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."

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.

"The Christian faith is mysterious not because it is so complicated but because it is so simple. A person does not start with baptism and then advance to higher mysteries. In baptism each believer already possesses the faith in its fullness. ... In the same way, it takes considerable effort to begin to comprehend all that we have received in Christ. Theological thinking does not add a single thing to what we have received. The inheritance remains the same whether we grasp its magnitude or not. But the better we grasp it, the happier we are. So this small book is an invitation to happiness. I have written it with a glad heart, and I hope it will be helpful for others who want to comprehend the mystery of faith in all its 'breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love Christ that surpasses knowledge' (Eph 3:18-19)."--Preface, pages xv-xvi

Christian perfection consists in the twofold way of charity: service of neighbor and our direct quest for God's love. Many of us discover ways to love our neighbor, but few achieve intimacy with God. Why? Because we don't know how to prepare ourselves properly to reach this exalted goal. In these pages, Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen lays out for us a time-tested path toward achieving complete intimacy with God, the path first mapped out centuries ago by the Church's acclaimed master of the contemplative life, St. John of the Cross (1542-1591). St. John showed that God hungers for union with each of us but also requires arduous efforts on our part, the many details of which Father Gabriel explains in these enlightening pages. Do you perceive holiness as an unattainable goal for you? Or is fear of the fatigue of such an effort holding you back? Absorb this book, and allow gentle St. John to take you by the hand and lead you — as he has led so many others — to true intimacy with our Lord.