Thomas Merton played a critical role in facilitating and embodying a revolutionary paradigm shift in Catholic life and thought. His public grappling with the issues raised by this shift in the life of the Catholic Church provided a vocabulary with which a generation of seekers has attempted to frame an on-going discussion regarding the future of the Catholic Church. Consequently Merton's life and thought continue to be guideposts for spiritual pilgrims confronting issues of authority in the church, a changing moral landscape and the contemporary crisis in the Catholic Church. Part One of the book describes this profound paradigm shift and locates Merton's developing thought within that landscape. It places Merton's thought within the larger framework of the Catholic imagination as described by David Tracy, Andrew Greeley, and Thomas Groome. The landmark research of Robert Wuthnow of Princeton University concerning the nature of contemporary spiritual-seeking, provides a framework that helps to identify Merton's continuing relevance for the study of spirituality. Parts Two and Three discuss Merton's lasting importance for contemporary spirituality.

Wood, Waterfalls and Stars is a collection of essays which takes as its central focus, the challenge of Catholic education in the new millennium. The essays are rooted in the Catholic tradition and in the lived experience of Catholic students and teachers. Fred Herron builds upon the insights of authors such as Thomas Groome, William O'Malley and Andrew Greeley. Herron takes their insights and applies them to the world of Catholic education and the lives of Catholic educators, parents and students.

Rain for the Roots is intended for introductory sociology courses and as a counseling tool. It is a study of the roots and meaning of love within a Christian context. Love is analyzed in biblical and Church traditions and also in individual relationships and sexuality. In part one Herron discusses the participants in loving relationships; in part two he examines love in the Hebrew and Christian tradition; in part three he looks at sexuality and commitment.

To "tune the rig" describes adjusting a ship's rigging; the rig of a well-tuned boat allows the sails to function well. This task must be performed to ensure the best performance by the ship. Tuning the Rig takes that metaphor as a guide for Catholic educators and administrators, as well as for the larger church. It argues from a variety of perspectives rooted in the Catholic imagination that the rig constantly needs to be re-tuned to balance between visions of the church as teacher and learner. Why should this matter to Catholic educators? To Herron, our understanding of the church as learner is at the heart of our understanding of ourselves as disciples. One of the logical consequences of this era of baptismal consciousness is a rising awareness on the part of the laity that their task is not simply to "pay, pray, and obey" but to grow and journey in faith. Herron's focus ranges from issues closely pertaining to Catholic schools to the larger questions of the Catholic imagination. The underlying thread, however, is the challenge of maintaining the richness of the Catholic imagination - of tuning the rig - in changing times and the ordinary life of the church.

Using a biblical, strategic plan, this book presents a dynamic, effective plan for planting churches. It presents God's heart for kingdom expansion planting local churches. Herron discusses characteristics and methods of successful church planters. He thoroughly diagrams how a potential church planter can survey a community with the intent of developing a heart for the community, how to plan strategically, and how to pray strategically. Also included are keys to effective church planting strategic planning, gathering the core group, reaching the lost, structuring for disciple-making, and developing leaders. Common pitfalls are also discussed. "Expanding God's Kingdom Through Church Planting" is a book to be read, reread and shared. It deserves a "front row seat" on a bookshelf. Herron writes, "This book was written to provide a high-quality guidebook for church planters, churches that plant churches, schools that teach church planting, and denominational or post-denomination leaders that over church planting."