In Simone Weil, Maria Clara Bingemer reflects on the life, work, and legacy of an exceptional and enigmatic woman: the philosopher and French Jewish mystic of the same name. It constitutes a testimony so unique that it is impossible to ignore. In a Europe where authoritarian regimes were dominant and heading, in a sinister manner, toward WWII, this woman of fragile health but indomitable spirit denounced the contradictions of the capitalist system, the brutality of Nazism, and the paradox of bourgeois thought. At the same time, her spiritual journey was one of zeal and sorrow - that of a true mystic - but her radical intransigence and passion for freedom kept her from fully committing to the institutional church. Curious and insatiable, she wanted to experience, in the flesh, the suff ering of society's least fortunate and the truths of other religions. The reader will need to develop a discerning empathy for Simone Weil's sensibility, beyond her particular passion and zeal, in order to appreciate her in depth. But undeniable are this truly singular woman's authenticity, her capacity to suffer, her identification with the other, her inner passion, and her almost magical perception of the depths of the human spirit. And that is why her story merits being told as that of one of the great witnesses of our age.

In The Mystery and the World, Maria Clara Bingemer explores how the place of religion in society has dramatically shifted since the Enlightenment. The modern era is characterised by a major change in humanity's fundamental desires that means that reason has taken the place of faith. Human beings, in their ongoing search for a scientific understanding of the world, have drifted away from seeking any essence of transcendence in their lives. Bingemer examines this transition and how, especially in the postmodern era, it has led to technology and superficial happiness becoming all-important as opposed to the more sacred sense of contentment that governed us for centuries prior to the Enlightenment. In her discussion, however, Bingemer demonstrates that we as humans have not lost our innate desire to believe in a higher power and that, even in our world of instant satisfaction, we still need to fill the void left by religion. Through well-researched analysis of the modern era and discussion of some of the mystics of more recent times, she reveals to readers how our religious belief, whilst changed, is not dead and is still an important aspect of our existence.

In Tutti Fratelli, Pope Francis has called again for a "culture of encounter," But how should his theology, pastoral practice, and social message be understood and applied in the Church of the Americas, a single but complex reality that extends from South to North? This volume offers analyses from experts looking back to the Argentine pontiff's first fateful encuentros in the Americas as a help for understanding the present reality of the Church in the Western Hemisphere. The group includes theologians, historians, and political scientists, and the unique contribution of the volume lies in the panoramic perspective offered by the book as a whole. The initial essays set the stage for the volume as a whole, offering rich insight into Argentine and Latin American history, the world from which the Pope came and to which he returned in 2015, as well as surveying the impact of the Latin American "theology of the people" on the Pope's visit to the U.S. Additional essays address theological, historical, and pastoral engagements that cut across several of the visits. The final group of essays is dedicated to the visits themselves and is arranged in the order that they occurred. Pope Francis and the Search for God in America is offered to all the members of the Church in America, South and North, old and young, with the hope that it will spur even more thought, reflection, prayer, and service.

Concilium is an international theological journal published five times a year in five languages. With its origins in the renewal of Catholic theological thinking following the Second Vatican Council, Concilium draws together a wide range of the best of current leading theological writers from Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. It is a catholic journal in the widest sense: rooted firmly in the Catholic heritage, open to other Christian tradition and the world's faiths. Each issue of Concilium focuses on a theme of crucial importance and the widest possible concern for our time. Topics include: 'The Foundation of All Ministry: Service to the Poor and Victims in a North-South World' (Jon Sobrino), 'Baptism as the Source for Christian Ministry' (Maria Clara Bingemer), 'The Need for an Integrated Theology of Ministry within Contemporary Catholicism (Paul Murray).

Concilium has long been a household-name for cutting-edge critical and constructive theological thinking. Past contributors include leading Catholic scholars such as Hans Kung, Gregory Baum and Edward Schillebeeckx, and the editors of the review belong to the international "who's who" in the world of contemporary theology. Published five times a year, each issue reflects a deep knowledge and scholarship presented in a highly readable style, and each issue offers a wide variety of viewpoints from leading thinkers from all over the world.

Part One: Contexts Sketching an Ecological Theology of the Holy Spirit and theWord of God DENIS EDWARDS Creator Spirit and Ecologcal Ethics: An Ancient Frontier ELIZABETH A. JOHNSON The Spirit of God in the Public Sphere of Christian Communities: The Inspiration of the Hebrew Bible MARIE-THERESWACKER The Jesus Movement andWomen's Charism CETTINAMILITELLO Hidden Love: Notes on the Kenosis of the Spirit in theWest MARIA CLARA BINGEMER The Spirit in the Church BERNARD SESBOUEE 'The Spirit Poured Out on All Flesh': Pentecostal Testimonies and Experiences of the Holy Spirit VELI-MATTI KAERKKAEINEN Conflicting Pneumatologies: Classic Pentecostals and 'Neo- Pentecostals' in Brazil LEONILDO SILVEIRA CAMPOS The Spirit and the Signs of These Times 1 VIRGINIAAZCUY Spirit as CreativeWord in Africa LAURENTI MAGESA Existential Understanding of the Spirit in South America DIEGO IRARRAZABAL The Spirit of the Lord Fills theWholeWorld VICTOR CODINA Part Two: Theological Forum Dominum et Vivificantem Read Today PAULMURRAY Sage and Prophet: Jose Comblin (1923-2011) LUIZ CARLOS SUSIN, JON SOBRINO