Ignatius Press Podcast

For about 300 years, Catholic priests and lay people in England were persecuted, and even martyred, for the practice of their Faith. But before this period of brutality, Catholicism had been vibrant in England. And after it, Catholic England would flourish once again. Joseph Pearce, acclaimed biographer and author of the new book FAITH OF OUR FATHERS: A HISTORY OF TRUE ENGLAND, joins us in this episode to discuss “true England”—the England in which the Catholic Faith thrived before its violent suppression by the Tudor monarchs; the England that maintained the Faith through a bitter period of anti-Catholic bigotry; and the England that flowered again in the literary and spiritual revivals of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Mark Brumley and Carl E. Olson join us from their respective home libraries to chat about the latest stories and features at Catholic World Report, including pieces on the war in Ukraine, the 50th anniversary of the release of “The Godfather,” and why Henry VIII—bad as he was—should not be “canceled.”

Fr. Donald Haggerty is a much-sought-after retreat leader and spiritual director. His newest book, “Saint John of the Cross: Master of Contemplation,” is a unique, step-by-step introduction to the way of contemplation as Saint John understood it: a burning, transformative intimacy with the God who made us. In this episode, author and editor Kathryn Jean Lopez speaks with Fr. Haggerty about the Church’s premier teacher on contemplative prayer, examining how we can use Saint John’s insights into the spiritual life in our contemporary context.

This episode was produced in collaboration with the National Review Institute.

https://www.ignatius.com/Saints-P3499.aspx

Let's talk about saints!

Jesus told us to be perfect, and the Second Vatican Council highlighted this command by speaking of the universal call to holiness for all Christians. How do we answer this call? One great way is to learn from and pray with the saints, the ordinary men and women who fought the good fight to be holy until the end of their lives, and won.

The saints have inspired Christians for more than two thousand years because they show us what it looks like to follow Jesus Christ despite countless challenges and obstacles. This unique book contains short biographies of several saints, along with prayers to each one, for every day of the year. It also provides definitions of Church terms and other helpful back - ground information.

The saints in this collection come from every period of Church history and all walks of life. They represent numerous countries, cultures, age groups, and vocations. They show us that holiness truly is a path open to anyone, and by their example and prayers they help us to follow it.

Exorcisms, demonic possession, occult practices…these aren’t just the stuff of horror movies—they are real (if dramatic) reminders of the existence of the devil and his presence in the world. But as gripping as stories of the supernatural are, it can be easy to forget that the seductive activities of the devil are often found in far more mundane circumstances: the temptations to pride, lust, greed, and other sins that we all experience in our daily lives. In his book CHRIST VERSUS SATAN IN OUR DAILY LIVES: THE COSMIC STRUGGLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL, spiritual writer and philosopher Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., tackles the topic of recognizing and overcoming spiritual evil. His focus is the human heart. His goal: our spiritual and moral transformation, which leads to true peace and genuine happiness.

Lucid and inspiring, Behold the Man is a unique exploration of Catholic spirituality for men. Much of the literature written for Catholic men focuses on topical issues such as fatherhood and sexuality. While this book does not exclude these subjects, it is the first to present a comprehensive picture of Catholic male spirituality.

What is authentic male Catholic spirituality? What distinguishes it from Protestant male spirituality? How does masculine spirituality complement feminine spirituality? These questions and many more are answered in this book.

Drawing from Scripture and Church teaching, the author roots Catholic male spirituality in a covenant relationship with God and the cross of Jesus Christ. He demonstrates that when a man embraces the cross he is truly able to be himself—the man that God created and calls him to be. Behold the Man can deepen a man’s experience of Christ and help him to know the Lord more intimately.

https://www.ignatius.com/Behold-the-Man-P161.aspx 

Music remains something of a mystery to many people—ephemeral sounds floating invisibly through the air—here, and then gone. This book begins with the basic question of what music actually is, scientifically, employing simple, clear explanations of wave theory and the acoustics of sound as part of God's natural creation. It presents accessible and fascinating explanations of some theories of the psychology of perception of music, how music speaks to the mind, emotions, and spirit. Some of these concepts have rarely been addressed outside the ivory tower and even more rarely been seen through the lens of Catholic theology.

This is a kind of "layman's handbook," a comprehensive theology of all things music, which anyone can understand, written by an internationally respected classical composer and music professor at a top secular university who is also a faithful Catholic. It sheds light on the mysteries of music and furthers the spiritual formation regarding music for Catholics of many ages and walks of life.

It is groundbreaking in its comprehensive and holistic treatment of music from a Catholic perspective, and particularly timely in advocating for the renewal of the norms for music in liturgy found in the documents of Vatican II. It also presents one of the most penetrating critical examinations to be found of contemporary classical music, from an insider.

The book is available for purchase here: https://www.ignatius.com/The-Sound-of-Beauty-P3352.aspx

This is the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and thorough defense of the Catholic Church against Protestant objections in print. This book is especially relevant as the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation draws near and discussion of the arguments made against the Church during that time in history receive renewed interest.

The Case for Catholicism answers arguments put forward by early Reformers like Luther and Calvin as well as contemporary defenders of Protestantism like Norm Geisler and R.C. Sproul. It provides a meticulous defense of the biblical and historical nature of Catholic doctrines from Scripture and church history. Finally, in both answering Protestant objections to Catholicism and in providing evidence for the Faith, The Case for Catholicism cites modern Protestant scholars who question Reformation assumptions and show how evidence from Scripture and church history support aspects of Catholic theology.

This book is divided into four sections, with each answering a key question Christians have asked about the nature of their faith. Those key questions are:

• What is my authority?

The Case for Catholicism will become a reliable, resource for any Catholic who desires a well-researched, readable, and persuasive answer to Protestant arguments made against the Catholic faith.

https://www.ignatius.com/The-Case-for-Catholicism-P242.aspx

https://www.ignatius.com/Sex-and-the-Catholic-Feminist-P3564.aspx

About the author: Sue Ellen Browder is a freelance writer who has appeared on Oprah, the Today Show, and hundreds of radio talk shows. Her work for Cosmopolitan, New Woman, Woman’s Day, and other magazines has given her a lifetime of experience with the women’s movement as it unfolded in the media, both on the public stage and behind the scenes.

About the book: In Sex and the Catholic Feminist, Browder challenges the notion that you can't be a feminist and believe in God. She echoes John Paul II's call for Catholics to embody a "new feminism," a radical new view of women's dignity. Her goal in this book is to "follow one golden thread of feminism in America—the pro-life thread—to show why it has been ignored by the media and left out of public conversation for fifty years." For Browder, the pro-life movement is about more than abortion and contraception; it's about loving and respecting all human life.

While tracing the history of feminism in America, Browder discovered at the core of these various feminist movements a search for personhood. Where do women place their identity and find their fulfillment? Browder ultimately concludes that in our noisy, consumerist society, placing one's identity anywhere other than in God will prove disappointing and unfulfilling.

"My hope is that some thoughts presented here will spark a new conversation and help heal one of the deepest political divisions in our nation." — Sue Ellen Browder

In this third title in the Father Gabriel Mystery series, the detective priest is less than pleased to find himself the reluctant guest at a wealthy local family's Christmas party. Only the excellent – and probably black market – food softens the horror of meeting the odious Victor Gladstone, a veteran reporter, an ardent anti-clerical and the only witness to a wartime massacre no one wishes to hear about. When Victor is found dead on the Martin estate the next morning, the apparent victim of an unfortunate accident, Gabriel is drawn into the mystery of who among the family's chattering guests could have wanted the old man dead.

Gabriel quickly realizes that Victor Gladstone, like any good reporter, had a nose for rotten behavior, but as Gabriel's investigation moves towards its tragic conclusion, he faces the not one but two serious questions: Who is guilty of Gladstone's murder? and Is anyone truly innocent?

This mystery focuses on the issue of indirect involvement in evil, particularly buying and selling property stolen from victims of the Nazis and witnessing Nazi crimes.