Benedict Books

I read this book within a day and I really enjoyed it. I still flick through it and reread it on occassion. So my copy has become a bit worn.

I chose this version of the Catholic NAB for my grandson as his Confirmation sponsor. It is beautifully presented, truly gift quality.

Child of A Mountainous Land by Marie-Solange Benedict is an incredible story of life as a Haitian refugee. With what would have been a stellar childhood in the upper class of most free societies, the author describes in abundant detail the influence of government, power and control over its citizens and overall family positions in life. Clearly Benedict accumulated information over many years to describe past events so thoroughly including detailed accounts of situations and other Haitian families to document eloquently an otherwise disturbing past. It's also of great interest in seeing how religion, race and culture plays out in Haiti, the United States and Europe from a young woman with great conviction and courage!

Thankfully, this book is not social history in the sense that it is concerned with lots of numbers and the lives of non-elites. Instead, Philip Benedict's Christ's Churches Purely Reformed is a magnificent survey of the Reformed movement in Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In this work, Benedict discusses both how the movement shaped Europe and how Europe shaped the Reformed movement. The book focuses not only on the main actors and thinkers of this time, but also shows how Reformed thinking affected the everyday lives of those living in the lands in which it took hold.

A reoccurring theme of Christ's Churches Purely Reformed is that Reformed thought is not monolithic. Benedict interestingly asserts that because Reformed thought allowed for a diversity of ecclesiologies, the central ideas disseminated more effectively. This unity among diversity allowed for the various churches in Switzerland, Britain, and France to all claim the same tradition, but have very different manifestations. Notably, the Presbyterian-synod system, which most Reformed churches would later adopt, was developed in France. Thus, from the beginning Reformed theology and ecclesiology was a work in progress. Benedict's discussion of this evolution of the Reformed traditional was helpful because it corrects the myth common among many Reformed denominations that their version of Reformed ecclesiology and manners sprung full-formed from the head of Calvin. However, Benedict notes that even though the differences were often strong, a sense of solidarity and commonality of tradition united the various national churches. "Although the very term Reformed church was infused with ambiguities around 1600, the sense of fellowship and solidarity among these churches was powerful" (291). Most notably, these churches were willing to take communion with one another, the true witness to perceived Christian unity.

Benedict's thoughtful critiques of democracy and capitalism's origins in Calvinism were the high points of this book. Without being dogmatic, Benedict calls into question the supposed connections between these ideologies and the theology. Speaking specifically of Weber's thesis, Benedict writes, "His ideas exaggerate the extent to which they characterized the faith as a whole and attribute them too simply to a single cause" (541). Ultimately he concludes that while one can draw superficial and common-sensical parallels, the evidence for placing democracy and capitalism at the feet of Calvinism is very weak. In fact, Benedict notes that many of the characteristics of the Calvinist mind, which would lead to democracy or capitalism, were also present in the minds of Europeans not engaged in Reformed worship. However, Benedict honestly admits that many of his findings regarding the sociological impact of Calvinism "are more tentative and more likely to be revised by future research" than his historical chronology (432).

In this work, Benedict attempts to strike a scholarly balance between not overemphasizing the importance of the Reformed tradition in Western thought and acknowledging its contribution. He writes, "If the fatal flaw of theories crediting Calvinism with distinctive consequences for economic behavior or political development is that they exaggerate the spillover effects of religious doctrine outside the religious domain, the great shortcoming of the recent emphasis on the parallel consequences of the Lutheran, Reformed, and Catholic Reformations is that it downplays each faith's distinctiveness within the domain of culture and religious life" (544). On the whole, Christ's Churches Purely Reformed is a scholarly contribution which may bring a sense of balance to the field.

I have read Pope Benedict's work with great peace and satisfaction. Here is a man who has surely lived through reasons - solid ones - for not being joyful. But he has found the secret in his faith and in his way of life. And that is good enough for me.

Whoda thunkit. After living with Gout for ten years, Cyril Scott cures me in 93 pages. Although Scott touts cider vinegar as a pancea for the ages, resolving everything from Vertigo to thin toe nails, he does admit that it cannot counteract evil vices. This small book has proven itself in my single ailment alone and there are no side affects as there are with conventional chemical therapy. If I hadn't suffered for so long I never would have believed that a little fermented apple juice could be so amazing. This book can cure what ails you.

There are many editions of this great spiritual classic, but Cardinal Gasquet's translation of the Rule of Saint Benedict has been out of print for too long. It is a delight to see it reprinted - and so handsomely - leatherbound, gold blocking, silk ribbon, noble endpapers. Baronius have done a great service in publishing it so beautifully.

Its pocket-size renders it particularly useful for the laity who may wish to read a portion each day as they travel, and the dignity of this edition makes it an ideal gift. Cardinal Gasquet's introduction, too, offers valuable insights to the rule and to Benedictine spirituality.

A collection of fifty stories, previously published as the collections "Journey to the Seven Streams" "A Ball of Malt and Mandame Butterflly" "A Cow in the House" "A Letter to Peachtree" and the novella "Proxopera." Although each stands completely separately they share the same protagonist in varying guises, and many are told in the first person so that they hang together as a kind of autobiography of Benedict Kiely, who was born in Northern Ireland in 1919, raised in Omagh, and went to Uiversity College, Dublin.
Many of them contain lyrical descriptions of childhood scenes in rural Ireland and many are wonderfully comic, but violence and the clash between Catholic and Protestant are never far away. "Proxopera" is about a man whose family are held hostage to make him deliver a bomb to kill an old friend.

There are many commentaries on the Rule of St. Benedict, but few as authoriative as this one -- so much so that this is essentially required reading for all postulants and young aspiring monks at Fontgombault and their daughterhouse at Clear Creek. The commentary is quite orhtodox, and transmits the spirit of St. Benedict faithfully, without adding too much novelty to the text. It remains a commentary as such, as opposed to the more liberal commentaries in existence today.

CREATION AND EVOLUTION is a book based on papers and discussion presented by well known scholars at a Conference at Castel Gandolfo hosted by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. The men who wrote papers and engaged in intelligent debate offered "food for thought" to those interested in the supposed debate re Creation vs. Evolution. Regardless of what one believes re this debate topic, the book offers an intelligent alternative to the ad hominem views presented in the popular press and media.

The participants during this conference were Pope Benedict XVI, Prof. Peter Schuster who is professor of chemisty at the University of Vienna, Prof. Robert Spacemann who is professor emeritus of philosophy at the Ludwig Maximilian-University in Munich, Germany, Prof Paul Erbrichch who is professor emeritus in Muhich Germany,and Cardinal Schonborn who is the Archbishop of Vienna and author of the book titled CHANCE OR PURPOSE. These men wrote papers and debated differences with intelligence and clarity.

Prof. Schuster wrote a facinating paper re molecular biology, genetics, and develop of organisms from simple cell structure. This essay had some interesting points that cellular development appears to have purpose and some sort of design. Prof. Schuster used effective metaphors to explain mutations of cells which occur much faster than previously thought. One interesting metaphor was the competition between cells and viruses. Prof. Schuster explained that when viruses attack cells, cells mutate a genetic defense. Then the viruses mutate to overcome cellular defense while in turn cells develop (mutate) to face new challenges. Prof. Schuster called this continual "combat" and arms race between cells and viruses. Prof. Schuster did not offere a simple "creation" explanation, but he did explain that there was some underlying purpose which could imply Intelligent Design. Prof. Schuster wrote a clear explanation of how cells cooperate to form more complex organisms. Those cells,called renegrade cells, are rejected or combatted otherwise the organism is harmed. A good example of renegade cells is the formation of cancer cells. Prof. Schuster provided good color plates at the end of his paper to explain RNA, DNA, genetic history, etc.

Prof. Spaemann wrote the next essay in this book. His approach was both scientific and philosphical. He dealt with First Cause(what some may call God)as an explanation of design and development of life. His basic thesis was that must be a First Cause or what may be called a priori reasoning to explain the development and continuation of life. He did not dismiss evolutionary biology or modern scientific discoveries which was important to this essay and following discussions.

The following essay by Father Erbrich, S.J., was an interesing defense of Intelligent Design. Father Erbrich answered critics who argued that life forms are self organized. His question was self organized by what or Whom. He basically argued that there is a causality of life forms given their development and changes which could lead to the conclusion of what St. Thomas Aquinas called the First Cause or what Aristotle called The Unmoved Mover.

Cardinal Schonborn wrote the next essay in this book. He dealt with the "tough" questions such as cruelty in nature, apparent goals of life forms, etc. He is obviosuly a partisan of the Catholic Church and Catholic philosophy and theology. Yet, he is clear that such thought does not and should not discard scientific discoveries.

The discussions followed the essays, and the participants raised objections and answered these objections in a calm, intelligent manner. The participants all agreed that no one had the "final answer" and that continued developments in science and philosophy would offer "new frontiers" for further books and intelligent debate.

An earlier lecture by Prof. Spaemann concluded the book. Spaemann' view was that life forms have an apparent purpose to not only survive but to thrive and reproduce. He maintained that such obversations pointed to some ultimate cause or Aquinas' First Cause. This essay was a good conclusion to the book.

This reviewer's only criticism of the book is that there should have been papers on astronomy and geology which would obviously have enhanced the book and discussions. Readers should be aware that astronomical and geological events have shaped life forms on this planet. Yet, the essays that were presented were well written and interesing.

This book showed what intelligent men can achieve when they are not exposed to hysteria, religious literalism, and scientism as opposed to intelligent science. The essays were so well written that even those with limited knowledge of science or theology can benefit from the book. The book is also a welcomed relief from media hysteria and shallow popularity. The book is highly recommended.