The Catholic Book Club discussion

It is time to vote for our December 2019 BOTM, You can vote for two books from the list below. The book with the most votes will be our December BOTM. One book out of those that receive no votes will be selected for elimination by the randomizer. The two books appearing in the voting list for the first time this month, Deliver Us From Evil and Bodies and Souls, are protected from the randomizer.

Voting will remain open until Monday, November 18 at 6:00 PM eastern. The books for voting are:

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".

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

I vote for "The Secrets of Successful Financial Planning: Inside Tips from an Expert", by Dan Gallagher and "Bodies and souls", by Maxence Van der Meersch

Georgios, by A.K. Frailey
The Spiritual Combat, by Lorenzo Scupoli

The Spiritual Combat by Lorenzo Scuopoli

Strangers in a Strange Land

Strangers in a Strange Land
The Myth of Hitler's Pope

Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words, Rod Bennett
The Spiritual Combat, by Lorenzo Scupoli

Deliver Us From Evil

Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican or American Catholics

I vote for The Divine Milieu by Telhard de Chardin

Four witnesses
Strangers in a Strange Land

Four Witnesses
Bearing False Witness

The Ascent of Mount Carmel and The Spiritual Combat

The Spiritual Combat
Knowledge & Christian Belief (Plantinga)

Spiritual combat

I didn't get either an email or a message notification here on goodreads.

I vote for "Four Witnesses" and "Ascent of Mt. Carmel"

The Divine Milieu

Four Witnesses

Out of the Ashes

American Catholics

I vote for the Divine Milieu

Elia

Sorry, trying to delete Elia's duplicate comment, I inadvertently deleted Colin's votes for
Ascent of Mount Carmel
and
Spiritual Combat
John, please take them into account.

My top 3 choices are:
Strangers in a strange land.
Bearing false witness...
Scarlet pimpernel of the Vatican.

Mariangel wrote: "I didn't get either an email or a message notification here on goodreads.

I vote for "Four Witnesses" and "Ascent of Mt. Carmel""

That's really strange. I've sent you a test message. Let me know if you receive it,

Did that happen to anyone else?

Manuel wrote: "Sorry, trying to delete Elia's duplicate comment, I inadvertently deleted Colin's votes for
Ascent of Mount Carmel
and
Spiritual Combat
John, please take them into account."

Done

Jessica wrote: "My top 3 choices are:
Strangers in a strange land.
Bearing false witness...
Scarlet pimpernel of the Vatican."

Jessica, you get two votes. Right now I am counting your votes as being for Strangers in a Strange Land and Bearing False Witness. If that's not your preference, please let me know.

I will cast my votes for Four Witnesses and Strangers in a Strange Land.

My apologies for the delay - a long story.

Voting is closed. Results will be posted shortly.

And the winner is...

I think that Spiritual Combat by Scupoli. I bought for reading It :-).

Hello! What book was selected for the December BOTM, as I would like to get it and be a part of the December read.
With Appreciation, Lynn

Yes, "The Spiritual Combat" by L. Scupoli won the voting. If you look at the nominations thread you can see that John has already taken this book out of the voting list for next month, and included in its stead "Relic of his heart" by Jane Lebak.

John is probably in one of his work peaks. Be patient.

I posted it immediately after I closed voting. I had to do it twice because Goodreads ate the first effort. Then I posted it again and got a confirmation from Goodreads that it posted successfully. This is so aggravating. I wonder if Amazon has reduced support for Goodreads now that they've acquired all the competition.

Yes, The Spiritual Combat, by Lorenzo Scupoli won. Every book received a vote, so no other book was eliminated.

My apologies for not noticing sooner that the "confirmed" post disappeared as well.

John wrote: " I wonder if Amazon has reduced support for Goodreads now that they've acquired all the competition."

...what am I missing here? What did Amazon acquire?

Kerstin wrote: "John wrote: " I wonder if Amazon has reduced support for Goodreads now that they've acquired all the competition."

...what am I missing here? What did Amazon acquire?"

As far as I know, nothing since Shelfari. But nothing else seems to have grown in its place. Several alternatives have folded. This is mostly just my speculation about bizarre problems.