The Catholic Book Club discussion

ARRRRRRRRRGH.

First, I'm very late. Manuel graciously reminds me and I get distracted by work again. Then when I get the voting post set up, Goodreads eats it and I have to start over. Twice. I confess to thinking some un-Christian thoughts about Goodreads right now. So, briefly, you can vote for two books from the list below. The book with the most votes will be our September BOTM. One book out of those that receive no votes will be selected for elimination by the randomizer. The two books added last month, Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History and American Catholics: A History of the Roman Catholic Community in the United States are protected from the randomizer. Voting will remain open until Tuesday, September 20 at 5:00 central. The books for voting are:

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".

Broken Mary: A Journey of Hope, by Kevin Matthews
In 2008, Kevin Matthews, a well-known ABC and CBS radio personality in Chicago, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Broken Mary is Matthews' story of his early years in radio and stand-up comedy, his successful career, his struggle with MS, his awakening to the dignity of women, and, importantly, his chance encounter with a broken statue of Mary left next to a dumpster and all that happened as a result. Told with Matthews' signature good humor, this confession of the brokenness of mankind is touchingly honest, personally inspiring, and full of hope.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

Bearing False Witness
Knowledge and Christian Belief

These are great choices. Scarlet Pimpernel and Return of the Prodigal Son.

CBC wrote: "ARRRRRRRRRGH.

First, I'm very late. Manuel graciously reminds me and I get distracted by work again. Then when I get the voting post set up, Goodreads eats it and I have to start over. Twice..."

The same thing happened to me last month, not while starting the voting, but when I tried to post the results. That's the reason why I ended up preparing the post under my own user-id, rather than the Moderator-id (:-(

And now my votes for next month:

Ascent of Mt. Carmel (San Juan de la Cruz)
The Divine Milieu (Teilhard de Chardin)

The myth of hitler’s pope

The Restoration of Christian Culture

Out of the Ashes
Restoration of Christian Culture

The Spiritual Combat
Ascent of Mt. Carmel

Tough choices as most of these are on my “Want to read” list. I think I’m going to go with Restoration of a Christian Culture. Although any of these would make for a great read! Hello 👋🏻 btw! I’m new to this group. 🙂

Out of the Ashes

The Divine Milieu

Ascent of Mount Carmel or Return of the prodigal son

Strangers in a Strange Land

Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture and Strangers in a Strange Land

Bearing False Witness
Restoration of Christian Culture

The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming

Plantinga's and Senior's

I vote for "secret succesful of financial planning" by Dan Gallagher.

I vote for
The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming

I just realized I haven't voted yet.

Bearing False Witness
Out of the Ashes

Tanya wrote: "Tough choices as most of these are on my “Want to read” list. I think I’m going to go with Restoration of a Christian Culture. Although any of these would make for a great read! Hello 👋🏻 btw! I’m n..."

Welcome to the group, Tanya.

Voting is closed.

Ascent of Mount Carmel By Saint John of the Cross