Saint The Books

This exciting biography manages to bring to life the mood of 14th Century France and to give a vivid portrait of "the Maid" from contemporary accounts, which are always clearly credited.

Beevers achieves this without missing the point of Joan's canonisation, so often misconstrued as being due to patriotism or even to some kind of early feminist or anti-establishment streak, with which some always try to retrospectively credit her.

After a simple account of what we know of her family life, and riveting detail in the battles and her attempts to reach the Dauphin, Beevers gives an accurate and crystal-clear historical summary of her trials, including much excellent background on the personalities involved.

This book makes a wonderful spiritual and historical gift for a teenager, and is scholarly, highly readable and inspiring. It is the perfect choice for those who seek Joan's true story without any ideological trimmings.

I'm a woman and I'm all for female heroines, but so many of Joan's biographers err on the side of feminism. John Beevers does not. He shows her as a real, solid, Christ-centered young lady who led a nation in a time of peril. She was called for a specific purpose and this book gives the most realistic, unfabricated version of her life. One of the best biographies I have ever read. I couldn't put it down!

As a convert from Protestantism, I have struggled with the place of the Blessed Virgin Mary in my personal spirituality as well as my defense of the Faith. Father McBride's Images of Mary has been a turning point for me. He has treated the reader as a thinking adult and as a pilgrim. His synthesis of personal devotion with the writings of the Church Fathers, Church Councils, and contemporary writers has resolved many objective and subjective dilemmas for me. I have given the book to many friends. My wife and teenage children are studying it with me. I am particularly thankful for his tender use of iconography as way of catechizing from the heart.

Father McBride provides an inspiring and mentally stimulating look at Our Blessed Mother. In a conversational style that sometimes includes addressing the reader, he introduces fascinating historical information about the controversies surrounding the development of her various roles in the church. However, he goes beyond this, sharing poignant reflections that bring Mary to life and invite the reader into a deeper appreciation of the woman, her choice, and the spiritual ramifications for all of us.

Although "Images of Mary" could be read quickly, it's worth reading slowly and savoring.

Father Joseph Conwell, SJ's work will remain as a classic in the history of Jesuit spirituality for many years to come. This book is the culmination of almost fifteen years of serious scholarship and writing. His hard work shines through very clearly.

The book is concerned with an early Jesuit document known as "Cum Ex Plurium" which was prepared for Pope Paul III in 1539. The document was the the precursor to the "Formula of the Institute," which is the official governing document of the Society of Jesus. The book concerns itself with this early rough draft in a meticulously crafted style by following the meaning of each word or set of terms in their historical context and within the evolution of St. Ignatius' personal history. From the first word to the last, Father Conwell has clearly laid out the evolution of the ideas surrounding the creation of the Jesuits. He also has also drawn inspiration from this document and tries to make the founder's intentions come alive for the reader. Father Conwell peppers this work with sage advice about the discernment of spirits, which is so central to Ignatian spirituality. He points out St. Ignatius' own experience of discernment from reading the movements, making the decision, finding confirmation, readiness for action, movements for further discernment, and taking action (356-358). He also offers little tid-bits of advice for religious and anyone interested in following a spiritual path. These nuggets of insight are well worth the read. The Epilogue is one of the finest writings of hope as well as a challenge for the future of the Jesuits.

"Impelling Spirit" is a must read for anyone interested in the evolution of the spirituality and governance of the Jesuits. It will stand as a classic bench mark for future generations due to its careful scholarship. It looks like a daunting task to read at 400+ pages, but it is well worth the effort. This book would also be one that would prove helpful to anyone interested in more deeply exploring their own religious vocation. I high also highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to find the Spirit that impels him or her. "Agite, igitur: Get moving! Follow the Spirit wherever the Spirit leads you" (421).

This is a masterpiece, a must for all Jesuits and those interested in the religious history of the West, esp. of the Late Middle Ages. Fr. Conwell, a man of immense erudition, weaved such an interesting tapestry based on the 1539 text of The First Sketch of the Institute of the Society of Jesus or Cum ex plurium, using the first three Latin words of a papal document. You get an in-depth understanding of the times and spirit of the first Jesuits through the analysis of the the key-words of the text. There are many gems in the copious footnotes also. E.g., "...According to the accepted system, the clergy prayed, the nobles protected, and the people provided, but down the ages the peasant experience has often been that the clergy preyed, the nobles preyed, and the people prayed and paid..." (p.444) Against the background of so much corruption and immorality in the Church, you get inspired by the author's unravelling of the inner core of the lives and dedication of so many people, Francis, Dominic and the first Jesuits... who responded so totally to the Impelling Spirit. That's a beautiful and apt title. The Spirit is very tangible throughout the book.

I can't express how exquisitely these 4 volumes are packaged. Take a look at the price!!! There is a large case that contains four slender volumes bound in what appears to be handmade paper. Each volume focuses on one of four palaces. Each one contains watercolours with a description paragraph to the left. The watercolours are breathtakingly reproduced -- bright colors, intricate details. Treat yourself to these four, perhaps the most beautiful book ever produce on the subject of Imperial Russia. Go ahead and splurge!

These four volumes are a wonfderful collectionof watercolours and grisailles from the times of Imperial Russia. They would be suitable for anyone with an interestin art, architecture, Russia and St Petersburg. They show the four palaces (sadly there is no volume for other palaces such as Ropsha, Strelna or Oranienbaum) as they were before they were destroyed by the Germans in WWII. The palaces (both interiors and exteriors) as well as their gardens are brought to life by this wonderful collection. They are shown as they exisited throughout the 19th century and are interesting not only for their artistic and architectual merits but also for their intrinsic historic and cultural value. Very strongle recommended.

Lisa Sandlin's new collection is worth two reads. I just reread it and love the world we enter. It's a place that's mystical and spiritual and filled with salt of the earth characters who are searching for more from life. I'm reminded of Isabel Allende and Gabriel Garcia Marquez with their magical realism. Sandlin's third collection is beautifully written, deep and multilayered in complex characters and a joy to read and savor.Keep your eye on Lisa Sandlin. She's a writer worth knowing and watching. If you haven't heard of her, she has two other collections--The Famous Thing About Death and Message to the Nurse of Dreams--worth reading. Thank you, Lisa, for your stories. I'm sure you will give us another collection soon.

First, a disclaimer: I am acquainted with Ms. Sandlin, as she was once a colleague. But she's a fellow writer, so I was equally prepared to see, and to enjoy, either her failure or her success. That's two different species of enjoyment, however, and so I can say I was immensely pleased to read "In the River Province" for all the reasons that would do me credit.

"In the River Province" is Lisa Sandlin's third collection of short stories, each better than the one before it, and this one matchless in its artistry and its vivid depiction of the lives of Anglo and Hispanic inhabitants of New Mexico both contemporary and historical. Like some literary descendant of Chaucer, she uses the annual pilgrimage from Santa Fe to the village of Chimayo as the focal point of three stories ("'Orita on the Road to Chimayo," "Everything Moves," and "I Loved You Then, I Love You Still"); not surprisingly, while on their hegira the protagonists in those stories search their souls and rearrange the way they define themselves, but introspection never bogs the stories down and they stay vividly active in the colorful present moment of the pilgrimage and of their companions and their lives. Two other stories, likewise set in Santa Fe, round out the portrait of life in that city - "Night Class" contains a long passage about the terrors of teaching for the first time that everyone who has stepped in front of a class will readily identify with. "Another Exciting Day in Santa Fe" celebrates a long friendship between a man and a woman, a rare thing to see and a pleasure to watch unfold.

But the highest peak in this Sangre de Christo range is far and away the novella entitled "The Saint of Bilocation," a marvelously ambitious, moving, and suspenseful account by a New Mexican priest who has been called back to Spain in 1630 to interview a nun who claims to be traveling miraculously to Santa Fe without transporting her body, where she allegedly works wonders, converting the Indian population. Based on historical documents by Fray Antonio Jimenez Vera, who worked with New Mexico's indigenous peoples for decades, the novella follows his fictional representation as he arrives in Spain properly skeptical yet willing to concede the possibility of the nun's miraculous claim. The story poses a vivid contrast and tension between practical religious practice and mystical faith, between reason and the imagination, and it speaks to our time very well. Lisa Sandlin makes Fray Antonio's mission itself a suspenseful undertaking (is the abbess Sor Maria de Agreda a saint or a charlatan?), and a brilliant coda to the story is slyly and meaningfully ambiguous.

I really loved this book. I have always enjoyed hearing President Faust speak, and it was so interesting to learn more about him. He is such a humble, kind man and I have always considered him to be a great example of what we should be more like, and I feel even more that way after reading about his life and reading more of his teachings. One thing that was especially interesting to me was to read his insights on practicing law. (I am the wife of a soon-to-be lawyer and I'm considering going to law school myself.) It's refreshing to hear that you can be an attorney, and a defense attorney at that, and still have ethics and morals! Anyway, I'd recommend this book to anyone.

I am a great biography fan and this book had all the elements of a great biography (I have read the biography of Rex. Lee by the author as well). I know you won't be disappointed as the insights and experiences of Pres. Faust are very inspirational and helped me to be a better person.

The Incomparable Jesus

In his second book, Grant Palmer sets another example to the Mormon "prophets, seers and revelators".

Palmer suggests that the whole focus of the Mormon gospel should be on Jesus. For example, at a mormon church, instead of a brief few weeks of looking at the New Testament's four Gospels, which takes place once every four years, Palmer suggests that the Relief Society, Priesthood, Sunday School, and Sacrament services should be focused on the Saviour.

Now that may seem like a very simple innocent thing to suggest, and surely there can be no conflict with this, from anyone at any level within the Mormon faith, can there? After all, most faithful Mormons believe that the Mormon church is the Church of Jesus Christ. However, if the devoted Mormon actually considers all of the facts at his disposal, he or she may feel some pain and, if honest with him or herself, will reluctantly acknowledge that the Mormon church is not at all focused on Jesus. Other churches may be completely focused on the Saviour and are well ahead in terms of devotion to their Redeemer, but not the Mormon Church. The facts suggest a higher devotion to Joseph Smith and the Gospel of Joseph Smith.

Take, for example, the December 2005 Ensign. This pitiful edition may as well have printed the words "Merry Smithmas" on the cover page. There was hardly a trace of Jesus - you'd almost need a forensic scientist to find one. The Cover page showed a picture of Joseph Smith, and it seemed that you had to read article after article, before you find a mention of anything on Jesus. And then, five articles into the magazine, which all Mormons are expected to read, you come across an article that at least refers to the season of good will and joy. Unfortunately the article is titled, "When Christmas Hurts", and it talks about "Christmas can also evoke profound feelings of loss". Good grief. Even in this Christmas-related article, Joseph Smith gets more mention that Jesus. In fact, I can't recall if Jesus gets any mention at all. So much for the Christmas edition of the Ensign. If you were looking for Christ, you won't find him there, in any meaningful measure. And this kind of reflects on the Mormon faith as a whole. As a third/fourth generation Mormon, this caused me despair.

With Palmer's first book, "An nsider's View of Mormon Origins", there was discomfort at the highest levels in the church. The truth can be painful sometimes. Galileo discovered this, at the cost of his life. During the Galileo trail, his prosecutors refused to handle his telescope, they refused to observe the moons of Venus. It wasn't about truth. It was all about orthodoxy. After publishing his book, Palmer found himself in a similar Galileo-like trial, called a "court of love". None of the prosecutors had actually read his book. All were ignorant of the truths it contained. Palmer was dis-fellowshipped, and was cut off from full communion with the "Latter-day Saints"

Then Palmer did something nobody expected. He offered a small book titled "The Incomparable Jesus" as a follow up. This book is perhaps the most remarkable of any of the books in my library. The book is solely on the Saviour. The focus is on nothing but Jesus.

This time, the Mormon leaders are probably beside themselves, trying to figure out how to respond to Grant's book. Because having set an example in terms of Honesty, Palmer now sets an example in terms of focus.

Unlike ancient prophets, the fifteen "special witnesses of Christ", aka the fifteen "prophets, seers and revelators", who lead the Mormon church never actually give any detail of any witness they may possess. Grant Palmer, on the other hand, is not afraid to speak about his.

Thank heaven for Grant Palmer.

Note: The writer of this review recently cancelled his membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as a direct result of his interest in church history. Curiosity, along with a willingness to explore with an open mind the actual history of the Mormon church led him to the exit.

I enjoyed The Incomparable Jesus book very much. Although I prefered Grant Palmer's first book An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, Grant did an excellent job of making an inspiring, uplifting Christ-centered book.

This book does not discredit Mormonism and focuses on Jesus. After reading it I feel more inspired to live a Christ-like life.

_The Internet and the Madonna: Religious Visionary Experience on the Web_ by Paolo Apolito in the series "Religion and Postmodernism" consists of reflections on the relationship between the internet, the Christian faithful, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. This book attempts to map out the new terrain made prominent with the growth of various discussion groups and websites dedicated to the Virgin Mary and her apparitions on the internet. The book discusses many of the major apparitions, including those at Medjugorje, Garabandal, and Fatima, and the role that modern technology is coming to play in their propagation. The book also discusses many of the seers and visionaries who claim to receive messages directly from Jesus or the Virgin Mother and who write about their experiences on their own personal websites and in discussion forums. Among these seers are Laura Zink, who lives in Vermont and allegedly receives messages from the Virgin Mary, Vernoica Leuken, of Bayside apparition fame, and Vassula Ryden, a Greek Orthodox visionary who has written about her experiences. While many of these figures remain controversial, it is interesting to note the sort of relationship that has developed between the Catholic church hierarchy and various visionaries claiming to receive messages from the Virgin Mother or Jesus. The more famous apparitions, including those at Medjugorje and Garabandal, remain controversial because of friction that has developed between the visionaries and the church hierarchy over their interpretation. The author attempts to explain how the internet has opened up an entirely new component to the experiences of the visionary, which often take place entirely outside of church sanction. The author also devotes a good deal of space to discussing the role of various modern technologies, including film and television, but also modern scientific instruments, in the determination of the miraculous appearances of the Virgin around the world. While some of the apparitions may be scoffed at by skeptics (or even regarded as satanically influenced by some fundamentalist Protestants or even some Catholics), they remain an important development in modern religious experience. And the internet is coming to play a much larger role in that experience as well, by serving as the method for propagating religious belief.

Belief in the "end times" also plays an important part in the life of many religious mystics in the modern internet age. Many of those who adhere to the messages of the visionaries believe in an imminent apocalypse, often accompanied by natural catastrophe, nuclear war, and other political upheavals. They have come to embrace a culture of survivalism often combining with right wing political elements. The internet is particularly important for such individuals as it allows them an opportunity to spread their ideas to others free from the scorn of the general public. With the appearance of the Virgin at Fatima and her prophecy there, various websites have sprang up focusing specifically on these end times events.

As a form of modern technology, the internet has problems which the unprepared believer may encounter in his or her search through the web. The author explains how the internet has created a vacuum in authority as well as a trend towards levelling which reduces all systems of belief to the same common denominator. In addition, many individuals have specifically linked these apparitions with the New Age or with various "hidden mysteries" websites. The author also explains how often an unsuspecting individual may encounter links to various disturbing, blasphemous, or even pornographic sites simply by following the trail of links on a given webpage.

This book provides a unique study of the relationship between modern religious experience and the role that the internet and other modern technologies are coming to play in that experience. Many of the faithful have flocked to the internet as a means to spread their message to many others easily and effectively as well as being a source of prayer. While the internet poses its own set of challenges, it remains a unique tool for Christians which can allow for groups and nontraditional communities to meet which would never have the opportunity to meet otherwise. Although many among the traditional faithful remain wary of new technologies, many others are meeting the challenge of the modern age by taking advantage of the internet as a medium of communication.

The Virgin Mary has appeared to devout Catholics for centuries. Famous apparitions have included the one that asked Bernadette Soubirous in 1858 to dig into the grotto at Lourdes, from which spouted a spring, from which sprang all sorts of miraculous healings. There were Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of Fatima. There was a decline in such sightings in the mid-twentieth century, especially around the secularization of the sixties. But Laura Zink of Vermont hears and sees Mary and Jesus daily, and gets messages from them, and has put up a website so that anyone could read the words of the day. And she is far from the only one doing so; people are responding to visits of Mary more than ever before, and at least part of the reason for this is that the internet is making it acceptable (or trendy) for them to do so. In a wonderful anthropological tour of one specific aspect of the internet, _The Internet and the Madonna: Religious Visionary Experience on the Web_ (University of Chicago Press), Paolo Apolito explains that the other reason for the boom in Virgin-sighting was her appearance starting in 1981 at Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, but even that visit has so many citations and pages on the Web that it has become far more influential that it ever could have in pre-internet days. Is the proliferation of this aspect of religion on the web changing the way people practice religion or think about miracles?

Apolito explains that technologizing the visionary and the signs and wonders that have an ancient tradition has indeed weakened the institution of the church. It is very seldom that priests and authorities of the church have a personal presence on the web or in chat rooms, for instance. There is no way of controlling visionaries, of course, and the visionary can set up a web page, it gets linked to other Marianist pages, and it is a world story advanced by those of similar beliefs and untouched by the church hierarchy. What is more, web sites may be set up to promote visionaries and visions while criticizing church officials who are not sufficiently enthusiastic about them. Such niceties of prior eras as parish life or the involvement of the local church in helping out its neighbors are seldom mentioned. Sometimes the visions reinforce each other, but often they contradict, undercut, or even debunk each other. This sort of immediate interaction between particular visions, their visionaries, and their fans was never possible before, and those navigating such sites will look in vain for firm points of reference. Believers can further be inspired by digital representations not only of light effects, but of statues that cry, paintings that come to life, a photograph that has an actual heartbeat, and other remarkable manifestations. Apolito has found significant problems in web navigation that would frustrate or endanger what he calls "the worshipful surfer," and he gives advice on surfing safely. He gives many examples of how those seeking devout sites might, by a few mere clicks, be taken to anti-Catholic or even pornographic sites.

Apolito has written an academic tome that is often dense and scholarly, but considering the liveliness and immediacy of its subject, is never dull. The original was written in Italian, and the translator (Antony Shugaar) has taken pains to try to preserve the wit in the original. Most of the websites Apolito has visited are American, since the US is has had the biggest burst anywhere of visionary phenomena. "If the Virgin Mary now speaks English, she speaks it with a decidedly American accent," he writes. Though much of the book, especially the descriptions of some of the web pages, is funny, Apolito is an anthropologist who has written before on apparitions and is not at all condescending about them. He has fulfilled his charge of documenting the activities of this part of the Internet, and says little about the validity of the beliefs of those involved. It is clear from his documentation, though, that the Internet itself is limiting the power and the influence of the formal church as the visionaries become more influential; the visionaries continue to increase in number as the Internet attracts more followers to them and more copy-cats. There will be an increase in the number of people viewing the world the mystic's way; this will not please skeptics, of course, but it should not please the church, either.

Imagine you could go back in time and step into Nauvoo, the trip across the plains, and early settlement of what is now Utah. This is the book. William Clayton was a personal scribe to Joseph Smith. He was converted in England, sailed accross the Atlantic, and almost instantly became an insider, and confidant to Joseph Smith once he arrived in Nauvoo.

He is very detailed in his journal, yet it almost reads like a story. The highlights include: Doing missionary work with some of the early church leaders including Brigham Young in England. His trip to America is tragic, with sickness and disease killing some of the passengers. The mormon voyagers join in "faith" with the belief they can "hold on" to those who are dying if they just can believe strong enough... they end up dissappointed. You get a real sense of the stength of their belief and the conviction of those willing to leave England for Zion. Upon arriving in Nauvoo he describes his conversations with Joseph Smith. He alludes to his early introduction to polygamy, when most in the church did not know it was being practiced. He marries a number of wives, and mentions many of Joseph's plural marraiges. The political issues facing the Saints are discussed, as well as the efforts to go West. He describes the sacrifice in preparing the Nauvoo temple, and has a month or more dedicated to describing the endowment of the Saints before leaving West. He gives a description of the organization of the pioneers when going west, and his own journey accross the plains. What I found very funny was the popularity of the mormon band as they travelled. Cities would pay the Mormon band (of which Clayton was a member) to play for them, and this helped fund the trip. I would recommend the book to anyone who wants to delve into the details of the early church practice and belief. What is so fun about history is seeing the world through someone else's eyes. His life was great and I really enjoyed the book.

Clayton was the Prophet's meticulous secretary and confidant. Reading this book has given me fresh new insight into the ingenious mind of Joseph Smith as well as to the very turbulent times of the Saints during the 1840's in Nauvoo. Furthermore, Clayton documents early missionary work in Lancashire, England and the difficult voyage across to America with newly converted Latter Day saint families. It's very interesting reading and surely an important reference book for any Mormon History scholar.

Wish I had read this one 30 years ago. A practical guide to living life to its fullest. It's fascinating to note that 17th century distractions were not as technical, but nevertheless as real and as abundant a hindrance to the devout life. St. Francis tells us how to put into practice those virtues that we already know, but think we are too busy to use 24/7.

(Based on the original French version shown in the following link)

http://www.amazon.fr/Introduction-d%C3%A9vote-Sales-saint-Fran%C3%A7ois/dp/2020236109/ref=sr_1_1/403-9387809-3938065?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188580998&sr=8-1

Saint François de Sales originally wrote this text for one person alone, and subsequently adapted it for the many, addressing the reader as "Philothée", in French, probably translated as Philothea in English, I wouldn't know, meaning "lover of God". This book is a sort of guide to devotion, in case the title wasn't self-explanatory enough.

This work was reprinted over 40 times during the life of its author and was a success for both Catholics and Protestants. Everyone liked it and as a Protestant it's equally useful, you just have to remove the parts about the Sacraments and that's just as good for Protestant usage.

I'd say this book isn't only a good read for Christians, but for anyone interested in wisdom and the likes. I personally didn't agree with everything there, as I am prone not to do with Catholic beliefs, but on the whole it's a very good read. And while I can't say anything of the English translation presented here, I can assure you that the original French is splendidly written and very witty; reminiscent of Montaigne, who wrote at the same period of time (late 16th to early 17th).

A very intelligent, pragmatic, and witty guide to religious behaviour.