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Divine Worship And Human Healing
$34.95Add to cartWould many believers consider a wake or funeral an act of worship? What does it mean to say that in anointing the sick or administering Viaticum to the dying humans are healed? Such questions plumb the biblical and traditional depths of the paschal mystery. Just as Jesus’ ministry at the social-religious margins revealed the center of his faith in God’s reign, so also the church’s ministry to sickness and death reveals much about the baptismal and eucharistic worship so central to its entire life.
In Divine Worship and Human Healing Bruce Morrill turns to the rites serving the sick, dying, deceased, and grieving to show why sacramental liturgy is so fundamental to the life of faith. Readers will appreciate both his compelling narratives from actual pastoral experience and his engagement with biblical, theological, historical, and social-scientific resources. Morrill invites readers to discover how the liturgical ministry of healing discloses God’s merciful love amid communities of faith.
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Ephesians (Reprinted)
$25.00Add to cartIn this third volume of the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (CCSS), Peter Williamson interprets Ephesians for pastoral ministers and lay readers alike. This volume, like each in the series, relates Scripture to life, is faithfully Catholic, and is supplemented by features designed to help readers understand the Bible more deeply and use it more effectively in teaching, preaching, evangelization, and other forms of ministry.
About the series: The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (CCSS) responds to the desire of Catholics to study the Bible in depth and in a way that integrates Scripture with Catholic doctrine, worship, and daily life. The series will include seventeen volumes, offering readable, informative commentary on each book of the New Testament. The CCSS implements the theological principles taught by Vatican II for interpreting Scripture “in accord with the same Spirit by which it was written”–that is, interpreting Scripture in its canonical context and in the light of Catholic tradition and the analogy of faith (Dei Verbum, 12).The CCSS is packed with features designed to help readers use the Bible more effectively in teaching, preaching, evangelization, and other forms of ministry. Each volume provides exegesis as well as reflection and application sections. A set of cross-references links each passage to the Catechism, the Lectionary, and related biblical texts. Sidebars present information on the background of the text and on how the text has been interpreted by the Church. Abundant quotations from saints and Church Fathers enable readers to glimpse the continuity of Catholic tradition. Each volume includes a Glossary, a list of Suggested Resources, an Index of Pastoral Topics, and an Index of Sidebars. Further resources are posted at the series Web site, www.CatholicCommentaryonSacredScripture.com.
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2nd Corinthians
$26.00Add to cartThere is an increasing hunger among Catholics to study the Bible in depth and in a way that integrates Scripture with Catholic doctrine, worship, and daily life. Second Corinthians is the fourth of seventeen volumes in the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (CCSS), a new series that will cover the entire New Testament and interprets Scripture from within the living tradition of the Church. This volume, like each in the series, is supplemented by features designed to help readers understand the Bible more deeply and use it more effectively.
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Impact Of The Dead Sea Scrolls
$16.95Add to cartThe discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are texts not discovered in the Dead Sea itself, but in caves and holes along the northwest shore of the Dead Sea between 1947 and 1963, has had an enormous impact on human intellectual life, in particular the fields of biblical studies and archaeology. The Dead Sea Scrolls have influenced not only the study of the Old Testament or the Hebrew Scriptures, but also the history of Judaism in Judea, the study of the ancient languages of Aramaic and Hebrew, and the interpretation of many New Testament writings. Since 1957, Joseph Fitzmyer has done considerable study and research on the Dead Sea Scrolls along with having published extensively on this topic. The result is informative, interesting, and insightful reading that will appeal expecially to students of the Bible and those interested in ancient archaeology.
Highlights:
*Succinct description of the Dead Sea Scrolls along with their significance and importance both for biblical studies and ancient archaeology.
*Author’s expertise. He has done extensive research, study, and scholarly writing on the Dead Sea Scrolls since 1957.
*Helpful reading resource for students of the Bible and those interested in history and ancient archaeology.
*Accompanying photos and illustrations that complement the presentation. -
Ignatian Way : Key Aspects Of Jesuit Spirituality
$16.95Add to cartAlthough many books have been written on Ignatian Spirituality, most focus on highly specific and scholarly details, rendering them too academic and specialized for the average reader. This book remedies this problem by compiling a more general guide to the basic aspects of Ignatian spirituality. Addressing everything from the life of St. Ignatius Loyola to his Spiritual Exercises to dealing with contemporary world issues in a Jesuit spirit, it offers a comprehensive yet conversational approach to Ignatian spirituality. Whether studying or teaching at a Jesuit school, seeking spiritual direction on a retreat, discerning a possible vocation to the Society of Jesus, or simply seeking more exposure to Ignatian spirituality, this book is an invaluable guide.
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Loving Creation : Christian Spirituality Earth Centered And Just
$19.95Add to cartHow can we bring about the profound conversion of mind and heart that is necessary if we are to protect and preserve our planet at this critical point in history? Loving Creation shows that only when we are touched by God will we find new ways of relating to all other species and the Earth itself. Rich in tradition, the book draws from ancient and contemporary sources to fashion a holistic Christian spirituality, one that unites ecological concerns with social justice, personal struggles with those of the planet, theological reflection with scientific findings, and everyday grace with global outreach.
Filled with stories and practical suggestions, Loving Creation will serve as a handbook for prayer, guiding its readers to a broader vision of Christian maturity and a solid hope in the Spirit’s power to shape us into the people we are meant to be. A work of practical theology, it builds on the ecological thinking of recent decades, while taking a fresh look at key areas of an Earth-centered spirituality emotion, imagination, wonder, desire, asceticism, and legacy. In the process, the book suggests ways to incorporate greater ecological awareness into classical spiritual practices.
Loving Creation faces directly the force of our cultural dark nights, but grounds our faith in the future that God desires for our universe. Clear and readable, it will provide the spiritual foundation for sustained ecological action.
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Worshiping With The Church Fathers
$27.99Add to cartChristopher Hall invites us to accompany the church fathers as they enter the sanctuary for worship and the chapel for prayer. He also takes us to the wilderness, where we learn from the early monastics as they draw close to God in their solitary discipline. Readers will enjoy a rich and rare schooling in developing their spiritual life in this unique survey of the life of worship from the perspective of the early Church.
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Spiritual Masters For All Seasons
$18.00Add to cartEvery age needs figures of spiritual inspiration but, in times of recession and uncertainty, they are essential in helping us to rise above despair and to search for God deep within ourselves. In this new book, Michael Ford invites four spiritual masters onto the same stage for the first time and shows how they speak, not only to our own times, but for all seasons. Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, Anthony de Mello and John O’Donohue all died suddenly at the height of their fame as spiritual masters but they continue to have immense followings. What was their secret and why do their legacies endure? Through unpublished interviews with some of the authors themselves, encounters with their friends and reflections from readers who have been inspired by their writings, Michael Ford journeys across the United States and Europe to assess their place in the world of contemporary spirituality. He goes behind the scenes of the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky to hear at first hand from monks who were novices under Merton; visits Lambeth Palace in London to discover Merton’s influence on the Archbishop of Canterbury; talks to people about how Nouwen, the proverbial wounded healer, helped them through depression because he had suffered himself; speaks to Jesuits who worked with de Mello in India and tries to find out how close the international storyteller came to Buddhism; and takes a walk with O’Donohue through landscapes in rural Ireland which feature in such books as Anam Cara and discusses the appeal of Celtic spirituality. Blending the spiritual with the journalistic, Michael Ford presents four unique writers as “Spiritual Masters for All Seasons.”
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Ministerial Priesthood In The Third Millennium
$24.95Add to cartDrawn from the main talks given at a Year of the Priest symposium at The Catholic University of America, Ministerial Priesthood in the Third Millennium explores the mystery of the priesthood in light of the Church’s theological and spiritual heritage.
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Songs Of Joy And Praise
$17.95Add to cartPlaying one of these favorite songs on the electric piano is easy. Simply push the key that matches the color and number of the note above each word. The twelve familiar songs will provide hours of fun for children as they play and sing along. Intended for children age 3 and up.
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Leisure : The Basis Of Culture
$17.95Add to cartOne of the most important philosophy titles published in the twentieth century, Josef Pieper’s Leisure, the Basis of Culture is more significant, even more crucial, today than it was when it first appeared more than fifty years ago. This edition also includes his work The Philosophical Act.
Leisure is an attitude of the mind and a condition of the soul that fosters a capacity to perceive the reality of the world. Pieper shows that the Greeks and medieval Europeans, understood the great value and importance of leisure. He also points out that religion can be born only in leisure – a leisure that allows time for the contemplation of the nature of God. Leisure has been, and always will be, the first foundation of any culture.
Pieper maintains that our bourgeois world of total labor has vanquished leisure, and issues a startling warning: Unless we regain the art of silence and insight, the ability for non-activity, unless we substitute true leisure for our hectic amusements, we will destroy our culture – and ourselves.
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Ignatian Tradition
$24.95Add to cartThe Ignatian tradition sprang up in the sixteenth century, the fruit of graces bestowed on a Basque nobleman, Ignatius of Loyola. Guided by a passion to find God in all things, Ignatius and his first companions founded the Society of Jesus and inspired many other religious orders and lay movements. Their influence spread across the globe even as they embraced various aspects of the cultures, languages, and institutions they encountered.
This introduction-a mere sampling of the men and women influenced by Ignatius-draws on the stories and writings of nineteen exemplary individuals as well as the corporate voice of the Jesuit order. Here we meet missionaries, scholars, artists, advocates, and martyrs. Contemplatives in action, they follow Christ by serving others. They embody the freedom born of a passionate knowledge of God’s unending, unconditional love; precisely in this, they show us how to live well today.
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Catholic Childrens Illustrated Bible
$29.95Add to cartAvailable for the first time for Catholic children. There are more than 4 million copies of this publication in circulation. This is the most complete Children’s Bible available for young Catholics today, from ages 9-12 years old. Over 400 pages are highlighted by beautiful illustrations and easy to read text. This is truly a Bible that will be treasured by all who receive it.
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Mother Teresa : Come Be My Light
$19.99Add to cart“If I ever become a Saint-I will surely be one of “darkness.” I will continually be absent from Heaven-to lit the light of those in darkness on earth .”
-Mother Teresa of CalcuttaDuring her lifelong service to the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa became an icon of compassion to people of all religions; her extraordinary contributions to the care of the sick, the dying, and thousands of others nobody else was prepared to look after has been recognized and acclaimed throughout the world. Little is known, however, about her own spiritual heights or her struggles. This collection of letters she wrote to her spiritual advisors over decades, almost all of which have never been made public before, sheds light on Mother Teresa’s interior life in a way that reveals the depth and intensity of her holiness for the first time. A moving chronicle of her spiritual journey-including moments, indeed years, of utter desolation-these letters reveal the secrets she shared only with her closest confidants. She emerges as a classic mystic whose inner life burned with the fire of charity and whose heart was tested and purified by an intense trial of faith, a true dark night of the soul.
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Trails Of Hope And Terror
$20.00Add to cartA conversation on the challenges of immigration that includes the voices of recent immigrants, the documented and the undocumented.
Miguel De La Torre, the son of an undocumented immigrant and now a U.S. citizen and a professor of Christian ethics, seeks to develop a constructive conversation on immigration by examining significant issues and by presenting first-person accounts of the experiences of immigration. De La Torre’s goal is to initiate a civil conversation that can replace the politics of fear that now dominates discussions of immigration.
Each of seven sections (Borders, Economics, Myths, Family Values, the Politics of Fear, Christian Perspectives, Ethical Responses) opens with an examination of an issue and then includes a story or testimony by an undocumented immigrant, a story by someone who works with the undocumented, and a poem, prayer, or a song that expresses the hope and the terror involved in crossing the border. This combination of analysis, story, and artistic expression opens up the complexities of immigration for undergraduates and for all Christians.
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Hebrews
$44.95Add to cartScarcely any book of the New Testament (with the possible exception of Revelation) is so perplexing as the “Letter to the Hebrews.” Not really a letter, but a sermon with some features of a letter added to it, not really by its putative author, Paul, but by an anonymous Christian who wrote some of the most elegant Greek in the Bible, not really addressed to the “Hebrews,” but to Christians, probably in Rome-this is the work that Alan Mitchell explains in this commentary.
Many scholars have written fine commentaries on Hebrews, and Mitchell stands on their shoulders, noting where he proposes alternate interpretations. Mitchell pays particular attention to the reliance of the author of Hebrews on the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint). He also compares the language of Hebrews with similar usage and ideas of first-century Hellenistic Jewish authors, notably Flavius Josephus and Philo of Alexandria. Furthermore, he situates Hebrews against the background of the tradition of Hellenistic Moral Philosophy, where that is appropriate. Mitchell thus locates Hebrews in its proper thought-world, something that is essential for the modern reader in dealing with some of the thornier questions raised by this biblical book. Chief among these are the role of sacrificial atonement, the question of “second repentance,” and the spiritual and moral formation of the Roman Christians who were its recipients.
Like all the volumes in the Sacra Pagina series, this work examines the text in detail, with careful attention to the words and phrasing, and then brings those individual insights together into a coherent summary. The bibliography and special lists appended to each chapter cover the best of recent scholarship on the Letter to the Hebrews.
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Pastorial Epistles : First Timothy Second Timothy And Titus
$29.95Add to cartFirst and Second Timothy and Titus have for many years borne the collective title “The Pastoral Epistles.” Both their style and their content make it difficult to locate them within the corpus of Pauline letters, and recent scholarship most often considers them pseudonymous, works that imitate Paul’s letters but apply the apostle’s teaching to the concerns of a later time, two or more decades after Paul’s death.
The Pastorals differ from Paul’s own letters in being addressed to single individuals, coworkers of Paul who have been placed in charge of particular churches-Timothy apparently in Ephesus, Titus in Crete. They provide instruction for community leaders, both the individual addressees and other leaders whom they will appoint. The specification of certain offices within the local churches is one of the features that appear to locate these works in a later phase of church development.
In this commentary Benjamin Fiore, SJ, places the Pastorals in their historical and literary context. The reader will find here a solid introduction to parallel literary forms in Latin and Greek literature and particular descriptions of the way in which these documents use ancient rhetorical forms to achieve their paraenetic and hortatory purpose. Drawing on his parish experience as well as his academic training, Fiore also provides reflections on the contemporary pastoral application of these books, giving readers a renewed appreciation for the “pastoral” label these epistles bear.
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Handbook On Guadalupe
$15.95Add to cartThis is the most authoritative, complete and up-to-date book on all the facts, history and devotion of the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It includes the latest research and contributions from numerous Guadalupe experts including Fr. Christopher Rengers, Dr. Charles Wahlig, Janet Barber, Fr. Martinus Cawley and many others. Articles on over 35 topics, both scholarly and popular, include the historical roots of Guadalupe, scientific studies of the tilma, miracles and conversions, and much more. It offers the most in-depth treatment available of the biblical, liturgical, sociological, historical and scientific evidence on the Image and Our Lady’s message for today. Includes many color photos.
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NRSV XL Catholic Edition
$69.99Add to cartFor those who appreciate easy-to-read print, we now introduce three XL Editions of this beloved translation. Combining the latest trends in design with a larger print size, the NRSV XL, NRSV Catholic Edition, and NRSV XL with Apocrypha offer beautiful styling with a wonderful reading experience. No one will feel relegated to ugly and bulky larger print editions by purchasing and XL. Overall, these special large-print settings make the Bible a wonderful reading experience.
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Libro Catolico De Novenas – (Spanish)
$13.95Add to cartThis Spanish version of CATHOLIC BOOK OF NOVENAS contains more than twenty-five of the most popular novenas, carefully arranged for private prayer in accord with the Liturgical Year on the feasts of Jesus and Mary as well as favorite Saints. A short, helpful meditation is included before each novena. Illustrated.
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Spiritual Exercises Of Ignatius Loyola
$16.95Add to cartOffering an accessible translation of the classic Ignatian text The Spiritual Exercises, this reference provides step-by-step commentary that explains its meaning and relevance to the modern spiritual life. An important resource for those seeking to grow spiritually, whether Christian or not, every page provides compassionate advice for each stage of the journey and reflects the understanding of the human soul. Chronicling a spiritual work out, this resource employs stories, analogies, and approachable language to make this an ideal companion for anyone seeking divine inspiration.
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Prayerfulness : Awakening To The Fullness Of Life
$20.00Add to cartBlending insights from Christian contemplative practice and Buddhist mindfulness, Dr.
Robert J. Wicks-well-known speaker, therapist, and spiritual guide-introduces what he calls “prayerfulness,” a way of being truly in the present to experience God and life in dynamic new ways. Wicks offers a rich array of insights including seven practical steps, a thirty-day retreat, and a Spiritual Mindfulness Questionnaire. This creative combination of ancient wisdom and contemporary psychology is designed to help readers develop a loving, clear, and spiritually balanced outlook. -
Darkness Yielding : Liturgies Prayers And Reflections For Christmas Holy We (Exp
$29.99Add to cartThis rich resource of ready to use liturgies and reflections for the richest seasons of the Christian year sold out within a year. Its timeless qualities found a ready and eager readership among all looking for fresh inspiration for these annual celebrations. aaThis new edition includes extra seasonal reflections from Rowan Williams and Martyn Percy, and a new liturgy for Maundy Thursday from Jim Cotter. In addition it offers: probing reflections by outstanding thinkers to inspire preaching and personal devotion, complete liturgies for a Christmas Eve vigil, Maundy Thursday foot washing and watch, a Good Friday devotional service, an Easter Eve vigil, a dawn celebration of the Resurrection, a set of meditations on the Stations of the Cross and the Seven Words from the Cross, and seven Good Friday addresses by WH Vanstone.
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Facing Adversity With Grace
$13.95Add to cartIn this book, popular Catholic author Woodeene Koenig-Bricker offers an in-depth look at a host of saints and how they dealt with a particular type of suffering in their lives. From each saint we learn valuable lessons about the common trials that come with being human.
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Ecumenical Councils Of The Catholic Church
$29.95Add to cartThere have been twenty-one universal gatherings-ecumenical councils-of the Catholic Church. The first opened in 325, the last closed in 1965, and the names of many ring out in the history of the church: Nicea, Chalcedon, Trent, Vatican II. Though centuries separate the councils, each occurred when the church faced serious crises, sometimes with doctrinal matters, sometimes with moral or even political matters, and sometimes with discerning the church’s relation to the world. The councils determined much of what the Catholic Church is and believes. Additionally, many councils impacted believers in other Christian traditions and even in other faiths.
In this accessible, readable, and yet substantial account of the councils Joseph Kelly provides both the historical context for each council as well as an account of its proceedings. Readers will discover how the councils shaped the debate for the following decades and even centuries, and will appreciate the occasional portraits of important conciliar figures from Emperor Constantine to Pope John XXIII.
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Intimacy With God
$19.95Add to cartA poetic and accessible introduction to the method of Centering Prayer, this guide explains its origins, theological basis, and psychology by drawing on the writings of important Catholic figures, such as St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, and significant texts, such as The Cloud of Unknowing. Describing the theological basis for the Centering Prayer while staying rooted in the heart of a practice that is very personal and intimate, the study explores how harmful attitudes and beliefs about God can distort a positive relationship with the divine. With a careful balance of both Christian and Buddhist philosophy, the volume also discusses the psychological barriers and levels of resistance that contemplatives must face and bolsters seekers with supportive practices like Lectio Divina (holy reading) and praying the rosary. Updated to include a new foreword, this revised edition of a much loved classic is sure to inspire a deeply intimate experience with God.
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Frontiers In Catholic Feminist Theology
$34.00Add to cartWhat does it mean to be a Catholic woman with feminist commitments today, and what insights can be garnered from that context? In this first attempt in a generation at a collective framework for Catholic feminist theology, a group of theologians formulate a new contextual approach to and criteria for systematic theology and apply those insights as they tackle three key topics: Theological Anthropology, Christology, and Ecclesiology.
Key to their endeavor is specific focus on contemporary discipleship, a special cricitcal methodology and relationship to the Catholic Christian tradition, and a specific sensitivity to academic and ecclesial hegemonies. The result in each case is an honest exploration of the tradition, a contextualization of the locus in the lives of women today, and an attempt at a constructive vision with which to move forward.
Contributors: Susan Abraham, Rosemary Carbine, Teresa Delgado, Elizabeth Groppe, Jeanine Hill-Fletcher, Elena Procario-Foley, Michele Saracino, and Laura Taylor.
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Naked Now : Learning To See As The Mystics
$21.95Add to cartFor Christians seeking a way of thinking outside of strict dualities, this guide explores methods for letting go of division and living in the present. Drawn from the Gospels, Jesus, Paul, and the great Christian contemplatives, this examination reveals how many of the hidden truths of Christianity have been misunderstood or lost and how to read them with the eyes of the mystics rather than interpreting them through rational thought. Filled with sayings, stories, quotations, and appeals to the heart, specific methods for identifying dualistic thinking are presented with simple practices for stripping away ego and the fear of dwelling in the present.
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Introduction To Theology In Global Perspective
$36.00Add to cartAn exciting, comprehensive guide to doing theology as part of the Catholic ecclesial community in today’s global world.
First, this is a book about doing theology, emphasizing not so much content but theology as an activity, a process. Second, this is a book about doing Catholic theology, that is to say anchored in Scripture but also as interpreted by ecclesial Tradition and Magisterium, theology rooted in the experience that the divine is to be found in a sacramental world and community. At a third level, Bevans describes systematic theology as reflection upon the central teachings of the church — creation, sin, redemption, Trinity, anthropology, salvation and eternal life, ecclesiology. And all this is done in the light of a fourth key insight, the contextual nature of theology, as it makes sense of life in a global world shot through with cultural and religious plurality.
This book bears the hallmark of Bevans’s work and experience teaching and doing pastoral work on five continents, bringing together insights garnered over a lifetime.
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Week That Changed The World
$17.95Add to cartThis devotional for Lenten and Easter meditations is a synthesis of the four gospel accounts of the eight days of Jesus’ passion and resurrection.
Uses the popular and contemporary TNIV translation
Includes maps, notes, and user guide
Preface by Robert Webber, noted evangelical scholarBeginning with Palm Sunday, the gospels record every day of Jesus’ life up to the time of his death and resurrection. These eight days are unparalleled in the canon of Scripture for their narrative power, their detail, and their focus. A unique synthesis of the four gospel accounts of the passion and resurrection of Christ is provided in this seamless and elegant narrative account of the Easter events, including every detail mentioned in all four Gospels, but without any unnecessary repetition or distracting references.
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Prayers For An Inclusive Church
$22.95Add to cartThe author has prepared a special American edition of his book, first published in the UK, to conform to the calendar of the Episcopal Church.
Prayers are appropriate to conclude the Prayers of the People in the Eucharist
Includes a scriptural index keyed to the lectionary readings
Includes 3 Eucharistic prayers, Eucharistic preface, general confession, and post-communion prayer for each season in the church year.
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Living The Christian Year
$25.99Add to cartBobby Gross presents chapters on each season of the liturgical year, accompanied by weekly devotions based on the Sunday readings of the lectionary cycle. His book offers a flexible weekly format, designed to let you break the devotions down any way you want to.
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Introducing The Lessons Of The Church Year (Revised)
$35.95Add to cart3rd edition of a known and trusted guide to Scripture for pastors, deacons, and lay people.
Thoroughly revised and updated to the Revised Common Lectionary by an Episcopal and Lutheran scholar and church leader, author of many books.
A one-volume resource with multiple uses: sermon preparation, public reading of scripture, sermon discussion groups, lectionary Bible study, Christian education planning, bulletins, and web sites.
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Discerning The Will Of God
$19.95Add to cartDrawing from the timeless methods of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, this thoughtful meditation is enriched with examples and stories that offer practical and profound wisdom for aligning personal desires and goals with God’s will. With guidance on recognizing God’s infinite love, opening the heart to what God wants, making use of silence, the Eucharist, scripture, spiritual direction, finding clarity, and understanding discernment as part of the overall spiritual life in Christ, this discussion addresses questions asked by many Christians throughout life, such as What does God want for my life? Is it time to change jobs? and Should I marry? Focusing on major life decisions such as marriage and career, these insights can be adapted to any of life’s decisions, helping the thoughtful Christian find a spiritually inspired mission.
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Fathers Of The Church
$21.99Add to cartBetween March 2007 and June 2008, Pope Benedict XVI devoted thirty-six catecheses at his Wednesday audiences to the Fathers of the Church, from St. Clement of Rome to St. Augustine of Hippo. He devoted talks not only to the saints of the church, but also to writers not venerated – one subject, Tertullian, even died outside the Catholic communion.
Pope Benedict’s catecheses often begin with some historical information about his subject, setting the writer in the context of his time. He pays attention to the teaching of the Father, but often in unexpected ways – his concern is not only with Christian doctrine, but also with care for the poor and with the relation of the Church to the state. He sometimes applies the teaching of his subject to some contemporary situation. Finally at the end of several catecheses, he quotes a prayer written by his subject.
These catecheses are distinctive. The Pope is not giving academic lectures, nor is he giving sermons. Rather, he is instructing those who are coming to the Church and those who want to have their faith confirmed and strengthened. Pope Benedict clearly believes that the Fathers of the Church speak to Christians today, and he presents the Fathers in a way that makes them accessible to every reader. That accessibility often makes that reader eager to look further into the writings of these great early Christians.
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Medieval Exegesis Volume 3
$69.99Add to cartFor many years, biblical scholars had been convinced that the middle ages was marked by a so-called pre-critical understanding of the Bible, with only a handful of isolated exceptions – like Andrew of St. Victor – popping up as precursors of the historical-critical method. Here, however, Henri de Lubac draws on extensive documentation that demonstrates that even among the Victorines the traditional exegesis involving an interplay between the literal and spiritual senses of Scripture is a constant throughout medieval exegesis. The one exception – a radically important one, de Lubac readily admits – was Joachim of Flora, whose doctrine is considered in the final chapter of this volume.
This third volume of Fr. de Lubac’s Medieval Exegesis cover volume two, part one of his French volume and includes both the original Latin notes and an English version of the sources.
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Treasures Old And New
$13.99Add to cartPraying to God is essential to Catholics. Treasures Old and New offers a way to deepen your relationship with God. With user-friendly devotions and novenas, the book gives readers a way to participate more fully in prayer.
Treasures Old and New offers a modern approach to traditional prayers. It increases the understanding that praying is a way to thank God for your life and all His many blessings. These litanies, prayers, and novenas give readers the words to use to converse with God both internally and externally. Praying is participating and offering gratitude to God, and we are reminded that our Lord will not force a blessing upon us–receive and give thanks.
Gratitude prepares the soul for humility, and humility makes prayer come more easily. The more we rest and work and play in prayer, the more we come to live the Word of God in thanksgiving.
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G K Chesterton Theologian
$19.95Add to cartOne of the greatest Catholic minds of the twentieth century was a journalist, playwright, novelist, literary critic, poet, cartoonist, essayist, broadcaster, and even president of the Detection Club.
But he was also a theologian.
G. K. Chesterton, famous for defending Christian belief in his books Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man (the latter helped to convert C.S. Lewis) could not help thinking theologically even when he was making jokes and his writings illuminate the profoundest religious themes.
In his hands, Christian truth is rescued from becoming a purely academic exercise. He gives us an “experience of the fullness and many-sidedness of the truth, in which the Christian can romp without a care” (Balthasar).
In fact, like Lewis, Chesterton, who was one of the great converts of the twentieth century, draws us directly into an encounter with the Word of God, showing us the faith of the Church as most of us have never seen it before. No wonder Pope Benedict XVI tells us that “in every age the path to faith can take its bearings by converts.”
But Chesterton wrote so much literally millions of words in thousands of essays and books that the average reader may feel daunted. There has never been one book that introduces his thoughts on God and the Church … until now, courtesy of the wise Dominican priest, Aidan Nichols.
In these pages, Fr. Nichols has gathered the most powerful theological passages from the many works of Chesterton, and included his own concise explanations of the keen and sometimes surprising ways they illuminate the most profound questions ever asked by man.
Readers new to Chesterton as well as his lifelong fans will delight in the fresh light he sheds here on the existence of God, the nature of man, the meaning of Christ, and the universal call to holiness, which in these pages rings out as loudly as it did when G.K. Chesterton first wrote these words over a century ago.
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Outposts Of The Faith
$39.99Add to cart“The Anglo-Catholic movement which flourished in the early and mid twentieth century is famed for its dedicated and heroic work in inner-city slum areas, yet little is recorded about its impact in rural areas, nor have the stories of its more flamboyant rural priests been told. “”Outposts of the Faith”” tells the entertaining stories of ten parishes where the Anglo-Catholic movement made a particular impact, or took a significant turn that affected the wider church and the subsequent direction of the movement. Included are the stories of a number of well known names – Athelstan Riley, Samuel Gurney, Maurice Child and Clive Beresford among others, about whom very little has previously been written. Here we meet eccentricity and devotion in equal measure – one priest who removed parts of his clerical clothing whenever the 1662 Prayer Book was mentioned, another who was shot by a parishioner, another who served the same Devon parish for 70 years.”
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Sacraments : An Interdisciplinary And Interactive Study
$29.95Add to cartWhat are the sacraments, really?
For centuries, the religious lives of Catholics and other Christians have revolved around church rituals with generally accepted individual and social effects. What, precisely, are those effects, and how are they produced? Traditional theology used Greek philosophy to understand the sacraments and how they work. But is there no other way to understand them? In fact, there are a number of ways, and this book invites you to look at the sacraments through a variety of lenses: psychology, sociology, anthropology, history, theology, morality, and spirituality.
As the introduction to this volume challenges, “If you read this book, and especially if you engage in the interactive study to which it invites you, your understanding of sacraments will be changed forever.”
To help personalize your investigation, the author has created a web site with thought-provoking questions that encourage you to interact with the ideas being proposed in this volume.
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Advent And Christmas Wisdom From Saint Thomas Aquinas
$13.99Add to cartThe holy seasons of Advent and Christmas are a time to reflect on God’s infinite love for us all and how through the birth of his son, Jesus Christ, Christianity was born. Advent and Christmas Wisdom from St. Thomas of Aquinas guides readers on their spiritual journey to be closer to God and understand how to live the life of a Christian.
Offering daily selections from St. Thomas of Aquinas for meditation and prayer, this book is a wonderful way to examine your faith and feelings during Advent and Christmas. The words of this revered saint help focus the reader’s reflections on the wonder of creation. These daily Scripture readings and meditations offer a better understanding of St. Thomas’ passionate beliefs on the importance of our relationship with God. Through the din of advertisements and gift-buying at Christmas time, we are reminded of his thoughts on virtue and the importance of charity and how it is the essence of our Christian life. These daily affirmations also offer a simple Advent action that you can do to keep the prayers and thoughts of St. Thomas with you all day.
Advent and Christmas are a time to prepare for and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Use these reflections and meditations of St. Thomas Aquinas to slow down and remember that because of God’ infinite love for us all, Jesus was born–and through him, salvation is ours.
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Desiring The Kingdom (Reprinted)
$26.99Add to cartPhilosopher James K. A. Smith embarks on a journey to reshape the whole notion of Christian education in Desiring the Kingdom. This text is the first of three volumes that will ultimately provide a comprehensive theology of culture. The entire set will address crucial concerns in ontology, anthropology, epistemology, and political philosophy. Desiring the Kingdom focuses on the themes of liturgy and desire. The author contends–as did Augustine–that human beings are “desiring agents”; in other words, we are what we love. Postmodern culture is saturated with liturgy, but in places such as malls, stadiums, and universities. While these structures influence us, they do not point us to the best of ends. Smith aims to recover a worldview based on counter-formation to these secular liturgies. His ultimate purpose is to re-vision Christian education as a formative process and redirect us to the summum bonum (the highest good)–namely, God himself. Desiring the Kingdom will reach a wide audience; professors and students in courses on theology, culture, philosophy, and worldview will welcome this contribution. Pastors, ministers, and other church leaders will appreciate Desiring the Kingdom as well.
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Talking Back : A Monastic Handbook For Combating Demons
$24.95Add to cartHow did the monks of the Egyptian desert fight against the demons that attacked them with tempting thoughts? How could Christians resist the thoughts of gluttony, fornication, or pride that assailed them and obstructed their contemplation of God? According to Evagrius of Pontus (345-399), one of the greatest spiritual directors of ancient monasticism, the monk should “talk back” to demons with relevant passages from the Bible. His book Talking Back (Antirrhetikos) lists over 500 thoughts or circumstances in which the demon-fighting monk might find himself, along with the biblical passages with which the monk should respond. It became one of the most popular books among the ascetics of Late Antiquity and the Byzantine East, but until now the entire text had not been translated into English. From Talking Back we gain a better understanding of Evagrius’s eight primary demons: gluttony, fornication, love of money, sadness, anger, listlessness, vainglory, and pride. We can explore a central aspect of early monastic spirituality, and we get a glimpse of the temptations and anxieties that the first desert monks faced.
