A
Case for Peace in Reason and Faith
Monika
K. Hellwig
112 pp., PhP 99
Noted theologian Monika Hellwig presents in non-technical language the teaching on the nature of peace, the arguments for pacifism, and the means for peacemaking in the great religious traditions and in some philosophical strands. Through this comparison she establishes the common ground in these various traditions which offers an effective base for dialogue and cooperation in peace-making activities on an international scale. This work is written for those who have little experience in wider ecumenism, who are seeking cooperation in their peacemaking endeavors or simply greater understanding of the endeavors of others.
"Christians owe it to themselves to take the message of this book seriously. It deserves to be read widely by scholars, clergy, and laity alike."
A
Tragic Grace
The Catholic Church and Child Sexual Abuse
Stephen J. Rossetti
144 pp., PhP 149
Category: Pastoral Ministry
Child sexual abuse is a difficult subject. Its implications are devastating and beg for new ways of confronting and understanding this problem, as well as offering support to its victims. A Tragic Grace provides a direct, honest look at child sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church. It documents this "sustained crisis" in the Church and offers concrete suggestions on how to deal with the subject. Through the latest pastoral and psychological insights, coupled with his original research, Father Rossetti responds to the Church's actions (or lack of action) and offers new ways of responding to and preventing child sexual abuse.
In the past, the Church acknowledged cases of child sexual abuse by clergy, but was unaware that a great deal more needed to be done about it. Much of its malfeasance in responding to these cases was a result of ignorance, not maliciousness. Since then, the Church has been challenged to take a proactive stance toward child sexual abuse—to hear on a different level, to see with a new clarity. It is through this process that the Church now understands what the real challenge is: regaining the trust of all those affected by child sexual abuse.
Father Rossetti shows in A Tragic Grace that responding properly to incidents of child sexual abuse presupposes an awareness of the pervasiveness of child sexual abuse, a realization of the trauma it causes victims, a recognition of the mental illness that afflicts perpetrators, and a sensitivity to the signs of child sexual abuse.
The insights contained in A Tragic Grace are simple ones. Indeed, after reading this book, one's first thought might be "these are obvious things." Unfortunately, reality suggests that they are not. The lessons offered here are the hard lessons of many years of mistakes. Mistakes made again and again by diocese after diocese, religious order after religious order, one country after the next. Fortunately, imbedded within the tragedy and realities of this problem is a message of hope and, possibly, even a story of human greatness. Through a slow awakening, A Tragic Grace shows that the Church is learning, the world is learning—the word is getting out. There are many actions to remember, but the real message calls for a change of heart.
Within the seeds of the tragedy of child sexual abuse, the author sees the possibility of a stronger, more open, and accountable Church emerging. He urges us not to enter the road to conversion thinking we know where it will lead, because we do not. We simply trust that, wherever it leads, we will be blessed for the journey and stronger than when we began. A Tragic Grace helps us enter this journey with confidence, trying not to cling too hard to former notions and ways of thinking, but to hope for the future that something new, something better is ahead.
Chapters are "A Slow Awakening," "A Wounded Church," "Parishes as Victims of Child Sexual Abuse," "Red Flags for Child Sexual Abuse," "Suicides of Priests and the Crisis of Faith," "A Conversion of Perspective," and "Silver Lining in a Dark Cloud."
Christology as Narrative Quest
Michael L. Cook, S.J.
224 pp., PhP 269
Category:
Theology / Christology
The author maintains in n Christology as Narrative Quest the primacy and centrality of narrative in communicating the significance of Jesus Christ, and demonstrates ways in which "narrative" in four faith images has played a role in the shaping of Christology. These forms and their texts are: biblical (the Gospel of Mark); creedal (the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed); systematic (Aquinas' Summa theologiae ); and social transformation (the "story" of Mexican-Americans.) All of these images are ways of using narrative imagery to connect idea and experience.
A detailed analysis reveals that each of these forms involve what well-known ethicist Alasdair MacIntyre calls a "narrative quest." In each case an image of Jesus that is fundamental for integrating a particular form of the "narrative quest" emerges.
Clever as Serpents
Business Ethics and Office Politics
Jim Grote and John McGeeney
160 pp., PhP 149
Category: Theology
Centuries ago Thomas Aquinas remarked that there can be no joy in life if there is no joy in one's work. Drawing upon the seminal insights of Rene Girard, Clever as Serpents confronts this timeless issue of finding peace in one's work and offers practical guidance on how people, acting together, can cultivate virtuous business.
Clever as Serpents provides ethical insight in business life, the job market, and office politics, revealing that business culture, while often corrupt, can be transformed through the practice of asceticism. It suggests that instead of renouncing worldly comforts and retreating to a monastery, business asceticism embraces and masters the discomforts of business life through a disciplined and unique approach to the rigors of the competitive marketplace.
The College Student's Introduction to the Trinity
Lynne Faber Lorenzen
120 pp., PhP 269
Category:
Theology
Lynne Lorenzen examines how the doctrine of the Trinity has been interpreted in Eastern Christianity, Western Christianity, and by contemporary theologians including feminists and process theologians.
In The College Student's Introduction to the Trinity, Lynne Lorenzen examines the development of the separation of the Trinity from the rest of Christian theology, how it began with Augustine and continued in the Western tradition. One solution that she describes is for the Western Christian to rediscover the original function of the doctrine of the Trinity as integrating soteriology, christology, and the doctrine of God, to develop a doctrine that will reauthenticate the Trinity, and, above all, to integrate these doctrines in a doctrine of the Trinity for the West.
Handy Reference Makes Bible Study Interesting and Exciting
Collegeville
Bible Handbook
Hardcover, 352 pp., 5 1/4 x 6 7/8,
PhP 499
With The Collegeville
Bible Handbook you receive a valuable enrichment resource to guide you
through the books of the Bible and a ready reference for libraries, high
school classroom use, families, and individuals seeking a lively, readable
introduction to the Bible. Attractively illustrated with photographs and
maps pertinent to the biblical text.
Ecclesia
A Theological Encyclopedia of the Church
Christopher O'Donnell, O.Carm
544 pp., PhP 2,500
Although the word "ecclesiology," meaning "the study of Church," is recent in the history of theology, ecclesiology as a recognized theology emerged slowly. Its reflections on the nature, function, and structures of the Church date back to New Testament times. Ecclesia sheds light on this study by presenting invaluable information on a wide range of toics about the Church. Since Vatican II, an integration of many theological disciplines and fields has enriched our understanding of the Church, and this reference work continues that education for all who seek a deeper understanding of the Church and its background.
Exploring the Sacraments:
Appreciating God's Presence
By
Anthony Kain
64 pp., PhP 199
The presence of God can be found in Jesus, the Word made flesh, and in the Spirit dwelling among us. The sacraments help us to appreciate God's presence in these two modes. This work explains for catechumens how we use the sacraments to celebrate the discovery of this God who is present and to invite even deeper discovery.
Hans Urs von Balthasar
(OCT Series)
By
John O'Donnell, SJ
180 pp., PhP 319
This book is a
welcome means of approaching a man whose stature will doubtless continue
to grow among Christians in the years to come.
The Homilist's Guide to Scripture,
Theology and Canon Law
By John Burke,
OP and Thomas P. Doyle, OP
282 pp., PhP 199
The authors draw
on all contemporary documents including the Code of Canon Law to guide
ordinary ministers of preaching: bishops, priests, and deacons. Extraordinary
ministers will find valuable guidance as well in the chapters on evangelization,
catechesis…
How
Many Times Can You Say Goodbye
Living with Bereavement
By Jenifer Pardoe
112 pp., PhP 129
Facing loss is something we must all do at some point in our life. Sometimes these losses are small and we can overcome them fairly easily; sometimes they are so great that they threaten to overcome us. How Many Times Can You Say Goodbye? looks at grief in a way that ordinary people can understand without having to reach for a dictionary. With practical insights, human stories, and a Christian perspective, it explores how people can find the right way-their own way-to cope with their grief.
In the Thick
of His Mystery
By
Carlo Maria Martini
91 pp., PhP 129
Cardinal Martini,
reflecting on some passages of the second letter to the Corinthians, delves
deeply into Paul. Here we find Paul in the thick of his ministry. After
twenty years of it, during which he passed through so many trials, disappointments,
and diffuclties, he speaks as a servant of the gospel in the midst of
the daily grind. So we feel he is very close to us. The Cardinal then
describes the pastor serving the gospel in the Christian community and
helping it grow in faith today. Though this book is initially intended
for young priests working in diverse pastoral situations, the book is
of interest to anyone committed to the service of the gospel.
Ivan Steiger
Sees the Bible
Illustrator
by Ivan Steiger
352 pp. PhP 199
This collection, perhaps the most creative look at the Bible ever published, presents 350 illustrated "commentaries" on the Scriptures. Each page contains a Scripture passage presented in words (NRSV translation) and interpretive art.
Mary, Mother
of My Lord
by Christine Granger
64 pp. PhP 139
Lovers of icons, particularly Marian icons, will delight in the splendid images presented in this lovely prayer book. For those seeking a more comforting and meaningful way to Pray to Mary, or a means to honor her in a special way, Mary, Mother of My Lord…
Paul Tillich: A New Catholic Assessment
Raymond F. Bulman and Frederick J. Parrella, Editors
360 pp., PhP 289
Thirty years ago, a group of Catholic scholars responded to the radical challenges of Paul Tillich's theology in a collection of essays that was courageous and farsighted for its time. This present collection of articles, a successor to the 1974 volume, reflects the very different religious and cultural situation that characterizes post-Vatican II theology. It demonstrates the wide spectrum of positive and creative ways in which the thought of Paul Tillich one of this century's most important Protestant theologians continues to influence Catholic theological reflection today.
Penance, Contemplation, and Service
Pivotal Experiences of Christian Spirituality
Patrick Madigan, S.J.
232 pp., PhP 129
Father Madigan asks us to step back from prayer and examine what happens when we pray. All Christian spirituality, he says, can be organized around three pivotal experiences: repentance (the desert), contemplation (the heavenly court), and service (the cross). An adequate spirituality must eventually encompass all three moments.
Father Madigan also explores the interface between spirituality and contemporary theories of psychological growth (notably Kohlberg). He uses this as an opportunity to study the rise of the Enlightenment mentality and the reasons for its disparagement of Christian contemplation as Schwämerei (fanaticism). He identifies dialectical questioning of our most basic convictions undertaking a "quest" for understanding as the necessary step toward reconciliation between the two rival ideologies that continue to divide our world.
The Practical
Preacher:
Handy Hints for Hesitant Homilists
by
Paul Edwards, SJ
176 pp. PhP 199
Taking
the premise that a person can learn to be a competent preacher, Edwards
offers a step-by-step guide to the technical and emotional factors of
preaching. He begins with the preparation of material focusing on the
event, and physical aspects such as stance, projection, position, etc.
He moves on to discuss more complicated matters, such as how to keep one's
material fresh and how to adjust the same material for various audiences.
Psalms in
Inclusive Language
by
Joseph Arackal
216 pp. PhP 229
For this
rendering of the Psalms into inclusive language both the meaning of the
original text and the integrity of the English language were carefully
preserved. Accuracy, poetry, and inclusiveness all factored significantly
in the author's work. The result is a translation capturing the beauty
and power of these prayers that belong to all members of the Church.
Psalms
of Friendship
64 pp., 3 ¼ x 7 1/8, PhP 50
Never fear, I have loved you always. Psalms 73, 46, 72, 89 and 92. Like
the Dew I have Begotten You, My Friend, Psalms 121, 24, 93, 147 and 95,
Wisdom Prepares the Friends of God, Psalms 55, 94, 98, 139 and 84, Sweetness
of Friendship
Psalms
of Suffering
64
pp., 3 ¼ x 7 1/8, PhP 50
Nights of Aloneness with God, Psalms 6, 17, 35, 38 and 39; God heals the
Broken Hearted and Bandages their Wounds, Psalms 44, 64, 74 and 88; I
Want to Sing to God, My Liberator, Psalms 85, 142, 56 and 59, Cast Your
Concerns on God.
Psalms
of Tenderness
64 pp., 3 ¼ x 7 1/8, PhP 50
The Tenderness of God Embraces All Persons, Psalms 145, 113, 23 and 8;
Our God is a God Who is Always Near, Psalms 148, 10, 26, 41, 57, 86, 31,
138 and 84; God Guides the History of Each Person, Psalms 105, 111, 123
and 119.
Psalms
of Trust
64
pp., 3 ¼ x 7 1/8 PhP 50
My Refuge and My Strength, My god In Whom I Trust, Psalms 108, 91, 7.
11, 60 and 140; I Lift My Voice to the Lord Who Answers Me, Psalms 116,
54, 17, 5, 3, 55, 71 and 112; Lord, Let Your Grace Be on Me, In You I
Have Trust.
Recovering
the Lost Self
Shame-Healing for Victims
of Clergy Sexual Abuse
Elisabeth A. Horst
56 pp., PhP 69
Sexual abuse victims often suffer from feelings of shame. When their abuser is a member of the clergy, the victim may feel separated not only from the human community but from God as well. Recovering the Lost Self offers a model for those who seek relief from the isolating and devastating shame that goes with the betrayal they have experienced. It is in booklet form to facilitate its use as an informational resource and counseling tool.
Shame is a normal human emotion, one that everyone experiences. But shame, when it is chronic, becomes the crippling habit of self-attack. Shame can prevent victims from seeking help, keep them locked in behaviors that make them vulnerable to further victimization, interfere with intimacy and trust, and make it difficult to speak up.
In Recovering the Lost Self, Dr. Horst uses the story of the woman with the hemorrhage in Mark's Gospel to help modern victims of clergy sexual abuse bravely claim their own healing. By finding the inner strength and faith to reach out for help, they, too, can experience wholeness and new faith.
Contents are Victims and Shame, Steps to Healing, Living in a State of Shame, Trying to Heal Using Conventional Methods, Seeking Authentic Healing, Becoming Visible, Finding Witness and Blessing for Healing, The End Is Only the Beginning, and For Further Reading.
Sacred Lies and Silences:
A Psychology of Religious Disguise
Vernon Ruland, S.J.
168 pp., PhP 139
These commentaries and case studies that chart the differences in temperament, training, and culture that give each person a unique spirituality sometimes more religious than labels imply, sometimes a mere parody. Sorting through religious disguises such as conscience, magic, ghosts, irreligiousness, as well as paranoia, self-effacement, religious co-dependency, and narcissism, this work sifts out a balanced spiritual ideal and a predictable range of distortion, both psychological and religious, triggered whenever this integration is threatened. The case studies add a rich variety and interest to this work and are drawn from the author's counseling, teaching, and pastoral experiences, and his research in comparative religious traditions.
Schillebeeckx (OCT
Series)
by
Philip Kennedy, OP
60 pp., PhP 319
This book,
which comes with a commendation from Schillebeeckx himself provides the
first detailed and comprehensive account of his thought to appear in English.
It is based on lengthy study of the complete range of Schillebeeckx's
writings in the language in which they were written.
Sexual Diversity and Catholicism
Toward the Development of Moral Theology
Patricia Beattie Jung, Editor; with Joseph A. Coray
344 pp, US$ 29.95, PhP 1,680
The Roman
Catholic Church has in recent decades sent mixed signals with regard to
discrimination based on sexual identity. On the one hand, official documents
have condemned violence and verbal abuse directed at persons of different
sexual orientation; on the other hand, the Church has approved and lobbied
for certain types of discrimination: in housing and employment, for example,
and also with regard to marriage or civil unions.
Sexual Diversity and Catholicism focuses specifically on Roman Catholic magisterial teachings on sexual diversity. It also wrestles with explicitly Roman Catholic views of the relationship among various sources of moral wisdom (between Church teachings, the Bible, philosophy, science and experience) and how their interplay might contribute to the further development of Church teaching. It addresses the issue of sexual diversity and its legitimate expression under the headings Interpreting Church Teachings, Interpreting the Bible, Interpreting Secular Disciplines, and Interpreting Human Experience.
Sharing the
Journey
Spiritual Assessment and
Pastoral Response to Persons with Incurable Illnesses
Cornelius J. van der Poel, C.S.Sp.
104 pp., PhP 139
People with incurable illnesses find little consolation in pious platitudes; they need understanding and acceptance. Sharing the Journey shows how spirituality is an integral dimension of human existence regardless of religious denomination. It offers insights into the psychological and spiritual needs of those with an incurable illness, suggests ways to evaluate a patient's needs, and provides guidelines for those who accompany the patient on the journey toward inner peace, wholeness, and union with God.
Theology and Canon Law
New Horizons for Legislation and Interpretation
Ladislas Örsy, S.J.
200 pp., PhP 249
If theology is defined as faith seeking understanding, canon law should be described as faith seeking action. This book seeks to determine how this ideal can be achieved and sustained both in the creation and interpretation of laws, and how the laws can (as they should) be humble but effective instruments in helping the people of God to progress toward the Kingdom: a Kingdom of justice, love, and peace.
The author is internationally recognized for his creative approach to canon law. He respects tradition but points to the need for development as well; and what is even more important, he shows in a practical way how the laws of the Church, both in their creation and in their interpretation, can be infused with a new spirit.
The Theology of Priesthood
Donald J. Goergen, O.P., and Ann Garrido,
Editors
232 pp,
US$ 24.95, PhP 1,399
By engaging
in conversation with those whose experience, perspectives, and theological
traditions vary from their own, the contributors to The Theology of Priesthood
explore in detail the fundamental questions being asked about the ordained
priesthood today. Priests, deacons, and students of theology will find
these articles an engaging means to understanding Church, ministry, and
priesthood more deeply.
The Theology of Priesthood includes ten essays that explore facets of ordained ministry and the ministerial priesthood. Paul Philibert, O.P., begins with an overview of issues involved in the contemporary discussion on priesthood within the Roman Catholic tradition. Frank Quinn, O.P., addresses the significance of language as it pertains to priesthood and ministry and how language is manifested in rites of ordination. Thomas O'Meara, O.P., situates the discussion on priesthood within the context of an expansion of ministry in the Church since Vatican II and the implications of this expansion for ministry in the future.
Stephen DeLeers articulates a theology of priesthood grounded in Vatican II and post-Vatican II documents which focuses on the primacy of preaching. Thomas Rausch, S.J., then takes up the issue of diversity within ministerial priesthood as he reflects on priesthood within the context of apostolic religious life. Jack Risley, O.P., returns to the question of the relationship between ordained ministry and lay ministry.
The final
three articles reflect on ordained ministry from distinctive perspectives.
Benedict Ashley, O.P., takes the Letter to the Hebrews as his starting
point. Paul Wesche looks at priesthood through the lens of an Eastern
Orthodox priest. Donald Goergen, O.P., asks what insights African theology,
specifically African christology, might offer a contemporary Catholic
theology of priesthood. Paul Philibert, O.P., provides a concluding reflection.
Transforming Self and Community
Revisioning Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Direction
Len Sperry
208pp, PhP 1,119.00
Catholic Press Association Award Winner!
Both
spiritual direction and pastoral counseling tend to be partially responsive
to client needs and expectations. Many of the theories underlying the
practice of spiritual direction and pastoral counseling are based more
on psychology than spirituality. They minimize or exclude character and
moral concerns and may even unintentionally foster individualism and spiritual
narcissism. Transforming Self and Community offers an approach to spiritual
direction and pastoral counseling that is holistic, that integrates spiritual
and moral constructs with the psychological and emphasizes all aspects
of transformation, including social transformation.
The integrative approach in Transforming Self and Community provides psychological, spiritual, and moral perspectives for understanding and assisting individuals with their spiritual journey of development. It describes and illustrates clinically useful guidelines for the practice of spiritual direction and pastoral counseling. It includes case studies as well as figures, tables, and charts that highlight and summarize main text points.
Transforming Self and Community is primarily for professionals who practice, teach, or are learning how to do spiritual direction or pastoral counseling. Nevertheless, spiritual seekers, clients, or prospective clients of spiritual direction or pastoral counseling will also find this book enlightening.
The book has eight chapters. Chapter 1 surveys and describes trends in the current practice of pastoral counseling and spiritual direction. Chapter 2 reviews four prominent theories underlying the practice of pastoral counseling and spiritual direction. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 provide detailed review of various constructs in the spiritual, psychological, and moral perspectives as they relate to the practice of pastoral counseling and spiritual direction. Chapter 6 presents a holistic model which integrates key constructs from the spiritual perspective, the moral perspective, and the perspective dimension in relationship to the outcome dimensions of transformation. Chapter 7 and Chapter 8 illustrate the integrative model in action. Finally, Chapter 9 summarizes the main points of the book and speculates on future developments regarding the theory and practice of spiritual direction and pastoral counseling.
Chapters are "Spirituality, Spiritual Direction and Pastoral Counseling: Recent Trends," "Theoretical Bases of Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Direction," "Spiritual Perspective on Transformation," "Moral Perspective on Transformation," "Psychological Perspective on Transformation," "An Integrative Model of Spiritual Direction and Pastoral Counseling," "An Integrative Approach to Spiritual Direction: A Case Study," "An Integrative Approach to Pastoral Counseling: A Case Study," "Spirituality, Spiritual Direction and Pastoral Counseling: Some Future Prospects."
Len Sperry, M.D., Ph.D., is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the Medical College of Wisconsin and a professor at Barry University. He has practiced spiritually attuned psychotherapy, pastoral counseling, and spiritual direction for over 30 years and has written more than 30 books including Ministry and Community published by The Liturgical Press.
"Dr. Sperry's Transforming Self and Community is an exceptional contribution to the fields of spirituality and psychology as well as the intersection of these disciplines. Sperry's lifetime of experience and training, his keenness of perception, and a gift for clarity make this book a must read for anyone interested in psychology, spirituality, and pastoral counseling." - Keith J. Egan, The Aquinas Chair in Catholic Theology, St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana
"Dr. Sperry reviews some key assumptions about the therapeutic as
currently practiced under the aegis of Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual
Direction. He then moves with deliberate focus to the theoretical frameworks
on which many of those assumptions stand. He argues cogently against movements,
practices or unchallenged models, which, in the end, suggest that anything
less than a complete appreciation and use of an integrative approach to
psychology and spiritual development should be embraced uncritically."
- The Catholic Journalist
"Transforming Self and Community has the potential to also transform
spiritual direction and pastoral counseling. Dr. Len Sperry not only correctly
analyzes the current weaknesses in spiritual direction and pastoral counseling
but also presents a corrective, holistic model. I know of no other book
on spiritual direction that has such breadth in examining all theories
and such depth in focusing on what is too often neglected in human experience."
- Rev. Matthew Linn, S.J., Author, trainer in the Sacred Ground spiritual
direction program
Veni Creator Spiritus
An Encyclopedia of the Holy Spirit
Michael O'Carroll, C.S.Sp.
235 pp., Hardcover, PhP 1,275
The listings are alphabetical, and the author covers patristic authors, and modern authors and theories-the latter in great detail, as much has been done in this area in the decades since Vatican II. The articles are clear and concise; those who would then wish for more information have reference to fine source notes for all the major articles. Indexed.
Verbum Caro
An Encyclopedia on Jesus, the Christ
Michael O'Carroll, C.S.Sp.
216 pp., Hardcover, PhP 1,475
Verbum Caro returns to the sources to record and explain the important interventions of the Church's teaching authority in the continuous reflection and debate on Jesus Christ.
Both modern and ancient writers are well-represented. Ample bibliographies allow readers to pursue personal study in more depth. The full text of the Tome of Leo as well as recent illuminating statements from the Biblical Commission and the International Theological Commission are also included.
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