Teachers and Preachers - "The Fathers"

Reading Pope Benedict's book "The Fathers" was (almost) like being there for his series of talks in person. (Of course, with the book I can re-read them at will!)

There was a lot to think about in this volume of studies on the early church leaders. A consistent theme of courage and forthrightness in the face of dissension and heresy, seems to be just as relevant to today's Catholics. Its encouraging to know that the Church has always been able to ultimately overcome these obstacles to love and conversion.

The Holy Father highlights the main struggles of the earliest Fathers, and their writings (future reading?). He threads their work together with a teacher's voice, and shows us the consistency and solid foundation of Christ's Body that we sometimes are not so aware of.

I highly recommend this well written and illuminating book to any Christian interested in understanding 'where we come from'. Its a good introduction to deeper study of the Church as Christ began it.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Fathers.

'The Everlasting Man'

John Zmirak writes an excellent article on Chesterton's 'The Everlasting Man':

"The audience for this apologetic is a reading public not so different from our own -- composed in large part of lazy ex-Christians, hazy post-Christians, New Age skeptics, old-fashioned modernists, and wistful, romantic materialists. The book was written in answer to The Outline of History by H. G. Wells -- a novelist who turned in serious moments from science fiction to fictional science. (He also predicted that progress and contraception would lead at last to an all-white planet, opining once that "those swarms of blacks, and brown, and dirty-white, and yellow people . . . will have to go." So much for Wells's liberality, and powers of prediction.)

Where Wells tried to explain away, through airy appeals to evolution, man's sense that he is unique among the animals and his chronic craving for God, Chesterton decides instead to squat beside the caveman and try to suss out the anthropologists...

...This book -- for all its flourishes, for all the times when the writer seems to jump the shark -- is a stirring answer to one, straightforward question: Who are you people, and what on earth do you want? "

Well worth a full read at Inside Catholic, and of course, read 'The Everlasting Man' as well!

REAL BOOKS

I am currently half -way through "Father Elijah" by Michael O'Brien. It's wonderful. Having read "Island of the World" over Christmas, I anticipated it would be. Both novels are ripe with cultural and historical references. The characters are extremely real (uncomfortably and recognizably real). The imagery is profound. The plots are exciting.

I have not read any new novels for years. I have not found any inspiring ones to read, and thus have limited my 'novels' to re-reading those classics in my childrens' highschool curriculum.

Now I'm afraid I shall have to read all O'Brien's novels cover to cover, ravenously, until they are all consumed. Who knows what duties will suffer in the meantime! Such self-control I will have to muster!

For an overview of what Michael O'Brien has produced, including his iconography, check out:

http://studiobrien.com/site/index.php

*warning*- You'll want more!!!