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January 2020 BOTM - Voting
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my votes:The Ascent of Mount Carmel by Juan de la Cruz
Bodies and souls, by Maxence Van der Meersch
Thanks
Strangers in a Strange Land by Archbishop Chaput andFour Witnesses by Rod Bennett.
Bodies and Soul by Maxence van der Meersch and The secrets of successful financial planning. Inside tips from an expert by Dan Gallagher.
Strangers in a Strange Land and Four Witness’
Bodies and souls/Out of the ashesThanks
Georgios, by A.K. FraileyBearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History, by Rodney Stark
Bearing False WitnessFour Witnesses
The Ascent of Mount Carmel, andStrangers in a Strange Land.
Relic of His HeartStrangers in a Strange Land
The Ascent of Mount Carmel and Four Witnesses
Manuel wrote: "You can vote for two books from the list below. The book with the most votes will be our January BOTM. One book out of those that receive no votes will be selected for elimination by the randomizer..."Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican and Four Witnesses
Four WitnessesThe myth of Hitler's pope
Strangers in a Strange LandThe Myth of Hitler's Pope
Strangers in a strange landOut of the ashes
Mod
Four Witnesses
The Ascent of Mount Carmel by John of the Cross
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Books mentioned in this topic
Relic of His Heart (other topics)American Catholics: A History of the Roman Catholic Community in the United States (other topics)
The Ascent of Mount Carmel (other topics)
Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History (other topics)
Deliver Us from Evil (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Juan de la Cruz (other topics)Maxence Van der Meersch (other topics)
Thomas A. Dooley (other topics)
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (other topics)
Rod Bennett (other topics)
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American Catholics: A History of the Roman Catholic Community in the United States, by James J. Hennesey.
Written by one of the foremost historians of American Catholicism, this book presents a comprehensive history of the Roman Catholic Church in America from colonial times to the present. Hennesey examines, in particular, minority Catholics and developments in the western part of the United States, a region often overlooked in religious histories.
The Ascent of Mount Carmel by Juan de la Cruz
Written between 1578 and 1579 in Granada, Spain, after John's escape from prison, the Ascent is illustrated by a diagram of the process outlined in the text of the Soul's progress to the summit of the metaphorical Mount Carmel where God is encountered. The work is divided into three sections and is set out as a commentary on four poetic stanzas by John on the subject of the Dark Night. John shows how the Soul sets out to leave all worldly ties and appetites behind to achieve "nothing less than transformation in God".
Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History, by Rodney Stark.
As we all know, the Inquisition was one of the most frightening and bloody chapters in Western history, Pope Pius XII was anti-Semitic and rightfully called “Hitler’s Pope,” the Dark Ages were a stunting of the progress of knowledge to be redeemed by the secular spirit of the Enlightenment, and the religious Crusades were an early example of the rapacious Western thirst for riches and power. In this stunning, and ultimately persuasive book, Rodney Stark argues that some of our most firmly held ideas about history, that paint the Catholic Church in the least positive light are, in fact, fiction.
Bodies and souls, by Maxence Van der Meersch, nominated by Fonch.
This dramatic novel about doctors, students, nurses and patients, has become a classic. It seems to be difficult to obtain in English (it doesn't even have a page in Goodreads), but it can easily be got in other languages (French, Spanish or Italian). This is their page in Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Deliver Us from Evil, Thomas A. Dooley, nominated by Manuel.
This is Dr. Tom Dooley's moving account of his humanitarian work in the newly divided Vietnam aboard U.S. Navy refugee ships and in refugee camps in the turbulent years of 1954-55. The book focuses on American efforts to evacuate Vietnamese from Communist-controlled areas, and Dooley's work in camps, hospitals and orphanages with those needing medical care. Dooley, born in 1927, passed away in 1961 from cancer at the age of 34. Deliver Us From Evil was the first of 3 books he wrote about his experiences in Vietnam and Laos.
The Divine Milieu, by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
Teilhard de Chardin -- geologist, priest, and major voice in twentieth-century Christianity -- probes the ultimate meaning of all physical exploration and the fruit of his own inner life. The Divine Milieu is a spiritual treasure for every religion bookshelf.
Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words, Rod Bennett, nominated by Mariangel.
What was the early Church like? Contrary to popular belief, Rod Bennett shows there is a reliable way to know. Four ancient Christian writers--four witnesses to early Christianity --left us an extensive body of documentation on this vital subject, and this book brings their fascinating testimony to life for modern believers. With all the power and drama of a gripping novel, this book is a journey of discovery of ancient and beautiful truths through the lives of four great saints of the early Church--Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus of Lyons.
Georgios, by A.K. Frailey
Georgios was destined for greatness - at least that is what his grandparents told him, his father assured him, and his mother had left embedded in his heart. Living on the island of Patmos in the year 100 A.D. surrounded by the Aegean Sea, he knew the world through Greek eyes, but he also knew there was more to life than a home built on rock. At the age of thirteen, Georgios takes an unexpected voyage, almost murders his first real friend, gets waylaid by Celtic traders, and inadvertently discovers the truth about his father. What he learns horrifies him, forcing him into a decision and an adulthood, he is not ready for. In facing his father honestly, Georgios finds the strength to accept his grandfather’s vision and is thrust into the most dangerous adventure of all.
Knowledge and Christian Belief, by Alvin Plantinga.
In his widely praised Warranted Christian Belief (Oxford, 2000) Alvin Plantinga discussed in great depth and at great length the question of the rationality, or sensibility, of Christian belief. In this book Plantinga presents the same ideas in a briefer, more accessible fashion. Recognized worldwide as a leading Christian philosopher, Plantinga probes what exactly is meant by the claim that religious -- and specifically Christian -- belief is irrational and cannot sensibly be held. He argues that the criticisms of such well-known atheists as Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens are completely wrong. Finally, Plantinga addresses several potential defeaters to Christian belief -- pluralism, science, evil and suffering -- and shows how they fail to successfully defeat rational Christian belief.
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.
Relic of His Heart, by Jane Lebak
Tessa delivers babies at night and raises five sons by day. When an angel appears after a birth and asks for help on a quest, her first response is, “Angels don’t even exist,” followed by a swift, “No.” Even after he proves he exists (and lets her call him Martin) she wants nothing to do with his quest: Martin wants to find a relic stolen at the end of World War II, when the town of Barlassina was torched and its church destroyed. The relic went into the pocket of a long-dead soldier and hasn’t been seen since. Without the relic, the church won’t be rebuilt; without the church, Barlassina will die.
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 WWII was a tall, jolly Irish Priest, Monsignor Hugh Joseph O'Flaherty. Working throughout the war at the Vatican, he organised, unofficially, an incredibly efficient underground system which gave shelter to inumerable escapees. 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 Secrets of Successful Financial Planning: Inside Tips from an Expert, by Dan Gallagher
There are six interrelated segments to a complete financial plan: Cash & Budget Planning, Insurance & Risk Management, Tax Management, Retirement Planning, Investment Planning, and Estate Planning. What aspects of the financial plan require sophisticated planning by a professional, and what can savvy, well-educated consumers handle themselves? The Secrets of Successful Financial Planning empowers readers to take charge of their financial present and future, regardless of where they are financially, by presenting technical jargon in a way that's easy to understand.
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.