Our history is filled with the stories of ordinary men and women who were raised up by God for the people and needs of their times—people through whom God did extraordinary things as they followed Jesus in the midst of his Church. In saints Who Transformed Their World, Sherry Weddell presents stories of laypeople who said "yes" to God and shared the spiritual gifts given to them by God. Be inspired by the stories of lay saints: women and men whom God has powerfully used as channels of his beauty, mercy, wisdom, healing, and provision. In these short stories, you will discover people you can relate to. Their inspirational ways of living their faith can help you to recognize your spiritual gifts and help you live every day as an intentional disciple. When each one of us faithfully answers God’s unique call in our lives, the fruit that you and I bear will be the answer to someone else’s prayer. — Sherry Weddell

Saints were not simply superstar Christians with otherworldly piety. When we take a closer look at the lives of these spiritual heavyweights, we learn that they're not all that different from you and me. With humor and vulnerability, Karen Marsh introduces us afresh to twenty-five brothers and sisters who challenge and inspire us with their honest faith.

This is the untold story of how black saints - and the slaves who venerated them - transformed the early modern church. It speaks to race, the Atlantic slave trade, and global Christianity, and provides new ways of thinking about blackness, holiness, and cultural authority.

Diana Butler Bass, one of contemporary Christianity’s leading trend-spotters, exposes how the failings of the church today are giving rise to a new “spiritual but not religious” movement. Using evidence from the latest national polls and from her own cutting-edge research, Bass, the visionary author of A People’s History of Christianity, continues the conversation began in books like Brian D. McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity and Harvey Cox’s The Future of Faith, examining the connections—and the divisions—between theology, practice, and community that Christians experience today. Bass’s clearly worded, powerful, and probing Christianity After Religion is required reading for anyone invested in the future of Christianity.

"There is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us. There is no enemy that Christ has not already conquered. There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already borne for us, and does not now bear with us." Pope Saint John Paul II embodied these words throughout his life. Born May 18, 1920, in Wadowice, Poland, Karol Józef Wojtyła lived in times of political turmoil. As a young man during the Nazi occupation of Poland, he studied in an underground seminary. As pope, he was instrumental in the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. Through it all, he maintained an unwavering hope in the ultimate triumph of love, truth, and beauty. He remains a hero to millions of people for his unflinching defense of the Church and her teachings. John Paul II changed the world in many ways; this book describes 100 of the most important. Each of the 100 accomplishments, teachings, or stories about John Paul II is fascinating, providing a glimpse into the astounding life and impact of this great and beloved saint. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Patrick Novecosky is one of America's most accomplished Catholic communicators. The winner of more than two dozen awards from the Catholic Press Association, he has edited and written for some of America's top Catholic publications. Patrick is managing partner at NovaMedia, a marketing firm specializing in the Catholic space. He met Pope Saint John Paul II five times, and he has made Pope Francis laugh out loud. Most importantly, he is a husband and father of five beautiful children.

The strength and vigor of the Catholic Church are nowhere more visible than in North and South America, where hundreds of millions of people claim the Catholic faith. Saints of the Americas features thirty heroes of this New World faith, with representatives from fifteen countries in South America, Central America, North America, and the Caribbean. Through "conversations" between the authors and the saints, readers will be inspired by the stories of Catherine Drezel and Elizabeth Ann Seton, who built schools and hospitals in the United States; martyr Óscar Romero from El Salvador; Venezuelan physician and healer José Gregorio Hernández; Peruvian Rose of Lima, the first saint of the Americas; and others. The faith and perseverance of these martyrs and monks, laypeople and clergy, mystics and activists will encourage people today to make a lasting difference in the world.