October 2018 BOTM - Voting

[John]

It is time to vote for the October 2018 BOTM

You may vote for up to two of the books listed below.

Enter your votes by replying in this thread.

Voting will end at approximately 6:00 pm Eastern time on September 18.

A book will be randomly selected for elimination from the nominations list from among those that don't receive any votes. The two new books added to the voting list this month, Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture, by Anthony M. Esolen and The Restoration of Christian Culture, by John Senior will be excluded from the Randomizer.

The books you can choose from are:

The Autobiography of St. Anthony Mary Claret, by St. Anthony Mary Claret
Bares the soul of a saint and reveals the methods which were so successful for him in converting others. From age 5 he was haunted by the thought of the souls about to fall into Hell. This insight fueled his powerful drive to save as many souls as he could.

The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation, by Rod Dreher
In a radical new vision for the future of Christianity, NYT bestselling author and conservative columnist Rod Dreher calls on American Christians to prepare for the coming Dark Age by embracing an ancient Christian way of life.
The bad news is that the roots of religious decline run deeper than most Americans realize. The good news is that the blueprint for a time-tested Christian response to this decline is older still. In The Benedict Option, Dreher calls on traditional Christians to learn from the example of St. Benedict of Nursia, a sixth-century monk who turned from the chaos and decadence of the collapsing Roman Empire, and found a new way to live out the faith in community.

The Gunpowder Plot, by Antonia Fraser
Antonia Fraser, a popular historian, has delved into archives across Europe to unravel the true story of the plot by fanatical Roman Catholics to blow up the Houses of Parliament and King James I at the opening of Parliament in 1605.

Lift Up Your Heart: A Guide to Spiritual Peace, by Fulton J. Sheen
Contains a brilliant analysis of the spiritual life. It is full of profound lessons and words of wisdom on sanctifying the present moment, the effect of conduct on belief, how to pray and meditate, and making up for the past.

Looking for the King, by David C. Downing
It is 1940, and American Tom McCord, a 23-year-old aspiring doctoral candidate, is in England researching the historical evidence for the legendary King Arthur. There he meets perky and intuitive Laura Hartman, a fellow American staying with her aunt in Oxford, and the two of them team up for an even more ambitious and dangerous quest.
Weaving his fast-paced narrative with actual quotes from the works of the Inklings, author David Downing offers a vivid portrait of Oxford and draws a welcome glimpse into the personalities and ideas of Lewis and Tolkien, while never losing sight of his action-packed adventure story and its two very appealing main characters.

The Myth of Hitler's Pope: Pope Pius XII And His Secret War Against Nazi Germany, by David G. Dalin
In 1999, John Cornwell excoriated Pope Pius XII as "Hitler's Pope." In this book, Rabbi David G. Dalin provides a ringing defense of the wartime pontiff, arguing that Holocaust-era Jews justly regarded Pius as their protector, not their tormentor.

Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture, by Anthony M. Esolen
What do you do when an entire civilization is crumbling around you? You do everything. This is a book about how to get started.
Providence College professor Anthony Esolen, blunt and prophetic, makes the case that the decay of Western civilization is alarmingly advanced.
Our sickly, sub-pagan state resembles a bombed-out city. We have to assess the damage, but merely lamenting it does no good. There is work to be done. The first step is the restoration of truth. America's most powerful institutions - including the government - are mass producers of deceit. We have to recognize the lies and clear our minds of cant.
Let us begin.

Quetzalcoatl's Zahir, by Manuel Alfonseca
In the best tradition of classic young adult mystery novels, Gonzalo and Vicky try to solve the problem posed by a piece of old letter found inside a copy of Don Quixote. Although they have very few data, little by little they unravel the enigma and learn that it has to do with a mysterious object which "could become the scourge of humanity." The two young people must confront the dangerous guardians of the object during the last days of Franco.

The Restoration of Christian Culture, by John Senior
A sequel to The Death of Christian Culture, this spiritual treatise covers social, cultural, and political topics. It explores the importance of religious knowledge and faith to the health of a culture, provides a historical sketch of the change in cultural and educational standards over the last two centuries, and illustrates how literary and other visual arts either contribute to a culture or conspire to tear it down. Compared to a series of sermons, this analysis explains that there is a continuing extinction of the cultural patrimony of ancient Greece, Rome, medieval Europe, and the early modern period of Western civilization, owing to the pervasive bureaucratization, mechanization, and standardization of increasing materialism.

The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, by Henri J.M. Nouwen
A chance encounter with a reproduction of Rembrandt's painting, The Return of the Prodigal Son, catapulted Henri Nouwen into a long spiritual adventure. In his highly-acclaimed book of the same title, he shares the deeply personal meditation that led him to discover the place within which God has chosen to dwell. This Lent course, which has been adapted from the book, helps us to reflect on the meaning of the parable for our own lives. Divided into five sessions, the course moves through the parable exploring our reaction to the story: the younger son's leaving and return, the father's restoration of sonship, the elder son's resentment and the father's compassion. All of us who have experienced loneliness, dejection, jealousy or anger will respond to the persistent themes of homecoming, affirmation and reconciliation.

Scarlet Pimpernel Of The Vatican, by J.P. Gallagher.
To thousands of people escaping- Allied prisoners, refugees, Jews and others wanted for various reasons by the Nazis - one of the greatest heros of WW11 was a tall, jolly Irish Priest, Monsignor Hugh Joseph O'Flaherty. Working throughout the warat the Vatican, he organised, unofficially an incredibly efficient underground system which gave shelter to inumerable escapes. This very readable account of his adventures is an exciting story and throws some interesting light on one of the lesser-known aspects of the war.

The Spiritual Combat, by Lorenzo Scupoli
The Combat is a practical manual of living. At first it teaches that the sense of life is incessant fighting against egoistic longings and replacing them with sacrifice and charity. The one who does not do this loses, and suffers in Hell; the one who does it, trusting not in his own, but God's power, triumphs and is happy in Heaven. The work of Scupoli analyses various usual situations and advises how to cope with them, preserving a pure conscience and improving virtue. It emphasizes also the boundless goodness of God, which is the cause of all good. What is bad originates from the human who rebels against God.

Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, by Thérèse de Lisieux
Two and a half years before her death in 1897 at the age of 24, as Thérèse Martin began writing down her childhood memories at the request of her blood sisters in the Lisieux Carmel, few could have guessed the eventual outcome. Yet this Story of my soul, first published in 1898 in a highly edited version, quickly became a modern spiritual classic, read by millions and translated into dozens of languages around the world.

Strangers in a Strange Land: Living the Catholic Faith in a Post-Christian World, by Charles J. Chaput
From Charles J. Chaput, author of Living the Catholic Faith and Render unto Caesar comes Strangers in a Strange Land, a fresh, urgent, and ultimately hopeful treatise on the state of Catholicism and Christianity in the United States. America today is different in kind, not just in degree, from the past. And this new reality is unlikely to be reversed. The reasons include, but aren't limited to, economic changes that widen the gulf between rich and poor; problems in the content and execution of the education system; the decline of traditional religious belief among young people; the shift from organized religion among adults to unbelief or individualized spiritualities; changes in legal theory and erosion in respect for civil and natural law; significant demographic shifts; profound new patterns in sexual behavior and identity; the growth of federal power and its disregard for religious rights; the growing isolation and elitism of the leadership classes; and the decline of a sustaining sense of family and community.

Toward the Gleam, by T.M. Doran
Between the two world wars, on a hike in the English countryside, Professor John Hill takes refuge from a violent storm in a cave. There he nearly loses his life, but he also makes an astonishing discovery — an ancient manuscript housed in a cunningly crafted metal box. Though a philologist by profession, Hill cannot identify the language used in the manuscript and the time period in which it is was made, but he knows enough to make an educated guess — that the book and its case are the fruits of a long-lost, but advanced civilization.

[Todd Black]

“Benedict Option” or “Lift Up Your Heart”

[BA]

Out of the Ashes or Gunpowder Plot

[Randi]

Ari wrote: "Out of the Ashes or Gunpowder Plot"

Benedict Option and Return of the Prodigal Son

[Celia]

The Myth of Hitler's Pope. Please count this as 2 votes!! I have the book from the library and will read it regardless.

[[deleted user]]

Story of a soul

[Debbie]

The Gunpowder Plot and Scarlet Pimpernell of the Vatican

[Joseph]

Benedict Option or Strangers In A Strange Land

[John]

Celia wrote: "The Myth of Hitler's Pope. Please count this as 2 votes!! I have the book from the library and will read it regardless."

Sorry, Celia, that doesn't work. :-)

You can add another book, though, if you like.

[John]

Benedict Option and Out of the Ashes

[Steven R.]

The Gunpowder Plot, by Antonia Fraser
Quetzalcoatl's Zahir, by Manuel Alfonseca

[Vicky]

"Toward the Gleam" and "The Story of a Soul."

[Manuel]

"Quetzalcoatl's Zahir" and "The Autobiography of St. Anthony Mary Claret"

[Bice]

Quetzalcoatl ‘s Zahir and Lift Up Your Heart

[Tania]

Story of a soul and looking for the king...

[Mariangel]

"Quetzalcoatl's Zahir" and "The Spiritual Combat"

[Jill]

Benedict Option
Out of the Ashes

wonderful to see so many votes/voices

[Peggy]

Story of a Soul

[Madeleine]

Benedict Option
Lift up Your Heart

[Fonch]

I vote for "Quetzalcoatl`s Zahir" by Manuel Alfonseca, and "Toward the Gleam", by T.M. Doran

[Maria]

My vote is for Quetzalcoatl's Zahir.

[Sharon]

These are all so good!!!

My vote is for The Gunpowder Plot!

[Sadie]

Gunpowder Plot or Hitler’s Pope.

[Jessica]

The Spiritual Combat, by Lorenzo Scupoli

Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, by Thérèse de Lisieux

John wrote: "It is time to vote for the October 2018 BOTM

You may vote for up to two of the books listed below.

Enter your votes by replying in this thread.

Voting will end at approximately 6:00 pm Eastern..."

[Richard]

Looking forma the King

[Mana]

Spiritual combat

[John]

Voting is closed. Results will be posted shortly.

[Dan]

I'm very sorry to have been so busy lately that I did not notice this vote. Nevertheless, I hope that Quetzalcoatl`s Zahir wins or is in the top results.