How did Roman Catholicism and its beliefs and practices come to be what they are? This lively and readable account provides an up-to-date introduction, explaining what is distinctively Catholic. The authors move through history to sum up the present characteristics of Catholic Christianity and the major tests it faces in the third millennium. Explaining matters in a fresh and original way, they do justice to the Catholic heritage and show that Catholicism...

""The Making of American Catholicism" explores how Catholic experience influences regional culture, and vice versa"--

Through battles with corrupt bankers and worldly cardinals, in turbulent meetings and on global trips, history's first Latin-American pope has attempted to reshape the Church to evangelize the contemporary age. Facing rebellions over his allowing sacraments for the divorced and his attempt to create a more "ecological" Catholicism, as well as a firestorm of criticism for the Church's record on sexual abuse, Francis emerges as a leader of remarkable...

Who are American Catholics and what do they believe and practice? How has American Catholicism influenced and been influenced by American culture and society? This book examines the history of American Catholics from the colonial era to the present, with an emphasis on changes and challenges in the contemporary church. Chester Gillis chronicles America Catholics: where they have come from, how they have integrated into American society, and how the...

"What could be more familiar than the Christmas story--and yet what could be more extraordinary? The cast of characters is strange and exotic: shepherds and magicians, an emperor and a despot, angels, and a baby who is Almighty God. The strangeness calls for an explanation, and this book provides it by examining the characters and the story in light of the biblical and historical context"--Amazon.com.

No Greater Love is the essential wisdom of Mother Teresa - the most accessible and inspirational collection of her teachings ever published. This definitive volume features Mother Teresa on love, prayer, giving, service, poverty, forgiveness, Jesus, and more. It ends with an up-to-date biography and a revealing conversation with Mother Teresa about the specific challenges and joys present in her work with the poor and the dying. No Greater Love is...

"When Pope Pius XII died in 1958, his papers were sealed in the Vatican Secret Archives, leaving unanswered questions about what he knew and did during World War II. Those questions have only grown and festered, making Pius XII one of the most controversial popes in Church history, especially now as the Vatican prepares to canonize him. In 2020, Pius XII's archives were finally opened, and David I. Kertzer--widely recognized as one of the world's...

The leader of the Catholic Church discusses what the COVID-19 crisis revealed about the cruelty and inequality of society, what it can teach about handling upheaval, and how to make the world safer, fairer, and healthier for all people.