Theology

It's almost undeniable that God is working miracles of healing in evangelization today. For theologians, pastors, and evangelists some questions arise: What is the relationship between physical healing and the message of salvation? Should the church really expect God to do healings in evangelization today? Father Thelen answers these questions by examining the relationship between the preaching of the gospel and physical healing in the New Testament. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not simply a message of fact; it is a message of power that is often expressed through the working of deeds that serve as signs of the reality preached: salvation. As signs of the kingdom, healings that accompany the preaching of the gospel play an indispensable role in bringing people to faith throughout the New Testament. The result of this biblical study is a clarion call for the church to renew its faith in God's desire and power to confirm his word through healing. As healing becomes more accepted and frequent in evangelization, a Catholic biblical and theological approach to healing as it relates to evangelization--an approach that can be different from its Protestant counterpart--is necessary. This modest book fits this need. ""As the church in the West once again faces the prospect of being a 'little flock' surrounded by an increasingly hostile post-Christian culture, it is not surprising that some of the main features of the life of the early church should reappear that until recently didn't seem either relevant or realistic. Texts of the Scripture and main aspects of Jesus' ministry that were consigned to another age are beginning to be seen as extremely relevant once again. Thelen has done the church a great service by establishing the solid scriptural and theological foundations for the place of 'signs and wonders' in the mission of the church today."" --Ralph Martin, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Archdiocese of Detroit ""The New Evangelization will not succeed without a revival of the healing ministry within the Catholic Church. Miraculous healing, as it was for Jesus, is indispensable in proclaiming the Gospel for it bears witness to the Gospel's saving power. Fr. Thelen's small book clearly and lucidly demonstrates the importance of healing in the ministry of Jesus and in the life of the Apostolic Church, and in so doing establishes the importance of the healing ministry in our own day. Fr. Thelen's book provides clergy and laity alike the needed theological foundation and the indispensable pastoral inspiration for them to proclaim boldly Jesus' Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father."" --Thomas Weinandy, Capuchin College, Washington DC ""In a world enchanted with self-made religion, how should the church evangelize? As they did in the early church: by signs to confirm the word. After reviewing the abundant New Testament evidence regarding the strong relationship between preaching and healing, Thelen explores the audience to which the Word is addressed today. Since those touched by growing atheism and the cult of self are more open to tangible events like testimonies of healing than mere proclaimed truths, Thelen challenges preachers and evangelists to pray for signs, especially healings, when they proclaim the Word. Such an approach is not only deeply rooted in Scripture, but is also good advice."" --George Montague, St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas ""The New Evangelization will not succeed without a revival of the healing ministry within the Catholic Church. Miraculous healing, as it was for Jesus, is indispensable in proclaiming the gospel for it bears witness to the gospel's saving power. Thelen's small book clearly and lucidly demonstrates the importance of healing in the ministry of Jesus and in the life of the Apostolic Church, and in so doing establishes the importance of the healing ministry in our own day. Thelen's book provides clergy and laity alike the needed theological f

To emphasize the "thisworldly" aspects of the reign of God and of Christian living does not at all suggest that in our daily lives we must become social activists. Many of us can identify important moral obligations arising from our relationships as parents, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends, workers, etc. Some of us are healthy; some of us are ill and homebound. Some of us have positions of enormous influence in public life; many of us do not. So the ways in which we actively participate in God's work of fashioning a reign of justice, love, and peace are likely to vary greatly from person to person.
We must all care about our neighbor and, in the ways that are open to us, we must do what we can to contribute to God's work. We must tend the garden we are in.
--From chapter 2Is it difficult to follow Christ? Is it a challenge to be faithful to the Gospel? Can it be exhausting to devote oneself to building up God's reign of love and justice on this earth? Of course! But that is a far cry from "the dark side of the Good News." Whatever else it involves, the Christian moral life begins with the experience that we are loved by God in an unimaginable, unfathomable way. The Christian moral life is our attempt to respond to the gift of that love. The primary aim of this book is to convey that conviction as we look at some of the important themes and dimensions of Christian morality. Catholic Basics: A Pastoral Ministry Series offers an indepth yet accessible understanding of the fundamentals of the Catholic faith for adults, both those preparing for lay ministry and those interested in the topics for their own personal growth. The series helps readers explore the Catholic tradition and apply what they have learned to their lives and ministry situations. Each title offers a reliable introduction to a specific topic and provides a foundational understanding of the concepts.
Each book in the series presents a Catholic understanding of
its topic as found in Scripture and the teachings of the Church. Each of the authors has paid special attention to the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, so that further learning can be guided by these core resources.
Chapters conclude with study questions that may be used for small group review or for individual reflection. Additionally, suggestions for further reading offer dependable guides for extra study.
The initiative of the National Conference of Catechetical Leadership led to the development of an earlier version of this series. The indispensable contribution of the series editor, Dr. Thomas Walters, helped ensure that the concepts and ideas presented here are easily accessible to a wide audience.

The Confessions of St. Augustine from Catholic Book, Publishing is - after the Bible and the Imitation of, Christ - the most widely translated and highly, esteemed, book in Christian history. Translated by J.M. Lehen, Ph.D. this Confessions of St. Augustine is, published in a prayer book format, offering a more, participatory reading and prayer experience based on, St. Augustine's confessions of his youthful errors. With a red vinyl cover, this classic Confessions of, St. Augustine will make a tremendous personal resource or, gift.

Following up on his acclaimed Redeemer in the Womb, John Saward returns to the mystery of Christ's Incarnation. He draws upon the rich traditions of the Church, as well as the writings of the great Christian mystics, to create a work that is both new and old, revolutionary and orthodox. This profoundly moving meditation will aid any contemplation on the life of Christ.The subject of this book is the objective and divinely revealed truth of the Nativity of Christ, as proclaimed by His infallible and immaculate Bride. It is the splendor of this truth, of Love's noon in Nature's night, which for two millennia has captivated the Fathers and Schoolmen, and activated the genius of poets, painters, and musicians. Illustrated with eight color paintings.

Robert Barron is one of the Catholic Church's premier theologians and author of the influential The Priority of Christ. In this volume, Barron sets forth a thoroughgoing vision for an evangelical catholic theology that is steeped in the tradition and engaged with the contemporary world. Striking a balance between academic rigor and accessibility, the book covers issues of perennial interest in the twenty-first-century church: who God is, how to rightly worship him, and how his followers engage contemporary culture. Topics include the doctrine of God, Catholic theology, philosophy, liturgy, and evangelizing the culture. This work will be of special interest to readers concerned about the so-called "new atheism."

Here -- carefully documented, footnoted, and indexed -- is not only what the Church teaches but also why it is obligated to do so. This updated and expanded edition of a text widely used in colleges, universities, and seminaries (as well as in high schools and parish religious education programs), offers the latest Catholic teaching on moral theology, including: moral theology; human dignity, free human action, virtue, and conscience; and natural law, moral absolutes, and sin. Read why -- and how -- living what the Church teaches can transform hearts, minds, and souls.

Father Leslie Rumble was the godfather of radio apologists and one of the Catholic media superstars of his day. During the 1920s and 30s his show helped millions of people understand and explain the teachings of Catholicism. The original Radio Replies three volume set collected the best questions and answers from his show and helped millions more, becoming one of the most beloved resources of the modern apologetics renaissance. Now Radio Replies is back and better than ever! Catholic Answers has taken the thousands of questions from the original three volumes and pared them to a single volume, eliminating duplicate or dated entries. The result -an attractive and readable edition that makes Fr. Rumble's wisdom, wit, and witness more accessible than ever before. From the Bible to baptism; from Christian morality to the marks of the Church; from the nature of man to the evidence for God in nature; Radio Replies is a one-stop shop for sound information about the Catholic Faith

G.K. Chesterton's brilliant sketch of the life and thought of Thomas Aquinas is as relevant today as when it was published in 1933. Then it earned the praise of such distinguished writers as Etienne Gilson, Jacques Martain, and Anton Pegis as the best book ever written on the great thirteenth-century Dominican. Today Chesterton's classic stands poised to reveal Thomas to a new generation.

Chesterton's Aquinas is a man of mystery. Born into a noble Neapolitan family, Thomas chose the life of a mendicant friar. Lumbering and shy -- his classmates dubbed him "the Dumb Ox" -- he led a revolution in Christian thought. Possessed of the rarest brilliance, he found the highest truth in the humblest object. Having spent his life amid the vast intricacies of reason, he asked on his deathbed to have read aloud the Song of Songs, the most passionate book in the Bible.

As Albert the Great, Thomas's teacher, predicted, the Dumb Ox has bellowed down the ages to our own day. Chesterton's book will enlighten those who would consign Thomas to the obscurity of medieval times. It will confound those who would use Thomas to bolster arid schemes of Christian rationalism. Rather, it will introduce the wondrous mystery of the man who, after a life of unparalleled genius, was seized by a vision of the Unknown and said, "I can write no more. I have seen things which make all my writings like straw."

One of Sheed's most popular books, this ideal volume for the layman shows the practical aspects of theology in the life of a Christian believer. Logic, clarity, and simplicity permeate this eminently readable book.

The acclaimed Catholic writer and apologist Frank Sheed presents one of the most clear and outstanding explanations of the central doctrines of the Christian faith ever written. He starts with a compelling case of good reasons for anyone to study theology, and the wonderful rewards that accompany such a pursuit.

After explaining how God is Spirit, Sheed examines God's infinity and man's creation from nothing. He then covers in depth such key doctrines as the Trinity, the Fall, the Incarnation and Redemption, the Mystical Body, Grace and the Sacraments, and the Last Things. For those to whom these doctrines seem formidable, Sheed brings a fresh approach with lucid and carefully reasoned prose. His beautiful insights and clear explanations will help stir our minds to the inspiring truth of the spiritual realities at the center of human existence.

The Traditional Latin Mass Explained is a presentation of the prayers and ceremonies of the Latin Mass and the perfect complement to Gueranger's The Liturgical Year. This short work delivers a surprisingly complete exposition of the theology and spirituality of the Mass by way of commentary on the texts and gestures of the Tridentine Rite.