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New Outpouring of the Spirit
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger The volume consists of two fundamental texts by Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, on the ecclesial movements and new communities within the Church since the Second Vatican Council. These writings are particularly meaningful with regard to the intense spiritual journey which the ecclesial movements and the new communities are experiencing in view of their meeting with Pope Benedict XVI on Pentecost 2006. These writings are a precious guide for the entire Church, leaders and laity alike, who are invited to welcome the new "outpourings of the Spirit". The first part of the book presents in an articulate and exhaustive way the theological vision of the Pope on these ecclesial movements and the new communities. It is his talk titled Church Movements and their Place in Theology which he gave at the beginning of the World Congress of the Ecclesial Movements in Rome in 1998. It combines extraordinary theological depth with a warm pastoral tone. The second part of the book is very different from the first, but complements the first part. It contains the dialogue of Cardinal Ratzinger with a large group of Bishops from all continents, convened together for a seminar on the topic, The Ecclesial Movements in the Pastoral Concern of the Bishops held in Rome in 1999. This dialogue format was very favorably received by the Bishops, and it is quite wide-ranging, touching on topics such as the relation between the old and the new charisms, the institutional dimension and the charismatic dimension of the Church, and the Church's mission in a non-Christian society and more. 
Seek that Which is Above
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger In this beautifully illustrated book, Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) gives us profound meditations on what our life in Christ should be like as it is lived through the various Seasons and Feasts of the liturgical the year. This book also includes thoughts on other spiritual and secular themes such as the true nature of peace, why it is difficult for so many to experience joy, the relationship between spirit and matter, vacation and rest, etc. These inspiring insights from the man who became Pope, show how Joseph Ratzinger's deeply spiritual and theological experience, together with his wide literary and cultural interests are a gift to the Church in the modern world. Here is a shepherd leading the faithful entrusted to his care to deep springs of refreshing, life giving water. Within the pages of this gem of a book, readers from all backgrounds will find helpful and encouraging wisdom which can be referred to again and again. It is a perfect gift, as well as inspirational and instructive spiritual reading for oneself throughout the year. 
Jesus, the Apostles and the Early Church
Pope Benedict XVI Based on Pope Benedict XVI's weekly teaching on the relationship between Christ and the Church, this book tells the drama of Jesus' first disciples--his Apostles and their associates--and how they spread Jesus' message throughout the ancient world. Far from distorting the truth about Jesus of Nazareth, insists Pope Benedict, the early disciples remained faithful to it, even at the cost of their lives. Beginning with the Twelve as the foundation of Jesus' re-establishment of the Holy People of God, Pope Benedict examines the story of the early followers of Christ. He draws on Scripture and early tradition to consider such important figures as Peter, Andrew, James and John, and even Judas Iscariot. Benedict moves beyond the original Twelve to discuss Paul of Tarsus, the persecutor of Christianity who became one of Jesus' greatest disciples. Also considered are Stephen, the first Christian martyr, Barnabas, Timothy, Titus, the wife and husband "team" of Priscilla and Aquila, and such key women figures as Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Phoebe. Jesus, the Apostles and the Early Church is a fascinating journey back to the origins of Christianity. It reveals how Jesus' earliest disciples faithfully conveyed the truth about the "Jesus of history" and how they laid the foundations for the Church, through whom people today can know the same Jesus. 
God and His Image: An Outline of Biblical Theology
Dominique Barthélemy, O.P. Fr. Dominique Barthélemy, O.P. was an internationally recognized expert on Old Testament studies and a member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. In this highly acclaimed work he dispenses with the technical language of exegesis and linguistics and speaks more simply and directly--as a priest, a teacher, a believer--about the heart of the Biblical message. This work is a beautiful and inspiring introduction to the spiritual teaching of the Old Testament, a book that will greatly help believers to hear the renewing and rejuvenating Word of God with deepened understanding and appreciation. This is a book about the close relationship between God and man. It is about the long history of God's love for man and the struggles that man has had in remaining faithful to God and keeping intact the divine image in which he was created. Barthélemy's purpose here is to present what God says about himself and about those made in his image (man) in the inspired texts of Scripture. Fr. Barthélemy helps us see the profound unity between the Old and New Testaments, and he shows how the Old Testament is a necessary and valuable light for men of faith today. This powerful work by an acclaimed Biblical and spiritual writer will enkindle the heart and enlighten the mind of modern man to see who God really is and who we truly are in God's eyes, helping us to understand the full extent of our deep need for God and knowledge of our ultimate purpose in life. 
An Invitation to Faith: An A to Z Primer on the Thought of Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI As soon as he was elected to the Papacy, Benedict XVI immediately challenged the relativism of our times that rejects God, that sees nothing as definitive, and that, according to the Pope, sets as the ultimate yardstick the individual's own ego and desires alone. The Pope offers instead an opposing standard: Christ, the Son of God, the true man. The Pope's words are rousing and demand an examination of conscience. His words are meant for all. With strong words, Benedict XVI invites us to place God at the center of our lives. Thus, this book is a selection of key words from the teachings of the Holy Father since he began his Pontificate, presented in alphabetical order. Each key word leads to an inspiring and insightful meditation from the Pope on various important spiritual themes and topics. Benedict XVI invites us in these words to become daily actors in the real revolution that comes from God and is called Love. This volume is a handy little primer on the thought of the beloved Pontiff in which the reader can pick out any key word or topic form the alphabetical order of meditations throughout the book to meditate and focus on. 
Pope Benedict XVI: The Conscience of Our Age
Fr. D. Vincent Twomey, S.V.D. Fr. D. Vincent Twomey, a former doctoral student of Joseph Ratzinger and long time friend of the Pope, felt the need to respond to the common question he heard often after the papal election, "What kind of person is the new Pope?" So often Twomey had read false depictions of both the man and his thought, especially the image presented by the media as a grim enforcer. Twomey offers here a unique double-presentation of the man, Pope Benedict XVI--a "theological portrait" that encompasses both an overview of the writings, teachings and thought of the brilliant theologian and spiritual writer, as well as the man himself, and his personality traits and how he communicates with others. Twomey shows that the secret to the serene dignified behavior of Benedict is that he is open to beauty as much as truth, that he lives outside himself, and is not preoccupied with his own self. He also is a man that Twomey says "has the courage to be imperfect", showing he has a deep humility and strives for teaching the truth even when misunderstood or not presented as well as he would like. Fr. D. Vincent Twomey, S.V.D., holds a PH.D. in Theology and is a Professor of Moral Theology at the Pontifical University at St. Patrick's College in Ireland. He is the author of several books including his most recent acclaimed study on the state of Irish Catholicism, The End Of Irish Catholicism? 
Good News, Bad News: Evangelization, Conversion, and The Crisis of Faith
Fr. C. John McCloskey, III, and Russell Shaw Fr. John McCloskey has become a famous "convert maker" in the powerful corridors close to the White House. Having run the Catholic Information Center in the heart of Washington, DC from 1998 to 2004, McCloskey had direct contact with numerous well-known and lesser-known Washington figures. Among well-known Catholic converts instructed by Fr. McCloskey are Senator Sam Brownback, publisher Alfred Regnery, Dr. Bernard Nathanson, journalist Robert Novak and many others. This work is a joint effort of McCloskey and Russell Shaw, the widely read Catholic author, speaker, and former communications director for the U.S. bishops. Drawing on moving, firsthand accounts of conversions, this book combines personal testimony, solid theology, and effective methods of communicating the Catholic Faith. Father C. John McCloskey, III, STD is a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei and a research Fellow at the Faith and Reason Institute. He has served as a Catholic chaplain at Princeton University and as director of the Catholic Information Center in Washington. His articles have appeared in such publications as Catholic World Report, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Russell Shaw is the author of eighteen books and is the former information director of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference and Knights of Columbus. He is also a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, the father of five and the grandfather of nine. 
Ronald Knox as Apologist: Wit, Laughter and the Popish Creed
Fr. Milton Walsh Throughout the first half of the 20th century, both as an Anglican and as a Roman Catholic, Ronald Knox was a well-known part of the English literary landscape. He was a favored preacher for occasions great and small; his articles on a host of topics found a place in the newspapers and monthly literary magazines; his voice was heard often on the BBC. Most significant was the tide of books that flowed from his pen and found a wide readership in Great Britain and the USA. In this book, Milton Walsh, an expert on Knox's writing, has analyzed and provided ample quotations from the most significant writings of Knox that fall under the genre of apologetics. Knox was a superb apologist because as a priest he was a man of deep faith, and as a writer he had a wonderful way of expressing the Christian truths in an elegant and clear language. Knox was also a man with a grand sense of humor and a keen wit, as well as empathy and kindness, and both his humor and charity are captured well in these writings. Ronald Knox stands alongside G. K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, and Evelyn Waugh as a great spiritual and literary British writer whose works are once again receiving wide readership and appreciation. Milton Walsh, a priest of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, wrote his dissertation on Ronald Knox and is a longtime reader and researcher of the works of Knox. Ronald Knox wrote numerous popular spiritual and literary works including The Belief of Catholics, Captive Flames, The Hidden Stream and Pastoral and Occasional Sermons. For a bio and full listing of his books published by Ignatius Press, visit his IgnatiusInsight.com author page. 
The Retrial of Joan of Arc: The Evidence for Her Vindication
Regine Pernoud This book is the first English language book about the retrial of Joan of Arc: and clearly the best, based firmly on the testimonies given at the retrial. Written by the renowned French historian, Regine Pernoud, it uses extensive excerpts from the people who actually knew Joan, bringing to life this great woman and her powerful story. The whole tremendous and fascinating historical story is told here by her childhood playmates and relatives, her royal and noble friends, her confessor, her valet, her squires and heralds, and her fellow soldiers. Included also are excerpts from some of her enemies: their presence here lends even a more powerful authenticity to her story than if we had only heard from her friends and supporters. As we follow Pernoud through her remarkably clear, detailed tracing of this history told by living tongues, weaving the testimonies together, we begin to share with her the experience of those men who were making the investigation of Joan. Pernoud's method is direct and knowledgeable, and dedicated to the discovery and presentation of the mystical truth. Regine Pernoud, a renowned French archivist and historian, was among the great medievalists of our time, and the success of her books has helped to bring the Middle Ages closer to us. She was the conservator of the Museum of Rheims, and then of the National Archives and eventually she became the director of the Jeanne d'Arc Center at Orleans. She is the author of the popular historical works Those Terrible Middle Ages!, Martin of Tours, and The Crusaders. 
No Place for God: The Denial of the Transcendent in Modern Church Architecture
Moyra Doorly Once modern science declared the emptiness and meaninglessness of a strictly material universe, it was only a matter of time before architects would adopt the new understanding of space, that is to say that no space is special because none is any different or better than any other. In their quest to adapt to and speak to the present age, Catholics over the last forty years have unquestioningly allowed the trends in modern architecture to fashion their churches, and the outcome has been the construction of the ugliest and emptiest churches in history, according to author Moyra Doorly, an architect from England. In No Place for God, Doorly traces the principles of modern architecture to the ideas of space that spread rapidly during the twentieth century. She sees a parallel between the desacralization of the heavens, and consequently of our churches, and the mass inward search for a god of one's own. This double movement--away from the transcendent God, who reveals himself to man through Scripture and tradition, and toward an inner truth relevant only to oneself--has emptied our churches, and the worship that takes place within them, of the majesty and beauty that once inspired reverence in both believers and unbelievers alike. In non-technical language accompanied by photographs, Doorly explains what has gone wrong with our churches and suggests a simple way to begin rectifying it. Moyra Doorly, an architect who lives in England, is also a Catholic journalist and writer in the UK. She has written for various popular publications including The Guardian, the New Statesman, Tatler, and the Fortean Times. 
Mother Benedict: Foundress of the Abbey of Regina Laudis
Antoinette Bosco This is the inspiring story of Mother Benedict Duss and the famous Benedictine monastery she founded in Bethlehem, Connecticut, the Abbey of Regina Laudis, a large flourishing community of contemplative Benedictine nuns. The Abbey is home to many accomplished women from all walks of life and fields of study. Perhaps the most famous is former Hollywood film star, Dolores Hart, who shocked the film world when she left a successful movie career at the age of 25 to become a contemplative Benedictine. The heart of this book is the amazing story of Mother Benedict Duss, who was born in America but went to France and became a medical doctor in Paris, but left that profession to become a Benedictine contemplative. Through the liberating efforts from Hitler's Nazi regime by Patton's army in France, she felt an overwhelming interior call to return to America to found the first community of contemplative Benedictine nuns. At the young age of 32, with incredible faith, courage and the help of Popes, politicians, famous writers, and many others, she persevered in her call. Lavishly illustrated with photos. Antoinette Bosco has been an award-winning journalist and writer for newspapers and magazines for over 25 years, including Woman's Day, Parade, Guideposts, Readers Digest and Ladies Home Journal. She has appeared on over 20 television shows and is the author of 14 books, including America At War: World War I, and Choosing Mercy: A Mother of Murder Victims Pleads to End the Death Penalty. 
Lovely Like Jerusalem: The Fulfillment of the Old Testament in Christ and the Church
Aidan Nichols, O.P. "You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, lovely like Jerusalem." -- Song of Songs The highly regarded spiritual writer and theologian Fr. Aidan Nichols, O.P. presents an overview of the Old Testament by showing what it is and its relationship to the New Testament. He explains that it is essential for one to be familiar with the Old Testament in order to understand properly, and in a deeper way, the richness and message of the New. In particular, Fr. Nichols shows how important it is to grasp that connection in order to understand better and to believe in the message and the person of Christ. Ignorance of the Old Testament makes it impossible to comprehend the entire divine plan that stretches between the two Testaments. Nichols maintains that we are ill-equipped to read and understand the great theologians, saints, and Scripture commentators of the Christian era without a deep familiarity with the Old Testament. Even understanding and appreciating the art of the Church remains limited if the Old Testament is a closed book for us. Nichols made use of studies by biblical experts from various Christian denominations--notably Evangelicals and Anglicans--in writing this widely appealing work. He also drew on the Fathers and Doctors of the Church to help illuminate the beauty of the relationship between the two Testaments. "In this marvelous work of biblical theology and patristic ressourcement, Aidan Nichols illumines the pattern of God's promises in salvation history in a manner that will be accessible and informative to students, pastors, and scholars. Other than Pope Benedict XVI, no theologian writing today has mastered so well the approach to Scripture set forth by such giants as Jean Danielou, Louis Bouyer, and Henri de Lubac. This book should be read by everyone who seeks an understanding of Scripture and of the early Christian Fathers." -- Matthew Levering, Associate Professor of Theology, Ave Maria University Fr. Aidan Nichols, O.P., a Dominican priest, is currently the John Paul II Memorial Visiting Lecturer, University of Oxford; has served as the Robert Randall Distinguished Professor in Christian Culture, Providence College; and is a Fellow of Greyfriars, Oxford. He has also served as the Prior of the Dominicans at St. Michael's Priory, Cambridge. Father Nichols is the author of numerous books including Looking at the Liturgy, Holy Eucharist, and The Thought of Benedict XVI. 
Honey from the Rock: Sixteen Jews Find the Sweetness of Christ
Roy H. Schoeman, Editor Roy Schoeman, a Jewish convert to Catholicism, and best-selling author of Salvation Is From The Jews, once again shows the clear links between Judaism and Catholicism in these inspiring stories of sixteen Jews who became "fulfilled Jews", as Schoeman says, through their spiritual journeys to the Catholic Church. The sixteen people whose stories are told here are a variety of Jews, including some who came from secularized, liberal or even atheistic backgrounds, while others came from Orthodox Judaism. Some were well trained Jews, others unschooled in Judaism; some rich and wildly successful, others down and out. But their common link was they all had a profound longing for God that gave them no peace until they found God Himself in the Catholic Church. Some of these converts are famous people like Edith Stein, Alphonse Ratisbonne, Karl Stern, and Rabbi Zolli, while others are less well known, but all have powerful stories of life-changing spiritual transformations. Roy Schoeman grew up studying Judaism under the most prominent Rabbis in American Judaism. After receiving his B.S. from M.I.T. and an M.B. A. from Harvard, he taught at Harvard, and was voted teacher of the year by the students. His unexpected conversion to Catholicism led to a dramatic refocus of his activities. He hosts a Catholic TV show, studies and writes on religious topics. He is the author of the best-selling book Salvation Is From The Jews. 
History and Spirit: The Understanding of Scripture According to Origen
Henri de Lubac Origen (185-ca. 254), one of the most prolific and influential of the early Church Fathers, is best known to us for his Scripture exegesis. Henri de Lubac's History and Spirit is a landmark study of Origen's understanding of Scripture and his exegetical methods. In exploring Origen's efforts to interpret the four different senses of Scripture, de Lubac leads the reader through an immense and varied work to its center: Christ the Word. As Hans Urs von Balthasar said in discussing this seminal work: "The theory of the senses of Scripture is not a curiosity of the history of theology but an instrument for seeking out the most profound articulations of salvation history..." (From the book The Theology of Henri de Lubac.) What the reader finds on this journey is not only, then, a fascinating view of the mind and spirit of an important Father of the Church, but an essential key to a more profound understanding of the way in which Christ speaks to us through Scripture. Henri De Lubac, S.J., was considered as one of the most important theologians of the twentieth century. Together with other towering modern theologians (and his close friends) like Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) and Hans Urs Von Balthasar, the writings of Henri De Lubac stand out as crucial theological works of 20th century Catholicism. Among his most famous works include Catholicism: Christ & The Common Destiny Of Man, The Splendor Of The Church, The Christian Faith, The Drama Of Atheist Humanism and Motherhood Of The Church. For a bio and full listing of his books published by Ignatius Press, visit his IgnatiusInsight.com author page. 
A Soldier Surrenders: The Conversion of St. Camillus
Susan Peek This is the story of the dramatic conversion and inspiring life of the soldier Camillus de Lellis who lived in the late 1500's, and became the founder of the religious order known then as "Ministers of the Sick", and now called the "Hospitallers". His story is one that is filled with drama: military battles, sickness and disease, conversion to God, and great charity for countless suffering people. Camillus was a very worldly man, a huge man at 6 foot 6 inches height, a soldier who fought against the Turks, and one who had a terrible addiction to gambling that continually reduced him to poverty and shame. He also suffered tremendously throughout his life from various ongoing ailments including a crippling leg disease for 46 years, a rupture for 38 years, chronically painful feet problems, and a distaste for food that caused him an inability to retain it. None of his own great sufferings kept him from always thinking of others first, and striving to serve the many sick and dying people under his care. Camillus was canonized by Pope Benedict XIV in 1746, and was proclaimed patron of the sick and of hospitals in 1886 by Pope Leo XIII. Susan Peek attended St. Mary's Academy in Kansas, and after graduation entered the Carmelite convent for a short period, where she learned about St. Camillus and developed a lifelong devotion to him. She later realized her calling to marriage and now lives in New Zealand where she and her husband Jeff home school their ten children. She is the author of another historical novel, Crusader King. 
Europe Today and Tomorrow
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger Written in late 2004, shortly before Joseph Ratzinger's election as Pope Benedict XVI, this book addresses the serious issues concerning the new European Union and the drafting of a European Constitution, events with far-reaching consequences for the West and, indeed, the world. The main questions Cardinal Ratzinger raise include: How did Europe originate and what are its boundaries? Who has the right to call himself European and be admitted into the new Europe? What about the spiritual roots of Europe and the moral foundation she is founded on? Ratzinger sees the lack of focus on these fundamental questions in the formation of a new Europe as a grave problem for the future of Europe and the world. Europe's link to America and the rest of the world make these questions and reflections by the current Pontiff of critical importance in facing the future together. 
Christians in China: A.D. 600 to 2000
Fr. Jean Charbonnier Christianity first came to China by way of the Silk Road in the seventh century, and ever since this great and enduring civilization in the heart of Asia has been home to brothers and sisters of Christ. Christians in China, A.D. 600 to 2000 chronicles the lives of the Chinese faithful who through the centuries have been both accepted and rejected by their own countrymen. It explores the unique religious and political situations in which Chinese Christians, Catholic and Protestant, have struggled to live their faith and give witness to Christ. This major work covers each of the historic periods in China with a focus on the development of Christianity and its cultural interaction in each period. It shows the evolution of Christianity as it occurred within the People's Republic of China. While telling the stories of various Christians throughout Chinese history, the author tries to answer a few key questions. They are: How the did the Church develop over many centuries in a culture so different from ours? How do Christians in China give witness to their faith? How do they contribute to the life of the universal Church? Illustrated. Fr. Jean-Pierre Charbonnier, M.E.P., was a missionary priest in Singapore for 34 years. He studied and became very familiar with the culture and history of China during those many years there, and this book comes out of that work. 
Behold, God's Son! Encountering Christ in the Gospel of Mark
Christoph Cardinal Schönborn Who is Jesus Christ? How can we really know Him? People have been asking that major question for 2,000 years. The best answers are found in the four Gospels, but how are they to be understood, and applied to our modern lives and faith? Cardinal Schonborn, former student of Pope Benedict XVI and well-known as a brilliant theologian, presents his second volume of reflections on the person of Christ, this time as found in the Gospel of Mark. Sunday after Sunday, Cardinal Schonborn uses the Gospel readings from Mark to explain the beauty of the Gospel in clear and understandable words. The Cardinal emphasizes that each of the four Gospels is unique and has its own unmistakable shape and approach. He says that no other Gospel writer talks in such a human way about Jesus as Mark. Anger and sorrow, Jesus' passionate emotional responses, are more explicitly mentioned in Mark than in the other Gospels. But however human Jesus may appear here, it is also Mark in particular who also strongly emphasizes his divinity. Believing in Jesus, having faith in him, is what Mark is all about. Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, the Archbishop of Vienna, is a renowned theologian and spiritual wrtiter and teacher. A leading candidate for the papacy in the recent papal election, he has written numerous works on a wide variety of spiritual topics, including My Jesus, Living The Catechism Of The Catholic Church, and Loving The Church. For a bio and full listing of his books published by Ignatius Press, visit his IgnatiusInsight.com author page. NEW IGNATIUS PRESS BOOKS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Request a FREE Ignatius Press catalog If you'd like to receive the FREE IgnatiusInsight.com e-letter (about every 1 to 2 weeks), which includes regular updates about IgnatiusInsight.com articles, reviews, excerpts, and author appearances, please click here to sign-up today! |
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G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) was one of the finest Christian authors and apologists
of the past two hundred years. Raised as an agnostic, he embraced Christianity as a young man, ultimately entering the Catholic Church
in 1922. He wrote hundreds of essays, as well as novels, short stories, poetry, apologetics, literary
criticism, and nearly everything else imaginable. Dale Ahlquist, president and co-founder of the American
Chesterton Society and author of 
