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Book Review: TBS Missionary Discipleship
Title: Threshold Bible Study: Missionary Discipleship Author: Stephen J. Binz Published: New London, Connecticut: Twenty-Third Publications, 2017. 130-pages. My Perspective My first introduction to the Threshold Bible Study series was at my parish when I joined a Sunday Bible study group. The books were designed to be used as a small group or for individual study. They are organized and presented so that a specific topic can be covered in six sessions (at least that has been my experience thus far). Each session has a number of quick sections followed by questions. The sections typically start with a Bible quotation, followed by commentary, then questions, and then a prayer. It is not meant to be read in one sitting, although one could. I have enjoyed going through several years of these small group sessions. There are many times we have drifted “off track,” but I believe these for the most part were guided by the Holy Spirit to allow the group to respond to issues that appeared to be outside the topic, but in reality they helped us gain a better understanding of our relationship with God. This particular book is about missionary discipleship. All Christians that have been baptized…
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My Thoughts on Aristotle’s On the Soul
Title: On the Soul (De Anima) Author: Aristotle translated by J. A. Smith Published:. Preamble It was the summer of 1983 that I walked over to the Ohio State Fair from the trailer park where I lived. The newest edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica had just released, and they had a booth. With my love of books, living on my own, and just a few days into the ripe wise age of twenty, I was easily convinced to take a loan and purchase a library. This collection consisted of a thirty-volume encyclopedia, a fifty-four-volume set of Great Books of the Western World, a three-volume Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, and a twenty-one-volume collection of the Annals of America. Since then, I have lugged these 108 books from one end of the country to the other. I have never regretted this purchase. This collection was my Wikipedia. It gave me incite into the world around me. The Great Books, encyclopedia, and the dictionary I have used consistently over the years. The Annals, for some reason, have been referenced or read very rarely, some volumes not at all. But, to get back to my topic, Aristotle. Two books, in this collection, are dedicated to his…
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Book Review: The Case for Jesus by Brant J. Pitre
Title: The Case for Jesus: The Biblical and Historical Evidence for Christ Author: Brant J. Pitre Published: New York: Image, 2016. Pages-242. About the Author[1] Dr. Brant J. Pitre is a native of Houma, Louisiana and is currently the Chair of the Department of Sacred Scripture at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana. He earned his Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame in 2004, where he majored in Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity with a minor in Systematic Theology. His dissertation was “The Historical Jesus, the Great Tribulation, and the End of the Exile: Restoration Eschatology and the Origin of the Atonement.” He currently lives in Gray, Louisiana, with his wife Elizabeth, and their five children. My Perspective “Did Jesus of Nazareth claim to be God?”[2] That is the main question of this book. But as I started to read it appeared more about the authorship of the Gospels. This makes it appear as if Pitre was going off on a tangent, he is not, so stay with it. It is vital to his argument. If we have been led to believe that the Gospels are anonymous then the question on the veracity of their message…
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Review: The Scholar’s Mission
Title: “The Scholar’s Mission” in The Works of Orestes A. Brownson Collected and Arranged by Henry F. Brownson Volume XIX pages 65-87. Author: Orestes Augustus Brownson Published: New York: AMS Press Inc., 1966. An oration pronounced before the Gamma Sigma Society, of Dartmouth College, Hanover, N. H., July 26, 1843. Preamble I was introduced to Brownson in The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk. Since then, I bought the twenty-volume collection of his works assembled by his son. I am surprised I had never heard of him before, but what usually happens after I find someone like this, is his name will suddenly start appearing in other works I read. It is just the fact that now I am aware of him. That is true with so many other things in life. Think of many of the great discoveries made throughout history, once they are known, then it is easy to see. It is like the old tale about Christopher Columbus and the egg. Supposedly he was sitting around with some other people after he discovered America and they were saying how it was not really a big deal. He asked for an egg and requested that they each try to…
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Book Review: The Reluctant Disciple: Daring to Believe
Title: The Reluctant Disciple: Daring to Believe Author: David Wells, the Director of adult faith formation in the Diocese of Plymouth. Married with three kids. Guest-lectures at three universities.[1] Published: Toronto, Ontario: Novalis, 2015. Pages-181. At my church, for the last couple of years, I have attended a book/Bible study facilitated by our parish priest in between the 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. Mass. We have read and discussed several books from C.S. Lewis and many that were strictly Bible study. We just finished with The Reluctant Disciple. I will be honest, when it was first mentioned I had my doubts. I guess I can tend to be cynical. I was all for Augustine’s Confessions, but Father was probably correct in steering us away from that. Now that we have finished the book, I can truly say it was a good fit for our group. Wells presents thirty chapters that are each titled with a catchy phrase such as, “What the turkey taught us,” Stupid Me,” and “Are you keeping busy?” The chapters start with a few lines of scripture, then, an anecdotal story from Well’s personal life, followed by a part he calls “Making connections, which is really just seeking…
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Retreat Review: The ONE% Challenge Retreat
Retreat Review: The ONE% Challenge Retreat (First of Three) Facilitator: Peter Andrastek, Senior Parish Consultant of Evangelical Catholic Inc. Peter leads the parish mission of the Evangelical Catholic. He holds a Master of Theological Studies in Pastoral Theology from Ave Maria University. He has worked in adult formation in the Church since 2003. His experience includes preaching retreats, teaching theology and adult catechesis courses, and giving presentations and trainings for numerous parishes, dioceses, movements, and institutions in the Church. He currently advises over 30 EC Parish and Diocesan Alliances and Associates nationwide. He lives in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin with his wife and seven children.[1] Where: St. John the Baptist Church, Dry Ridge Road, Cincinnati, Ohio When: 7-9 p.m., Sunday, March 11, 2018 Other Details: The first of three evening retreats on life, prayer, and faith. Designed to kick-start a greater movement of the Holy Spirit in your life and community. The evening started with an introduction by Amanda Weickert, our Pastoral Associate for Faith Formation. She mentioned that this would be a deepening of our relationship with God. She introduced Peter as a husband and father of seven children. Peter stood up and addressed the group. He looked to be…
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Lecture Review: Evolution and the Catholic Faith
Lecture Review: Evolution and the Catholic Faith (Fifth Annual Conway Lecture) Lecturer: Stephen M. Barr, a University of Delaware physics professor, author, Bartol Research Institute member and president of the Society of Catholic Studies. Barr is a frequent lecturer on the topic of science and religion, and is the author of Modern Physics and Ancient Faith (2003) and The Believing Scientist: Essays on Science and Religion (2016). He was awarded the Benemerenti Medal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 for exemplary service to the Church. Where: University of Cincinnati McMicken Hall, room 127 When: 7-8:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 7, 2018 Other Details: Fifth Annual Conway Lecture presented by Catholic Studies of University of Cincinnati. Free and open to the public. The Conway lecture is named in honor of Ruth J. and Robert A. Conway, who donated $2 million to establish the chair in Catholic studies at UC. M.C. was Jeff Zalar. Housed within the Department of History in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Program in Catholic Studies explores the history, spirituality, literary and artistic traditions, and contemporary significance of Roman Catholicism. Through interdisciplinary teaching, student mentorship, and public lectures, it fosters greater understanding of Catholic beliefs, culture, and…
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Book Review: The Truth of Catholicism: Ten Controversies Explored
Title: The Truth of Catholicism: Ten Controversies Explored Author: George Weigel Published: New York: Harper Collins, 2001; Hardcover 196-pages. This book is about reaching out and attempting to start a discussion about Catholicism for those that want to learn more about their own journey or those just curious to know what we believe. There are a lot of good topics in here to discuss with family and friends over a meal or instead of turning on the television. John Paul II was pope when this book was written. Some of the views you can tell were influenced from this time in history. Parts seem almost prophetic about what is to come. The questions are very important, it has been said that a good question is worth more than a good answer. A good question makes us think and search inside ourselves for an answer, it makes us know more about who we are and we grow. One of the strongest messages that come through is the sanctity of truth. As Catholics, we believe that truth is not dependent on how many people believe something to be true, it just is. If all the world denied God, he is still God. …
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Book Review: Liturgy 101: Sacraments and Sacramentals
Title: Liturgy 101: Sacraments and Sacramentals Author: Daniel G. Van Slyke Published: Liguori Publications; Liguori, Missouri; 2010; Paperback 143-pages. The title explains this book quite well, it is an entry level look at liturgy in relation to the sacraments and sacramentals. With that being said, it is not a dry, point by point, presentation of the facts, instead, Van Slyke presents the information in a language and style that is modern and easily understood. His true desire is for the reader to learn and develop a love and understanding of the special gift the sacraments entail. Basic terminology, such as, liturgy, sacrament, rite, Rite, rights, ordinary and extraordinary, that we hear so often, and yet perhaps do not fully understand their meaning, he explains with a look into ancient languages, history, cultural influences, and biblical references. A vital part of the didactic process is provided at the end of each chapter: a number of thought provoking questions, a list of abbreviations and sources used, and a few suggestions of additional reading. Modern complaints about the sacraments are presented and defended. The importance of the seven sacraments as a gift from God and that they are the “Pillars of the Church”…
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Patrology: The Lives and Works of the Fathers of the Church
By Otto Bardenhewer translated by Thomas J. Shahan 1908. First of all, this book was not written for the casual reader. It is a great handbook to learn about the first five centuries of the Christian Church. It is full of rich references and copious notes that is a delight to the researcher or historian. Any person with a strong interest in early Christian history would find this book informative. The writer makes the assumption that the reader has a basic understanding of Greek, Latin, and the Bible. In describing the early writers he starts with a short bio and then follows it up with what works they wrote. He mentions which writings are still extant and which ones may have been erroneously attributed. One of the things that jumped out at me was how much material has been written in the past compared to how little has been preserved. I was led to believe that the reason a lot of old writings are no longer available, is because the “church” destroyed them. Well, why wasn’t the church able to save so many important documents of their own? Then I got to thinking about how even we, the United States…
