hungary 161 * Saint Catherine 164 * All Saints and the Commemoration of All Souls 165 * Saint Pelagius, Pope: The History of the Lombards 170 * The Dedication of a Church 176 Conclusion 181 Afterword 183 Notes 185 Bibliography 197 *1. Jacobus de Voragine and the Golden Legend 197 *2. Genoa in the Time of Jacobus de Voragine 199 *3. The "Beautiful" Thirteenth Century 200 *4. The Latin Legendaries 200 *5. The Dominicans in the Thirteenth Century 201 *6. Liturgy and Christian Time in the Middle Ages 201 *7. Christian Time in the Middle Ages 202 *8. Saints and Sanctity under Christianity 202 *9. Various Studies on Time 203 *10. Time and History 205 Index 207

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Book SynopsisFrom its beginnings, the Church has presented itself as a human phenomenon that carries the divine within it. This book is the final volume in McGill-Queen's University Press's trilogy of Luigi Giussani's writings, and explores the Church's definition of itself as both human and divine and evaluates the truth of this claim.

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Book Synopsis?This book will prove to be a most effective weapon… against the debunking and skeptical attitudes toward the Gospels that are so prevalent, not only in academe, but also on the street, among young people who, sadly, are leaving the Churches in droves.? ? Robert Barron, author of Catholicism For well over a hundred years now, many scholars have questioned the historical truth of the Gospels, claiming that they were originally anonymous. Others have even argued that Jesus of Nazareth did not think he was God and never claimed to be divine.In The Case for Jesus, Dr. Brant Pitre, the bestselling author of Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist, goes back to the sources?the biblical and historical evidence for Christ?in order to answer several key questions, including: ?Were the four Gospels really anonymous? ?Are the Gospels folklore? Or are they biographies? ?Were the four Gospels written too late to be reliable? ?What about the so-called ?Lost Gospels,? such as ?Q? and the Gospel of Thomas? ?Did Jesus claim to be God? ?Is Jesus divine in all four Gospels? Or only in John? ?Did Jesus fulfill the Jewish prophecies of the Messiah? ?Why was Jesus crucified? ?What is the evidence for the Resurrection? As The Case for Jesus will show, recent discoveries in New Testament scholarship, as well as neglected evidence from ancient manuscripts and the early church fathers, together have the potential to pull the rug out from under a century of skepticism toward the traditional Gospels. Above all, Pitre shows how the divine claims of Jesus of Nazareth can only be understood by putting them in their ancient Jewish context.

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Book SynopsisFull of wisdom, hope, and opportunities for contemplation, this elegant little book features more than 75 classic Christian prayers paired with beautiful illustrations taken from vintage missals and prayer books. Gorgeous representations of holy figures are accompanied by beloved litanies—including the Lord''s Prayer, Gloria, Prayer of Saint Francis, and the Apostle''s Creed—to recite in moments of celebration or times of need. Presented in an attractive package with gilded edges, a padded cover, and a lovely ribbon marker, this is a keepsake to be treasured by the newly confirmed or baptized and a timeless collection to turn to in all of life''s important moments.

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Book SynopsisA theologian and church historian walks readers through the Catechism of the Catholic Church, winsomely evaluating Roman Catholic doctrine and practice from the perspective of both Scripture and evangelical theology.

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Book SynopsisA sustained and systematic theological reflection on the idea that being a Christian is, first and last, a matter of the flesh, Christian Flesh shows us what being a Christian means for fleshly existence. Depicting and analyzing what the Christian tradition has to say about the flesh of Christians in relation to that of Christ, the book shows that some kinds of fleshly activity conform well to being a Christian, while others are in tension with it. But to lead a Christian life is to be unconstrained by ordinary ethical norms. Arguing that no particular case of fleshly activity is forbidden, Paul J. Griffiths illustrates his message through extended case studies of what it is for Christians to eat, to clothe themselves, and to engage in physical intimacy. Trade Review"Paul Griffiths, one of the few truly creative theologians of our time, has produced another brilliant and provocative work of speculative theology, demonstrating the centrality of the flesh to the mysteries and doctrines of the Christian faith and examining questions of the greatest significance today and always." -- Carol Zaleski * Smith College *"In this trenchant and careful theological treatment of our embodiment, Paul Griffiths puts the stress exactly where it should be put––on the possibility of transfigured touch. In doing so he does not shy away from the violence involved in all fallen caresses, nor the degree of caress that survives even in our violent touches. By focusing on the varieties of touch, he is able to untangle several unfortunate arguments between liberals and conservatives in a most refreshing way. One does not have to agree with all his conclusions to be immensely assisted by this book and grateful to him for writing it." -- John Milbank * University of Nottingham *"As ever, Paul Griffiths is almost alarming in his lucidity and intelligence. Very few theologians can boast a comparable combination of profound questioning and precise reasoning. This is a book worthy of the most serious reflection, debate, and admiration." -- David Bentley Hart * Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study *"Readers familiar with Paul J. Griffiths's work know they must be prepared to encounter provocation in his new book, Christian Flesh, for Griffiths is a provocateur in the best sense, someone who intends to leave the reader uncomfortable and thereby provoke conversation. Griffiths enjoys a good scrap of the clarifying kind, and in this book I think he has invited readers of various stripes to a variety of good scraps....This book has prompted me to ponder the issues it raises more deeply, for which I have its provocative author to thank." -- John Cavadini * Commonweal Magazine *"Christian Flesh can help Christians of all persuasions to think deeply and theologically about the body, and what it means to live as a faithful body cleaved to Jesus in the sacraments. Griffiths is driven by theology, not by the latest arguments from the political, legal, and scientific sphere, and in that, his work is both enriching and refreshing." -- Aaron Klink * Anglican Theological Review *"Christian Flesh possesses an integrity and exhaustiveness that evades condensed representation. There is much to recommend its reading, and I would struggle to find any reservations for recommending it. The writing is approachable, even when dense, and its honesty and transparency are commendable." -- Jonathan M. Platter * Reading Religion *"Christian Flesh is supremely lucid and beautifully austere....[In this review,] I have covered only a sample of the provocative, inventive, and profound speculations that make up Christian Flesh. I suspect its influence will be felt for many years as scholars work through its implications and pursue its many fascinating leads." -- Evan Sandsmark * Modern Theology *"[T]hose provocative proposals which linger with and even agitate the reader long after the turn of the last page – are among the cardinal reasons why [Griffiths's] books deserve close, careful attention. He has given us much to ponder in Christian Flesh, and in doing so has provided a model of well-reasoned, stimulating and enduring theology." -- R. David Nelson * International Journal of Systematic Theology *Table of ContentsContents and Abstracts1Flesh Devastated chapter abstractThis chapter distinguishes body from flesh and shows the latter to be, first, haptic, which is to say constituted and maintained as flesh by touch in its many varieties; second, self-contiguous and bounded, separated in fact and experience from other bodies of flesh, while also located in time and space; third, a gift received from the caresses of others, without which flesh can neither come to be as such, nor continue in being; and fourth, fragile and mortal, located in a world in which fleshly pain is a constant threat and a frequent companion, and in which death, the end of flesh, is always close at hand. 2Flesh Transfigured chapter abstractThis chapter shows what human flesh would be like were it not damaged, and does so from a Christian point of view, by describing the flesh of Jesus Christ during the period from his conception to his death on the cross (natal flesh), from his resurrection to his ascension (resurrected flesh), and from his ascension onwards (ascended flesh). As natal flesh, the book argues, his flesh was exempt from the ordinary damage of pain and mortality except as these served particular purposes. The chapter shows, in its analysis of this and its engagement with counterviews, that human flesh's ordinary subjection to these things isn't essential to it, and begins to sketch what flesh would be like were it not so subject. 3Flesh Cleaved chapter abstractThis chapter shows what it means for human flesh to cleave to—to be made intimate with, incorporated into—the flesh of Christ through baptism. Baptism is depicted as a matter of the flesh and as an act that newly relates the flesh of the baptized to Christ's flesh. Paul's discussion of these matters in the Corinthian correspondence is interpreted, with special attention to what it means to say that the Christian's bodily members are, analogically and participatorily, Christ's. Being intimate with one kind of flesh—namely Christ's—means that some other kinds of fleshly intimacy are ruled inappropriate; the scriptural language of fornication and idolatry is presented and discussed as a way of clarifying this, and the chapter argues that appropriate Christian fleshly conduct is better presented by way of hagiography—writing the lives of those who exhibit it—than by way of argument or codification. 4Clothes chapter abstractThis chapter shows what it is to be clothed, and what functions the wearing of clothes serve in human life. It shows the importance of nakedness in baptism and argues that there is no distinctively or properly Christian clothing: no clothes intrinsically proper to, or improper for, Christian flesh. Local sartorial conventions, however, may be observed by Christians, and should be unless they carry with them a signal that they are more than conventional by being rooted in the order of being. If they carry that signal—as locally gender-specific modes of dress, for example, often do—then they can become both fornicatory and idolatrous. The chapter argues that Christians have a radical freedom with respect to dress because of their cleaving to the flesh of Christ. 5Food chapter abstractThis chapter shows what it is to eat and drink and asks what is appropriate in that sphere for Christian flesh. There are, for Christians, no forbidden foods, and none required. All are on a par at least in that all eating is intimate with slaughter (whether of plants or animals). The sole exception is eucharistic eating, and this shows that all non-eucharistic eating ought to be accompanied by lament as well as by delight. Fasting is analyzed, depicted as a proper Christian response to this situation, and articulated with both eschatology and eucharistic theology. Gluttony and other forms of scandalous eating are treated, and the mistakes evident in them shown. 6Caresses chapter abstractThis chapter analyzes the varieties of human fleshly exchange as these appear to Christians. Fleshly contacts fall on a spectrum from the life-giving caress to the life-taking wound. Fleshly wounding is concupiscent: it seeks domination and control, and caresses of this kind are inappropriate, it is argued, for Christian flesh, while celibacy and virginity are depicted as characteristically Christian modes of responding to the connection between copulation and death. But there are no caresses whose form specifically forbids them to Christians, and this is argued with respect to three examples: masturbation, cunnilingus, and sodomy. The topics treated in this chapter are framed by and aimed at a depiction of caressing the flesh of Jesus, with which the chapter concludes.

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