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<DIV>Is religious belief reasonable? Of course the so-called New Atheists, such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris, energetically say, "No!," Many others, including some believers, insist that faith is utterly beyond reasoned argument. Faith, they declare, is believing something that reason tells you can't be so. In this way they think they shield belief from rational criticism. But philosopher Richard Purtill will have none of that approach to religion. In this newly updated classic work, Purtill carefully applies the power of the mind to understanding whether there is a rational basis for certain religious beliefs. His focus is on widely held Christian beliefs, although much of what he says applies also to other religious traditions. Purtill assesses the common objections to religious belief the claims that religious tenets are nonsensical, wishful thinking, the result of gullibility, immoral, or refuted by modern discoveries. Then he considers the arguments in favor of Christian belief by studying the nature of faith, of the universe, of morality, of happiness, and the world with God in it. He also scrutinizes certain beliefs involving claims of Christian revelation — the credentials of revelation, the idea of God, Jesus as God's Son, organized religion, and the last things (death, judgment, heaven and hell). The two appendices tackle the Christian doctrine of the Atonement and the influence of certain Christian writers on the revival of Christian belief in the 20th century. An updated For Further Reading section is included.Reason to Believe is not a work of revealed theology or religious devotion; it is a highly readable book on the philosophy of religion, aimed at the reader who wants to think seriously about religion but who doesn't know all the philosophers' and theologians' jargon and who may or may not be a committed believer. </DIV>

Reason to Believe: Why Faith Makes Sense

Opening credits

Foreword

Introduction

Psalm 1꞉ “Blessed is the man”

The Twenty-Third Psalm꞉ “The LORD is my shepherd”

Psalm 51꞉ “Have mercy upon me”

Psalm 139꞉ “O LORD , thou hast searched me, and known me”

Psalm 103꞉ “Bless the LORD , O my soul”

Psalm 19꞉ “The heavens declare the glory of God”

Psalm 27꞉ “The LORD is my light and my salvation”

Psalm 42꞉ “As the hart panteth after the water brooks”

Psalm 24꞉ “Lift up your heads, O ye gates”

Psalm 137꞉ “By the rivers of Babylon”

Psalm 96꞉ “O sing unto the LORD a new song”

Psalm 150꞉ “Praise ye the LORD ”

Closing credits

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The Psalms are the most popular, most universally loved and used book in the Bible, which in turn is the most popular book in the world. They are hymns, songs, poems and prayers, both formal (liturgical and communal) and informal (spontaneous, personal, and individual); and this gives them many layers of meaning rather than one, unlike theologies and creeds.
They Psalms are literally inexhaustible, so a new book of reflections on them is always welcome. Especially a book by the beloved, widely read, best-selling author and philosopher, Peter Kreeft.
In this work Kreeft shares his personal explorations into the riches of the Psalms, his profound expeditions into this deep ocean of the divinely inspired spiritual water. He focuses on the dozen or so Psalms that are most people's favorites, including Kreeft.
Kreeft says that the Pslams are powerful prayers, and a spiritual weapon that God himself has given us for our great task of spiritual warfare, which is human life on earth.
What prayers did Jesus and his disciples pray? The Psalms! As all Jews have always done ever since they had them. The Psalms are God's answer to our plea, 'Teach us to pray.' Christ prayed them not only in synagogue but throughout His life, and at his death. He prayed Psalm 22, 'My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?' even as He was dying on the Cross. - Peter Kreeft, from the Introduction
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Wisdom from the Psalms (Audiobook)

This unparalleled, scholarly introduction to St. John Henry Newman—mind, heart, soul, and personality—brings the great cardinal to life before our eyes, and with him the charged air of nineteenth-century England. Drawing from his letters, writings, and journal entries with precision and poetic flair, the book is one of Ida Friederike Görres' masterworks.While famous for his brilliance, Cardinal Newman did not hide in an ivory tower. His life was one of risk, sacrifice, and immense charity. His sharp turn to Catholicism rocked the University of Oxford, costing him his friendships, his livelihood, and his identity. Through failures and disappointments, over and over again, Newman let himself be recreated by God.This work, in Görres' words, is a portrait of "the boy, puzzled, who was startled and overwhelmed by God; the active, creative young prophet of his church in crisis; the hermit, who he was and wanted to be all his life; and the fighter, who he was with and against his will: the saint of the Church and the saint of humility, the one perfected in sacrifice".With an in-depth introduction by Ratzinger Prize winner Hanna-Barbara Gerl-Falkovitz, an extensive commentary by translator Jennifer S. Bryson, and a detailed index, the book introduces readers not only to St. John Henry Newman, but to Görres, one of the greatest hagiographers of the twentieth century, whose spiritual writings have only recently been discovered by the English-speaking world.

John Henry Newman: A Life Sacrificed

<DIV>In this intimate, candid, and ; sometimes surprising ; community biography of the celebrated author and Christian ; apologist, twenty-four men and women who knew C.S. Lewisùas ; teacher, colleague, friendùoffer their reminiscences and ; impressions of the complex man behind the critical and ; academic acclaim. Through their recollections, we ; see "Jack" Lewis dazzling Oxford as he takes on atheists, ; materialists, and a host of other challengers. Most ; poignantly, we see him in everyday settings: striding up ; and down the platform at a railroad station, presiding over ; leisurely dinners with students, expounding on the virtues ; of the pub. "The net effect of this collection," said ; the Catholic Review, "is to make us feel that we know Lewis ; as well as [his] friends." And to quote the New Yorker, ; "The heterogeneity of the contributors assures a variety of ; Lewises, but certain traits appear in all these accounts: ; intelligence, imagination, gusto, a sense of fun, and, most ; frequently, magnanimity.""An unexpected ; delight." ùWashington Post"A grand banquet of ; personal insights." ùSan Diego Union"An ; invaluable, indeed an indispensible, addition to the ; burgeoning sphere of Lewis scholarship." ùJoseph ; Pearce, Author, C.S. Lewis and the Catholic ; Church</DIV>

Remembering C.S. Lewis: Recollections of Those Who Knew Him

<DIV>Are Catholics biblical illiterates? ; So goes the frequent ; question, proving that myths die hard. But Catholics ought ; to be able to answer the charge made by many non-Catholics ; in this regard. This book is a response to Fundamentalist ; critics and an explanation of the Catholic biblical ; tradition. The Catholic Church and the ; Bible is a significant scriptural study ; guide, published from a Catholic perspective and ; particularly keyed to the new Catechism of the Catholic ; Church. The well-planned, straight-forward text is ; clearly outlined to make information easy to find and ; understand. Main topics include: <ul><li>The Catholic ; understanding of the Bible </li><li>God's Word and its ; purpose in the Church </li><li>A biblical theology of the ; Mass, the place of the Bible in the Sacred Liturgy ; </li><li>A question-and-answer section that deals with ; pertinent and popular inquiries made by Catholics and ; non-Catholics alike </li></ul>This work should be ; heartily welcomed by both clergy and laity, for Father ; Stravinskas sheds new light on Catholic Bible study by ; writing with candor, clarity and scriptural backing. This ; is ideal for high schools and RCIA programs. "An ; excellent tool for the Catholic apologist. The reader has ; everything in one place: pithy answers plus biblical and ; magisterial citations. Fr. Stravinskas is the best ; priest-apologist in the country." -Karl ; Keating, Author, Catholicism and ; FundamentalismFr. Peter M.J. ; Stravinskas is the well-known editor of the ; The Catholic Answer magazine, a contributing ; editor to National Catholic Register, and has ; written over 500 articles for numerous Catholic ; publications. </DIV>

The Catholic Church and the Bible

<DIV>In his books and articles, Thomas Howard has never been one to shy away from controversy. While attending the Evangelical Church of his parents and teaching English at an Evangelical college, Howard wrote his provocative best seller Evangelical is Not Enough. Soon after entering the Anglican Communion, Howard began asking the kinds of questions that would eventually lead him into the Roman Catholic Church. Throughout his pilgrimage of faith, Howard wrote numerous thought-provoking yet respectful articles on a wide range of topics for both Protestant and Catholic publications, gaining him a wide and loyal following. Known for his wit and charm, Howard also was a sought after speaker for conferences and college graduations. Due to a request made by one of his faithful, this collection of Howard's best material has now been published.Liturgical reform and sacred architecture, women's ordination and hierarchical authority, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien these and many other topics of interest to Protestants and Catholics alike are tackled by Howard with his characteristic thoughtfulness in these articles and speeches that span more than twenty years of his prolific career. </DIV>

The Night Is Far Spent: A Treasury of Thomas Howard

<DIV>Maximus the Confessor, saint and martyr, is the theologian of synthesis: of Rome and Byzantium, of Eastern and Western theology, of antiquity and the Middle Ages, reexcavating the great treasures of Christian tradition, which at that time had been buried by imperial and ecclesial censure.Von Balthasar was an authority on the Church Fathers-Irenaeus, Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, Evagrius Ponticus, Augustine, and above all, Maximus the Confessor. This masterpiece on Maximus broke new ground at that time. Subsequent editions included new material from decades of research. This is the first English translation of the latest edition of this acclaimed work.This book presents a powerful, attractive, religiously compelling portrait of the thought of a major Christian theologian who might, for this book, have remained only an obscure name in the handbooks of patrology. It is based on an intelligent and careful reading of Maximus's own writings. Here the history of theology has become itself a way of theological reflection.</DIV>

Cosmic Liturgy: The Universe According to Maximus the Confessor

The Catholic Church invented what we know as the &ldquo;university,&rdquo; including the cultural tradition of free and open debate on disputed questions. Catholic colleges and universities thus stand poised to help reform institutions of higher learning at a moment of crisis in academic life throughout the western world. In his commencement addresses to colleges and universities large and small, George Weigel challenges graduates to understand an academic degree as a summons to become the trustee of a great tradition. In his lectures to university audiences, Weigel addresses a host of issues in the contemporary Church and its interaction with the world with depth and insight. Written in the vivid, often bracing style characteristic of one of contemporary Catholicism&rsquo;s leading intellectuals, these addresses and lectures exemplify what Pope St. John Paul II called the Catholic &ldquo;diakonia of the truth.&rdquo;&#160;&#160;

Pomp, Circumstance, and Unsolicited Advice: Commencement Addresses and University Lectures

This book situates Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s classic fourteen Rules for the Discernment of Spirits within the larger Catholic spiritual tradition.Each chapter provides a brief explanation of the rule in question and then presents the parallel wisdom of other saints and spiritual figures. A fundamental truth about Ignatius’ rules underlies this approach: He helps us grasp, often for the first time, the spiritual experience that always occurs in our hearts and thoughts.In his rules, Ignatius describes universal spiritual experiences. We find similar teaching from other spiritual writers and saints that appear in this book, including Augustine, Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas à Kempis, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Thérèse of Lisieux, Francis de Sales, and more.Ignatius’ rules are “Ignatian” only in formulation, in their structure and their wording; the experience he describes is that of every disciple of Jesus. Ignatius’ gift, guided by the Holy Spirit, was to perceive this experience clearly and express it succinctly, in an eminently practical way. This book offers the best way of amplifying Ignatius’ highly compact text, drawing on the wider Catholic spiritual tradition with many great spiritual writers.

Thinking Like a Saint: Discernment of Spirits in the Catholic Tradition

The Church: a body so diverse, so manifold, often so divided, that one struggles to define her, to see her face. &quot;If I seek a glimpse of her, where will I find her?&quot; asks theologian Henri de Lubac, S.J. In these reflections written at the end of Vatican II, de Lubac,who played a key role at the Council yet was leery of rapid reform, searches out the wrinkled, mysterious beauty of the Church he loves as his mother. The Catholic Church is such a paradox, a unity of opposites, that many are scandalized, a fact from which de Lubac does not shrink: &quot;I am told that she is holy, yet I see her full of sinners.... I am assured that she is universal, ... yet so often I note that her members, as if by fate, huddle timidly together in closed enclaves, just like human beings everywhere.&quot; But her distinctive beauty, when he beholds it, leaves him floored, &quot;this beauty most rare, most improbable, most disconcerting ... not the complete achievement of human perfection, ... but a strange and supernatural beauty opening unknown vistas to me.&quot; These seven brief studies on the mystery of Christ&#39;s Church illuminate the documents of Vatican II and offer nourishment and clarity to those confused by turbulence or hypocrisy among Christians. De Lubac, who was made a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II before his death in 1991, reflects deeply on the nature of authentic holiness in the modern world and argues that sainthood is not only possible but already - through the work of the Holy Spirit - quite alive amidst all the storms, whether in his time or in ours.