Past U.S. Catholic Book Club reviews
Past U.S. Catholic Book Club entries
2011 Reviews
December 2011:
Seeking the Truth of Things: confessions of a (catholic) philosopher
By Al Gini
Review: While certainly not a textbook, Seeking the Truth of Things introduces some of the world’s greatest thinkers and philosophical concepts. Telling stories on the ground rather than from the fabled ivory tower, Al Gini invites the reader to explore deep questions of meaning without the Philosophy 101 prerequisite.
Gini insists that he is a small “c” catholic philosopher, because he wants to be “open to understanding and appreciating all philosophies—not just defending one,” but in each idea explored, it’s clear that he’s guided by the notion that “although human beings are unique individuals, we are communal creatures in need of one another”—a big “C” Catholic principle as well.
—Meghan Murphy-Gill, Associate Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
ACTA Publications says: Al Gini is a philosopher who writes for real people about things they actually care about: the meaning of work, moral courage, choice, sin, laughter, and leisure. In Seeking the Truth of Things, he explores his lifelong quest for wisdom.
Paperback: $14.95
Available at book stores or from ACTA Publications: 800-397-2282 or shop online at www.actapublications.com
Order now from ACTA Publications.
What do you think? Once you have read the book, discuss it on uscatholic.org.
November 2011:
Focolare: Living a Spirituality of Unity in the United States
By Thomas Masters and Amy Uelmen
Review: What does it mean to live a “spirituality of unity”? Thomas Masters and Amy Uelmen suggest the best answer lies not in detailed explanation, but in experience. In Focolare they share the stories of a diverse group of people—beginning with Chiara Lubich and those who first joined her during the bombardment of Trent, Italy in World War II, and followed by American children, young adults, married couples, single women and men, women religious, priests, and bishops, who are all part of the Focolare movement.
Although the stories are as diverse as the individuals, they are also profoundly alike. Each has been transformed by an encounter with Christ and his prayer “that they all may be one.” This is an excellent introduction to the Focolare movement as well as a wonderful resource for reflecting on our own experiences of spirituality and community. —Rev. John Molyneux, C.M.F., Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
New City Press says: Everything is renewed: politics and art, school and religion, private life and entertainment. Everything." With straightforward explanation and engaging personal stories, this book presents the background and life of a movement of the Spirit that has touched thousands of Americans.
Paperback: $16.95
Available at book stores or from New City Press: 800-462-5980 or shop online at www.newcitypress.com
Order now from New City Press.
What do you think? Once you have read the book, discuss it on uscatholic.org.
October 2011:
Streams of Contentment: Lessons I Learned on My Uncle's Farm
By Robert J. Wicks
Review: The word contentment in the title may not be strong enough to shoulder all of the wise and helpful insights that Robert Wicks has stuffed into this small book. “Life is simpler than we make it,” he says at the outset. Then in 15 brief chapters and a month of five-minutes-a-day reflections, he demonstrates, through stories and self-deprecating humor, how to focus on what’s really important.
Some of his advice is refreshingly counterintuitive: “Stop thinking you are grateful,” “Beware the tyranny of hope.” With abundant common sense, Wicks declares that the true and profound countercultural risk today is “to appreciate who and what is already there in my life.” —Catherine O'Connell-Cahill, Senior Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Ave Maria Press says: In 15 poignant, sometimes humorous, and always instructive lessons, Wicks builds on the insights first developed in Riding the Dragon to demonstrate how contentment is found through simplicity, gratitude, and compassion.
Hardcover: $22.95
Available at book stores or from Ave Maria Press: 800-282-1865 or shop online at www.avemariapress.com
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What do you think? Once you have read the book, discuss it on uscatholic.org.
September 2011:
The Monastery of the Heart: An Invitation to a Meaningful Life
By Joan Chittister
Review: In her new book, The Monastery of the Heart, Erie Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister not only adapts the almost 1,500-year-old Rule of St. Benedict and the lessons she herself has learned in her own monastery to life in the 21st century, along with her community she is attempting to launch a whole new monastically inspired movement for today’s seekers.
The “monasteries without walls” that this book aims to inspire (and which the Erie Benedictine Sisters have since initiated and are accompanying at monasteriesoftheheart.org) are “not designed to take people out of the arena of normal human relationships,” writes Chittister, “but to leaven them with a Benedictine view of life.” Regardless of whether the reader wants to join this intriguing “new movement for a new world,” Chittister’s book is a powerful invitation to reflect on, reorient, and live our lives in a more meaningful way. —Meinrad Scherer-Emunds, Executive Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
BlueBridge says: Joan Chittister’s powerful spiritual guide is anchored in the ancient Rule of Benedict, but attempts to redefine it for seekers today and invites us to become within ourselves monastics of the heart.
Hardcover: $19.95
Available at book stores or from BlueBridge: 800-888-4741 or shop online at www.bluebridgebooks.com
What do you think? Once you have read the book, discuss it on uscatholic.org.
August 2011:
Where the Hell is God?
By Richard Leonard, S.J.
Foreword by James Martin, S.J.
Review: An earthquake in Haiti, a tsunami in Japan, a child stricken with leukemia: What kind of God would allow such things? Jesuit priest Richard Leonard's own experience of family tragedy forced him to ask that question. He never discovered the "right" answer, but he knows a bad one when he sees it, and he explores seven of them.
Beginning with the assertion of his first chapter, "God is not out to get us," Leonard walks us through difficult terrain, both theological and personal, as he explores the interaction of divine will and human suffering, and lets neither God nor humanity off the hook for the pain of our world.—Bryan Cones, Managing Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Paulist Press says: Where the Hell is God? explores how believers can make sense of their Christian faith when confronted with tragedy and suffering.
"One of the best books you will ever read on the spiritual life."—James Martin, S.J.
Paperback: $17
Available at book stores or from Paulist Press: 800-218-1903 or shop online www.paulistpress.com
What do you think? Once you have read the book, discuss it on uscatholic.org.
July 2011:
Waking Up to This Day: Seeing the Beauty Right Before Us
By Paula D'Arcy
Review: I was distracted when I started to read Waking Up to This Day. I struggled to focus on the words. But soon Paula D'Arcy's easy prose brought me in and calmed my racing mind. Appropriately, D'Arcy aims to show her readers how to be in the present moment and focus on what is really important in life with this book.
D'Arcy does so through stories and wisdom from a variety of sources. She writes about universal themes, speaking to all who have ever confronted tragedy, change, an unexpected detour, or some other challenge. And her concise chapters not only remind you what matters but also leave you ample time to appreciate it.—Megan Sweas, Associate Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Orbis Books says: Inspiring insights on being awake and aware in good times and bad, and on realizing the grace and goodness that is already ours.
Paperback: $17
Available at book stores or from Orbis Books: 800-258-5838 or shop online www.orbisbooks.com
What do you think? Once you have read the book, discuss it in our online forum.
June 2011:
A History of the Popes:From Peter to the Present
By John W. O'Malley, S.J.
Review: "He would have been an ideal pope if he had had the slightest interest in religion," wrote a 17th-century historian of one of the preceding century's popes. With a twinkle in his eye, eminent church historian John W. O'Malley, S.J. walks the reader through this dizzying roster: Popes with mistresses and multiple children, who nevertheless lived exemplary lives once they were elected. One pope who had the body of his predecessor dug up, placed on a throne in his robes, and put on trial for various crimes. Popes who condemned kneeling at Mass or the separation of church and state. Popes who stood down communism and popes imprisoned for years on end.
In this whirlwind tour of the corridors of church power, O'Malley also takes care to highlight the saintly figures of various eras who had far more influence on the faith than many popes had.—Cathy O'Connell-Cahill, Senior Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Sheed & Ward says: A History of the Popes tells the story of hte oldest living institution in the Western world--the papacy. From its origins in St. Peter, Jesus' chief disciple, through Pope Benedict XVI today, the popes have been key players in virtually all of the great dramas of the western world in the last 2,000 years. Rather than describe each pope one by one, the book focuses on the popes that shaped pivotal moments in both church and world history.
Paperback: $18.95
Available at book stores or from Sheed & Ward (an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group): 800-462-6420 or shop online www.rowmanlittlefield.com/Sheed
What do you think? Once you have read the book, discuss it in our online forum.
May 2011:
Fifteen Faces of God: A Quest to Know God Through the Parables of Jesus
By Michael Manning
Review: In Fifteen Faces of God, Father Michael Manning contends that the parables are a rich showcase of Jesus' creative way to show us the "faces of the Father." In 15 chapters he chooses parables that speak most clearly to him of Jesus' desire to tell us of God.
A skilled interpreter oft he parables, Manning's engaging commentary challenged me to see the parables--and God--in new ways. Perhaps more importantly though, the prayers for reflection and the questions for discussion--firmly rooted in today's reality--helped me slow down and reflect on Gods self-revelation in my own life. This book is a great resource for individual or group theological reflection.—Father John Molyneneux, C.M.F., Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Doubleday Religion says: Fifteen Faces of God is a close and profound look at 15 of the parables taught by Christ to his followers in the New Testament. Unpacking them, manning explores the power and importance of listening, loving, celebrating, giving, forgiving, trusting, and risking, among other characteristics that define the personality of God.
Hardcover: $18
Available at book stores or from Doubleday Religion: 800-733-3000 or shop online www.DoubledayReligion.com
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April 2011:
The Long Yearning's End: Stories of Sacrament and Incarnation
By Patrick Hannon
Review: Many a spiritual author writes about finding God in the ordinary rhythm of daily life. Few, however, do so with the ease and lack of pretense of The Long Year's End. Reading Patrick Hannon's natural prose is like sitting at the table after dinner, talking quietly with an old friend.
Each of the seven sacraments provides the chapter heading for a trinity of short personal stories that feel familiar, as if they're our won: waiting for the city pool to open summer mornings, being small and getting lost in a busy place, and working as a teenager at McDonalds. Despite the subtitle, "Stories of Sacrament and Incarnation," these sacramental accounts are only subtly so; Hannon does not hit the reader over the head with the message that we can find God in the everyday of our personal lives. The discovery of the sacred is up to us. —Meghan Murphy-Gill, Assistant Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
ACTA Publications says: In his third collection of tales about God's grace in everyday life, Patrick Hannon uses the seven sacraments to demonstrate God's presence in work, family, nursing homes, and ballparks.
Hardcover: $17.95 Paperback: $12.95
Available at book stores or from ACTA Publications: 800-397-2282 or shop online www.actapublications.com
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March 2011:
Holding God in My Hands: Personal Encounters with the Divine
By Paul Wilkes
Review: Faithful readers may remember what to me was one of the most moving recent U.S. Catholic stories. In "On Call," Paul Wilkes, one of today's best Catholic writers, reflected on his experiences as a hospital eucharistic minister. Wilkes has now expanded those reflections into a wonderful book about what he calls the "serious business" of bringing God in the holy Eucharist to the sick and dying in a hospital.
Following Wilkes on his weekly volunteer rounds, the reader can't help but be touched by these profound encounters with human suffering, vulnerability, courage, and faith, as well as by the mystery of the healing comfort, grace, love, and redemption available to us all in the divine real presence. —Meinrad Scherer-Emunds, Executive Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Liguori Publications says: Personal stories examining the power of the Eucharist to impart healing grace, spiritual strength, and peace to communicants and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion
Hardcover: $19.99
Available at book stores or from Liguori Publications: 800-325-9521 or shop online www.liguori.com
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February 2011:
Deeper than Words: Living the Apostles' Creed
By Brother David Steindl-Rast
Review: Though many see the Apostles' Creed as a dry summary of Christian faith, the reflections of Brother David reveal it as a profound prayer arising from the mystery of human faith. Asking of each passage of the creed, "What does this really mean?"; "How do we know this is so?"; and "Why make such a point of this?" he makes a compelling case for the enduring value of Christian faith in a way that is also profoundly open to other religious traditions.
Indeed, Deeper than Words is an invitation to seek the mystery behind the words. "God is the faithfulness at the heart of all things," he writes, "faith is our response to that faithfulness, and the one word expression of that faith is Amen." Amen to that.—Bryan Cones, Managing Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Doubleday Religoin says: Reverently examining the Apostles' Creed line by line, Brother David Steindl-Rast finds that its heart is a universal and timeless guide to the fullness of life.
Paperback: $12
Available at book stores or from Doubleday Religion: 800-733-3000 or shop online www.DoubledayReligion.com
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January 2011:
Thrift Store Saints: Meeting Jesus 25¢ at a time
By Jane Knuth
Review: Jane Knuth brings you into the Kalamazoo, Michigan St. Vincent de Paul thrift store and introduces you to her “Thrift Store Saints,” but her book is more than hagiography and feel-good stories. The saints in this book—shoppers as well as volunteers and donors—are real and troubled. Knuth is just an ordinary person, too, with a desire for order and cleanliness that cannot be met in a thrift store. Her own hesitations and preconceptions make the book both approachable and inspiring.
Thrift Store Saintsis an ideal book to read in a group. It will provoke discussion about poverty and perceptions of the poor, spirituality, the purpose of service, and priorities in our lives and our church. A word of warning: This book might inspire you to service as well.—Megan Sweas, Associate Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Loyola Press says: What happens when a middle-class, suburban, church-going woman reluctantly volunteers to work at a gritty, inner-city thrift store? Discover the surprising answer in Thrift Store Saints!
Paperback: $13.95
Available at book stores or from Loyola Press: 800-621-1008 or shop online loyolapress.com/thrift-store-saints.
What do you think? Once you have read the book, discuss it in our online forum
2010 Reviews
December 2010:
Reclaiming Catholicism: Treasures Old and New
Edited by Thomas H. Groome and Michael J. Daley
Review: Reclaiming Catholicism: Treasures Old and New, edited by Thomas H. Groome and Michael J. Daley, offers a fascinating glimpse of Catholic life in the days before Vatican II: no meat on Friday, the communion fast starting at midnight, the Legion of Decency ratings on movies. The essayists of this book, many of whom have written or been interviewed in U.S. Catholic, mine the practices and significant Catholic figures of this period for their spiritual significance and ask what might still enrich our Catholic life today.
The 16 essays in the section on personalities stood out as especially interesting. There are some great vignettes throughout, including Martin Scorsese’s defense of The Last Temptation of Christ: “My whole life has been movies and religion. That’s it. Nothing else." —Catherine O'Connell-Cahill, Senior Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Orbis says: A stroll down the memory lane of American Catholicism, the contributors to this book assess whether reclaimed spiritual wisdom from the pre-Vatican II era can enrich the faith lives of Catholics today.
Paperback: $22
Available at book stores or from Orbis: 800-258-5838 or shop online orbisbooks.com.
What do you think? Once you have read the book, discuss it in our online forum
November 2010:
Catherine of Siena: A Passionate Life
By Don Brophy
Review: In this compelling biography of one of the most revered female saints of Christianity, Don Brophy offers a fascinating portrait of this passionate Italian mystic as she engages and confronts the political and religious machinations of what has been called the “calamitous” 14th century.
Recognized as a living saint by many of her contemporaries, Catherine of Siena also encountered intense opposition and plotting against her from male clergy and political leaders who resented this fiery and feisty woman who just “didn’t know her place.” Catherine combined a fearless social and spiritual activism and passion for reforming the corrupt church of her time with an intense and fervent faith and fierce loyalty to that same church. In that unique combination she remains an inspiration and role model across many diverse camps in today’s church. —Meinrad Scherer-Emunds, Executive Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
BlueBridge says: This new biography of the great saint and mystic Catherine of Siena is the compelling portrait of an intense and irreverent young woman and her turbulent 14th century.
Hardcover: $24.95
Available at book stores or from BlueBridge: 800-888-4741 or shop online bluebridgebooks.com.
What do you think? Once you have read the book, discuss it in our online forum
October 2010:
From the Pews in the Back: Young Women and Catholicism
Edited by Kate Dugan and Jennifer Owens
Review: The church does not have an excellent record of seeking or listening to the voices of young women, a fact that makes us lacking as a community. From the Pews in the Back offers a remedy. In personal, heartfelt, and sometimes heart-wrenching essays, 29 women offer a glimpse into how they’ve been navigating the Catholic faith and struggling with the limited expectations for being a woman in the church, finding them tricky, confusing, and sometimes all wrong.
As they share their stories and struggles of ministry, motherhood, and everything in between, they show us that faith still exists for young adults and the church still matters to them. But we may have to go to the very back pews to hear them. -Meghan Murphy-Gill, Assistant Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Liturgical Press says: This collection of essays offers glimpses into what it means to be young, Catholic, and female in today’s church. These women ask hard questions and are not willing to take easy answers.
Paperback: $19.95
Available at book stores or from Liturgical Press: 800-858-5450 or shop online litpress.org.
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September 2010:
Essential Writings
by Daniel Berrigan; Edited with an Introduction by John Dear, S. J.
Review: Kurt Vonnegut once wrote, “For me, Father Daniel Berrigan is Jesus as a poet.” In this new anthology John Dear has culled selections from his fellow Jesuit’s poems, journals, essays, and homilies. For Berrigan all spiritual writing is political—for it resists the culture of war and injustice by its very nature—and all political writing for peace and justice is quintessentially spiritual—for it points to the reign of God.
Throughout his writings—and a lifetime of committed action—Berrigan invites us to abandon war for a new life of peace. I echo Dear’s invitation to read Dan’s words in a prayerful, reflective manner, take his message to heart, and deepen our own journey toward the God of peace and a new world of peace. —Father John Molyneux, C.M.F., Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Orbis Books says: Draws on 50 years of books, poems, and homilies to chronicle Father Berrigan’s life and work from the early days of his vocation through his ongoing witness for peace.
Paperback: $20.00
Available at book stores or from Orbis Books: (800) 258-5838 or shop online Orbisbooks.com.
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August 2010:
Soul Fire: Accessing Your Creativity
by Thomas Ryan, CSP
Review: Books to foster, uncover, augment, or otherwise call forth one’s dormant creativity abound, but few are as inviting and lighthearted as Paulist Father Thomas Ryan’s Soul Fire. Directed to his fellow “mid-lifers,” Ryan’s book begins with his own rediscovery of his love of poetry, a gift he generously shares throughout the book. This and other stories of creativity among those in mid-life above all serve as assurances to the timid that there is little to fear and much to gain from taking a chance on creativity.
Ryan knows many of his readers may have set aside play long ago in favor of work and productivity, and so each chapter ends with questions for personal reflection and activities to access what may be dormant or even hidden. Readers will additionally appreciate Ryan’s no-pressure encouragement to let your inner artist out. —Bryan Cones, Managing Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Skylight Paths says: Explores the nature of creativity and shows how to cultivate a creative spirit as a way to encourage personal growth, enrich spiritual life and deepen a communion with God.
Paperback: $16.99
Available at book stores or from Skylight Paths: (800) 962-4544 or shop online Skylightpaths.com.
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July 2010:
Patience with God: The Story of Zacchaeus Continuing In Us
by Tomáš Halík
Review: Patience with God is for both people with doubts and those who want to understand them. The premise is that many today approach faith like Zacchaeus, the tax collector who climbed a tree to see Jesus: cautious but curious. As Jesus did, we are called to reach out those on the sidelines of faith—but not to demand orthodoxy from them. Patience is required from both seekers and believers.
As a priest who served the underground church in communist Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Halík brings an interesting perspective to the discussion of God, atheism, church, and current events. Though not a quick read, the book is thoughtful and worth a close—and patient—read. —Megan Sweas, Associate Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Doubleday Religion says: The debate between believers and atheists about the existence of God often boils down to one thing—patience with God. Using the gospel story of Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus and describing patience as a combination of faith, hope, and love, Tomáš Halík uncovers the treasures found in waiting on God; especially in times of doubt, burden, and unbelief.
Hardcover: $23.95
Available at book stores or from Doubleday Religion: (800) 733-3000 or shop online: Doubledayreligion.com.
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June 2010:
Habits of Priestly Heart
by Father Eugene Hemrick
Review: Any thinking Catholic should eat up this book. If tempted to pigeonhole it for priests only, think again. Hemrick’s wise, grounded suggestions for a healthier and holier life include universal challenges such as how to let go of resentment. He brushes aside the “we’re as busy as we can be” excuse (certainly not limited to priests) with straight talk on how investing in the life of the mind, regular contemplation, and a healthy lifestyle will improve your work as well as your faith.
Hemrick’s unwaveringly honest look at the relationship between lay and ordained in today’s church is refreshing.—Cathy O'Connell-Cahill, Senior Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
World Library Publications says: A must-read for all parishioners. Experienced priest Father Eugene Hemrick has designed this book to help today’s church better understand, accept, and live with the new and sometimes overwhelming challenges today’s priests encounter.
Hardcover: $24.95
Available at book stores or from World Library Publications: (800) 566-6150 or shop online www.wlpmusic.com.
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May 2010:
Made for Goodness: And Why This Makes All the Difference
by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu
Review: When South Africa’s Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu talks about goodness, we’d better listen. Tutu chaired the country’s post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission, listening as murderers begged forgiveness from the mothers of their victims. If, after all that he has witnessed, he still believes that we are “made for goodness,” there must be something to it.
This remarkably down-to-earth and practical book, filled with stories, glows with deceptively simple wisdom. Blending utter confidence in God with a disarming personal humility and self-deprecating humor, Tutu and his daughter Mpho take on the big questions: Where is God when we suffer? How do I hear God’s voice? They make reliable guides to the difficult terrain of the human condition.—Catherine O’Connell-Cahill, Senior Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
HarperOne says: When South Africa’s Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu talks about goodness, we’d better listen. Tutu chaired the country’s post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission, listening as murderers begged forgiveness from the mothers of their victims. If, after all that he has witnessed, he still believes that we are “made for goodness,” there must be something to it.
This remarkably down to earth and practical book, filled with stories, glows with deceptively simple wisdom. Blending utter confidence in God with a disarming personal humility and self-deprecating humor, Tutu and his daughter Mpho take on the big questions: Where is God when we suffer? How do I hear God’s voice? They make reliable guides to the difficult terrain of the human condition.
Hardcover: $25.99
Available at book stores or from HarperOne: (212) 207-7000 or shop online harperone.com.
What do you think? Once you have read the book, discuss it in our online forum
April 2010:
Loving Creation: Christian Spirituality, Earth-Centered and Just
by Kathleen Fischer
Review: Drawing on her varied experience as a spiritual director, counselor, theologian, teacher, and environmental activist, Kathleen Fischer invites Christians to discover the invaluable guidance and resources our rich spiritual tradition offers for today’s urgently needed ecological conversion.
Loving Creation combines the wisdom of biblical texts, saints, sacraments, and spiritual classics with the insights of contemporary scientists, theologians, poets, activists, and spiritual guides, as well as stories and practical suggestions for more earth-centered living. Fischer concludes her book with a prayer and plea that we discern God’s face in all of God’s creation and forge new ways of living together in God’s universe. —Meinrad Scherer-Emunds, Senior Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Paulist Press says: Loving Creation fashions a holistic Christian spirituality that unites ecological concerns with social justice, personal struggles with those of the planet, theological reflection with scientific findings, and everyday grace with global outreach.
Paperback: $19.95
Available at book stores or from Paulist Press: (800) 218-1903 or shop online paulistpress.com.
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March 2010:
The Spirituality of Fasting: Rediscovering a Christian Practice
by Msgr. Charles Murphy
Review: Rather than woefully lamenting the loss of the Catholic tradition of fasting, Msgr. Charles Murphy challenges his readers to recover and adapt the practice for today. He agrees that the legalisms associated with fasting in the pre-Vatican II era needed to be discarded, but he also believes that, among other benefits, this age-old spiritual discipline can bring communities together, makes us more aware of the connection between body and soul, and increases our desire for and reliance upon God.
The Spirituality of Fasting offers more than just an argument, though, for why we should fast. It serves as a useful handbook, complete with history, reflection questions, and suggestions for how to translate this valuable ancient practice into our lives. Give it a try this Lent. —Meghan Murphy-Gill, Assistant Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Ave Maria Press says: With sensitivity and depth, Msgr. Charles Murphy explores the spiritual discipline of fasting, both in its historical tradition and in its modern significance for Catholic spiritual life.
Paperback: $12.95
Available at book stores or from Ave Maria Press: (800) 282-1865 or shop online avemariapress.com.
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February 2010:
Good Girls, Bad Girls: The Enduring Lessons of Twelve Women of the Old Testament
by T.J. Wray
Review: In clear and engaging language Good Girls, Bad Girls presents 12 of the most important and fascinating women of the Hebrew Bible. In the book's two major parts-Liars, Lawmakers, and Lovers; and Victims, Volunteers, and Vindicators-the reader will encounter Ruth and Jezebel, along with lesser known women such as the Shunammite Woman (1 Kings).
The portraits of these ladies are refreshingly nuanced and multifaceted. Along with solid biblical scholarship, T. J. Wray provides sensitive insights into the contemporary relevance of these women's stories. This book will appeal to both students of the Bible and women and men interested in discovering what these biblical women can teach us today. —Father John Molyneux, C.M.F., Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Rowman and Littlefield says: Impeccably researched and beautifully written, Good Girls, Bad Girls takes a nuanced look at the stories of 12 Old Testament women--from "good" Ruth and "bad" Jezebel to infamous Delilah and the mysterious Witch of Endor.
Available at book stores or from Rowman and Littlefield: (800) 282-1865 or shop online avemariapress.com.
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January 2010:
Prayerfulness: Awakening to the Fullness of Life
by Robert Wicks
Review: So how preoccupied were you today with the past or future, on a scale of 1-10? Me, too. Robert Wicks shakes up readers with this from novelist Walker Percy: "What if life is like a train and I miss it?" Unless you become spiritually mindful, says Wicks, you risk getting left behind on the platform.
This brief gem of a book brims with wise, compassionate, in-the-trenches advice on how to practice "being in the present with your eyes wide open to experiencing God and life." Wicks visits with the greats of Catholic spirituality and tells tales on himself (he frets about stock losses while three family members struggle with serious illness). There's even a checklist of "spiritually mindless" habits. Bravo. —Catherine O'Connell-Cahill, Senior Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Ave Maria Press says: New from Robert Wicks, this creative combination of ancient wisdom and contemporary psychology is designed to help readers develop a loving, clear, and spiritually balanced outlook.
Hardcover: $20.00
Available at books stores or from Ave Maria Press: (800) 282-1865 or shop online avemariapress.com.
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2009 Reviews
December 2009:
Claiming Earth as Common Ground: The Ecological Crisis through the Lens of Faith
by Andrea Cohen-Kiener
Review: Claiming Earth as Common Ground is a great discussion-starter for any parish group. With question guides for each chapter, action steps, and further resources, the book is designed to be very practical.
"The time for platitudes is past," writes author Andrea Cohen-Kiener. She and contributors from other faiths delve into the "nitty-gritty"- issues of race, class, and theology that prevent groups from making progress on environmental issues.
But this book isn't just about religious people saving the environment. "The environmental crisis is the manifestation of a spiritual problem," says Cohen-Kiener. Confronting this crisis might also save religion. —Megan Sweas, Associate Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
SkyLight Paths Publishing says: 
Inspiring insights from ecology coalitions, emerging theologies, and spiritual & environmental activists rally us to work across denominational lines in order to fulfill our sacred imperative to care for God's creation.
Hardcover: $16.99
Available at book stores or from SkyLight Paths Publishing (800) 962-4544 or shop online at www.skylightpaths.com.
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November 2009:
The Saint and the Sultan: The Crusades, Islam, and Francis of Assisi's Mission of Peace
by Paul Moses
Review: Can a long misrepresented 13th-century encounter between two extraordinary individuals inspire world-changing reconciliation and peacemaking today? It can and it does. Paul Moses' fascinating account of St. Francis of Assisi's meeting with Sultan Malik al-Kamil in the midst of the Fifth Crusade not only details the historical record, puts it into context, and tries to strip it of centuries of tendentious distortions, it also documents how its true significance has recently come to blossom and bear fruit in Christian-Muslim relations.
In his thoroughly researched and engaging book Moses uncovers and retells the true story of the Christian saint's audience with the Muslim ruler "with the hope that it will encourage others to build on [their] example." —Meinrad Scherer-Emunds, Executive Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Doubleday Religion says: 
This is a story about peace - one that is nearly 800 years old - but still resonates in an era where Christians and Muslims look at each other with suspicion.
Hardcover: $26.00
Available at book stores or from Doubleday Religion (800) 773-3000 or shop online at DoubledayReligion.com.
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October 2009:
The Recollected Heart: A Guide to Making a Contemplative Weekend Retreat
by Philip Zaleski
Review: Despite constant encouragement to “make” one, there are few things more mystifying to most Christians that a retreat. Just what does one do, and what is supposed to happen? Enter Philip Zaleski, who offers this practical guide for a getaway with God, which he recommends as “a rock-bottom of a healthy life.”
Zaleski recognizes, however, that for many a retreat seems like a daunting spiritual do-it-yourself project. Drawing heavily on the Benedictine tradition, he guides the novice through contemplation, the liturgy of the hours, and the best ways to keep everyday life at bay. In doing so, he takes the mystery out of making a retreat – and makes the reader ready to meet the Mystery we all seek. —Bryan Cones, Managing Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Ave Maria Press says: 
Acclaimed author and editor Philip Zaleski understands the need for retreat, and in this step-by-step guide he offers his monastic prescription for properly and effectively finding spiritual refreshment.
Paperback: $15.95
Available at book stores or from Ave Maria Press (800) 282-1865 or shop online at http://www.avemariapress.com.
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September 2009:
The Forgiveness Book
by Alice Camille and Paul Boudreau
Review: As Alice Camille and Paul Boudreau state in the prologue, "Forgiveness reveals itself to be not just one possible option for the future, but the only viable chance we've got to have a future." This is precisely why The Forgiveness Book, a concise reflection on the nature, challenges, and power of forgiveness, should have a broad appeal.
The challenges of forgiveness covered include: What to do with sin? Why should we forgive? How do we accept forgiveness? A story of the power of forgiveness rounds out this meditation. The authors, both frequent contributors to U.S. Catholic, readily admit that they are not experts in forgiveness, "but are among the grateful recipients of God's generous gift of it." All of us who feel the same way should spend some time with this reflection. —John Molyneux, C.M.F., Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
ACTA Publications says: 
Two of U.S. Catholic's favorite writers explore the mystery of how forgiveness works, why it benefits us to both forgive and be forgiven, and what it takes to become a forgiving people.
Paperback: $12.95
Available at book stores or from ACTA Publications (800) 397-2282 or shop online at http://www.actapublications.com/.
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August 2009:
Seeking Life: The Baptismal Invitation of the Rule of St. Benedict
by Esther de Waal
Review: Don't even recall when you last renewed your baptismal promise? Esther de Waal suspects many believers become ho-hum about the life-changing mission we accepted at Baptism. She offers "a deep look at the deep past" to reignite our commitment to the risen Christ, taking us into the dramatic Baptism ritual embraced by the early Christians. Baptism for them was above all "urgent," a "turning toward this promise of life and freedom."
Seeking Life also delves deep into the Rule of St. Benedict, a monastic pioneer who, says de Waal, sought "people who are fully alive, who live life to the full." —Catherine O'Connell-Cahill, Senior Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Liturgical Press says: Esther de Waal focuses on the prologue to the Rule of Saint Benedict and shows how it contains the clues we need to both understand and live by the vows made at our baptism. With her characteristic insight and wisdom, Esther de Waal draws out enduring spiritual teaching on how to live when reborn "of water and the spirit."
Hardcover: $19.95
Available at book stores or from Liturgical Press (800) 858-5450 or shop online at www.litpress.org.
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July 2009:
A Persistent Peace: One Man’s Struggle for a Nonviolent World
by John Dear, S.J.
Review: What would happen if you actually tried to live out loud the gospel’s radical and persistent call to peacemaking? You probably would find your life not too far off the one that John Dear, S.J. details in his autobiography, and, well, you would get arrested a lot.
Dear is well known among Catholic pacifists – and among more than a few law enforcement agents in New Mexico – for his clear-minded devotion to Catholic principles of peace. His story should inspire the civil-disobedient in all of us, even as reading it feels like spending a quiet evening with an old friend with a really good tale to tell.—Kevin Clarke, Senior Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Loyola Press says: All of us say we want peace, but few are willing to prove it. Read the incredible story of this nationally known peace activist, and witness his bold, decisive, often unpopular actions on behalf of peace.
Hardcover: $22.95
Available at book stores or from Loyola Press (800) 621-1008 or shop online at www.loyolapress.com.
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June 2009:
Finding Happiness
by Abbot Christopher Jamison
Review: Finding Happiness might sound like a self-help book, but it is much more than that. Abbot Christopher Jamison, a British Benedictine, offers a historical look at the monastic tradition, a philosophical discussion about happiness, and a critique of modern culture. His writing is accessible and will appeal to both Catholics and unhappy agnostics.
The book challenges readers to do and know good rather than just feel good. Jamison prescribes diminishing our embrace of “eight thoughts”—the seven deadly sins and acedia (spiritual carelessness)—to find happiness. Responding to our understanding of happiness as pleasure, Jamison provides plenty of material for both discussion and introspection.—Megan Sweas, Assistant Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Liturgical Press says: Finding Happiness examines different aspects of being happy and tells us what monastic wisdom has to say about them. In doing so, he offers steps for the journey toward fulfillment.
Paperback: $19.95
Available at book stores or from Liturgical Press. Call 1-800-858-5450 or shop online at www.litpress.com.
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May 2009:
Listening to God's Word
by Alice Camille
Review: There is a danger in trying to summarize what “the Bible” tells me so. But Alice Camille’s invitation to read the Bible avoids the pitfalls of biblical hopscotch and instead leads us into an exploration of five central biblical themes—God, world, story, crisis, and time.
As U.S. Catholic readers know, Camille has a knack for making scripture come alive by combining a solid grasp of biblical scholarship with fresh insights into the meaning of biblical stories and profound spiritual reflections from her own life. Answering her invitation may lead you too into “radical astonishment” and from there into life-changing action.—Meinrad Scherer-Emunds, Executive Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
Orbis Books says: A popular teacher of Scripture inspires us to not only appreciate God’s word but to live it and know the peace and joy that comes from it. Part of the series “Catholic Spirituality for Adults”.
Paperback: $10.00
Available at book stores or from Orbis Books. Call 1-800-258-5838 or shop online at maryknollmall.org.
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April 2009:
The Geography of God's Mercy
by Patrick Hannon
Review: The hallmark of Catholicism is its ability to find in our human stories the unfolding story of God’s relationship to Creation. The hallmark of great Catholic writing is putting these stories to paper in ways that lead readers back to their own experience of God. Patrick Hannon’s work embodies both.
In parents and siblings, nursing home residents, and barroom acquaintances, Hannon sketches the many moments in which God’s mercy becomes flesh. Each of his 20 stories offers a glimpse of God’s unfailing love, described beautifully by Hannon in his own mother’s unfailing daily mantra: “I guess I’ll keep you for another day.”—Bryan Cones, Managing Editor, U.S. CATHOLIC
About: The Geography of God’s Mercy (ACTA Publications): Patrick Hannon, winner of the First Time Author of a Book award in the 2006 Catholic Press Association Book Awards, offers his second stunning book--The Geography of God's Mercy. In it, Hannon offers a collection of personal stories that delve into the deeper meaning and importance of forgiveness. Whether he is describing the endless compassion of his mother's love for her horde of children, or his sister's fervent closing argument to a jury for mercy on a young mother cornered into shoplifting in order to feed her children, readers will find themselves entranced by his engaging and poignant stories. Hannon uses the different geographies of the world (desert, mountain, plains) as a framework for this book.
About the Author: Patrick Hannon, CSC, is a Holy Cross priest from Oakland, California. He has ministered in Portland, Oregon; South Bend, Indiana; Chicago, Illinois; and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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