Random House New Releases - Religion - Church Institutions & Organizations

The Future of Catholicism by Michael Coren

2013-11-05T00:30:00-05:00

The Future of Catholicism
Written by Michael Coren

Hardcover, 208 pages | Signal | Religion - Catholicism; Religion - Clergy; Religion - Church Institutions & Organizations | $24.95 | 978-0-7710-2351-4 (0-7710-2351-0)

From the author of the bestselling Why Catholics Are Right, a perfectly timed book on the new Vatican -- where it is, where it needs to go, and why it is more relevant than ever.

When Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, became Pope Francis in March 2013, there were almost 6,000 journalists in Rome to cover the Papal election. Some of them reported on the conclave with expertise and empathy, but others -- either out of ignorance or an agenda -- insisted on asking the same questions again and again: Is the Church going to change? Will the new Pope be flexible? Is Catholicism going to adapt to the times and alter its teaching on same-sex marriage, abortion, contraception, female ordination, celibate clergy, and divorce? Interestingly, these questions center on moral and sexual issues rather than directly theological topics, but they are all based on the premise that the Church is wrong, outdated, in need of fundamental transformation.

Does the Church need to change, and if so, where? Where it cannot change, why is this so? In his signature frank style, Coren will explain and outline why the Church believes as it does on many of the most pressing moral issues, giving reasons for teaching and belief, and applying these to contemporary challenges. And for those areas where the Church must change and establish reform -- the transparency of leadership and finance; the competence of the curia and Vatican civil service; the approach the Church takes towards media, the way it deals with the detritus of the abuse crisis; and its approach to the developing world band towards others religions, particularly Islam -- Coren will offer insight into the faith's next steps.

The Church is at a crossroads, but perhaps more significantly and accurately, the Western world is at a crossroads, and how the Church reacts to and deals with this phenomenon will decide and define so very much of the future -- of our future.

The Rule of Saint Benedict by Anthony C. Meisel

2010-12-01T00:30:00-05:00

The Rule of Saint Benedict
Written by Anthony C. Meisel

eBook, 128 pages | Image | Religion - Church Institutions & Organizations | $6.99 | 978-0-307-76874-2 (0-307-76874-0)

From the time it was first promulgated in the sixth century, The Rule of St. Benedict has been one of the most influential, enduring documents of Western civilization. Composed for the guidance of his own monks at Monte Cassino, St. Benedict's Rule has become the basis for the rules of practically every Christian monastic community in the West. In it are the guidelines for living the spiritual life -- through work, prayer, study, obedience, community, and moderate asceticism.

This acclaimed edition of The Rule of St. Benedict is a highly accessible modern translation that conveys the spirit and logic of the original text. It contains an invaluable in-depth Introduction that explores the development and spread of Christian monasticism; a biographical sketch of St. Benedict; a discussion of the structure and implementation of his Rule; its value and impact on religious orders from the Middle Ages down through history; its tremendous influence on Western culture and civilization; and, finally, various texts of the Rule.

God's Soldiers by Jonathan Wright

2005-10-18T00:30:00-05:00

God's Soldiers Adventure, Politics, Intrigue, and Power--A History of the Jesuits
Written by Jonathan Wright

Trade Paperback, 368 pages | Image | Religion - Church Institutions & Organizations; Religion - Catholicism | $19.00 | 978-0-385-50080-7 (0-385-50080-7)

Throughout history members of the Society of Jesus, popularly known as Jesuits, have been accused of killing kings and presidents, have traveled as missionaries to every corner of the globe, founded haciendas in Mexico, explored the Mississippi and Amazon rivers, and served Chinese emperors as map makers, painters, and astronomers. As well as the predictable roll call of saints and martyrs, the Society can also lay claim to the thirty-five craters on the moon named for Jesuit scientists. Jesuits have been despised and idolized on a scale unknown to members of any other religious order; they have died the most horrible deaths and done the most outlandish deeds.

Whether loved or loathed, the Jesuits’ dramatic and wide-ranging impact could never be ignored. By the mid-eighteenth century, they had established more than 650 educational institutions. They were also strongly committed to foreign missions, and like the secular explorers and settlers of the Age of Discovery, they traveled to the Far East, India, and the Americas to stake a claim. They were especially successful in Latin America, where they managed to put numerous villages entirely under Jesuit rule.

The Jesuits’ successes both in Europe and abroad, coupled with rumors of scandal and corruption within the order, soon drew criticism from within the Church and without. Writers such as Pascal and Voltaire wrote polemics against them, and the absolute monarchs of Catholic Europe sought to destroy them. Their power was seen as so threatening that hostility escalated into serious political feuds, and at various times they were either banned or harshly suppressed throughout Europe.

God’s Soldiers is a fascinating chronicle of this celebrated, mysterious, and often despised religious order. Jonathan Wright illuminates as never before their enduring contributions as well as the controversies that surrounded them. The result is an in-depth, unbiased, and utterly compelling history.

The Pope's Armada by Gordon Urquhart

1999-06-01T00:30:00-05:00

The Pope's Armada Unlocking the Secrets of Mysterious and Powerful New Sects in the Church
Written by Gordon Urquhart

Hardcover, 450 pages | Prometheus Books | Religion - Catholicism; Religion - Church Institutions & Organizations | $32.99 | 978-1-57392-699-7 (1-57392-699-X)

The three most powerful ultratraditionalist movements in the Catholic Church are engaging in mysterious initiation ceremonies, using brainwashing techniques involving ego destruction, moral and spiritual intimidation, and dangerous psychotherapeutic practices on members and parishioners. This circle of power within the church, according to former member Gordon Urquhart, is hard at work creating the pope's "armada."

In a narrative that will shock, horrify, and enlighten all who follow the Catholic church, The Pope's Armada exposes the bizarre agendas of the "Focolare," "Communion and Liberation," and "Neocatechumenate" movements, which have a total world membership of 30 million. With the strong support of Pope John Paul II, these self-contained personality cults are task-forces for a crusade of extreme right-wing values.

A former top-level Focolare leader, Urquhart draws on interviews with current and ex-members, top-secret documentation, and his own experiences and research to reveal the mafia-style underworld of these organizations. The Pope's Armada depicts a potent, sinister force at work which may just be John Paul II's most enduring legacy.

The Rule of Saint Benedict by Anthony C. Meisel

1975-09-01T00:30:00-05:00

The Rule of Saint Benedict
Written by Anthony C. Meisel

Trade Paperback, 128 pages | Image | Religion - Church Institutions & Organizations | $7.95 | 978-0-385-00948-5 (0-385-00948-8)

Random House New Releases - Religion - Church Institutions & Organizations

The Future of Catholicism by Michael Coren

The Future of Catholicism Written by Michael Coren

The Rule of Saint Benedict by Anthony C. Meisel

The Rule of Saint Benedict Written by Anthony C. Meisel

God's Soldiers by Jonathan Wright

God's Soldiers Adventure, Politics, Intrigue, and Power--A History of the JesuitsWritten by Jonathan Wright

The Pope's Armada by Gordon Urquhart

The Pope's Armada Unlocking the Secrets of Mysterious and Powerful New Sects in the ChurchWritten by Gordon Urquhart

The Rule of Saint Benedict by Anthony C. Meisel

The Rule of Saint Benedict Written by Anthony C. Meisel

The Future of Catholicism
Written by Michael Coren

The Rule of Saint Benedict
Written by Anthony C. Meisel

God's Soldiers Adventure, Politics, Intrigue, and Power--A History of the Jesuits
Written by Jonathan Wright

The Pope's Armada Unlocking the Secrets of Mysterious and Powerful New Sects in the Church
Written by Gordon Urquhart

The Rule of Saint Benedict
Written by Anthony C. Meisel