Pope Benedict XVI Ponders Faith with the Church’s Most Profound Thinkers

Minneapolis (June 26, 2011) – Fortress Press announced today the July release of Great Christian Thinkers: From the Early Church Through the Middle Ages by Pope Benedict XVI.

 

In brief portraits, Pope Benedict XVI offers engaging, perceptive, and edifying sketches of some of the great thinkers and writers of Christianity, from early Christianity through the high Middle Ages.

 

Pope Benedict discusses notable theologians from East and West but also many figures whose primary witness was as ascetics, poets, mystics, and missionaries. His pieces are not only illuminating historical sketches but also often surprisingly personal reflective meditations on the perennial changes of theology, spirituality, devotion, and corporate religious life—in short, of thinking about and wrestling daily with the mysteries that envelop all our lives and struggles.

 

Always with an eye to their deepest religious convictions and struggles, the Holy Father presents these great thinkers’ importance for the church and for Christian life today. 

 

Key Points:

·         Pope Benedict XVI reflects on many of the chief theologians and writers of the Christian faith

·         Accessible, open-minded look at the tradition

·         For Catholics and Protestants alike

 

Pope Benedict XVI was, as Joseph Ratzinger, already a distinguished theologian and professor of theology at the Universities of Münster, Tübingen, and Regensburg and author of more than seventy-five books in biblical, historical, and theological aspects of Christianity before his election as pope in 2005.

 

Great Christian Thinkers: From the Early Church Through the Middle Ages

Pope Benedict XVI

Fortress Press

Readers:  General readers; students of History of Christianity

ISBN: 978-0-8006-9851-5

Price: $16.99

Specs: 328 pp; 5.5 x 8.5”; paper; perfect; 4-c cover with French flaps

Pub. Date: July 2011

 

To order visit www.fortresspress.com

 

or call (800) 328-4648.

To receive further information about the book or a gratis review copy (for media) please contact Bob Todd at  BT@BobToddPublicity.com.

###

The Mystery of Faith by Tadeusz Dajczer - Book Review

The Mystery of Faith by  Tadeusz Dajczer, published by Paraclete Press

First appearing in its original Polish in late 2007, The Mystery of Faith quickly sold through six printings in Poland. It is now available in English, and will soon to be published in German, Russian, and Lithuanian.

Fr. Dajczer invites us to reflect on the the great mystery of the eucharistic presence of Christ and on the obstacles that prevent us from being fully aware of this presence. This is not an abstract theological treatise, but a deeply personal invitation to live the Eucharist and to grow into the grace of faith that will open us to the love of God flowing from the altar.



A little treasure to read and to re-read slowly, prayerfully.

New Catholic Edition of the Bible for Youth

Harper Catholic Bible, in partnership with Our Sunday Visitor Curriculum Division, has recently published a new Catholic edition of the Bible for youth: LIVE - NRSV Catholic Edition: Youth Bible, Catholic Edition

The aim of this edition is to offer an interactive space for teens so that they can not only read the Bible, but also respond to what they read in a personalized way. In addition to the text, each book features content (poems, art, photography) created by teens for teens, as well as space to doodle, interact with the scripture and study notes to understand better and dig deeper into the readings or to encourage teens to live out Catholic teachings.

The study notes are age sensitive and often contain bits of humor that teens will appreciate. The book is also interspersed with "Profiles of Faith" - short biographical notes on witnesses of the faith, sections called "Real Questions" with tough questions that teens face and straight answers in a language they would understand. Short, meaningful and pertinent quotations from saints or well known personalities abound. Brief features called "Reality Check" are found in each book of the Bible. These are meant to help teens see how the Bible is connected to their everyday life. There are also a number of short articles called "Jesus Sighting" showing how the Old Testament connects to the New Testament.

Each book of the Bible is introduced by brief answers to the questions who? What? Where? When? These are followed by a few paragraphs highlighting how this book invites us to discipleship.

In the appendices there are thematic Bible reading plans - readings are suggested to reflect on biblical prayer, social justice, journeying with Jesus, or as meditations for Advent, Lent or Easter.Also included in the appendices is a NRSV Concordance.

In thumbing through this Bible, I was impressed by the large number and the creativity and talent evidenced in the poems, art works and photos of the teens who contributed to the project.

There are, in my opinion, a few minor weaknesses in the presentation of this edition of the Bible. Some of the featured articles are highlighted with a light blue background. When the font color used is white, the text is a bit harder to read. The paper is quite thin and the illustrations or text are occasionally (rarely) slightly visible on the flip page. All of the photographs are in black and white. I could not help but wonder how much more appealing color photographs would have been. Most of these shortcomings were no doubt the result of wanting to keep the cost of the Bible down and to offer a book that was not overly bulky.   

When considering all that this edition of the Bible has to offer to teens, these shortcomings are small indeed and I would not hesitate to recommend it wholeheartedly. I am in fact a bit jealous that there is not a comparable edition of the Bible for adults. I would certainly enjoy using such a well conceived tool!

I Loved Jesus in the Night

I just finished reading a wonderful little book on Mother Teresa by Paul Murray O.P. : I Loved Jesus in the Night: Teresa of Calcutta-A Secret Revealed.

The inside jacket of the book introduces its content in these words:

"The world was shocked when the letters of Mother Teresa were published last year [2007] for the first time. The media focused attention at once on the unexpected phenomenon of darkness in the life of the saint, the astonishing revelation that, for decades, Mother Teresa had struggled mightily with belief in God. To some, this seemed to lend support to the arguments of the "new atheists." But what we are offered in this beautiful book is, at last, a serious grappling with the deeper meaning of her darkness, a work of sharp and unusual insight, written by someone who knew her."

I would add to this that it is not simply something about Mother Teresa that is revealed in this book, but something about God and his presence in our world today. It is God who calls and transforms a person that the Church will one day recognize as a saint. It is God who invites that person to a specific mission; and that mission is always to be God's presence in the world. In Mother Teresa the "secret" that "is revealed" is that God so wishes to be with the poorest of the poor, the unloved, the forgotten, the rejected that he accepts to enter into their dark nights to be close to them.

Related: Online resources on Mother Teresa

How to Pray with the Bible

Praclete Press has recently published a new edition of a book by Page McKean Zyromski: How to Pray with the Bible. Mrs McKean Zyromski obviously personally delights in reading and praying the Bible and that delight is contagious. She is a seasoned teacher having taught Scripture classes with adults and children for over 30 years. As with all masterful teachers, she manages to communicate her knowledge and wisdom in very concrete ways, effectively connecting Bible passages to everyday life, and providing practical means for readers to enter into the experience of "Praying with the Bible". Although the book is intended for an adult audience, teachers and catechists will find much in this little book that they can easily adapt and use with their students.

Page McKean Zyromski has published six books and is a former contributor to Catechist.

Best Catholic Books

Best Catholic Books is the blog of Sister Julia Darrenkampf, fsp where she posts (mostly) book reviews (text and videos). Her profile reads as follows:

A book is a dangerous thing: it can change your life! I became a Catholic because of a book. And I became a nun because of a bookstore--the Daughters of St. Paul bookstore in Philadelphia. And for 30 years, I've lived in a bookstore! (It's the perfect life for a book addict like me.) If you don't have some of the books I mention here, just write to me. As I said, I live in a bookstore!

Religious Book Search and Preview

Google has developed a new online tool called “Google Book Search”. As the title of this tool suggests, it allows you to locate books through a sophisticated search engine. One of the nice features of this tool is that, in many cases, you can preview parts of the books you locate. Publishers have given Google permission to make available several pages or chapters of books so that one can explore their content before deciding whether or not to buy them. Also available on this site are full downloadable versions of some books for which the copyright has expired.

I explored the search functions to see what types of Catholic books I could find. Below are links to a sampling of the hundreds of books that you can preview:

Pilgrim Fellowship Of Faith: The Church As Communion
A collection of past writings of the newly-elected Pope.

The Catholic Church: Journey, Wisdom, and Mission by Carl Koch
A one-semester course for eleventh- and twelfth-grade students.

The Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth by Brian Singer-Towns, Janet Claussen, Clare VanBrandwijk

Confirmed in a Faithful Community: Immediate Preparation Edition by Laurie Delgatto, Saint Mary's Press

Holy Terrors and Gentle Souls: Stories about the Saints by Stephanie Weller Hanson

Review of Religion Products for Catholic Educators - June 2007

The June edition of the Latest Scoop is now available on the Resources for Catholic Educators Web site. This is a regularly-updated column with the latest information on textbooks and their revisions gleaned from the publishers. It is compiled by Deb, the religion product specialist from Communication Center, a full-service distributor of textbooks and Bibles to Catholic churches and schools around the country.

A guide to Following Jesus for Children

I recently received a copy of The Imitation of Christ for Children: A Guide to Following Jesus by Elizabeth Ficocelli, published by Paulist Press.

I must admit that the title initially raised some doubts in my mind: granted the Imitation of Christ is a great Catholic classic, but I could not help but wonder how it could speak to young children today.

My skepticism was quickly dispelled, however, as soon as I started reading this delightful little book. It is filled with concrete images and real-life examples that, I am certain, will speak to children 8-12. It is obvious that Ficocelli knows and love children and understands how to share with them her love of Christ in very simple but effective ways.

She follows the structure of Kempis’ work in four chapters:

1. Making Jesus the Leader
2. Becoming a Better Follower
3. Getting Closer to Jesus
4. Jesus Leads Us to Holy Communion

A final chapter for parents and teachers provides highlights of each chapter and suggestions of activities and questions for each section.

This is a wonderful little book written by a master teacher.

You can find out more about Elizabeth Ficocelli and about other books she has published n her Web site at http://www.elizabethficocelli.com/