Considered by many the bright jewel among the many enriching books of Cardinal Henri de Lubac, this work is a hymn to the beauty of the Church, under some of whose leaders for a time he unjustly suffered. The Splendor of the Church is, in a sense, a personal testimony of the great theologian's humility and love of the Church of Christ. It is also a classic work in the theology of the Church. Indeed, de Lubac's profound insights significantly contributed to Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, especially in its treatment on the Church as mystery and as the Sacrament of Christ. Chapters: I. The Church as Mystery II. The Dimensions of the Mystery III. The Two Aspects of the Church IV. The Heart of the Church V. The Church in the World VI. The Sacrament of Christ VII. Ecclesia Mater VIII. Our Temptations concerning the Church IX. The Church and Our Lady

In this book, Marva Dawn insists that churches need to engage in a serious process of community discernment concerning worship in order to employ the best tools and forms, and she offers reflections to further the discussion. Each part of A Royal "Waste" of Time begins with a sample Scripture-based sermon since Dawn emphasizes that the church's worship must follow biblical guidelines and form a biblical people.--From publisher's description.

The encyclical Veritatis splendor (The Splendor of Truth) represents the first document of the magisterium devoted to the foundations of the Catholic moral life. Though it was intended to confront a genuine crisis of moral disintegration and to offer positive directions for carrying out the work of renewing moral theology, it was fiercely criticized by theologians who regarded it as a simplistic and "repressive" document. Now, several years after the publication of the encyclical, Livio Melina offers an original contribution not only to the study of Veritatis splendor and the controversy surrounding it, but also to the field of moral theology as a whole. In Sharing in Christ's Virtues, Melina proposes a blueprint for organizing moral theology, one that is in harmony with the directions given in Veritatis splendor and one that likewise respects the requirements of both the "theological" and the "scientific" character of the discipline. He describes it as a "Christocentricism of the virtues," which understands the moral life of Christians as a participation in the virtues of Christ by means of the grace of one's ecclesial incorporation in Christ. Melina argues that the renewal of moral theology should result in, first, a search for a more integral and dynamic understanding of human action, and second, a theological "re-dimensioning" of morality to better comprehend the synergy between human action and God's action. The contents of the book are: Part One: Toward a Christocentrism of the Virtues: Lines of Renewal 1. Between Crisis and Renewal: The Cultural and Theological Context of Morality Today 2. An Ethics of the Good Life and of Virtue 3. An Ethics Founded on the Truth About the Good of the Person 4. A Morality of Faith: The Salvific Relevance of Moral Action 5. A Christocentric Ethics of the Virtues Part Two: Ecclesial Sense and Moral Life: Perspectives and Developments 6. Ecclesial Dimensions of Moral Theology 7. The Call to Holiness in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: The Morality and Spirituality of "Life in Christ" 8. Moral Conscience and Communio: Toward a Response to the Challenge of Ethical Pluralism Livio Melina is professor of moral theology at the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at the Lateran University in Rome. In addition to numerous articles, he has written and coauthored several books, including La conoscenza morale. Linee di riflessione sul Commento di san Tommaso all'Etica Nicomachea; Morale: tra crisi e rinnovamento; Corso di bioetica. Il Vangelo della vita; Amor conjugal y vocacion a la santidad; Domanda sul bene e domanda su Dio; and Quale dimora per l'agire? Dimensioni ecclesiologiche della morale. "Melina's thought-provoking and powerful presentation of key themes in moral theology will be welcomed by English readers.... One comes away with an understanding and appreciation of the basis of Christian morality for the twenty-first century. The excellent bibliography lists authors from Aristotle to John Paul II, many not well known in the English literature on moral theology. . . . Melina's work is timely. ..."--Catholic Library World

A gumbo of French, Spanish, and American influences, the architecture of New Orleans has always reflected the city's strong Catholic roots. Indeed, St. Louis Cathedral across from Jackson Square stands as perhaps the most widely recognized face of New Orleans. The cathedral, though, is just one of many stunning churches that beautifully reflect the city's long and diverse Catholic heritage. Splendors of Faith showcases thirteen of these historic churches of exceptional architectural and artistic beauty, revealing scenic treasures that lie mostly beyond the well-worn tourist paths. The earliest of the thirteen, St. Louis Cathedral, traces its origin to 1727. The most recent, Immaculate Conception, was built in 1930 but modeled after its mid-nineteenth-century predecessor. The eleven other churches are Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, Holy Name of Jesus, Mater Dolorosa, Our Lady of the Rosary, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Joseph, St. Mary's Assumption, St. Patrick, St. Peter Claver, and St. Stephen. In image and word, photographer Frank J. Methe and historian Charles E. Nolan capture the splendor of these places of worship. Methe provides sumptuously detailed color photographs of the churches and their interior décor. Nolan offers enlightening commentary about each edifice, its congregation, and the rich variety of art forms assembled over the years: architecture, stained glass, statuary, mosaics, paintings, and more. New Orleans Catholics and their churches experienced dramatic change after Hurricane Katrina and the levee breaks. The buildings featured here, some of which suffered major damage in 2005, continue to serve as places of worship, bearing witness to a vibrant cultural component in one of the country's most beloved cities. Splendors of Faith takes readers inside these landmark churches and reveals their aesthetic and historical significance as never before.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) earned the title, ''The Prince of Preachers'' by his untiring pulpit work which produced many thousands of sermons in his 40+ years of preaching. This fine collection of Spurgeon's sermons on faith has twelve different sermons, variously displaying various kinds of faith. Sermon 1: Little Faith. Some born-again Christians have little, or weak, faith. Spurgeon points out first that it is a burden to have but little faith. Though Little-faith is quite sure of Heaven, Yet he suffers from lack of assurance. Unlike normal faith, it does not grow steadily from faith to faith. He quotes Bunyan as saying that one of little faith has a host of fears. ''It has more lives than a cat, '' if you kill it over and over, it still lives. He is always safe, but he seldom knows it. Sermon 2: Here the reader is instructed in ''Seeing Jesus, '' by faith. Faith is the eye of the soul. It alone will be ''looking unto Jesus.'' Seeing Jesus is a continuous thing with faith. It is not just a now and then thing. It is current, not future. It never completely loses sight of the Savior as long as it is exercised. He is everywhere, therefore we can see Him everywhere we are, or where we go. Sermon 3: The difference between little faith and great faith is not such a great gulf as that between little faith and no faith. At times Jesus called the apostles ''Little faiths'' (Matt. 8:26; 16:8; Luke 12:28). Peter had faith to walk on the water until he looked at the wind instead of Jesus. Faith is never in danger as long as it has its eye on Jesus. Sermon 4: Faith is essential to please God. (Heb. 11:6). No invention of men can please God without faith. If God is pleased to give us everlasting life, it should be the object of our lives to please God. To faith, His commands will be precious, and the faithful will always be obeying. Sermon 5: There is a necessity of growing faith. The apostle was cheered that the Thessalonians had faith that grew exceedingly (2 Thess. 1:4). If we know our faith is growing, it is a subject for devout thanksgiving. Increased faith is of unspeakable value. Let us diligently pursue it. Sermon 6: Faith is a shield (Eph. 6:16). All Christians are born to be warriors, and faith is our shield to use against the world, the flesh, and the devil. The more the faith, the more the attacks, and the shield of faith receives many a blow. Christians should learn to wield the shield, and the lessons are all in the Bible. Christ used Scripture to fight off Satan's attempts to down him. Sermon 7: Increased faith increases peace. Sermon 8: Mature faith was illustrated by Abraham's offering up of Isaac. First there was the trial. He must lose the son of the promise by his own act. Abraham did not hesitate, he was quick to obey. He was careful to take everything necessary to do the deed. Lastly, he proceeded to very instant of putting the knife to the throat of his beloved son. Did this not display mature faith indeed? Sermons 9, 10, 11, 12 are equally precious and rewarding: Faith and Life; Faith's Dawn and Cloud; Faith and Its Privileges; and lastly, the Nobleman's Faith.