"One of the few really helpful words I ever heard from an older writer," Willa Cather declared in 1922, "I had from Sarah Orne Jewett when she said to me: 'Of course, one day you will write about your own country. In the meantime, get all you can. One must know the world so well before one can know the parish.'" Although Cather's first novel about her own country, O Pioneers!, did not appear until 1913, the process of knowing the world and of mastering her craft, so far as it can be traced in her published writing, already had been going on for some twenty years. The World and the Parish: Willa Cather's Articles and Reviews, 1893-1902, is the fourth in a series collecting the work of these years of experiment and discovery. More specifically, it offers a representative collection of Cather's nonfiction writing for newspapers and periodicals during her first decade as a professional writer. Selected from 520 articles and columns, the text is divided into three parts corresponding to major developments in Cather's career?the period from 1893 to 1896 when she first began to write regularly for Lincoln newspapers; the years in Pittsburgh when she was working for the Home Monthly and the Leader and sending her famous "Passing Show" column back to Nebraska; and the period from the spring of 1900 to 1903, when she freelanced in Pittsburgh and Washington, taught in a Pittsburgh high school, and made her first trip abroad. The text has been edited with three main objectives: 1) to enable the reader to trace Cather's development as a writer; 2) to group the material so that the reader interested in a particular subject?the theatre, or music, or literature, for example?can readily locate pertinent selections; and 3) to provide a context sufficient to relate these pieces to Willa Cather's life and to the times, and to suggest some of their connections with the body of her work. Chronologies have been included for each of the three parts; and the Bibliography is the most complete yet available for the for the nonfiction writing up to 1903. Not the least remarkable feature of this collection is the range and variety of forms and subject matter?reviews (of books, plays, operas, concerts, art exhibits, lectures), feature stories, interviews, straight reportage, columns of miscellaneous comment, and travel letters. Seemingly, with no apparent effort Willa Cather could adjust her sights to any assignment and any audience. And if it is astonishing that she could write so much about so many matters at so many levels, it is perhaps even more astonishing that so much of it was so good. Undeniably, however, the chief interest to the general reader and the peculiar value to the scholar of these journalistic writings reside in their manifold and crucial connections with Cather's later work and in the unparalleled insights they afford into the process by which a gifted writer becomes a great artist.

This book deals with the largest global shift in religion over the last forty years, the astonishing rise of Pentecostalism and charismatic Christianity.

Pursuing his calling with singleness of vision, John Wesley offered the hope of Christ to millions of people who were outside the influence of the churches of the day. Focused on God's love and holy living, the movement Wesley founded quickly multiplied in vibrant Methodist societies all over England and would soon influence far-flung nations for Christ (1703-1791).

Never has a Pope, in a book-length interview, dealt so directly with such wide-ranging and controversial issues as Pope Benedict XVI does in Light of the World. Taken from a recent week-long series of interviews with veteran journalist Peter Seewald, this book tackles head-on some of the greatest issues facing the world of our time. Seewald poses such forthright questions to Pope Benedict as: What caused the clergy sexual abuse in the Catholic Church? Was there a "cover up"? Have you considered resigning? Does affirming the goodness of the human body mean a plea for "better sex"? Can there be a genuine dialogue with Islam? Should the Church rethink Catholic teaching on priestly celibacy, women priests, contraception, and same-sex relationships? Holy Communion for divorced-and-remarried Catholics? Is there a schism in the Catholic Church? Should there be a Third Vatican Council? Is there any hope for Christian unity? Is Christianity the only truth? Can the Pope really speak for Jesus Christ? How can the Pope claim to be "infallible"? Is there a "dictatorship of relativism" today? Twice before these two men held wide-ranging discussions, which became the best-selling books Salt of the Earth and God and the World. Then, Seewald's discussion partner was Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vatican's chief doctrinal office. Now, Joseph Ratzinger is Pope Benedict XVI, the spiritual leader of the world's over one billion Catholics. Though Seewald now interviews the Pope himself, the journalist "pulls no punches", posing some of the thorniest questions any Pope has had to address. Believers and unbelievers will be fascinated to hear Benedict's thoughtful, straightforward and thought-provoking replies. This is no stern preachment or ponderous theological tract, but a lively, fast-paced, challenging, even entertaining exchange.

As strong and fiery as undiluted Irish whiskey.--New York Times Book Review

“God has created me to do him some definite service; he has committed some work to me which he has not committed to another. I have my mission.” — Blessed John Henry Newman The statistics are heartbreaking. In 2007, 24 percent of Americans identified as Catholic. By 2014, that had dropped to 21 percent. The number of people who claim no religious affiliation has surpassed Catholics and evangelicals, making “nones” the largest religious group in the United States. Catholics are simply walking away from the Church. Yet there are many committed, faithful Catholics who desperately want to stem this tide. We are here, in this moment, and are called to be part of the mission, for the sake of our members, and for those who are still outside the Church. Yet while we long for this renewal, we are often at a loss as to how to accomplish it in a practical way. What steps do we take? How do we start, and how do we continue? How will we measure success — and how long will it take? In Made for Mission: Renewing Your Parish Culture, author and speaker Tim Glemkowski offers four keys that can radically change parish culture: Cast the vision Prioritize a clear path to discipleship Mobilize leaders Align everything Implementing these four keys over time, parishes can become not simply gathering places for worship but seedbeds of discipleship and missionary outposts of the New Evangelization. This book is a must-read for Catholic clergy, lay parish staff, anyone working in ministry, and any dedicated parishioner who is passionate about renewing the Church. Click here to register for the related webcast ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tim Glemkowski is an international speaker and the founder and president of L’Alto Catholic Institute. He is also cofounder and president of Revive Parishes, an online formation platform for parish leaders. Tim has served in various roles in evangelization, including teaching high school theology, with youths and young adult ministry at a parish, and as a director of evangelization and catechesis. He double-majored in theology and philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville and has a master’s in theology from the Augustine Institute in Denver, Colorado.

Amelia Bedelia, the housekeeper with a literal mind, merrily upsets the household when she "dresses" the chicken and "trims" the steak with ribbons and lace.