In the twelve months before his sudden death, Hans Urs von Balthasar had been writing a series of reflections on the twelve articles of the Apostles' Creed. These texts, which are undoubtedly among the last things he wrote, take on the character of a legacy, a spiritual testament. For they amount in their extraordinary compactness and depth to a little "summa" of his theology. What he had set out in detail in numerous books over five decades, he summarizes here in contemplative plainness and simplicity. All the characteristics that make von Balthasar's work so distinctive and valuable are to be found here: breadth of vision, loveliness of style, and an intuitive-contemporary passion that allows him to "pray intellectually and think 'cordially'." In his warm and extensive introduction to the book, Medard Kehl speaks of von Balthasar's "unclouded, almost childlike joy in the richness and beauty of the Mystery" of the threefold God, which "is evidenced in his interpretation of the creed."

Richard Maffeo has written a heartfelt and heartwarming commentary on the Nicene Creed. His words and story will help every reader recognize the Risen Lord on their journey of life. - Fr. Michael McDermott, Pastor, St. Charles Borromeo, Tacoma, WA. Rich Maffeo provides us with a wonderful meditation on the fundamental profession of our Catholic faith. These meditations come out of a long and reflective spiritual journey that has taken him from Evangelical Protestant churches to a faithful and practicing member of the Roman Catholic community. This is a must read for laymen and women who seek a better understanding of Catholic faith in relationship to the experiences of daily living. Richard shares his journey and faith so each of us may grow together as a Holy People. - Fr. Thomas FX Hoar, SSE, Ph.D, President of St. Edmund's Retreat, Mystic, CT. For more than three decades, Richard Maffeo worshiped in evangelical Protestant churches. He earned his baccalaureate and masters degrees from Pentecostal schools. His religious articles have appeared in dozens of Christian publications. In 2003, a friend challenged him to study Catholic doctrine and compare it to what he already knew of Scripture and Church history. What he discovered caught him by surprise. Two years later, during the Easter Vigil of 2005, Richard was received into the Catholic Church. Richard and his wife, Nancy, attend St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, in Tacoma, Washington, where he serves as a catechist for sixth graders and a Lay Eucharistic Minister. He and his wife are married more than thirty-two years and have three grown children. This is his first book. His second - A Journey of Reflection - has a plannedpublication date in 2008.

Credo provides a unique basis for personal daily meditations, while opening the way for the church to explain the basic significance of the creed it so often recites. Williams takes the classic Nicene Creed of the church and examines the meaning and modern application of each of its words and phrases. He shows the historical setting of the creedal statement, historical disputes that gave rise to the precise wording of the creed, and current situations that call for affirmation of the creed amid a multitude of ecclesiastical differences. Williams even provides a way to sing the creed.

This work by the French poet and writer Paul Claudel is a soaring meditation on the profound Christian truths of the Apostles' Creed. Claudel, a deeply spiritual Catholic poet who meditated at length on what the Church taught him, is filled with ecstasy and wonder as he celebrates his faith, his hope, and his love. The reader will be captivated by the profundity of thought, the enthusiastic faith, the deep sense of joy, the fresh and vivid images, occasionally tinged with a delightful humor that is unforgettable. Claudel marvels at the goodness and love of God, at his work of creation and redemption, and at Christ and the Blessed Virgin. Along with Claudels meditations and mystical insights, each chapter includes a brief statement of doctrine based on the Summa of St. Thomas and the Catechism, along with a few explanatory words showing the relation of this theology to Claudel's poetry.

In the spirit of nineteenth-century philosopher John Stuart Mill's admonition to fully, frequently, and fearlessly" discuss what we profess to be true in order that it remain a "living truth" rather than dead dogma, Thomas P. Rausch gives us I Believe in God: A Reflection on the Apostles' Creed. Rausch carefully explores the controversies that led to the development of the Creed and thereby brings the Creed to life for modern readers. More important, he maintains that the Creed is most fully alive when those who profess it do so as a personal response to their baptismal call. I Believe in God carefully unpacks the three articles of the Creed but does so always with an eye and heart toward communion with God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As baptized Christians, to profess the Creed is to be committed to enter more deeply into this trinitarian relationship and thus more fully into communion with one another. Rausch clearly shows that the Apostles' Creed is grounded in Scripture, first came to expression in the church's baptismal liturgy, and can be better understood in light of contemporary theological reflection. Attentive to the ways in which the language of the Creed is relevant to the experience of twenty-first-century Christians, he leads us to understand what Pope Benedict meant when he said the Creed is "a tiny summa in which everything essential is expressed." With Rausch's guidance, readers will confess those essentials with greater conviction and appreciation.