With the 2016 presidential election beginning to simmer,

Politics isn’t a four-letter word. Everyone’s been at that dinner party. The conversation takes a political turn. The arguments start, the atmosphere grows tense, and all that remains is a hopeless stalemate and an awkward silence. Makes you wonder . . . is thoughtful and productive dialogue about politics even possible? In Honoring God in the Red or Blue, Dr. Amy Black addresses the debaters as well as those intimidated or annoyed by the debaters; political junkies and the contented uninvolved. She explains the purposes and limitations of our system and helps readers create realistic expectations for government. While God’s truth is perfect, human application of it is not, a reality that shouldn’t deter us from engaging in debate and staying informed. Rather, it should challenge us to raise our standards for how we speak about the issues—and those in office. It’s time to approach political divides with an extra measure of grace. Success begins with seeking God’s honor first and foremost, regardless of where we fall on the political spectrum. Don’t limit yourself to chatting about the weather.

This book speaks to all Americans in one way or another. It is a true story of Americas beginning, and Gods divine providence. We are founded upon a principle that believes in the worship of the true God. It was and still is our belief that He designed this country to be a light and a savior for the world. This is evident by the fact most people are trying to come here, or seek our help. America has had its share of internal problems; the enslavement of the Black Africans, the killing of the Native Indians, the suppression of women, and the harsh treatment of Black Americans (Africans). Through all of this, God caused her to prosper. This book is the only book that states emphatically that in 1492, God designed a plan for many people from across the globe to make this country their home, and it gives the proofs as evidence. The means of getting us into this country may not be understood, but the ends can not be denied and are much appreciated. Every American needs this book. This book will help us to become better Americans. This book teaches us the importance of our citizenship; The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Statue of Liberty and the Flag (which embodies all that we are). It shows us where we came from and where we are going. There is a divine guidance system at work in America. America is the Promised Land. The poem engraved on Lady Libertys pedestal epitomizes this very philosophy. This book is a correspondence panacea to heal the past wounds of the Blacks, the Indians, the Women and the Whites in America. As we forgive the past, we can enjoy the spiritual and material prosperity that God promised to us through Abraham.

This volume investigates how literary texts have reflected, in ground-breaking ways, distinctive features of a Catholic philosophy of life. It demonstrates how literature, by its ability to capture the imagination, is able to evoke facets of human experience related specifically to a Catholic understanding of life.

Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life. Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, White and Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics, and they realized the answer was at the heart of the Gospel. Their faithful response not only tripled their weekend mass attendance, but also yielded increased giving, flourishing ministries, and a vibrant, solidly Catholic spiritual revival. White and Corcoran invite all Catholic leaders to share the vision, borrow their strategies, and rebuild their own parishes. They offer a wealth of guidance for anyone with the courage to hear them.

The Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, Labor Day, Martin Luther King's Birthday, and other celebrations matter to Americans and reflect the state of American local and national politics. Commemorations of cataclysmic events and light, apparently trivial observances mirror American political and cultural life. Both reveal much about the material conditions of the United States and its citizens' identities, historical consciousness, and political attitudes. Lying dormant within these festivals is the potential for political consequence, controversy, even transformation. American political fetes remain works in progress, as Americans use historical celebrations as occasions to reinvent themselves and their nation, often with surprising results. In six engaging chapters 'assaying particular political holidays over the course of their histories, Red, White, and Blue Letter Days examines how Americans have shaped and been shaped by their calendar. Matthew Dennis explores this vast political and cultural terrain, charting how Americans defined their identities through celebration. Independence Day invited African Americans to demand the equality promised in the Declaration of Independence, for example, just as Columbus Day—celebrating the Italian, Catholic explorer—helped immigrants proclaim their legitimacy as Americans. Native Americans too could use public holidays, such as Thanksgiving or Veterans Day, to express dissent or demonstrate their claims to citizenship. Merchants and advertisers colonized the American calendar, moving in to sell their products by linking them, often tenuously, with holiday occasions or casting consumption as a patriotic act.

What kind of Catholic are you, and how can you show