This book considers five major mysteries in the Bible: the mystery of the universe, the mystery of man, the mystery of God, the mystery of Christ, and the mystery of the church.

This study explores the way in which, by way of the Christian mysteries, divine action impacts human life. The triune God acts in Jesus Christ by means of historical events whose effects transcend time and which are mediated through their celebration in memorial and worship. Drawing on both Evangelical and Catholic writers, Nichols provides evidence that the general portrait of Jesus found in the Pauline letters and the four Gospels rests on reliable historical witness. On this basis, he offers a concise Christology which presents Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the Messianic hope of the Old Testament; explores his unique being as laid out in the teaching of the great Ecumenical Councils of the first Christian millennium, and describes how the classic theologian of the Latin tradition, St Thomas Aquinas, sees the chief historical events of Christ’s life as affecting humanity throughout future time. Nichols then looks at the Christian concept of God – namely, Trinitarian monotheism. God so conceived can act efficaciously in the created order and does so by the deployment of his Word and Spirit in ways which express for a fallen, historical world, the dynamics of the interaction of the divine Persons in eternity – Persons who now draw human beings within their range. Those gains in understanding are then applied to the individual mysteries of the life of Christ, from his biological conception to his coming Parousia. For each mystery, Nichols describes a biblical preamble; an account of how the mystery is seen by the Liturgy and the Fathers of the Church; illumination from the three theological masters whom the author makes his own in this work – Aquinas, Balthasar and Bulgakov;- and a visual image drawn from the treasury of sacred art.

This engaging book probes the meaning of salvation--peace, forgiveness, grace, reconciliation--spoken of in the New Testament as a "mystery". (back cover).

Pope John Paul II has called the Rosary "a true doorway to the depths of the Heart of Christ, ocean of joy and light, of suffering and glory." Author Tim Gray celebrates this life-changing truth as he uncovers the deep scriptural roots of the five Luminous Mysteries'the Baptism in the Jordan, the Wedding of Cana, the Proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfiguration, and the Institution of the Eucharist. In his foreword to The Luminous Mysteries, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis writes: "Tim Gray is an outstanding teacher of the Catholic faith, as he has demonstrated by his other writings and his presentations given to a variety of audiences. His love of Christ is transparent in his writing and inspires the reader to love Christ more fully and ardently. The Luminous Mysteries: Biblical Reflections on the Life of Christ is a most worthy tool for growth in the knowledge of Christ and growth in Christ's likeness." This book also includes five meditations from the Church Fathers on the Luminous events!

In this lavishly illustrated large coffee-table volume, writer Gorny and photographer Rosikon embarked on a two year investigative journey to seek the truth behind all the relics associated with the passion of Christ. The authors investigated a rich body of documentary evidence found in various museums, archives and churches surrounding sacred objects believed to have been preserved since Jesus' lifetime, exploring and collaborating with historians and scientists in their attempt to verify the relics' authenticity. They reach their conclusions not so much on the basis of faith as on the evidence supplied by historical sources and expert scientific opinion. The relics associated with the Passion - the suffering, death and burial of Christ - have long proved something of an enigma for the scientific community. Relics investigated, and photographed, for this glorious volume include: the Cross, nails, crown of thorns, pillar of scourging, Christ's tunic, the Veil of Manoppello, the Sudarium of Oviedo, the famous Shroud of Turin burial cloth and more.