Showing titles in Biographies

To many who have discovered his books, C. S. Lewis is more than simply a writer; he has been a spiritual mentor. Here, over 50 Christians share how meeting the mind and imagination of Lewis in his books sparked the beginning or changed the course of their spiritual journey. These inspiring reflections have been shared by ordinary laypeople as well as many well-known leaders and writers.

Perhaps no one had such a great influence on the Roman Catholic Church in the 20th century as Pope John XXIII, who was canonized by Pope Francis on April 27, 2014. Born Angelo Roncalli (1881-1963), he rose from humble beginnings to become a passionate advocate for social justice and world peace. His papacy was marked by compassion, charity, and love. In this course you will join ecclesial expert and Georgetown professor Gerard Mannion in encountering the enduring charisma of Saint John XXIII.

In Shadows of Sobriety, Keith Burton pulls back the curtain on his journey through a childhood marked by alcoholism, family dysfunction, and emotional scars that lasted a lifetime. Raised in a household where love was often confused with pain, Keith reflects on his relationships with an alcoholic father and a controlling mother, and how their struggles set the stage for his own battles with identity, faith, and a fractured family legacy.

John Wieland is the first to admit his success is baffling. When an average Joe turns a bankrupt company into a 30-branch business that earns over $500 million in revenue and gives 10 percent of the company profits to ministries across the world, Wieland is the first to ask: how did this happen? His conclusion: business, family and faith affect each other in ways that few realize and together bring about success. Unlike many books that discuss faith, Wieland never preaches perfection.

In Uncharted, you will find a practical rhythm to grow in your faith, transforming your fears into trust, and your hesitation into commitment. In a world full of obstacles, comparison, and uncertainty, the most rewarding journey you will ever undertake is the uncharted walk with God.

Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, or a Brief Relation of the Exceeding Mercy of God in Christ to his Poor Servant John Bunyan, is a Puritan spiritual autobiography written by John Bunyan. It was composed while Bunyan was serving a 12-year prison sentence in Bedford prison for preaching without a license, and was first published in 1666.

This treasury of selected passages from the writings and addressees of the late Pope John Paul II offers a chance for the modern reader to spend a few moments contemplating the mystery and the example of Christ. Within this audiobook you'll find the Pope's reflections on the church, humanity, the family, the lives of the saints, the meaning of holidays, and the place of faith in daily life. Through these passages of calm reflection, all will find a moment of peaceful repose from the occupations of life.

Led by gifted professor, author, and contemplative retreat leader Fr. Donald Goergen, O.P., this life-changing series will capture your spiritual imagination and deepen your life with Christ. As Prof. Lawrence Cunningham writes, “Thomas Merton could easily be called the greatest spiritual writer and spiritual master of the 20th century in English-speaking America.” He was a monk and seeker - restless, deeply contemplative, and socially conscious.

In Help from Heaven, Carlos Vivas shares a story of hope and love as he describes the true events surrounding his near-death experience and the miracles he continues to witness since that day. Through nature and spiritual messages, Vivas describes how God not only saved him, he also transformed him.

Few Christian thinkers have brought such an array of intellectual, scientific, spiritual, and religious resources to bear on faith and society as Bernard Lonergan (1904-1984). A Jesuit philosopher and theologian, Lonergan worked to integrate faith with the promotion of justice. Taught by one of the world’s leading experts on Lonergan, this 12-lecture course introduces you to the breadth of Lonergan’s thought. You will focus on his method of better knowing yourself through your web of natural, social, and religious “ecologies”.

Ken raised his three sons in a squeaky-clean suburb of Los Angeles. He envisioned fatherhood as coaching their sports teams, taking them to church (where he was the pastor), and visiting colleges one day. Instead, he got an education on the street names of opioids, fluency in rehab vernacular, and an insider’s view of the California prison system, when his middle son, Lucas, accidentally killed a man with his car while high on heroin.

This nonfiction audiobook will tell the story behind the upcoming film All Saints. The movie is inspired by the true story of salesman-turned-pastor Michael Spurlock, the tiny church he was ordered to shut down, and a group of refugees from Southeast Asia. Together, they risk everything to plant seeds for a future that might just save them all. Michael's first assignment as their new pastor is to close down All Saints, a dilapidated country church with a dozen devoted members and a mortgage well beyond its means.

Through the suffering and hardships you’ll see a remarkably strong woman emerge, whose extraordinary resolve brought her through the ashes as she gripped her faith and found the strength to soar. Every painful experience grew her unwavering bravery and eventually catapulted her into the arms of Jesus. She also brings light to the epidemic of mental illness and how it is time to erase the stigma in our society and in the church.

This program will focus on the classic topics of theology as Benedict himself has done both before and after assuming the Chair of Peter: faith, God, Christology, the Church, the liturgy, the word of God, and the preaching and spirituality that flow from it as well as Catholic social teaching. We begin our study of Pope Benedict XVI by understanding the context that produced this great figure, the ideas that shaped him, and the events that impacted his personal life and professional career.

When life takes you to unimaginable heights and the deepest valleys, how do you hold on to hope? A decorated attack helicopter pilot of Desert Storm, driven by duty and the thrill of aviation, faces his greatest battle not in the skies but at home. With a severely ill child battling intractable epilepsy and a family leaning on him for strength, he turns to the one constant in his life: his faith in Jesus. Through the turbulence of military service and the weight of love for his family, this is the story of a man whose courage isn't found in the cockpit, but in his heart and his trust in God.

Written for all ages, The Death of a Dream is for those who have followed their dreams only to watch them die. Daron Earlewine intermingles the birth, death, and resurrection of his dreams with the biblical story of Joseph—a parallel that inspires observations about God’s ultimate dreams for his people and the world.

Thomas Merton was one of the greatest spiritual writers and social critics of the past century. For thousands of men and women, he remains a guide and model for contemplative living, interreligious dialogue, and intellectual exploration. While many have encountered Merton through his best-selling books on spirituality and contemplation, few are familiar with his powerful - and often prescient - insights about vital social and cultural issues of his day.

Aiming to make this compelling story of church politics and Christian service available to all, Lesley O'Brien presents a moving account of the life and times of Mary MacKillop, Australia's first saint. The only biography of Mary to be authorised by the Sisters of St. Joseph, this edition has been updated to include her beatification by Pope John Paul II.

2005 wurde der deutsche Kardinal Joseph Ratzinger zum Papst gewählt. Doch wer ist der Mensch, der als Benedikt XVI. auf dem Stuhl Petri saß? Der Journalist und Buchautor Peter Seewald hat in ausführlichen Gesprächen mit ihm hinter die Kulissen geschaut und präsentiert in dieser Biografie die bisher weniger bekannten Seiten in Benedikts Lebensgeschichte, inklusive seiner Jugendzeit. Seewald ist dem Oberhaupt der katholischen Kirche dabei so nah gekommen wie nur wenige andere und liefert spannende Einblicke in die biografischen Stationen, Ansichten und Positionen Benedikts XVI.

Nearing 70 years of age, I am a retired lawyer, former assistant attorney general, and best-selling author. I’ve never had a near-death experience. I experienced the phenomenon vicariously through two very credible women who’ve made this extraordinary journey firsthand. It’s my great privilege to share their stories in this compilation narrative.