Man of Dialogue


Book Description

How Catholic was Thomas Merton? Since his death in 1968, Merton’s Catholic identity has been regularly questioned, both by those who doubt the authenticity of his Catholicism given his commitment to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and by those who admire Merton as a thinker but see him as an aberration who rebelled against his Catholicism to articulate ideas that went against the church. In this book, Gregory K. Hillis illustrates that Merton’s thought was intertwined with his identity as a Catholic priest and emerged out of a thorough immersion in the church’s liturgical, theological, and spiritual tradition. In addition to providing a substantive introduction to Merton’s life and thought, this book illustrates that Merton was fundamentally shaped by his identity as a Roman Catholic.




The Catholic Vision for Leading Like Jesus


Book Description

Follow the Path of the Greatest Leader of All Time Each of us is not only called to be a leader, but we are all leaders by default -- whether we like it or not. How effective are you at making a positive impact on the people around you? Discover the power of Christ's personal and practical example, and make a measurable difference in the lives of those around you -- at home, at work, in the community, or in your parish. Transform your leadership style in light of Jesus' compelling combination of servant, steward, shepherd. Whom do you influence in big or small ways? How will you be remembered? What is your legacy? What is the source of true power and influence over others? How do you fit into Christ's mission and message for the world? "Its purpose is not to revise the principles we present in the Lead Like Jesus movement, but only to enhance them for a particular audience. I am pleased that we have found a member of the Lead Like Jesus movement who is a Catholic family man to step up and take on this task." -- Ken Blanchard, entrepreneur, speaker, and co-author of Lead Like Jesus and The One-Minute Manager




Made in God's Image


Book Description

"The Catholic Church in its social teaching has consistently rooted its mission in the dignity of the human person created in the image of God. For three years Catholic scholars from various disciplines participated in a seminar on human dignity. The fruits of their conversation are presented in this engaging and readable collection." "Ideal for college courses on religious and social issues or adult education groups, the essays in this volume are also useful for personal study."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved




Renewing Catholic Schools


Book Description

Catholic education remains one of the most compelling expressions of the Church’s mission to form disciples. Despite decades of decline in the number of schools and students, many Catholic schools have been experiencing renewal by returning to the great legacy of the Catholic tradition. Renewing Catholic Schools offers an overview of the reasons behind this renewal and practical suggestions for administrators, clergy, teachers, and parents on how to begin the process of reinvigoration. The book begins by situating Catholic education within the Church’s mission. Fidelity to Catholic mission and identity, including a commitment to the fulness of truth, provides the fundamental mark for the true success of Catholic education. The Catholic intellectual tradition, in particular, established by figures such as Augustine, Boethius, and Aquinas, can continue to direct Catholic schools, providing a depth of vision to overcome today’s educational crisis. To transcend the now dominate secular model of education, Catholic schools can align their curriculum more closely to the Catholic tradition. One touchpoint comes from Archbishop Michael Miller’s The Holy See’s Teaching on Catholic Schools, which the book explores as a source for practical guidance. It also offers a Catholic vision for curriculum, examining the full range of subjects from gymnasium, the fine arts, the liberal arts, literature, history, and catechesis, all of which lead to a well-formed graduate, inspired by beauty, attune to truth, and ordered toward the good. Finally, the book provides a practical vision for renewing the school through the formation of teachers, creation of a school community, and by offering suggestions for implementation of a stronger Catholic mission and philosophy of education. The teacher, ultimately, should strive to teach like Jesus, while the community should joyfully embody the school’s mission, making it a lived reality. The book concludes with examples of Catholic schools that have successfully undergone renewal.




Jonathan Edwards and the Catholic Vision of Salvation


Book Description

Jonathan Edwards (1703&–1758) has been acclaimed as the quintessential puritan of eighteenth-century America who defined not only what Puritanism was, but also what American Christianity would become. Anri Morimoto finds that Edwards's theology, once regarded as disarrayed, precarious, and dangerously unorthodox, is in fact consistent and integral to his general ontology and natural philosophy. By presenting Edwards's vision of salvation as a dynamic process of sharing God's excellence and holiness, Morimoto presents a new paradigm that is radically inclusive, yet theologically responsible. By discussing Edwards in relation to Roman Catholic traditions, Morimoto places him in the context of a broader Christian tradition rather than that of New England Puritanism. Morimoto argues that this view of salvation was not new to the Protestant tradition&—in fact, this view was present in Luther, Calvin, and much of the Reformed tradition&—but Edwards accented it more clearly and emphatically than anyone else. Morimoto concludes that one does not have to surrender or compromise one's theology to promote ecumenical harmony. This study will be of interest to scholars, teachers and students of theology and religion, church leaders and lay persons of all denominations, evangelical or liberal, and especially those interested in Edwards, Puritanism, and early American intellectual history.




Renewing the Vision


Book Description

This volume provides all who minister to young people with an effective blueprint for building a truly meaningful ministry




A Deeper Vision


Book Description

In this wide-ranging and ambitious volume, Robert Royal, a prominent participant for many years in debates about religion and contemporary life, offers a comprehensive and balanced appraisal of the Catholic intellectual tradition in the twentieth century. The Catholic Church values both Faith and Reason, and Catholicism has given risen to extraordinary ideas and whole schools of remarkable thought, not just in the distant past but throughout the troubled decades of the twentieth century. Royal presents in a single volume a sweeping but readable account of how Catholic thinking developed in philosophy, theology, Scripture studies, culture, literature, and much more in the twentieth century. This involves great figures, recognized as such both inside and outside the Church, such as Jacques Maritain, Bernard Lonergan, Joseph Pieper, Edith Stein, Alasdair MacIntyre, Charles Taylor, Romano Guardini, Karl Rahner, Henri du Lubac, Karol Wojtyla, Joseph Ratzinger, Hans Urs von Balthasar,Charles Peguy, Paul Claudel, George Bernanos, Francois Mauriac, G. K. Chesterton, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Christopher Dawson, Graham Greene, Sigrid Undset, J. R. R. Tolkien, Czeslaw Milosz, and many more. Royal argues that without rigorous thought, Catholicism – however welcoming and nourishing it might be – would become something like a doctor with a good bedside manner, but who knows little medicine. It has always been the aspiration of the Catholic tradition to unite emotion and intellect, action and contemplation. But unless we know what the tradition has already produced – especially in the work of the great figures of the recent past – we will not be able to answer the challenges that the modern world poses, or even properly recognize the true questions we face. This is a reflective, non-polemical work that brings together various strands of Catholic thought in the twentieth century. A comprehensive guide to the recent past - and the future.




The Vision of Catholic Social Thought


Book Description

The Vision of Catholic Social Thought traces the emergence of solidarity and human rights as critical theological and philosophical pillars of the anthropology and ethics foundational to the development of Catholic social teaching. Meghan J. Clark argues that the integration of human rights and the virtue of solidarity at the root of the Catholic social tradition are the unique contributions Catholic thought makes to contemporary debates in ethics, political and philosophical theory. Building upon the historical framework of the development of Catholic social thought, drawing deeply from the papal encyclical tradition and the theological and ethical developments of Vatican II, Clark forwards a constructive vision of virtue and social practice, applying this critical question of human rights on the international stage.




Lead Like Jesus


Book Description

Learn how to lead like Jesus, whether in the home, the church, the community, or the marketplace; moving not only from success to significance but taking a step beyond significance--surrender.




Behold the Man


Book Description

Lucid and inspiring, Behold the Man is a unique exploration of Catholic spirituality for men. Much of the literature written for Catholic men focuses on topical issues such as fatherhood and sexuality. While this book does not exclude these subjects, it is the first to present a comprehensive picture of Catholic male spirituality. What is authentic male Catholic spirituality? What distinguishes it from Protestant male spirituality? How does masculine spirituality complement feminine spirituality? These questions and many more are answered in this book. Drawing from Scripture and Church teaching, the author roots Catholic male spirituality in a covenant relationship with God and the cross of Jesus Christ. He demonstrates that when a man embraces the cross he is truly able to be himself the man that God created and calls him to be. Behold the Man can deepen a man s experience of Christ and help him to know the Lord more intimately.