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Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church
In this new study, Donna B. Hamilton offers a major revisionist
reading of the works of Anthony Munday, one of the most prolific
authors of his time, who wrote and translated in many genres,
including polemical religious and political tracts, poetry,
chivalric romances, history of Britain, history of London, drama,
and city entertainments. Long dismissed as a hack who wrote only
for money, Munday is here restored to his rightful position as an
historical figure at the centre of many important political and
cultural events in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England. In
Anthony Munday and the Catholics, 1560-1633, Hamilton reinterprets
Munday as a writer who began his career writing on behalf of the
Catholic cause and subsequently negotiated for several decades the
difficult terrain of an ever-changing Catholic-Protestant cultural,
religious, and political landscape. She argues that throughout his
life and writing career Munday retained his Catholic sensibility
and occasionally wrote dangerously on behalf of Catholics. Thus he
serves as an excellent case study through which present-day
scholars can come to a fuller understanding of how a person living
in this turbulent time in English history - eschewing open
resistance, exile or martyrdom - managed a long and prolific
writing career at the centre of court, theatre, and city activities
but in ways that reveal his commitment to Catholic political and
religious ideology. Individual chapters in this book cover Munday's
early writing, 1577-80; his writing about the trial and execution
of Jesuit Edmund Campion; his writing for the stage, 1590-1602; his
politically inflected translations of chivalric romance; and his
writings for and about the city of London, 1604-33. Hamilton
revisits and revalues the narratives told by earlier scholars about
hack writers, the anti-theatrical tracts, the role of the Earl of
Oxford as patron, the political-religious interests of Munday's
plays, the implications of Mu
Since the early days of Christianity, martyrdom has had a
particularly honoured place, and 2020 will see the Catholic Church
marking the fiftieth anniversary of the canonization of 40 martyrs
killed during the Reformation in England and Wales. In this
powerful exploration of the significance of martyrdom today,
Catherine Pepinster looks at the lives of over a dozen martyrs,
past and present, to consider how ideas about giving up your life
for your faith have changed over the centuries, and especially the
way martyrs often become caught up in the clash between religion
and politics.
"Why did it take 30 years for American bishops to listen to the
victims of Catholic clerical abuse?" Gay Catholic Priests and
Clerical Sexual Misconduct: Breaking the Silence is a compelling
indictment of Roman Catholic teachings on homosexuality and
sexuality. Inspired by The Silence of Sodom: Homosexuality in
Modern Catholicism, Mark Jordan's controversial examination of
homoeroticism in American Catholic culture, this groundbreaking
book examines how the current crisis of clerical abuse affects and
stigmatizes gay priests living in a climate of hysteria and
condemnation. The book's contributors, an eclectic mix of scholars
and clerics, question whether the church can survive centuries of
secrets and scandals. In the wake of very real concerns about a
possible inquisition launched by the Catholic Church against its
gay members, Gay Catholic Priests and Clerical Sexual Misconduct
continues the efforts of the Gay Men's Issues in Religion Group of
the American Academy of Religion to honor the work of Mark Jordan,
who contributes his thoughts on the issues raised by the book. A
panel of former Jesuits, a former seminarian with the Congregation
of the Blessed Sacrament, a Dominican, a Franciscan, and several
feminist authors present different perspectives on gay priests,
clerical/ecclesial misogyny, games of power and abuse, and
religious scapegoating, writing with eloquence and pain, a great
deal of pride, and a touch of justifiable divine righteousness. Gay
Catholic Priests and Clerical Sexual Misconduct includes:"Celibate
Men, Ambivalent Saints, and Games of Desire", "A Call to Liberation
of Gay Catholic Clergy", "Speaking Loud or Shutting Up: The
Homosexual-type Problem", "Those Troubling Gay Priests",
"Catholicism and a Crisis of Intimate Relations" and much more! Gay
Catholic Priests and Clerical Sexual Misconduct: Breaking the
Silence is an invaluable resource for academics, members of the
clergy, seminarians, chaplains and counselors, and anyone
interested in homosexuality and religion.
Reginald Pole (1500-1558), cardinal and archbishop of Canterbury,
was at the centre of reform controversies in the mid 16th century -
antagonist of Henry VIII, a leader of the reform group in the Roman
Church, and nearly elected pope (Julius III was elected in his
stead). His voluminous correspondence - more than 2500 items,
including letters to him - forms a major source for historians not
only of England, but of Catholic Europe and the early Reformation
as a whole. In addition to the insight they provide on political
history, both secular and ecclesiastical, and on the spiritual
motives of reform, they also constitute a great resource for our
understanding of humanist learning and cultural patronage in the
Renaissance. Hitherto there has been no comprehensive, let alone
modern or accurate listing and analysis of this correspondence, in
large part due to the complexity of the manuscript traditions and
the difficulties of legibility. The present work makes this vast
body of material accessible to the researcher, summarising each
letter (and printing key texts usually in critical editions),
together with necessary identification and comment. The first three
volumes in this set will contain the correspondence; the fourth and
fifth will provide a biographical companion to all persons
mentioned, and will together constitute a major research tool in
their own right. This first volume covers the crucial turning point
in Pole's career: his protracted break with Henry and the
substitution of papal service for royal. One major dimension of
this rupture was a profound religious conversion which took Pole to
the brink of one of the defining moments of the Italian
Reformation, the writing of the 'Beneficio di Christo'.
The pontificate of Clement VII (Giulio de' Medici) is usually
regarded as amongst the most disastrous in history, and the pontiff
characterized as timid, vacillating, and avaricious. It was during
his years as pope (1523-34) that England broke away from the
Catholic Church, and relations with the Holy Roman Emperor
deteriorated to such a degree that in 1527 an Imperial army sacked
Rome and imprisoned the pontiff. Given these spectacular political
and military failures, it is perhaps unsurprising that Clement has
often elicited the scorn of historians, rather than balanced and
dispassionate analysis. This interdisciplinary volume, the first on
the subject, constitutes a major step forward in our understanding
of Clement VII's pontificate. Looking beyond Clement's well-known
failures, and anachronistic comparisons with more 'successful'
popes, it provides a fascinating insight into one of the most
pivotal periods of papal and European history. Drawing on
long-neglected sources, as rich as they are abundant, the
contributors address a wide variety of important aspects of
Clement's pontificate, re-assessing his character, familial and
personal relations, political strategies, and cultural patronage,
as well as exploring broader issues including the impact of the
Sack of Rome, and religious renewal and reform in the
pre-Tridentine period. Taken together, the essays collected here
provide the most expansive and nuanced portrayal yet offered of
Clement as pope, patron, and politician. In reconsidering the
politics and emphasizing the cultural vitality of the period, the
collection provides fresh and much-needed revision to our
understanding of Clement VII's pontificate and its critical impact
on the history of the papacy and Renaissance Europe.
Examine the reactions of leading clergy to the Catholic Church sex
abuse scandal! Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church is an
eye-opening collection of Catholic and non-Catholic perspectives,
statements, and responses regarding Catholic clergy sexual abuse
from a public symposium entitled Trusting the Clergy? This book
includes the viewpoints of some of today's most influential members
of the Catholic Church, such as Archbishop Harry J. Flynn, Bishop
Howard Hubbard, and Father Donald B. Cozzens. It will bring you up
to date on the ways in which the American Catholic bishops have
dealt, or are attempting to deal, with the sexual abuse scandal. In
Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church, Archbishop Harry J. Flynn
offers a bishop's perspective on the sexual abuse crisis and
describes how the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops
(USCCB) has responded to issues of clergy sexual abuse since the
1980s. Fr. Donald B. Cozzens summarizes what has been learned from
the clergy abuse crisis, and then moves to the systemic issues that
need to be addressednot just personal relationships but issues of
structure and meaning. This book also includes viewpoints about the
Catholic Church from renowned scholars and non-Catholic church
leaders, including Michael J. Bland and Rev. Dr. Marie M. Fortune.
This book offers presentations on: the Charter for the Protection
of Children and Young People created by the United States Catholic
Conference of Bishops (USCCB) the need for the Catholic hierarchy
to convert from an institutional protection agenda to a
justice-making agenda understanding the abusers' modes of operation
and motivations identifying future potential sexual abusers
attempting to enter the priesthood including the sexual abuse of
adults as well as children as future agenda issues the data the
Church compiles on the numbers of perpetrators, victims, and costs
associated with the scandal determining whom to believe when there
are conflicting stories the impact of the clergy sexual abuse
crisis on Latino and African-American communities Sexual Abuse in
the Catholic Church provides a historical marker for the state of
the church's discussion one year after the Boston Archdiocese was
faced with intense media scrutiny resulting in the resignation of
Cardinal Bernard Law. This book is a unique collection of credible,
diverse voices engaged in public discussion of a difficult social
problem facing the church. Use it to formulate your own opinion on
how the Catholic community is responding to the sexual abuse
scandal.
The birth of the Second Spanish Republic in April 1931 ushered in a
period of possible secularisation to Spain. Liberals welcomed legal
changes, while conservatives feared the special 'privileges' they
enjoyed would end. The Catholic Church remained a central focus of
left-wing antagonism and right-wing allegiances, and conflicts
surrounding the future of religion grew severe. While members of
the Spanish Catholic hierarchy had clearly supported the right and
disdained the left, the actions and opinions of the Vatican and its
hierarchy stationed in Spain were much more nuanced. Similarly,
when conservative military action plunged Spain into a Civil War in
July 1936, the majority of the Spanish Catholic hierarchy openly
supported their victory, but the highest levels of the Vatican
remained silent. This book explores the unique position and
specialised reactions of the Vatican concerning the Second Republic
and Civil War. For the Holy See, the conflict in Spain was not an
isolated event at the edge of the continent, but part of a larger
narrative of ideological and political tension swirling across
Europe. Any public statement by the Vatican concerning the Spanish
Republic or Civil War could be misconstrued as support for one side
or another, and threaten the Church. True, the Vatican often
remained silent -- and some have suggested this supports the
conclusion that the Church worked for Franco -- but by accessing
previously unavailable sources directly from the Vatican, this book
can help to clarify the difficult options that awaited the Holy See
during this disastrous period. Similarly, this book works to
highlight the fact that the Catholic Church was not some monolithic
entity, but men like Pope Pius XI and Secretary of State Pacelli
had their own understandings of spirituality and politics.
Reginald Pole (1500-1558), cardinal and archbishop of Canterbury,
was at the centre of reform controversies in the mid 16th century -
antagonist of Henry VIII, a leader of the reform group in the Roman
Church, and nearly elected pope (Julius III was elected in his
stead). His voluminous correspondence - more than 2500 items,
including letters to him - forms a major source for historians not
only of England, but of Catholic Europe and the early Reformation
as a whole. In addition to the insight they provide on political
history, both secular and ecclesiastical, and on the spiritual
motives of reform, they also constitute a great resource for our
understanding of humanist learning and cultural patronage in the
Renaissance. Hitherto there has been no comprehensive, let alone
modern or accurate listing and analysis of this correspondence, in
large part due to the complexity of the manuscript traditions and
the difficulties of legibility. The present work makes this vast
body of material accessible to the researcher, summarising each
letter (and printing key texts usually in critical editions),
together with necessary identification and comment. The first three
volumes in this set will contain the correspondence; the fourth and
fifth will provide a biographical companion to all persons
mentioned, and will together constitute a major research tool in
their own right. This first volume covers the crucial turning point
in Pole's career: his protracted break with Henry and the
substitution of papal service for royal. One major dimension of
this rupture was a profound religious conversion which took Pole to
the brink of one of the defining moments of the Italian
Reformation, the writing of the 'Beneficio di Christo'.
In this lively and hopeful volume, John Pritchard realistically
maps out the life and work of those called to serve God in the
ordained ministry. He looks in turn at the only three things he
believes need be of concern: the glory of God, the pain of the
world, and the renewal of the Church. From these flow the priest's
many roles, such as spiritual explorer, multi-lingual interpreter,
wounded companion, friendly irritant, creative leader and mature
risk-taker. This book pays homage to Robert Martineau's The Office
and Work of a Priest, published in 1972, and much valued as a wise
account of the duties of a priest at that time. "Dipping again into
John Pritchard's The Life and Work of a Priest for this review
reminded me what a remarkable, wise, and humane book it is. It
covers just about everything parish life might throw at clergy.
Well, not quite everything. If you're troubled by sylvan revels or
cohabiting bandits, I'm afraid you're on your own." Paul Handley,
Church Times
Complete edition of the Story of a Soul by Saint Therese of Lisieux, translated by Thomas Taylor.
This edition includes over 288 footnotes, and many additional letters, counsels, and prayers, creating a study edition for readers to better understand St. Therese’s ‘little way’ to deepening a relationship with God. Read with an open heart, this book is helpful to read again and again at various stages of life.
No student of thought should be without this historic book.
A shared biblical past has long imbued the Holy Land with special
authority as well as a mythic character that has made the region
not only the spiritual home for Muslims, Christians, and Jews, but
also a source of a living sacred history that informs contemporary
realities and religious identities. This book explores the Holy
Land as a critical site in which early modern Catholics sought
spiritual and political legitimacy during a period of profound and
disruptive change. The Ottoman conquest of the region, the division
of the Western Church, Catholic reform, the integration of the
Mediterranean into global trading networks, and the emergence of
new imperial rivalries transformed the Custody of the Holy Land,
the venerable Catholic institution that had overseen Western
pilgrimage since 1342, into a site of intense intra-Christian
conflict by 1517. This contestation underscored the Holy Land's
importance as a frontier and center of an embattled Catholic
tradition.
Johann von Staupitz is generally acknowledged as one of the most
important influences on Martin Luther, convincing him of the
sin-remitting grace of God. It was this revelation that was to spur
Luther to formulate his theology of salvation by faith alone which
was to lead to his break with the Catholic church. When Luther was
brought to task by the church authorities for his heretical views
it was Staupitz who was deputed to remonstrate with him, and it was
Staupitz who sent a copy of his theses on indulgences to the Pope.
Despite Luther's defection from Rome, he was to remain on good
terms with the orthodox Staupitz who was consistently at the
forefront of reformation within the Catholic Church. This book
sheds light on the spiritual and theological beliefs of Staupitz,
placing him in the midst of the late medieval reform efforts in the
Augustianian order. It argues that as reformer, sermonizer, and
friend of humanists Staupitz was a major player in the world of
early sixteenth century theology who had a profound influence on
the course of the Reformation.
The issues of Authority and Governance in the Roman Catholic Church
permeate each and every aspect of the Church's identity, teaching,
influence, organisation, moral values and pastoral provision. They
have left their mark, in turn, upon its diverse theological and
philosophical traditions. The trends of postmodernity, advances in
communication, the advent of new ecclesial movements and
theologies, and a perceived policy towards increasing institutional
centralisation on the part of the Curial authorities of the Church
in Rome, have all facilitated a continuous and lively stream of
dialogue and disagreement on authority and governance in relation
to the place of the Church in our age and the new Millennium. This
comprehensive Reader uniquely gathers together in one volume key
writings and documents from the wealth of published literature that
has emerged on the issues of authority and governance in the Roman
Catholic Church. With guided introductions to each section and to
each reading, and end of chapter further reading lists, this Reader
offers a balanced range of perspectives, themes, international
writings, ecumenical dimensions, and formal church documents and
Papal pronouncements on core areas of contemporary study and
debate. Focusing on the modern/post-modern period in the Roman
Catholic Church, but grounded in the historical contexts, Readings
in Church Authority presents an accessible source book and
introduction for all those exploring current debates and studying
central themes in church authority.
This deeply contextual biography centers on the tensions generated
by the pope's attempt to turn the Church away from power and
tradition and outwards to engage humanity with God's mercy. Through
battles with corrupt bankers and worldly cardinals, in turbulent
meetings and on global trips, history's first Latin-American pope
has attempted to reshape the Church to evangelise the contemporary
age. At the same time, he has stirred other leaders' deep-seated
fear that the Church is capitulating to modernity - leaders who
have challenged his bid to create a more welcoming, attentive
institution. Facing rebellions over his allowing sacraments for the
divorced and his attempt to create a more 'ecological' Catholicism,
as well as a firestorm of criticism for the Church's record on
sexual abuse, Francis emerges as a leader of remarkable vision and
skill with a relentless spiritual focus - a leader who is at peace
in the turmoil surrounding him. With entertaining anecdotes,
insider accounts, and expert analysis, Ivereigh's journey through
the key episodes of Francis's reform in Rome and the wider Church
brings into sharp focus the frustrations and fury, as well as the
joys and successes, of one of the most remarkable pontificates of
the contemporary age.
Between 1535 and 1603, more than 200 English Catholics were
executed by the State for treason. Drawing on an extraordinary
range of contemporary sources, Anne Dillon examines the ways in
which these executions were transformed into acts of martyrdom.
Utilizing the reports from the gallows, the Catholic community in
England and in exile created a wide range of manuscripts and texts
in which they employed the concept of martyrdom for propaganda
purposes in continental Europe and for shaping Catholic identity
and encouraging recusancy at home. Particularly potent was the
derivation of images from these texts which provided visual means
of conveying the symbol of the martyr. Through an examination of
the work of Richard Verstegan and the martyr murals of the English
College in Rome, the book explores the influence of these images on
the Counter Reformation Church, the Jesuits, and the political
intentions of English Catholics in exile and those of their hosts.
The Construction of Martyrdom in the English Catholic Community,
1535-1603 shows how Verstegan used the English martyrs in his
Theatrum crudelitatum of 1587 to rally support from Catholics on
the Continent for a Spanish invasion of England to overthrow
Elizabeth I and her government. The English martyr was, Anne Dillon
argues, as much a construction of international, political rhetoric
as it was of English religious and political debate; an
international Catholic banner around which Catholic European powers
were urged to rally.
Reginald Pole (1500-1558), cardinal and archbishop of Canterbury,
was at the centre of reform controversies in the mid 16th century -
antagonist of Henry VIII, a leader of the reform group in the Roman
Church, and nearly elected pope (Julius III was elected in his
stead). His voluminous correspondence - more than 2500 items,
including letters to him - forms a major source for historians not
only of England, but of Catholic Europe and the early Reformation
as a whole. In addition to the insight they provide on political
history, both secular and ecclesiastical, and on the spiritual
motives of reform, they also constitute a great resource for our
understanding of humanist learning and cultural patronage in the
Renaissance. Hitherto there has been no comprehensive, let alone
modern or accurate listing and analysis of this correspondence, in
large part due to the complexity of the manuscript traditions and
the difficulties of legibility. The present work makes this vast
body of material accessible to the researcher, summarising each
letter (and printing key texts usually in critical editions),
together with necessary identification and comment. The first three
volumes in this set will contain the correspondence; the fourth and
fifth will provide a biographical companion to all persons
mentioned, and will together constitute a major research tool in
their own right. This first volume covers the crucial turning point
in Pole's career: his protracted break with Henry and the
substitution of papal service for royal. One major dimension of
this rupture was a profound religious conversion which took Pole to
the brink of one of the defining moments of the Italian
Reformation, the writing of the 'Beneficio di Christo'.
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