by Louise Kirk
Yesterday I received an email from a lovely teacher with whom I am working. She said that her latest prayer of offering had been to forgive three boys in her Year 9 class who had stuck her head on the body of a porn star and circulated it among their pals. It had been shared 139 times before she had managed to get it taken down.
I don’t tell you this to shock you, but to show you how important the virtue of Holy Purity is, the topic of this talk, and why we need to spread it to others.
Holy Purity was one of the virtues especially loved by St Josemaría Escrivá, Founder of Opus Dei. He used to call it the Little Sister of charity. The two go together, and he would insist that without charity purity itself is barren.
“Charity is the seed that will grow and yield rich fruit under the fertile rain of purity.” (The Way, no. 119)
Put it the other way around, and charity without purity becomes sterile.
How does this virtue fit in? We are composite beings, made of body and soul. It follows that if we are to love God in a fully human way we need to love him completely, through our souls and bodies operating in unison.
The sad effect of original sin which lives in us is that our bodies revolt against the dominion of our spirits.
The Ninth Commandment addresses this: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife”. In Catholic catechetical tradition, this forbids carnal concupiscence, or, as the Catechism puts it:
“The movement of the sensitive appetite contrary to the operation of the human reason.”
This is not sin in itself, but inclines us towards sin.
The Catechism goes on to say that the heart is the seat of moral personality. Out of the heart comes love, but also evil thoughts: murder, adultery, fornication.
The struggle against carnal covetousness entails purifying the heart, and practising temperance.
(You know how direct St Josemaría could be: he says of the latter, bluntly, “Overeating is the forerunner of impurity.” (The Way, 126))
It is, as we know, the pure in heart who shall see God. That is what we are aiming at. The “pure in heart” are those who have attuned their intellects and wills to the demands of God’s holiness chiefly in three areas:
- Charity
- Chastity
- Love of truth and orthodoxy of faith.
This last one may surprise you. I will be coming back to it later.
The three interplay with each other:
- Charity without chastity swiftly becomes self-love.
- Chastity without charity: pride.
- Chastity and charity without truth: we cut ourselves loose from God Himself, who is Truth.
By contrast, those who are both loving and chaste have their eyes opened to believe, and to understand what they believe. Part of this is seeing the human body as the Temple of the Holy Spirit, and respecting it accordingly.
There is another important point to take in: we don’t acquire Holy Purity just by our own efforts. Purity is a gift “which God will give us if we ask for it with humility” (The Way, 118). We do the groundwork, and God does the giving.
I have given you the rich background to the gift of Holy Purity in the hope that you will be tempted to read the Catechism for yourselves (2514-2533). We need to understand this gift well if we are to spread it to others.
Purity is a gift which grows. We don’t just “have it”. Sometimes we will fall down, because it will be a struggle for the rest of our lives, and we can expect the devil to attack us, and our families. He hates purity. If this should happen, we say sorry to God, mention it in Confession, and start again. Thoughts of an unruly nature can also come unbidden. The more we try to push them away, the more they can come. These are not sinful, but it can be helpful to get rid of them by mentioning them to the priest.
Turning specifically to chastity, I like this definition, which I picked up from Dawn Eden’s book The Thrill of the Chaste:
“Chastity is the virtue that enables us to love fully and completely in every relationship, in the manner that is appropriate to that relationship.”
I love the positive approach. You’ll notice that we’re not talking about “not doing things” but about ensuring that the way we treat other people is consonant with truth. This is a logic which anyone can understand. Body language is important. It can be even more important than the words we say.
Women have a special temptation against chastity which is different from a man’s. While a man has a stronger sensual drive, a woman has a thirst for male affirmation and emotional fulfilment, often driven by loneliness. Outside marriage, this can weaken her resistance to a man’s sexual advances and demolish her role as gatekeeper to the relationship. It can also encourage her to tempt a man, by the way she behaves and dresses, giving her a sense of control. Now often people today, especially the young, behave like this just because they are following fashion or the crowd. They aren’t consciously doing these things, but it doesn’t stop their behaviour being damaging both to themselves and the men they taunt.
Inside marriage, the problem can reverse itself, with the woman losing interest in sex, and failing to make the effort to court her husband. An obvious ingredient of this can be the way she looks. Does she still make the effort to please him? Now men vary. Not every husband takes full notice of the way we dress – my own doesn’t like me in trousers, but it means nothing to him if I put on makeup or not. What is important is that we discover what it is that makes our man feel drawn to us, and what makes him feel loved. Just as important is that we appreciate his ways of loving us. This is more complicated than it sounds because everybody feels loved in different ways – for one, it may be the gift of flowers, for another, mending the tap, for another being listened to. Women on average talk about twice as much as men, and that can be a source of love, or of friction. It’s so easy to judge our marriages by the little things that make us happy, rather than taking the effort to perceive our spouse.
Nicky and Sila Lee in their Marriage Course have a whole page of possible desires that we may each have and suggest that husbands and wives go through it together every so often to pick out their priorities. The list includes things like: affirmation, approval, companionship, conversation, physical affection, practical help, presents, time together, undivided attention.
But the gift of purity is for everybody, regardless of position in life. I have already mentioned Dawn Eden. In her book The Thrill of the Chaste Dawn recounts how she lived a life of Riley before discovering the attractions of chastity. It’s God’s gift for anybody, for those with same-sex attractions, single parents, the divorced, the separated, the widowed. Otherwise, we could be in danger of saying, with the Irishman: “If I were you, I wouldn’t start from here.”
In more complicated situations it can be easiest to start with the third category of purity mentioned in the Catechism: Love of truth and orthodoxy of faith.
Here we can help our friends and the people we meet see the beauty of the Church’s teaching so that they live it themselves and pass it on to their children.
I shall end by citing an email I opened not yesterday, but today. It comes from Pat Fagan, whom you may remember is going to be giving a talk in Manchester in June. I hope that it will tempt you to want to come to hear him.
He has sent me a piece of his research which isn’t yet published. I’m going to read it to you:
“Adolescents who worshipped weekly performed best academically. (We’re talking about things like their Maths and English.) Those who worshipped a few times per month did next best, followed by those who worshipped a couple of times a year. The worst were those who never worshipped. This is a snapshot of American teenagers! The more that social scientists analyse the data on religious practice the more powerful it reveals itself to be.
It can be seriously contended from review of the literature that religious practice has more impact for good than anything else in the social sciences. Some parents have no choice about being a non-intact family, but every parent can choose to worship God weekly. Single, black, inner-city welfare mothers who bring their children to church each week give them much of the same benefits as if they moved into a middle-class neighbourhood and sent them to middle-class schools.
Weekly worship improves virtually every outcome measured in the US federal survey system. The only interesting question for the social scientist is not “if” but “how much“ benefit weekly worship delivers. Thus, every newly-conceived child can say to his parents:
‘To reach my potential I need your worship of God, for without it I will not become the person I am capable of becoming. The choice is yours. The result is mine.’”
Not every parent can alter the situation they may find themselves in with regard to marital condition, but every parent can bring a child to church. When we hear so much about the difficulties faced by children living without both father and mother at home, it is worth remembering that just taking them to church could make such a difference.
As I said at the beginning of this talk, charity and chastity belong together. May the Lord give us the grace of Holy Purity and help us to spread it to others with joy.
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I Burned for Your Peace
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Peter Kreeft Popular writer and philosopher Peter Kreeft delves into one of the greatest Christian classics of all time: Augustine’s Confessions. In I burned for Your Peace, Kreeft collects key passages and offers incisive commentary, unlocking the treasures of Confessions to any reader who is both intellectually curious and spiritually hungry.
AUTHOR: Dr Peter Kreeft
DETAILS: 240 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621640400
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£14.95Add to cart
I Burned for Your Peace
Augustine’s Confessions Unpacked
Peter Kreeft Popular writer and philosopher Peter Kreeft delves into one of the greatest Christian classics of all time: Augustine’s Confessions. In I burned for Your Peace, Kreeft collects key passages and offers incisive commentary, unlocking the treasures of Confessions to any reader who is both intellectually curious and spiritually hungry.
AUTHOR: Dr Peter Kreeft
DETAILS: 240 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621640400
£14.95Add to cart
The Catholic Gentleman
Living Authentic Manhood Today
The world today is changing rapidly. What was once settled is now questioned, and old traditions are discarded with reckless abandon. What does it mean to be an authentic man in such confusing times? What, if anything, does the Catholic Church have to offer to men
today about living a life of true manhood and virtue? The Catholic Gentleman is a solid and practical guide to manhood and holiness in the modern world. It offers the timeless wisdom of the Catholic Church to the many questions of men today on this important issue.
AUTHOR: Sam Guzman
DETAILS: 177 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621640684
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£13.95Add to cart
The Catholic Gentleman
Living Authentic Manhood Today
The world today is changing rapidly. What was once settled is now questioned, and old traditions are discarded with reckless abandon. What does it mean to be an authentic man in such confusing times? What, if anything, does the Catholic Church have to offer to men
today about living a life of true manhood and virtue? The Catholic Gentleman is a solid and practical guide to manhood and holiness in the modern world. It offers the timeless wisdom of the Catholic Church to the many questions of men today on this important issue.
AUTHOR: Sam Guzman
DETAILS: 177 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621640684
£13.95Add to cart
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a unique treasure intended for all the faithful. This edition incorporates the latest translations of key texts such as the Apostles’ Creed and prayers of the Mass. The text is further enhanced with a new, clearer and more attractive layout providing a lasting, accessible resource to educate and support readers in the faith. This indispensable reference book should be placed in the hands of every Catholic, giving them confidence in their faith and the ability to pass it on to future generations. For catechists, students, parents, teachers, young people, families and those involved in ministry. An invaluable resource for anyone, anywhere, who wants to explore and understand the richness and breadth of Catholic belief, teaching and practice.
DETAILS: 732 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1784691066
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a unique treasure intended for all the faithful. This edition incorporates the latest translations of key texts such as the Apostles’ Creed and prayers of the Mass. The text is further enhanced with a new, clearer and more attractive layout providing a lasting, accessible resource to educate and support readers in the faith. This indispensable reference book should be placed in the hands of every Catholic, giving them confidence in their faith and the ability to pass it on to future generations. For catechists, students, parents, teachers, young people, families and those involved in ministry. An invaluable resource for anyone, anywhere, who wants to explore and understand the richness and breadth of Catholic belief, teaching and practice.
DETAILS: 732 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1784691066
£12.95Add to cart
Eucharistic Miracles
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AUTHOR: Joan Carroll Cruz
DETAILS: 330 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-0895553034
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£13.95Add to cart
Eucharistic Miracles
Joan Carroll Cruz This book tells of consecrated Hosts which have visibly turned to human flesh, have bled, levitated, and which have become hard as flint when received by a person in mortal sin. It details the official investigations that have been made into these miracles by professional scientists, and it tells of where these miraculous phenomena can still be venerated today.
AUTHOR: Joan Carroll Cruz
DETAILS: 330 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-0895553034
£13.95Add to cart
Epic Saints
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The saints are not myths or legends, they were people just like us who lived lives of epic virtue. If the saints have never made you laugh or drop your jaw, they will in this book. Best selling author Shaun McAfee and guest writers illustrate how the saints were not just stone-faced old men. Some of them had quirky habits, outrageous personalities, and did breathtaking deeds… but they all had epic faith. Their lives were filled with events that push our understanding of charity with intrepid virtue, but at certain points, they lacked common sense and were uproariously funny, too.
AUTHOR: Shaun McAfee
DETAILS: 220 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1505115123
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£17.95Add to cart
Epic Saints
Wild, Wonderful & Weird Stories of God’s Heroes
The saints are not myths or legends, they were people just like us who lived lives of epic virtue. If the saints have never made you laugh or drop your jaw, they will in this book. Best selling author Shaun McAfee and guest writers illustrate how the saints were not just stone-faced old men. Some of them had quirky habits, outrageous personalities, and did breathtaking deeds… but they all had epic faith. Their lives were filled with events that push our understanding of charity with intrepid virtue, but at certain points, they lacked common sense and were uproariously funny, too.
AUTHOR: Shaun McAfee
DETAILS: 220 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1505115123
£17.95Add to cart
The Radiance of Her Face
These meditations on the Immaculate Conception will teach you to look at and love Our Lady as God sees and loves her. Alive to the role of material beauty in strengthening our perception of the invisible, Dom Perrin uses the visual language of the “Triptych” to assist us in our understanding of Mary’s role in the divine plan. Those who already rejoice in fervent devotion to Mary will find their love for her here nourished, stirred, refreshed, confirmed, given new impetus. For those who have lacked the confidence to turn to Mary, who feel they do not really understand how we can pray to her, or relate to her, these pages may prove truly liberating, inviting entry into a prayer life that is deeper, more confident, and more effective. A contemplative gaze at Mary Immaculate has the power to change us, to convert us, to soften our hard hearts, to open us up to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Here then is a book to be savoured, to be read slowly and repeatedly, to be passed on to others. May it be a blessing for all who encounter it.
AUTHOR: Dom Xavier Perrin, OSB
DETAILS: 106 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621383062
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£10.50Add to cart
The Radiance of Her Face
These meditations on the Immaculate Conception will teach you to look at and love Our Lady as God sees and loves her. Alive to the role of material beauty in strengthening our perception of the invisible, Dom Perrin uses the visual language of the “Triptych” to assist us in our understanding of Mary’s role in the divine plan. Those who already rejoice in fervent devotion to Mary will find their love for her here nourished, stirred, refreshed, confirmed, given new impetus. For those who have lacked the confidence to turn to Mary, who feel they do not really understand how we can pray to her, or relate to her, these pages may prove truly liberating, inviting entry into a prayer life that is deeper, more confident, and more effective. A contemplative gaze at Mary Immaculate has the power to change us, to convert us, to soften our hard hearts, to open us up to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Here then is a book to be savoured, to be read slowly and repeatedly, to be passed on to others. May it be a blessing for all who encounter it.
AUTHOR: Dom Xavier Perrin, OSB
DETAILS: 106 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621383062
£10.50Add to cart
Fatima for Today
The Urgent Message of Marian Hope
Fr. Andrew Apostoli, C.F.R. One hundred years ago, at the peak of World War I, Our Lady appeared to three young children in the small town of Fatima, Portugal. In this recent work, Fr Andrew Apostoli, carefully analyses the events and messages at Fatima and clears up lingering questions and doubts about their meaning.
AUTHOR: Fr. Andrew Apostoli, C.F.R.
DETAILS: 310 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1586174910
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£14.95Add to cart
Fatima for Today
The Urgent Message of Marian Hope
Fr. Andrew Apostoli, C.F.R. One hundred years ago, at the peak of World War I, Our Lady appeared to three young children in the small town of Fatima, Portugal. In this recent work, Fr Andrew Apostoli, carefully analyses the events and messages at Fatima and clears up lingering questions and doubts about their meaning.
AUTHOR: Fr. Andrew Apostoli, C.F.R.
DETAILS: 310 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1586174910
£14.95Add to cart
The World’s First Love
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Fulton J. Sheen presents a moving portrayal of the Blessed Virgin Mary. All the major aspects and events of Mary’s life are lovingly portrayed in a manner full of information, consolation and inspiration. Sheen gives profound insights into all the Marian beliefs ranging from the Immaculate Conception to the miracles of Fatima.
AUTHOR: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
DETAILS: 276 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1586174743
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£14.95Add to cart
The World’s First Love
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Fulton J. Sheen presents a moving portrayal of the Blessed Virgin Mary. All the major aspects and events of Mary’s life are lovingly portrayed in a manner full of information, consolation and inspiration. Sheen gives profound insights into all the Marian beliefs ranging from the Immaculate Conception to the miracles of Fatima.
AUTHOR: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
DETAILS: 276 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1586174743
£14.95Add to cart
How to Do Apologetics
Making the Case for Our Faith
Patrick Madrid Veteran apologist Patrick Madrid presents his latest book on apologetics. Drawing on his own extensive experience, Madrid explains how you can use arguments and evidence to engage with other viewpoints, including atheism and Protestantism, and how you can defend the Faith effectively.
AUTHOR: Patrick Madrid
DETAILS: 208 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1612785837
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£13.95Add to cart
How to Do Apologetics
Making the Case for Our Faith
Patrick Madrid Veteran apologist Patrick Madrid presents his latest book on apologetics. Drawing on his own extensive experience, Madrid explains how you can use arguments and evidence to engage with other viewpoints, including atheism and Protestantism, and how you can defend the Faith effectively.
AUTHOR: Patrick Madrid
DETAILS: 208 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1612785837
£13.95Add to cart
From the Depths of Our Hearts
In this book, Pope Emeritus Benedict and Cardinal Robert Sarah give their brother priests and the whole Church a message of hope. They honestly address the spiritual challenges faced by priests today, including struggles of celibacy. They point to deeper conversion to Jesus Christ as the key to faithful and fruitful priestly ministry and church reform.
From the Depths of Our Hearts is an unprecedented work by the Pope Emeritus and a Cardinal serving in the Vatican. They present priestly celibacy as more than “a mere precept of ecclesiastical law”. They insist that renewal of the Church is bound to a renewed understanding of priestly vocation as sharing in Jesus’ priestly identity as Bridegroom of the Church.
AUTHOR: Cardinal Robert Sarah & Benedict XVI
DETAILS: 148 pages, hardcover
ISBN: 978-1621644149
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£15.95Add to cart
From the Depths of Our Hearts
In this book, Pope Emeritus Benedict and Cardinal Robert Sarah give their brother priests and the whole Church a message of hope. They honestly address the spiritual challenges faced by priests today, including struggles of celibacy. They point to deeper conversion to Jesus Christ as the key to faithful and fruitful priestly ministry and church reform.
From the Depths of Our Hearts is an unprecedented work by the Pope Emeritus and a Cardinal serving in the Vatican. They present priestly celibacy as more than “a mere precept of ecclesiastical law”. They insist that renewal of the Church is bound to a renewed understanding of priestly vocation as sharing in Jesus’ priestly identity as Bridegroom of the Church.
AUTHOR: Cardinal Robert Sarah & Benedict XVI
DETAILS: 148 pages, hardcover
ISBN: 978-1621644149
£15.95Add to cart
Douay-Rheims Bible
The Douay-Rheims Bible is an English translation of the Latin Vulgate Bible, a version universally used in the Church for over 1500 years, itself meticulously translated from the original Hebrew and Greek by St. Jerome (A.D. 340-420). Since it was translated quite literally and with great reverence for each individual word from the Vulgate, which in turn reflects the structure of the original languages very clearly, the Douay-Rheims Bible can give great insight into the minds of the sacred authors. For over 300 years, the Douay Rheims Bible was the only Catholic English translation of Scripture used. It continues to be used officially in Catholic churches today.
DETAILS: 1512 pages, leatherbound
ISBN: 978-0954563110
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£44.95Add to cart
Douay-Rheims Bible
The Douay-Rheims Bible is an English translation of the Latin Vulgate Bible, a version universally used in the Church for over 1500 years, itself meticulously translated from the original Hebrew and Greek by St. Jerome (A.D. 340-420). Since it was translated quite literally and with great reverence for each individual word from the Vulgate, which in turn reflects the structure of the original languages very clearly, the Douay-Rheims Bible can give great insight into the minds of the sacred authors. For over 300 years, the Douay Rheims Bible was the only Catholic English translation of Scripture used. It continues to be used officially in Catholic churches today.
DETAILS: 1512 pages, leatherbound
ISBN: 978-0954563110
£44.95Add to cart
The Power of Silence
Against the Dictatorship of Noise
Robert Cardinal Sarah In a time when technology penetrates our lives in so many ways and materialism exerts such a powerful influence over us, it can be difficult to escape the ‘dictatorship of noise’. In this bold book, Cardinal Robert Sarah seeks to restore silence to its place of honour and importance.
AUTHOR: Robert Cardinal Sarah
DETAILS: 248 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621641919
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£16.50Add to cart
The Power of Silence
Against the Dictatorship of Noise
Robert Cardinal Sarah In a time when technology penetrates our lives in so many ways and materialism exerts such a powerful influence over us, it can be difficult to escape the ‘dictatorship of noise’. In this bold book, Cardinal Robert Sarah seeks to restore silence to its place of honour and importance.
AUTHOR: Robert Cardinal Sarah
DETAILS: 248 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621641919
£16.50Add to cart
How to Think Like Aquinas
The Sure Way to Perfect Your Mental Powers
In these pages, you’ll learn St. Thomas Aquinas’s unique powers of intellect and will, and how he can train us to perfect them. Best-selling author Kevin Vost offers here a fully guided, illustrated tutorial of exercises to perfect your intellectual powers of memory, understanding, logical reasoning, shrewdness, foresight, circumspection, practical wisdom, and so much more that lead to happier and holier lives. He shows how thinking like Aquinas can inoculate you from twenty damaging ‘isms’ and worldviews wreaking havoc in our world today.
AUTHOR: Kevin Vost
DETAILS: 244 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1622825066
-
£15.50Add to cart
How to Think Like Aquinas
The Sure Way to Perfect Your Mental Powers
In these pages, you’ll learn St. Thomas Aquinas’s unique powers of intellect and will, and how he can train us to perfect them. Best-selling author Kevin Vost offers here a fully guided, illustrated tutorial of exercises to perfect your intellectual powers of memory, understanding, logical reasoning, shrewdness, foresight, circumspection, practical wisdom, and so much more that lead to happier and holier lives. He shows how thinking like Aquinas can inoculate you from twenty damaging ‘isms’ and worldviews wreaking havoc in our world today.
AUTHOR: Kevin Vost
DETAILS: 244 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1622825066
£15.50Add to cart
The Saint Monica Club
In these pages, author Maggie Green provides wise, compassionate guidance for members of what she calls “The Saint Monica Club”: good Catholics suffering like Monica the rejection of the Faith by persons they love dearly. Herself a longtime and long-suffering member of the club, Green shows how persevering as Monica did in devoted love for straying souls – loving them as God does – will not only quiet the lingering, aching cry of our hearts, but will draw our lost loved ones back to the Faith and into the arms of Jesus again.
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£12.50Add to cart
The Saint Monica Club
In these pages, author Maggie Green provides wise, compassionate guidance for members of what she calls “The Saint Monica Club”: good Catholics suffering like Monica the rejection of the Faith by persons they love dearly. Herself a longtime and long-suffering member of the club, Green shows how persevering as Monica did in devoted love for straying souls – loving them as God does – will not only quiet the lingering, aching cry of our hearts, but will draw our lost loved ones back to the Faith and into the arms of Jesus again.
£12.50Add to cart
Meet The Witnesses
What witness would not believe in the Miracle? Skeptical reporters were there, in force, to expose what they were sure was a fraud. Their unbiased reports amply demonstrate that they also believed: this was not mass hypnotism or religious hysteria. The Miracle was not reserved solely for the faithful – it was “…so that all might believe.” What did the Church say about it? What effect did it have on those who saw it? What effect did it have on the nation where it happened? What effect did it have on our future? The answers are all in this improtant book, which explores the Miracle at Fatima and how this event impacts our lives today.
AUTHOR: John M Haffert
DETAILS: 164 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1890137564
Meet The Witnesses
What witness would not believe in the Miracle? Skeptical reporters were there, in force, to expose what they were sure was a fraud. Their unbiased reports amply demonstrate that they also believed: this was not mass hypnotism or religious hysteria. The Miracle was not reserved solely for the faithful – it was “…so that all might believe.” What did the Church say about it? What effect did it have on those who saw it? What effect did it have on the nation where it happened? What effect did it have on our future? The answers are all in this improtant book, which explores the Miracle at Fatima and how this event impacts our lives today.
AUTHOR: John M Haffert
DETAILS: 164 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1890137564
£8.95Add to cart
Divine Intimacy
This Book of Meditations is a classic and is seeped in Carmelite spirituality. For every day it offers two meditations, in liturgical arrangement, that enable the soul to enter the conscious presence of God and to reflect on the theme of the day. These are followed by a ‘Colloquy’ that helps the person at prayer to start a friendly conversation with God where acts of praise and love, petition and thanksgiving are made, together with good resolutions for the future. Here we are at the very heart of prayer, which is a heart-to-heart encounter in faith with the living God. Divine Intimacy is the highest state attainable on earth. In this union of love, the soul produces acts of love which have an immense apostolic influence on a multitude of souls. This knowledge of the ways that lead to God, according to the teaching of the renowned Spanish mystics, is distilled into the pages of this book.
AUTHOR: Fr Gabriel of St Mary Magdalene, O.C.D.
DETAILS: 1216 pages, leatherbound
ISBN: 978-1905574438
-
£48.95Add to cart
Divine Intimacy
This Book of Meditations is a classic and is seeped in Carmelite spirituality. For every day it offers two meditations, in liturgical arrangement, that enable the soul to enter the conscious presence of God and to reflect on the theme of the day. These are followed by a ‘Colloquy’ that helps the person at prayer to start a friendly conversation with God where acts of praise and love, petition and thanksgiving are made, together with good resolutions for the future. Here we are at the very heart of prayer, which is a heart-to-heart encounter in faith with the living God. Divine Intimacy is the highest state attainable on earth. In this union of love, the soul produces acts of love which have an immense apostolic influence on a multitude of souls. This knowledge of the ways that lead to God, according to the teaching of the renowned Spanish mystics, is distilled into the pages of this book.
AUTHOR: Fr Gabriel of St Mary Magdalene, O.C.D.
DETAILS: 1216 pages, leatherbound
ISBN: 978-1905574438
£48.95Add to cart
Fruits of Fatima
A Century of Signs and Wonders
This riveting account of true-life Fatima events of the past hundred years demonstrates that Our Lady’s messages are more vital today than ever before. Here, author Joseph Pronechen reports on scores of post-Fatima incidents that reveal the wide-reaching influence the apparitions have had throughout this past century on the lives of ordinary people, popes, saints — and even unbelievers! You’ll learn of many amazing but little-known Fatima-related occurrences through the past century.
AUTHOR: Joseph Pronechan
DETAILS: 256 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1622828142
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£12.50Add to cart
Fruits of Fatima
A Century of Signs and Wonders
This riveting account of true-life Fatima events of the past hundred years demonstrates that Our Lady’s messages are more vital today than ever before. Here, author Joseph Pronechen reports on scores of post-Fatima incidents that reveal the wide-reaching influence the apparitions have had throughout this past century on the lives of ordinary people, popes, saints — and even unbelievers! You’ll learn of many amazing but little-known Fatima-related occurrences through the past century.
AUTHOR: Joseph Pronechan
DETAILS: 256 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1622828142
£12.50Add to cart
Scripture Wars
About a century after Jesus died, a battle began for the Old Testament. Large numbers of faithful Christians fought about its contents and even about its right to be called a Christian book! This book chronicles the Scripture Wars that ensued and introduces readers to one of early Christianity’s greatest defenders: St. Justin Martyr.
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£15.50Add to cart
Scripture Wars
About a century after Jesus died, a battle began for the Old Testament. Large numbers of faithful Christians fought about its contents and even about its right to be called a Christian book! This book chronicles the Scripture Wars that ensued and introduces readers to one of early Christianity’s greatest defenders: St. Justin Martyr.
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50 Questions on the Natural Law
What It Is And Why We Need It
Rice shows how the natural law works and how it is rooted in the nature of the human person whose Creator provided this law as a sure and knowable guide for man to achieve his end of eternal happiness. This book presents the teachings of the Catholic Church in her role as arbiter of the applications of the natural law on issues involving the right to live, bioethics, the family and the economy. Charles Rice has produced a firmly grounded and accessible handbook which touches on the most important topics regarding natural law that will benefit readers of all backgrounds.
AUTHOR: Charles Rice
DETAILS: 411 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-0898707502
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£16.50Add to cart
50 Questions on the Natural Law
What It Is And Why We Need It
Rice shows how the natural law works and how it is rooted in the nature of the human person whose Creator provided this law as a sure and knowable guide for man to achieve his end of eternal happiness. This book presents the teachings of the Catholic Church in her role as arbiter of the applications of the natural law on issues involving the right to live, bioethics, the family and the economy. Charles Rice has produced a firmly grounded and accessible handbook which touches on the most important topics regarding natural law that will benefit readers of all backgrounds.
AUTHOR: Charles Rice
DETAILS: 411 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-0898707502
£16.50Add to cart
“Calls”
From the Message of Fatima
Finding herself inundated with constantly repeated questions concerning the apparitions, the visionaries, and the message they received, Sr Lucia asked the Holy See for permission to write this text. This work is, in effect, a long letter, written entirely by Sr Lucia to address all those who had written to her concerning their questions, doubts, and difficulties, and their desire for greater fidelity in living up to what was asked for from Our Lady when she appeared at Fatima.
AUTHOR: Sister Lucia
DETAILS: 300 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-9728524234
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£14.95Add to cart
“Calls”
From the Message of Fatima
Finding herself inundated with constantly repeated questions concerning the apparitions, the visionaries, and the message they received, Sr Lucia asked the Holy See for permission to write this text. This work is, in effect, a long letter, written entirely by Sr Lucia to address all those who had written to her concerning their questions, doubts, and difficulties, and their desire for greater fidelity in living up to what was asked for from Our Lady when she appeared at Fatima.
AUTHOR: Sister Lucia
DETAILS: 300 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-9728524234
£14.95Add to cart
In Heaven We’ll Meet Again
The Saints and Scripture on Our Heavenly Reunion
In wise and consoling letters written to a grieving mother on the death of her child, Fr François Rene Blot draws from the greatest saints who testify with one voice that death’s wound, though grievous, separates us but a short while from those who have died before us. Acknowledging that profound sorrow at the death of a loved one is appropriate, Fr Blot nonetheless gives us reasons to be joyful: not only will we be reunited with our loved ones in heaven, but we can also look forward to our friendships being perfect, free of all selfishness and regrets. Moreover, the saints say, in heaven we will love and know the love of countless souls we never met on earth, our Guardian Angel, and all the choirs of angels!
AUTHOR: Fr Francois Rene Blot
DETAILS: 130 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1622823307
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£12.50Add to cart
In Heaven We’ll Meet Again
The Saints and Scripture on Our Heavenly Reunion
In wise and consoling letters written to a grieving mother on the death of her child, Fr François Rene Blot draws from the greatest saints who testify with one voice that death’s wound, though grievous, separates us but a short while from those who have died before us. Acknowledging that profound sorrow at the death of a loved one is appropriate, Fr Blot nonetheless gives us reasons to be joyful: not only will we be reunited with our loved ones in heaven, but we can also look forward to our friendships being perfect, free of all selfishness and regrets. Moreover, the saints say, in heaven we will love and know the love of countless souls we never met on earth, our Guardian Angel, and all the choirs of angels!
AUTHOR: Fr Francois Rene Blot
DETAILS: 130 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1622823307
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That Nothing May Be Lost
Rev Paul D Scalia Fr Paul Scalia reveals a scholar’s mind and a pastor’s heart in these inspiring reflections on a wide range of Catholic teachings and practices. Rooted in Scripture, these insights place the reader on a path to a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God.
AUTHOR: Rev Paul D Scalia
DETAILS: 190 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621641506
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£14.95Add to cart
That Nothing May Be Lost
Rev Paul D Scalia Fr Paul Scalia reveals a scholar’s mind and a pastor’s heart in these inspiring reflections on a wide range of Catholic teachings and practices. Rooted in Scripture, these insights place the reader on a path to a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God.
AUTHOR: Rev Paul D Scalia
DETAILS: 190 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621641506
£14.95Add to cart
Canon Law Explained
A Handbook for Laymen
Fr Spiteri offers brief, but lucid explanations of the origins and meanings of the fascinating canons that lay out the Church’s official principles and procedures governing matters as various as abbots and annulments, scandals and Sacraments, homeschoolers, Councils, impotence, imprimaturs, and, even marriages to the person who murdered your spouse! If you want to know the Church for who She is – and to love Her more – Canon Law Explained is the book for you.
AUTHOR: Mgr Laurence J Spiteri
DETAILS: 293 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1622821785
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£16.50Add to cart
Canon Law Explained
A Handbook for Laymen
Fr Spiteri offers brief, but lucid explanations of the origins and meanings of the fascinating canons that lay out the Church’s official principles and procedures governing matters as various as abbots and annulments, scandals and Sacraments, homeschoolers, Councils, impotence, imprimaturs, and, even marriages to the person who murdered your spouse! If you want to know the Church for who She is – and to love Her more – Canon Law Explained is the book for you.
AUTHOR: Mgr Laurence J Spiteri
DETAILS: 293 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1622821785
£16.50Add to cart
The Incorruptibles
Joan Carroll Cruz The bodies of saints that did not undergo decomposition after death are described as “incorrupt”. After discussing both natural and artificial mummification, the author shows that the state of the saints’ bodies fits neither category but rather constitutes a much greater, supernatural phenomenon.
AUTHOR: Joan Carroll Cruz
DETAILS: 298 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-0895550668
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£13.95Add to cart
The Incorruptibles
Joan Carroll Cruz The bodies of saints that did not undergo decomposition after death are described as “incorrupt”. After discussing both natural and artificial mummification, the author shows that the state of the saints’ bodies fits neither category but rather constitutes a much greater, supernatural phenomenon.
AUTHOR: Joan Carroll Cruz
DETAILS: 298 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-0895550668
£13.95Add to cart
Saints Who Battled Satan
Paul Thigpen In Saints Who Battled Satan, Paul Thigpen details the heroic combat of 17 Saints who fought and defeated the Enemy. In these pages you will read the stories of spiritual champions, learn how they withstood everyday temptations as well as extraordinary assaults – and discover how they were ultimately victorious.
AUTHOR: Paul Thigpen
DETAILS: 252 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1618907189
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£13.95Add to cart
Saints Who Battled Satan
Paul Thigpen In Saints Who Battled Satan, Paul Thigpen details the heroic combat of 17 Saints who fought and defeated the Enemy. In these pages you will read the stories of spiritual champions, learn how they withstood everyday temptations as well as extraordinary assaults – and discover how they were ultimately victorious.
AUTHOR: Paul Thigpen
DETAILS: 252 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1618907189
£13.95Add to cart
Hope for the World
To Unite All Things in Christ
Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke An expert in canon law and a priest with extensive pastoral experience, Cardinal Burke is uniquely placed to speak on uniting all things in Christ. This hard-hitting dialogue offers a unique glimpse into his life and thought, and his insightful answers help the reader to understand the moral and spiritual challenges of today.
AUTHOR: Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke
DETAILS: 172 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621641162
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£12.50Add to cart
Hope for the World
To Unite All Things in Christ
Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke An expert in canon law and a priest with extensive pastoral experience, Cardinal Burke is uniquely placed to speak on uniting all things in Christ. This hard-hitting dialogue offers a unique glimpse into his life and thought, and his insightful answers help the reader to understand the moral and spiritual challenges of today.
AUTHOR: Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke
DETAILS: 172 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621641162
£12.50Add to cart
Ignatius Bible (compact edition with zip)
RSV Catholic Edition
A completely new design and typeset edition of the popular Ignatius Revised Standard Version-Catholic Edition Bible, with minor revisions to some of the archaic language used in the first edition. This revised version is a contemporary English translation without dumbing-down the text. This second edition of the RSV doesn’t put the biblical text through a filter to make it acceptable to current tastes and prejudices, and it retains the beauty of the RSV language that has made it such a joy to read and reflect on the Word of God.
DETAILS: 1263 pages, leatherbound
ISBN: 978-1586171018
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£32.50Add to cart
Ignatius Bible (compact edition with zip)
RSV Catholic Edition
A completely new design and typeset edition of the popular Ignatius Revised Standard Version-Catholic Edition Bible, with minor revisions to some of the archaic language used in the first edition. This revised version is a contemporary English translation without dumbing-down the text. This second edition of the RSV doesn’t put the biblical text through a filter to make it acceptable to current tastes and prejudices, and it retains the beauty of the RSV language that has made it such a joy to read and reflect on the Word of God.
DETAILS: 1263 pages, leatherbound
ISBN: 978-1586171018
£32.50Add to cart
A Brief Life of Christ
Fulton J. Sheen turned his voice and pen to many subjects during the course of a long and remarkable apostolate. But nothing came closer to the core of his message than bringing the life and saving words of Jesus to the problems of modern life and the modern world. In A Brief Life of Christ, Sheen employs the twin pillars of faith and reason to draw out the meaning of the life of Jesus for our times. He pointedly shows how Christ issues His challenge alike to nations, peoples, and individual souls. The final chapters on Christ’s public life, and Passion, Death, and Resurrection contain tremendous insights and provide material for a lifetime of reflection.
AUTHOR: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
DETAILS: 87 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1887593946
A Brief Life of Christ
Fulton J. Sheen turned his voice and pen to many subjects during the course of a long and remarkable apostolate. But nothing came closer to the core of his message than bringing the life and saving words of Jesus to the problems of modern life and the modern world. In A Brief Life of Christ, Sheen employs the twin pillars of faith and reason to draw out the meaning of the life of Jesus for our times. He pointedly shows how Christ issues His challenge alike to nations, peoples, and individual souls. The final chapters on Christ’s public life, and Passion, Death, and Resurrection contain tremendous insights and provide material for a lifetime of reflection.
AUTHOR: Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
DETAILS: 87 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1887593946
£4.95Add to cart
Catena Aurea
St. Thomas Aquinas’ Catena Aurea is a masterpiece anthology of Patristic commentary on the Gospels – it includes the work of over eighty Church Fathers. For each of the four Gospel writers, the Catena Aurea starts by indicating the verses to be analyzed, then phrase-by-phrase, provides the early Fathers’ insights into the passage. The Catena Aurea, compiled by one of the Catholic Church’s greatest minds, is of immeasurable use to priests writing homilies, lay people engaged in private or family study or of the Gospels and religious instructors will find it an invaluable help in preparing lessons. It is the perfect companion to study the Scriptures in detail and receive the wisdom of St. Thomas on particular passages.
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£119.95Add to cart
Catena Aurea
St. Thomas Aquinas’ Catena Aurea is a masterpiece anthology of Patristic commentary on the Gospels – it includes the work of over eighty Church Fathers. For each of the four Gospel writers, the Catena Aurea starts by indicating the verses to be analyzed, then phrase-by-phrase, provides the early Fathers’ insights into the passage. The Catena Aurea, compiled by one of the Catholic Church’s greatest minds, is of immeasurable use to priests writing homilies, lay people engaged in private or family study or of the Gospels and religious instructors will find it an invaluable help in preparing lessons. It is the perfect companion to study the Scriptures in detail and receive the wisdom of St. Thomas on particular passages.
£119.95Add to cart
Ignatius Bible (hardcover)
RSV Catholic Edition
A completely new design and typeset edition of the popular Ignatius Revised Standard Version-Catholic Edition Bible, with minor revisions to some of the archaic language used in the first edition. This revised version is a contemporary English translation without dumbing-down the text. This second edition of the RSV doesn’t put the biblical text through a filter to make it acceptable to current tastes and prejudices, and it retains the beauty of the RSV language that has made it such a joy to read and reflect on the Word of God.
DETAILS: 1096 pages, hardcover
ISBN: 978-0898708332
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£32.50Add to cart
Ignatius Bible (hardcover)
RSV Catholic Edition
A completely new design and typeset edition of the popular Ignatius Revised Standard Version-Catholic Edition Bible, with minor revisions to some of the archaic language used in the first edition. This revised version is a contemporary English translation without dumbing-down the text. This second edition of the RSV doesn’t put the biblical text through a filter to make it acceptable to current tastes and prejudices, and it retains the beauty of the RSV language that has made it such a joy to read and reflect on the Word of God.
DETAILS: 1096 pages, hardcover
ISBN: 978-0898708332
£32.50Add to cart
You Can Understand the Bible
A Practical and Illuminating Guide to Each Book in the Bible
Many people are often understandably intimidated or overwhelmed by the sheer size and complexity of the Bible. Peter Kreeft has written a clear road map of the Bible, focusing his keen insight and engaging wit on the core message of each book. It won’t take long for you to understand why his guide to scripture has become a best-seller! Sparkling with intelligence and Kreeft’s trademark humor, You Can Understand the Bible will transform dry study into spiritually satisfying adventures in God’s Word.
AUTHOR: Dr Peter Kreeft
DETAILS: 328 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1586170455
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£15.50Add to cart
You Can Understand the Bible
A Practical and Illuminating Guide to Each Book in the Bible
Many people are often understandably intimidated or overwhelmed by the sheer size and complexity of the Bible. Peter Kreeft has written a clear road map of the Bible, focusing his keen insight and engaging wit on the core message of each book. It won’t take long for you to understand why his guide to scripture has become a best-seller! Sparkling with intelligence and Kreeft’s trademark humor, You Can Understand the Bible will transform dry study into spiritually satisfying adventures in God’s Word.
AUTHOR: Dr Peter Kreeft
DETAILS: 328 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1586170455
£15.50Add to cart
Because of Our Fathers
Twenty-Three Catholics Tell How Their Fathers Led Them to Christ
A father—the head of the household, as Saint Paul says—has a crucial role and responsibility in his family, not only materially, but spiritually. This is no outdated biblical cliché, but a biological, sociological, and metaphysical reality that we too often fail to recognize. The example of a father can leave an indelible imprint on the character of his children. In this book, twenty-three Catholics—including Patrick Madrid, Abby Johnson, Bishop Joseph Strickland, Father Paul Scalia, Jesse Romero, Anthony Esolen, Father Rocky, Christopher Check, and Father Gerald Murray—give portraits of their own fathers as conduits and models of Christian love. Ranging from the heroic to the ordinary, these powerful testimonies will inspire men to consider more deeply the amazing privilege that God has given them to become, despite their imperfection, a living image of our Father in Heaven.
AUTHOR: Tyler Rowley
DETAILS: 206 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621643470
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£13.95Add to cart
Because of Our Fathers
Twenty-Three Catholics Tell How Their Fathers Led Them to Christ
A father—the head of the household, as Saint Paul says—has a crucial role and responsibility in his family, not only materially, but spiritually. This is no outdated biblical cliché, but a biological, sociological, and metaphysical reality that we too often fail to recognize. The example of a father can leave an indelible imprint on the character of his children. In this book, twenty-three Catholics—including Patrick Madrid, Abby Johnson, Bishop Joseph Strickland, Father Paul Scalia, Jesse Romero, Anthony Esolen, Father Rocky, Christopher Check, and Father Gerald Murray—give portraits of their own fathers as conduits and models of Christian love. Ranging from the heroic to the ordinary, these powerful testimonies will inspire men to consider more deeply the amazing privilege that God has given them to become, despite their imperfection, a living image of our Father in Heaven.
AUTHOR: Tyler Rowley
DETAILS: 206 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621643470
£13.95Add to cart
How to be Holy
First Steps in Becoming a Saint
Peter Kreeft Arguably the greatest Christian writer of our day, Peter Kreeft says that the most important question he has written about is how one becomes holy; or, how one becomes a saint. Engaging and practical as ever, Kreeft offers a sure guide on what holiness is and how it can be achieved.
AUTHOR: Dr Peter Kreeft
DETAILS: 172 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621641025
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£13.95Add to cart
How to be Holy
First Steps in Becoming a Saint
Peter Kreeft Arguably the greatest Christian writer of our day, Peter Kreeft says that the most important question he has written about is how one becomes holy; or, how one becomes a saint. Engaging and practical as ever, Kreeft offers a sure guide on what holiness is and how it can be achieved.
AUTHOR: Dr Peter Kreeft
DETAILS: 172 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621641025
£13.95Add to cart
Catholics and Protestants
What can we Learn from Each Other?
Peter Kreeft Popular author and philosopher Peter Kreeft presents a unique book about the important beliefs that Catholics and Protestants share in common. Whilst he acknowledges that there are still significant differences, he emphasizes that they agree on the single most important issue: justification.
AUTHOR: Dr Peter Kreeft
DETAILS: 204 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621641018
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£13.95Add to cart
Catholics and Protestants
What can we Learn from Each Other?
Peter Kreeft Popular author and philosopher Peter Kreeft presents a unique book about the important beliefs that Catholics and Protestants share in common. Whilst he acknowledges that there are still significant differences, he emphasizes that they agree on the single most important issue: justification.
AUTHOR: Dr Peter Kreeft
DETAILS: 204 pages, paperback
ISBN: 978-1621641018
£13.95Add to cart