Augustine and his Critics examines the arguments of certain strident, present-day critics of Augustine. It responds to the more inaccurate and unfair of these criticisms and argues in favour of some of the much-neglected historical, philosophical and theological perspectives which lie behind Augustine's most unpopular convictions.
Augustine and his Critics presents a stimulating, insightful analysis of Augustine's thought and of critical responses to that thought. Augustine's writings have continually met with both kindly readers and frank critics and interest in his thought has not waned even in our own times. Contemporary philosophers, theologians, spiritual writers, cultural theorists and social scientists take him to task for a number of positions ranging from human sexuality and the body, gender, personal freedom, religious liberty and the ethics of force, to his concepts of the self and God. More often than not today, Augustine's outlook is characterised as 'pessimistic', and he is charged with responsibility for a certain Christian malaise.

This book provides a comprehensive history of the Counter-Reformation in early modern Europe, It is an indispensable new survey which provides a wide-ranging overview of the religious, political and cultural history of the time.

Serious Little Catholics follows Kathy Gereau, the oldest of seven children, as she grows up in the mid-'50s and '60s and makes her way through Catholic school alongside her siblings. Initially, she buys into the mysteries of faith and the litany of rules being spouted by the Sisters of Mercy. But when her fourth grade teacher tells the class that Kathy's sweet little Protestant grandmother would never be admitted into heaven, she begins to question the rigid dogma of the church. Later, she discovers that not all boys are as goofy as her brothers and struggles with the notion that it is a woman's responsibility to discourage men from the plague of impure thoughts. Even an innocent flirtation can sinfully lead men into a temptation they are not capable of resisting; it doesn't seem fair. Ultimately, with the help of her classmates and a few understanding teachers, she learns to laugh at the ridiculous bits of her religion-and discovers the spiritual message within.

The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila presents a remarkable description of the entire spiritual life from the first release from mortal sin into Sanctifying Grace through the Mystical Marriage of the soul with Christ as a journey through what she called The Interior Castle.

She sees the soul as a magnificent castle full of spacious and well-lit rooms or mansions each of which leads deeper into the heart of the castle to the seat of the King. However, St. Teresa laments that most people give all their attention to the outer wall of the castle the body ignoring the beauty of the soul within.

St. Teresa gives practical advice regarding the early struggles and the temptations to turn back which beset the beginner. She describes each of the seven mansions and urges us forward to love and serve the Divine Majesty, imparting her absolute conviction that progress toward God through prayer is worth vastly more than all the treasures of this earth.

Conspiracy, intrigue and faction fighting as the future of Europe hangs in the balance: Mary Hollingsworth tells the extraordinary story of the papal conclave in 1559 - the longest and bitterest of the sixteenth century. Tasked with choosing a pontiff to replace a previous incumbent (Paul IV) whose reign was marked by repression and brutality, and faced with the growing challenge of the Protestant Reformation, the conclave faced a critically important decision for the future of the Roman Catholic Church, and was faction-ridden even by the standards of such polarised gatherings. France and Spain, both looking to extend their power in Italy and beyond, had very different ideas of who the new pope should be, as did the Italian cardinals. Making meticulous use of the detailed accounts left by Ippolito d'Este, one of the participating cardinals (and the son of Lucrezia Borgia), Mary Hollingsworth relates the intrigue and double-dealing of the different parties trying to secure the required number of votes over the four months of this lengthiest of sixteenth-century papal elections. Praise for The Medici: 'An excellent study of the Medici ... A careful, understated book ... It is never short on drama' Helen Castor, Telegraph Book of the Year 'A lucid and beautifully illustrated family history. In Hollingsworth's surefooted telling, this ruthless but enlightened family were at their best when they were true to the Florentine motto of 'profit and honour'' Times book of the week 'A beautifully illustrated and scholarly survey of five centuries of the Medici family' Literary Review on The Medici

This ambitious survey launches a major new five-volume series. It explores the response of the papacy, one of the world's longest-enduring institutions, to the multiplying challenges of the modern age. It runs from the French Revolution to the fall of the Soviet Union, ending with the pontificate of John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope since 1522. Frank Coppa examines the impact of major events like the Napoleonic conquests, Italian unification, two World Wars and the Cold War; he explores the attitudes of the papacy to such issues as liberalism, nationalism, fascism, communism and the modern, secular age; he examines the growing concern of the popes for the Catholic world beyond its traditional European home; and he tackles, objectively and judiciously, contentious topics like the "silence" of Pius XII. Engrossingly readable, the book offers a fresh and invigorating perspective on international relations across the past two centuries, and on the political and ideological emergence of the modern world, as well as its specifically papal concerns.

This is the story of the girl to whom the Blessed Virgin appeared as "a little young lady" and revealed herself as the Immaculate Conception. Bernadette Soubirous lived with her family in the abandoned jail of the little French village of Lourdes, never dreaming that the very name of Lourdes would one day bring inspiration and hope to millions. Bernadette studied her Catechism, took care of her brothers and sisters, and gathered firewood -- and no one knew she was a Saint. But one day, as she was gathering wood, Our lady appeared. Within a few weeks, thousands were kneeling in the field to pray to the Lady who could be seen and heard only by Bernadette. This was the beginning of one of the greatest Marian Shrines of modern times and of the miracles with which Our Lady blessed her children.

This is a study of the ways in which changing social expectations among Indian Catholics confronted the Roman Church with new questions, as well as giving fresh urgency to the old problem of the persistence of caste among Christians. Low-caste restiveness prompted different reactions among European missionaries and high-caste Indian priests, and the socio-economic significance of religious conversion became a problem that reached the level of the Apostolic Delegate, and eventually of the Pope. The English brought their social attitudes to India, where they became racial attitudes while retaining their triple functions of supporting authority structures, protecting vested interests and providing psychological reinforcement, Roman Catholic missionaries came from different European countries and brought with them different national attitudes to social mores. A major question asked in this book is how far such national differences were reflected in attitudes to caste, class and sexual behaviour, how similar were the attitudes of Indian Christians, and how far the functions of such attitudes remained constant.

Based on a fresh reading of primary sources, Lindy Grant's comprehensive biography of Abbot Suger (1081-1151) provides a reassessment of a key figure of the twelfth century. Active in secular and religious affairs alike - Suger was Regent of France and also abbot of one of the most important abbeys in Europe during the time of the Gregorian reforms. But he is primarily remembered as a great artistic patron whose commissions included buildings in the new Gothic style. Lindy Grant reviews him in all these roles - and offers a corrective to the current tendency to exaggerate his role as architect of both French royal power and the new gothic form.

Throughout its history the Catholic Church has taken positions on many subjects that are in one sense political, but in another sense are primarily moral, such as contraception, homosexuality, and divorce. One such issue, abortion, has split not only the United States, but Catholics as well. Catholics had to confront these issues within the framework of a democratic society that had no official religion. Abortion, Religious Freedom, and Catholic Politics is a study of opposing American Catholic approaches to abortion, especially in terms of laws and government policies. After the ruling of Roe vs. Wade, many pro-life advocates no longer felt their sentiments and moral code aligned with Democrats. For the first time, Catholics, as an entire group, became involved in U.S. politics. Abortion became one of the principal points of division in American Catholicism: a widening split between liberal Catholic Democrats who sought to minimize the issue and other Catholics, many of them politically liberal, whose pro-life commitments caused them to support Republicans. James Hitchcock discusses the 2016 presidential campaign and how it altered an already changed political landscape. He also examines the Affordable Care Act, LGBT rights, and the questions they raise about religious liberty.

This volume is part two of a two-volume set. It may be purchased separately or in conjunction with volume one. Includes substantial selections from the Second Part of the Summa Theologica and the Summa Contra Gentiles. Pegis's revision and correction of the English Dominican Translation renders Aquinas' technical terminology consistently as it conveys the directness and simplicity of Aquinas' writing; the Introduction, notes, and index aim at giving the text its proper historical setting, and the reader the means of studying St. Thomas within that setting.

This book, based on extensive research including in the Russian and Vatican archives, charts the development of relations between the Catholic Church and the Soviet Union from the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 to the death of Pope Pius XI in 1939. It provides background information on the animosity between the Orthodox and Catholic churches and moves towards reconciliation between them, discusses Soviet initiatives to eradicate religion in the Soviet Union and spread atheist international communism throughout the world, and explores the Catholic Church's attempts to survive in the face of persecution within the Soviet Union and extend itself. Throughout the book reveals much new detail on the complex interaction between these two opposing bodies and their respective ideologies.

This book presents the first debate between the contemporary movement Radical Orthodoxy and Eastern Orthodox theologians. Leading international scholars offer new insights and reflections on a wide range of contemporary issues from a specifically theological and philosophical perspective. The ancient notion of divine Wisdom (Sophia) serves as a common point of reference in this encounter. Both Radical and Eastern Orthodoxy agree that the transfiguration of the world through the Word is at the very centre of the Christian faith. The book explores how this process of transformation can be envisaged with regard to epistemological, ontological, aesthetical, ecclesiological and political questions. Contributors to this volume include Rowan Williams, John Milbank, Antoine Arjakovsky, Michael Northcott, Nicholas Loudovikos, Andrew Louth and Catherine Pickstock.

The Autobiography of Sr. Mary of St. Peter (1816-1848)In Tours, France during the 1840's a young Carmelite nun received a series of revelations from Our Lord about a powerful devotion He wished to be established worldwide - the devotion to His Holy Face. The express purpose of this devotion was to make reparation for the blasphemies and outrages of "Revolutionary men" - through whom God is allowing the world to be chastised for its unbelief - as wells as for the blasphemies of atheists and freethinkers, plus, for blasphemy and the profanation of the Sabbath by Christians. Our Lord gave Sister Mary of St. Peter a short but powerful prayer called "The Golden Arrow," by which a person can "shoot directly into the Heart of God" to heal the wounds inflicted on it by the malice of sinners . Anyone who is searching for spiritual method for fighting the enemies of God and His Church and/or who is searching for virtually infallible method of prayer will be delighted with The Golden Arrow.

In his comprehensive overview of 17th century Italy, Professor Sella challenges the old view that Italy was in general decline, instead he shows it to have been a time of sharp contrasts and shifts in fortune. He starts with a balanced and critical analysis of political developments (placing the Italian states in their wider European context) before assessing the state of the economy. He then looks in depth at society, religion, and culture and science and in particular reassesses the influence of the Counter Reformation on Italian life. His book ends with an engrossing account of the life and work of Galileo as well as an overview of the important and often neglected contributions made by other scientists in the later part of the century. This rich and balanced volume is an ideal introduction to early modern Italy, and provides a critical revaluation of a much misunderstood period in the country's history.

Ferdinand III played a crucial role both in helping to end the Thirty Years' War and in re-establishing Habsburg sovereignty within his hereditary lands, and yet he remains one of the most neglected of all Habsburg emperors. The underlying premise of Sacred Music as Public Image for Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III is that Ferdinand's accomplishments came not through diplomacy or strong leadership but primarily through a skillful manipulation of the arts, through which he communicated important messages to his subjects and secured their allegiance to the Catholic Church. An important locus for cultural activity at court, especially as related to the Habsburgs' political power, was the Emperor's public image. Ferdinand III offers a fascinating case study in monarchical representation, for the war necessitated that he revise the image he had cultivated at the beginning of his reign, that of a powerful, victorious warrior. Weaver argues that by focusing on the patronage of sacred music (rather than the more traditional visual and theatrical means of representation), Ferdinand III was able to uphold his reputation as a pious Catholic reformer and subtly revise his triumphant martial image without sacrificing his power, while also achieving his Counter-Reformation goal of unifying his hereditary lands under the Catholic church. Drawing upon recent methodological approaches to the representation of other early modern monarchs, as well as upon the theory of confessionalization, this book places the sacred vocal music composed by imperial musicians into the rich cultural, political, and religious contexts of mid-seventeenth-century Central Europe. The book incorporates dramatic productions such as opera, oratorio, and Jesuit drama (as well as works in other media), but the primary focus is the more numerous and more frequently performed Latin-texted paraliturgical genre of the motet, which has generally not been considered by scholars as a vehicle for monarchical representation. By examining the representation of this little-studied emperor during a crucial time in European history, this book opens a window into the unique world view of the Habsburgs, allowing for a previously untold narrative of the end of the Thirty Years' War as seen through the eyes of this important ruling family.

In Dark Night of the Soul, Saint John of the Cross presents for us a portrait painted from his own experience of one who advances successfully through the struggles of the spiritual life. The dark night that St John describes is not abandonment by God but special consideration from Him for those who desire to purify and perfect their souls.
With a soul purified from earthly attachments, we can advance through the much quoted but oft misunderstood dark night of the souls into unity with God. By accepting the desolation and difficulty of this process, the soul cooperates with God and opens itself to receiving and revealing more perfectly God s glory.
Be not afraid- Dark Night of the Soul, though austere and exacting in its instructions for holy living, is laced with St John s charity and kindness, his love of all things beautiful and sacred- including you.

Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) wrote almost four hundred epistles in her lifetime, effectively insinuating herself into the literary, political, and theological debates of her day. At the same time, as the daughter of a Sienese dyer, Catherine had no formal education, and her accomplishments were considered miracles rather than the work of her own hand. As a result, she has been largely excluded from accounts of the development of European humanism and the language and literature of Italy. Reclaiming Catherine of Siena makes the case for considering Catherine alongside literary giants such as Dante and Petrarch, as it underscores Catherine's commitment to using the vernacular to manifest Christ's message and her own. Jane Tylus charts here the contested struggles of scholars over the centuries to situate Catherine in the history of Italian culture in early modernity. But she mainly focuses on Catherine's works, calling attention to the interplay between orality and textuality in the letters and demonstrating why it was so important for Catherine to envision herself as a writer. Tylus argues for a reevalution of Catherine as not just a medieval saint, but one of the major figures at the birth of the Italian literary canon.

Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch present insights and inspiring commentary on Thessalonians, Timothy and Titus in this latest volume of the Ignatius Study Bible series. Containing Bible study helps and tools, in addition to the Hahn-Mitch notes, they include insights from the Church Fathers, topical essays, word studies and charts, study questions, maps, and a cross-reference section.

El evento guadalupano esta intimamente vinculado a la evangelizacion del continente y al nacimiento de la cultura hispana en America. Este libro, escrito por uno de los mas reconocidos expertos en los temas guadalupanos explica detalladamente los simbolos y signos que se esconden en la narracion del Nican Mopohua (la historia de las apariciones) y en el cuadro mismo de la Morenita.
El texto nos ayuda a entendernos como cristianos y como mestizos; a aceptar nuestras raices y a vivir con orgullo la mezcla de culturas que conviven en nuestro ser.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
A New Interpretation of the Story of the Apparitions and Image
The appearances of Our Lady of Guadalupe coincide with the birth of Hispanic culture in America and the evangelization of the continent. Written by one of the most recognized experts on themes associated with Guadalupe, this book carefully explains the symbols and signs contained in the Aztec narrative Nican Mopohua and the image of her. This work celebrates and encourages Latinos to accept with pride their Christian heritage and the mix of cultures that live in the deepest part of their life.
"Librito"

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This collection of essays by American and British authors discusses how the methods and issues of Catholic schooling are becoming of increasing interest to non-Catholic schools - due to the Catholic method of schooling being perceived as more humane.

This ambitious survey launches a major new five-volume series. It explores the response of the papacy, one of the world's longest-enduring institutions, to the multiplying challenges of the modern age. It runs from the French Revolution to the fall of the Soviet Union, ending with the pontificate of John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope since 1522. Frank Coppa examines the impact of major events like the Napoleonic conquests, Italian unification, two World Wars and the Cold War; he explores the attitudes of the papacy to such issues as liberalism, nationalism, fascism, communism and the modern, secular age; he examines the growing concern of the popes for the Catholic world beyond its traditional European home; and he tackles, objectively and judiciously, contentious topics like the "silence" of Pius XII. Engrossingly readable, the book offers a fresh and invigorating perspective on international relations across the past two centuries, and on the political and ideological emergence of the modern world, as well as its specifically papal concerns.

From the most basic terms to the structures and practices of the Church, this book offers a plain-speaking introduction to Roman Catholicism. Now in a second edition, it contains new sections on relations with other faiths, coverage of recent controversies in the Church and an expanded section on social teaching. It covers: Roman Catholic beliefs and traditions practices and devotional life - rituals, prayer, mass Church structures and authorities - from Vatican to parish church Church hierarchies and people - from bishops to the laity the role of the Church in society. With a glossary, further reading sections and reference to official documents of the Church, this is the perfect guide for students approaching the study of Roman Catholicism for the first time.

This book, based on extensive original research, examines the nature of Catholicism in the contemporary Philippines. It shows how Catholicism is apparently flourishing, with good attendance at Sunday Masses, impressive religious processions and flourishing charismatic groups, and with interventions by the Catholic hierarchy in national and local politics. However, focusing in particular on the beliefs and practices of young people, the book shows that young people are often adopting a different, more individualised approach to Catholicism, which is frequently out of step with the official position. It considers the features of this: a more personal and experiential relationship with God; a new approach to morality, in which right living is seen as more important than right believing; and a critical view of what is seen as the Catholic hierarchy's misguidedness. The book argues that this reinterpreting of religion by young people has the potential to alter fundamentally the nature of Catholicism in the Philippines, but that, nevertheless, young people's new approach involves a solid, enduring commitment and a strong view of their own Catholic, religious identity.