This is a collection of G. K. Chesterton's provocative writings on a subject close to his heart-the family, and the corresponding themes of men and women, children, sex, marriage and divorce. The family was a central element in Chesterton's vision, a unifying theme of his literary work. His eloquent defense of the sacredness of the home is even more applicable in our times because of the …

In one series, the original writings of the universally acknowledged teachers of the Catholic, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, Islamic and Native American traditions have been critically selected, translated and introduced by internationally recognized scholars and spiritual leaders. I abandoned and forgot myself Laying my face on my beloved; All things ceased; I went out from …

Francis (c. 1182-1226) and Clare (c. 1193-1254) together shaped the spirituality of early 13th-century Europe.  Here for the first time in English are their complete writings, brought together in one volume.

In The Beginning:  A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger These five superb homilies by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, one of today ' s most significant Catholic theologians, provide a clear and biblically based explanation of the Genesis creation narratives. While the stories of the creation of the world and of the fall of human-kind have …

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-11530), one of Christianity's greatest mystics and father of what was perhaps the most influencial new monastic order of the Middle Ages - Cistercians - devoted eighteen years of his life to his literary masterpiece, Sermons on the Song of Songs. Although the Song of Songs , a brief book in the Old Testament, contains no explicit mention of God, the passionate love …

Athanasius (c. 295-373), Bishop of Alexandria, spiritual master and theologian, was a major figure of 4th-century Christendom.  The Life of Antony is one of the foremost classics of asceticism.  The Letter to Marcellinus is an introduction to the spiritual sense of the Psalms.

This is a collection of three important essays written by St. Thomas More.

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger Are liturgy and prayer important in an age of political crisis and technological manipulation of human life?  Yes, declares Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI.  Genuine worship of God involves the sacred liturgy and prayer.  Only if man authentically worships God will true human dignity be protected, and the principles and the power to resolve the …

St. Bernard of Clairvaux Translated and with a foreword by G.R. Evans Born in Fontaines-lès-Dijon in 1090, Bernard had become, by his twenty-fifth birthday, the abbot of a Cistercian monastery which he had founded in the valley of Clairvaux near Aube, France, some four years earlier. There in those isolated and rugged surroundings he became the spokesman for a revival of monastic life in an …

A one-of-a-kind anthology of the most significant and timeless writings of the Catholic Church from the first through the twentieth centuries. The Heart of Catholicism: Essential Writings of the Church from St. Paul to John Paul II is a font of inspiration and information for all Christians. Presented in historical order, the entries contain information about the authors as well as excerpts …

Cardinal John Henry Newman John Henry Newman, the most seminal of modern Catholic theologians, is often called "the Father of the Second Vatican Council," the teachings of which he anticipated in so many ways, especially in his ecclesiology, with its emphasis on the role of the laity, but also in his theory of the development doctrine, his ecumenism, and his concern for the renewal of …

Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), mystic and Doctor of the Church, wrote The Dialogue , her crown9780809122332 ing spiritual work for "the instruction and encouragement of all those whose spiritual welfare was her concern."

St. Francis de Sales St. Jane de Chantal Offered here in fresh translation are the letters of spiritual direction of two seventeenth century mystical writers, Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal. These letters show us the daily attempts of laity, clergy, cloistered religious, bishops, and obscure windows to live in the authentic spirit of Jesus, and will speak not only to the historian of the …

St. Gregory of Nyssa This great spiritual master of the fourth century was born as the general persecution of Christians was ending. One of the Greek Cappadocian Fathers (the other two were Gregory's brother, St. Basil the Great, and their mutual friend, St. Gregory Nazianzen), Gregory has come to be regarded increasingly as the most brilliant and subtle thinker and most profound mystical …

Hans Urs von Balthasar In this final volume, Balthasar reflects on the New Testament vision of God's revelation of his glory in Christ. In Christ's incarnation and resurrection the Christian vision is truly expressed and the joining of God and the world in the new and eternal covenant is realized.

St. Bonaventure - The Soul's Journey into God, The Tree of Life, The Life of St. Francis Translation and introduction by Ewert Cousins, preface by Ignatius Brady, O.F.M. "But if you wish to know how these things come about ask grace not instruction, desire not understanding, the groaning of prayer not diligent reading, the Spouse not the teacher, God not man, darkness not clarity, not light …

Hans Urs von Balthasar This is von Balthasar's study of the biblical vision and understanding of God's glory. Starting with the theophanies of the Patriarchal period, with the appearance of the divine glory in the sensible world, it shows how such glory is most fully expressed in the graciousness of the Covenant relationship as God allows Israel to enjoy his justice, peace and truth. But the …

Hans Urs von Balthasar The fourth volume in von Balthasar's essays is built around the theme of Spirit and Institution, the two central features of the Church which Balthasar approaches from different angles. The third volume is built around the theme of the Holy Spirit as the Creator Spirit. The first volume was constructed around the mid-point of the Word become man, and the second volume …

St. Catherine of Genoa Translated with notes by Serge Hughes Introduction by Benedict J. Groeschel Catherine, who lived for 60 years and died early in the 16th century, leads the modern reader directly to the more significant issues of the day. In her life she reconciled aspects of spirituality often seen to be either mutually exclusive or in conflict. This married lay woman was both a mystic …

Here are selected writings of Alphonsus de Liguori (1696-1787)--saint, bishop, founder of the Redemptorists, and Doctor of the Church.  These writings touch on many different areas:  spirituality, spiritual direction, devotion; prayer and moral theology.