Steven J. Schloeder Amid the growing dissatisfaction with Catholic church architecture since the Second Vatican Council, and the general lack of clear and vibrant direction in liturgy, this book responds to the timely question of "How ought we build our churches?" Drawing upon the texts of the Second Vatican Council, recent papal encyclicals, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church , …

Mary Mother Of God - Her Life in Icons and Scripture Giovanna Parravicini Rare and precious Oriental icons, some created in mosaics, are arranged to tell the story of Mary. The accompanying text offers comments and explanations of the images and their symbols. A life of Mary as presented in the writings of the great fathers of the Eastern Church and in the liturgical rites of the …

The words of Jesus of Nazareth continue to amaze, confound and inspire listeners as they did two thousand years ago. They resonate down the centuries, poetic in their simplicity, challenging in their meaning, uncompromising in their authority. Whether Jesus was describing the kingdom of Heaven, stripping away worn-out conventions or defining love and forgiveness, he chose direct, down-to-earth …

This book by Bishop Christoph Schonborn, the principal editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is about the human face of God. Artists and theologians have meditated upon the mystery of God's human countenance and tried to express it.  This book seeks to present the great sources of this meditation--sources which today are widely unknown, or have become foreign or obscure.  …

Churches and cathedrals were originally built to be read.  They are alive with images and symbols - all of which are packed with meaning.  But today few people, from regular visitors to tourists, truly understand the wealth of meaning in what they find there. How to Read a Church is must reading for anybody who wants to know more about what they see in a church or …

This extraordinary collection of full-page, full-color icons introduces reader, art appreciators, and historians to the spiritual riches of the Byznatine liturgical tradition.  Father Michael Evdokimov, a Russian Orthodox priest living in Paris, has presented an icon for each of the twelve great feasts of the Orthodox Christian liturgical year, as well as for other special moments of …

Philip Bess "The city comes into existance... for the sake of the good life."  So wrote Aristotle nearly 2,400 years ago, articulating an idea that prevailed throughout most of Western culture and the world until environmental consequences of the Industrial Revolution called into question the goodness of traditional urban life.  Urban history ever since has consisted largely of …

The Symbols of the Church Maurice Dilasser, Editor; Mary Cabrini Durkin, O.S.U., Madeleine Beaumont, and Caroline Morson, Translators Science has its own language; the arts have another. Religion uses the language of the arts, for it uses signs and symbols, like bridges from the visible to the invisible. The symbol is not an object of worship but invites us to worship. It leads to an encounter …

Vincent Moleta With over 50 illustrations, From Francis to Giotto "Brings together and reviews some of the most familiar expressions of early Franciscan culture, such as the fresco cycle in the Upper Church of San Francesco and Canto XI of Dante's Paradiso , while it merely touches on related questions such as the debate over poverty and the influence of Joachim of Fiore.  These …

Contains over 250 historic photographs, sketches and documents portraying the life and works of Pope Pius XII.

This wonderful new compilation of devotional art, brought to you by the authors of Holy Cards , combines the collectible, portable charm of holy cards with the humanistic appeal of saints. From the thousands of Catholic saints, authors Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua have chosen more than 120 beatified figures, all beautifully portrayed on antique holy cards. The book is organized into …

In this gorgeously illustrated book, the renowned Latinist Pierre Grimal examines the multitude of churches in pontifical Rome, rediscovering through them not only the traces of nascent Christianity but also the spirit of the ancient Imperial city. Early Christians viewed the "church" as the assembly of the faithful, the "dome" as their home, and the "basilica" as the palace of the Lord. Such …

Christian saints have been the objects of reverence and fascination throughout the past two millennia. Their likenesses, heroic acts, prayerful lives, and stories of martyrdom have been portrayed frequently in art of diverse media. Unfamiliar with the saints and their images and symbols, viewers of art may find it challenging to identify, for example, which saint is represented as a monk with …

The Blessed Virgin Mary inspires intense religious devotion throughout the Catholic world. In her 350 official apparitions — among them Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Lourdes, and The Mother of Sorrows — Mary brings a feminine face to Catholic devotion, and serves as a conduit for the redemption of humanity. This beautiful and timeless book by the authors of …

Veronique Rouchon Mouilleron Daniel Faure If the church is said to be the soul of an abbey, the cloister is surely its heart. The cloister, a space secluded—as its Latin derivation suggests—within four galleries is at once a place of peace and a ceaseless crossroads. As the hub of all activity, through which monks progressed from task to task and prayer to prayer throughout the day from matins …

Imagine the dangerous life of a First Century Christian. You've embraced your newfound faith in Christ but fear the risk of persecution or death at the hands of the pagans living around you. Then a trusted friend tells you about some of Jesus followers who secretly meet. He whispers into your ear, Look for a fish carved into the entranceway to the burialchambers beside the Via Tiburtina. You …