Bøger udgivet af Sophia Institute Press

The genius of Anthony Esolen, dubbed "the best writer in America," again shines through in these pages. Esolen deftly weaves together literature, history, and contemporary examples to masterfully reveal objective truth to a culture assailed by one fusillade of lies after another. In these incisive pages, containing fresh, logical insights about belief in God, you will rediscover beauty and reason in your life. Through captivating stories and pearls of wisdom, you will see common threads that will lead you to a deeper sense of gratitude, awe, and wonder about the sacredness of life. Thus renewed, you will be empowered to share the liberating truth of God's love with others. You will discover: The two conditions to which refusal to believe in God conforms us The evils that result from a utilitarian rejection of absolute values Seven lies in contemporary society -- and the truths that they attempt to hide How you can become more discerning to detect the language of lies Ways in which beauty is illuminating and reflects the truth The dangers of experiments against reality (e.g., with sexual relations, gender, etc.) You will be edified by unvarnished real-world examples of authentic community building (and tearing down) in families, schools, and society. In addition, you will find out what equality really means in education and relationships as well as how to grow in true obedience and virtue. Esolen includes a special reflection on the Ten Commandments and how they relate to your life personally today. He reveals numerous oxymorons inherent in society's advancement of feminism and wars against organized religion, sound schooling, health care, and manliness -- all while elevating your ability to sift through misinformation and distorted statistics. Whether using examples from miracles, philology, or math, he will help restore your belief in the transcendent.

There are many wonderful children's picture books about Christmas, but few about the season of Advent. In The World Waits, Elizabeth Pham explores this period of anticipation through the eyes of an anthropomorphic Earth experiencing the progression of human history and its longing for a Messiah.We see the world first plunged in the darkness of pre-Christian times. Then we see the world uplifted by the coming of Christ (the world sees a star!). Then we see the world cycle through the post-Christian era, when Christ seems perhaps more elusive and mysterious than ever (the star left almost as quickly as it came). But then, with the conclusion of the book, we see that the world has not given up hope -- the world still waits. We wait for Jesus' coming at Christmas each year, we wait for His coming in the Blessed Sacrament during Mass, we wait for His coming at the end of time, and we wait for His coming into our hearts in all seasons and situations.Jen Olson's illustrations beautifully evoke this sense of joyful anticipation. With picture references from Noah's Ark to the Star of Bethlehem to the tabernacle on the altar, we are reminded of God's hand in all of history, guiding us through the darkness and on toward the light.We hope this book will be a little light for your family during this Advent season!

We are living through the greatest catastrophe since the fall of the Roman Empire. Western civilization isn't dying: it's already dead. Christendom is no more. What we see around us now isn't Christian. It's not even a civilization. It's a walking corpse.That's the bad news. The good news is that the West can be reborn someday. We know this because it died once before. Who brought it back? The mystics, the martyrs, and the missionaries. Now they must save the West once again.In this prescient work, Michael Warren Davis examines just how bad the situation is and how much worse it's going to get. He weaves together examples from history and literature to illustrate how societies fell and how various saints helped them rise again. Throughout, he reflects on the transformative power and benefits of persecution and suffering to show how Christians can survive ― and indeed flourish ― in the new Dark Age that's descending.These penetrating pages will help you move from a "Culture War" mindset to one of answering the Great Commission. You will learn how to form intentional Christian communities to ward off spiritual isolation and come to understand what St. Augustine, the chief architect of Christendom's first renaissance, taught about why God allows the City of Man to fall in the first place. Additionally, you will discover: - The only weapon in your arsenal (can you guess?)- What role laughter played in the early Church's victory- How to attain xenitia, the first stage of spiritual development- Methods to grow in union with Christ through meditative prayer- The fruits of street evangelization and your call to go into the vineyard- How drawing from Eastern Christianity can help renew our culture againAbove all, you will find out how you can respond to the crisis of the early twenty-first century with the wisdom of the ages -- to testify to your Faith, help restore beauty, and cultivate authentic love in the modern world. For, according to Davis, every Christian has a role to play. All are called to share their faith person-to-person to help rebuild the Church, and once again the tears of mystics, the sweat of missionaries, and the blood of martyrs will become the seed of the Church. Despite the darkness, by imitating their witness, you will find unshakable peace and joy in the face of what is to come.

For over half of the twentieth century, across nearly half the globe, the Catholic Faith was repressed, restricted, or outright illegal.Since 1917, the atheistic, false messianic doctrine of communism found its expression in state powers, whose promises of "equality for all" routinely descended into totalitarianism, slavery, and slaughter.The Catholic Church was a principal target of these regimes.From secret Masses in the prisons of Cuba, to clandestine clergy in the catacombs of Bratislava, to showdowns with Soviet tanks on the streets of Brno, Catholics resisted communist persecution in every way they could. Like their ancestors before them, they risked it all for their Faith -- imprisonment, torture, death -- knowing that the preservation of the Faith, and their immortal souls, was the only worthwhile option -- and their greatest victory.In these pages, you will read about: Heroic priests and bishops martyred by their governmentsThe resilience of political prisoners who refused to submit to "re-education"Freedom fighters who died proclaiming "Viva Cristo Rey!"The underground Church in Czechoslovakia, where bishops secretly ministered to the faithful and continued apostolic successionHow Catholics' peaceful, prayerful protests were instrumental in the downfall of communist governmentsThe daily "white martyrdom" experienced by Catholics who refused to join the Communist PartyWhy communism's doctrine of worldly utopia is antithetical to the FaithThe role Our Lady plays in defeating communismJust as the Church is universal, Catholic resistance to tyranny is universal. These inspiring, modern-era stories, while geographically and materially disparate, demonstrate the same devotion and fortitude common to saint heroes of every age.

We're all starting to hear people ask how the world has gotten to be the way it is. Grafted onto the usual complaints about why people are so greedy, self-absorbed, and callous toward one another are new expressions of frustration about even more fundamental concerns. Why can't we agree on concepts that used to be basic common sense? Why does our very language now seem to be a minefield that only the most wily and tactical (or cynical) among us can navigate? The only way to understand fully how we have arrived at this state -- and what, if anything, we might be able to do about it -- is to embark on a journey back in time to see where we went off the rails. With candor and occasional humor, Dan LeRoy tells the sweeping story of Western thought from its beginnings to the present, revealing the souls and idiosyncrasies of its greatest thinkers. Through stirring vignettes, he tells the real story of how our customs and thought patterns developed and then relates it to our current moment of rupture. In pages that sometimes read like an Indiana Jones adventure, LeRoy explains the detour that philosophy took nearly a thousand years ago that has led Western society to its current, dire situation. With sharp pen and clear eye, he reveals: The roots of classical philosophy, including empiricism (Ready to wade into the water?) How views on ethics and morality began to take shape even before Christ The three ways to attain happiness, according to the Big Three philosophers Four splinter groups and how their philosophies impact us today The enduring teachings of Sts. Augustine and Aquinas, among many othersYou will find out about amazing discoveries during the early days of rationalism, from mathematical equations to intervals between music notes, and how this universal ratio applied to another scientific revelation. Along the way, you will see the relevance of famous (and infamous) beliefs, including the Realm of Forms, the Four Causes, and Pascal's Wager as well as dualism, humanism, materialism, and pantheism. Additionally, you will learn about how these ideologies provided the basis for modern-day politics, education, and belief in the transcendent, and the bridge between ancient philosophy and Christianity. LeRoy unveils the ways in which the beliefs our society has largely abandoned still affect our everyday lives. Knowing why we think what we think is the only way to recover the ideas -- many of them Christian in origin -- that can help turn things around and restore belief in the Unmoved Mover. This is a philosophy book not just for philosophers but for all of us.

"You will see how eleven of the greatest Catholics in history--canonized saints all--suffered from undeserved persecution by their superiors and even betrayal by clergy and how this suffering was a part of their sanctification, serving as a heroic model for us today." [taken from back cover]

Perhaps the most beautiful and accessible missal ever published, The Saint Edmund Campion Missal stands alone among Extraordinary Form missals, serving as an elegant and dignified congregational book presenting the Traditional Latin Mass. This Missal is lavishly designed with large fonts, beautiful artwork, photographs, and Gregorian chant in just 672 pages.

It may be defensibly maintained that, in the United States of America, no single catechism has had a more expansive impact on Catholic religious education than A Catechism of Christian Doctrine, Prepared and Enjoined by Order of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, most commonly known as "the Baltimore Catechism," or even more simply, "the Baltimore." The work of many hands over several years, the Baltimore Catechism has shaped the religious education of American Catholics in countless schools, parishes, and mission societies across the continent, and continues to do so today. This volume of the Tradivox collection includes the two most influential iterations of that text: the original catechism itself, unaltered as it came off the press in 1885, and Fr. Thomas Kinkead's expanded version, published six years later "for the use of Sunday-school teachers and advanced classes." The three Plenary Councils of Baltimore-held in 1852, 1866, and 1884-represented the first gatherings of the bishops in North America apart from Canada. The councils spanned a critical juncture in the history of the fledgling nation; not least of which being the bloody war for Southern independence, which ended just months before the opening of Baltimore II. In this period, the growing desire for an American catechism was generally felt, as evidenced by the remarkable efforts of Bishop John McGill of Richmond, who published his own catechism in 1865 within "the District Court of the Confederate States of America," and acknowledged: It is not only desirable, but even most necessary, that we should have some books of religious instruction for our people. ... [Thus] I have been induced, in view of our manifest need, to write and publish this volume, notwithstanding the difficulties attending such an enterprise in our present circumstances. This need would only increase with the explosive immigration to the continent between Baltimore II and III, when the Catholic population of America more than doubled in size in less than twenty years. The desire for a uniform catechism was met by the decrees of Baltimore III, which placed Catholic religious education among the principal issues of concern, in the face of a growing materialism in the culture and widespread opposition to Catholic schooling in public policy. In meeting these challenges, the Baltimore Catechism-especially the expanded edition by Fr. Kinkead - gives remarkable testimony to the kind of conflicted self-perception prevalent among American Catholics of the time. Intent on being an obedient citizen (largely in order to avoid the kind of continued persecution made famous by the Know-Nothing party), the American Catholic is bidden in the Baltimore Catechism to hail "the wise makers of the Constitution," and yet to regard the Roman pontiff's actions as done "with the authority of our Lord himself"-a disposition which, albeit somewhat exaggerated with regard to the doctrine of papal infallibility, must leave him ill at ease with his own national government, as Pope Pius IX's Syllabus of Errors (1864) had recently condemned several tenets that remain central to the American Constitution. While the original text of the Baltimore Catechism has been reproduced in this volume with no change, we have made a few minor adjustments to Kinkead's expanded edition that warrant exact description. First, we have clarified the author's anachronistic use of "viz." and "Maji," opting for consistency. Second, we removed the author's system of asterisk marks, which referenced a different contemporary edition that would have been confusing to include in this series. Third, we have withheld the "complete index of subjects" mentioned in the author's preface, the better to accord with the full series index found in Volume XX of the Tradivox collection. Finally, we added a few simple subheadings within some of the lengthier explanations, and clarified the wording of review question 798. We can confidently say that these minimal and cautious adjustments leave the reader in possession of the two most influential early editions of the Baltimore Catechism, as well as a helpful measure of historical insight for understanding the situation of American Catholics today.

In the long history of the catechetical genre, texts originating from the New World occupy an understandably recent portion of the timeline. In this volume, we turn for the first time to the North American continent, reclaiming three successive forms of what came to be known as the "Quebec Catechism"--the most widely used official catechism in the Canadian provinces for nearly three centuries.The early evangelization of the Americas began in the same century as the Protestant Revolt, the Council of Trent, and major advances in mechanical printing, and it was not long before catechisms began to appear across the oceans. In addition to bringing European catechisms from overseas, members of the various Catholic missionary orders were dedicated to producing instructive works that were adapted to the new circumstances of the foreign missions. Missionary priests especially worked tirelessly, and often in concert with native speakers, to produce multi-language catechisms that could be employed within the far-flung territories in which the gospel was taking root. Considering the many challenges involved, they appeared with amazing rapidity; and in some cases, these books were the first ever printed in their respective languages--if not the first to be printed on the entire continent. Latin, vernacular, bilingual, and even trilingual catechisms were composed for Mexico (1539), India (1546), Japan (1570), Peru (1584), China (1584), Vietnam (1629), and Huronia (1632), to name a few. The latter deserves special mention here, as it was the work of the great Jesuit missionary priest St. Jean de Brebeuf (1593-1649) and forms the historical backdrop for the Canadian catechisms that are contained in this volume.

Volume 14 - DEHARBE.This volume contains two catechisms by that most outstanding German catechist of the nineteenth century, Fr. Joseph Deharbe, S.J. First joining the Jesuit mission to Switzerland in 1840, Fr. Deharbe was widely regarded as a highly knowledgeable and engaging catechist and evangelist, and was soon asked to compose a new German-language catechism. His efforts yielded several brilliant catechisms for different levels of understanding, which were swiftly adopted by the episcopate of Germany and beyond. This volume reproduces two of his best-known works: later, more polished editions of the Small Catechism and the Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion, written for children and adults, respectively. With characteristically German precision and clarity, Deharbe's catechisms fostered the faith of children and adults across an astounding span of time, in nearly every European language (and many others besides), and remain admirable for their sensible and endearing arrangement, brevity, and accuracy.

Volume 13 - GAUME Volume 4.This unique volume contains the final installment of Abbé Gaume's four- part Catechism of Perseverance, presenting the doctrine of the Faith through the lens of Catholic worship: the Church's many feasts and fasts, bells and blessings, vessels and vesture, signs and symbols, and all the varied rites and ceremonies that are generally referred to as "liturgy." From the richness of the Roman Mass to the significance of various altar furnishings and other blessed objects, Abbé Gaume relates the hidden significance of each; for, "ceremonies are mysterious acts... like a thin veil that lets one have a glimpse of things purely spiritual." In this volume, readers encounter the full significance of the age-old Catholic axiom: lex orandi, lex credendi--"the law of prayer is the law of belief"--as the author reveals how Catholic worship both contains and expresses divine truth, ensuring the integrity of right faith over time: "At all times, external worship has been brought forward to show to heretics the true doctrine of our Lord and the apostles."

For centuries, readers have been enthralled by the tales of the doomed Round Table, the mythical King Arthur, and the most cherished love story ever told - that of Guenevere his Queen and Sir Lancelot his greatest knight. However, a great mystery surrounds the author of this novel. Undeniable evidence indicates that his true identity was mistaken for centuries. In these enthralling pages, you will learn more about who the author was and the secret reason that he didn't seek any attention for himself. You will find out about the astonishing discovery of an older version of his masterpiece--the greatest 15th-century literary work in English--and the shocking place that it lay hidden for 700 years. While it is certain that Sir Thomas Malory was the author, there was more than one man with the same name living during this time period. Dr. Cecelia Linton separates the fact from fiction shrouding this enigma. She reveals answers to questions like: - Did the real author actually spend ten years in prison? - Was the author disinherited because he was considered a "byblow"? - What do clues such as his use of diction tell us about the author's identity? - Was the author of Le Morte Darthur really a member of the Order of the Knights Hospitallers? - Who helped inspire the quest for the Holy Grail? (You will be surprised!) - Do the author's characters and plot reflect his beliefs and lifestyle? Through Linton's exhaustive research and extensive findings, you will learn fascinating facts about Malory's family and their society. Most significantly, you will see actual documentation of the man who claimed authorship of Le Morte Darthur, along with pictures relating to his life. Linton further examines the possible sources for Malory's account, which is more famous than the original medieval French version. She relates how Malory adds his own special nuances and is most interested in the transformation of the soul. You will also delight in learning about Malory's craft and whether or not his life parallels that of Lancelot. Additionally, you will find out the astonishing connection between King Arthur and the Cistercians and appreciate monasticism--especially as reflected in the life of St. Bernard of Clairvaux--like never before. Above all, you will see the Faith shine through Malory's tales, as he highlights the sacred brotherhood and calling of the Knights' Order, esteemed healers and warriors.

In chapter after chapter, you will encounter men and women who were healed from debilitating traumas, panic attacks, or mood swings.Â

"This book is an invitation to sit at the feet of Jesus, our High Priest," Cardinal Sarah explains, "to allow ourselves to be renewed in our priesthood. At His feet and following in His footsteps, we learn to be priests, to let ourselves be formed in His image and likeness, and to enter fully into the Christian mysteries that we celebrate with faith."

If the greatest legacy of the Council of Baltimore in 1884 was the Baltimore Catechism, a close second was this definitive book of prayers. Issued in 1889 to fulfill that Council's call for an authoritative and comprehensive compilation of traditional prayers and devotions in English, this magnificent 832-page collection became the constant companion of laymen and clergy, and a devotional mainstay of families.

The Prayer Book for Tired Parents includes relatable, real-life reflections on the struggles that parents with young children face, as well as heartwarming stories on how they can make you a stronger parent and a better Catholic.

There simple yet elegant children's book, illustrated and written by the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostoles describes the way of life as a nun.

There are countless books about the sacraments -- but few books about sacramentals. These powerhouses of grace are often overshadowed but should not be overlooked. Here is the book that will help you understand various types of sacramentals and receive the abundant graces that flow from their use.

In this timely and incisive book, John Bursch helps explain what the Catholic Church teaches about the human person and why modern culture's embrace of "gender ideology" is not only wrong but terribly dangerous for parents and families, female athletes, medical professionals -- and especially those experiencing gender confusion.

The Word who spoke, "Let there be light" into creation is the same Word who guarded the people of Israel as the "apple of His eye" (Deut 32:10), and who spoke, "You are the light of the world" (Mt 5:14) to His disciples. He speaks this same word to each of us, His children, who are bound by the darkness of self-rejection. From the beginning, the devil has sown lies and doubts into our hearts about our true identity and the Father's love and care for us. It is in the Father's gaze of love that we discover who we really are - His own beloved children, heirs to His kingdom, partakers of the Divine nature, and the very light of His eyes. In fact, His own light is within each of us - a light that radiates to a suffering world. The Son of God came into the world in order to set us free from the devil's lies, to show us who we are and what the Father's love for His children looks like. God speaks to His children's hearts and gives to each the graces they need in abundance, beckoning to us from the cross to receive what He is continually pouring out over us. We all have a story to tell - a story that is both unique and riveting. Through engaging our stories, we begin to discover a God who has entered into the very heart of our wounds, and who is waiting for us to encounter Him within our wounds, thereby discovering intimate love and healing. Mother Illiana invites you here to walk with her though a little part of her story - a journey from self-contempt to basking in the gaze of the Father's delight in me - the same delight with which He is gazing at you.

This powerful book tells the history of the heroic Catholics of Ireland who clung to the Faith through some of the worst persecutions in history. Their love of the Most Blessed Sacrament shines as an example for us all.

"In this monumental book by one of the Church's greatest contemporary defenders, Bill Donohue explains how the ruling class is systematically undermining the virtues that have built Western civilization and producing a "moral holocaust" that the traditional family cannot withstand. These radical elites have rejected the idea of personal sin and replaced it with social injustice. They've rejected traditional values and replaced them with a dangerously misguided individualism that is misusing our liberties to destroy freedom as we've known it.n his incomparable, no-holds-barred style, Donohue offers a commonsense solution to restoring the virtues in the workplace and defending universal morality. You will learn the hard-hitting truth about the dangers of multiculturalism, the "blame America" campaign, the Black Lives Matter movement, and Critical Race Theory...Through Donohue's incisive research and insights, you will also learn how today's public officials are failing even the highest achievers and how the victim mentality they propagate is hurting those who need help the most. Rich with historical sources, contemporary examples, Catholic teachings, and hero testimonies from Mother Teresa to Dorothy Day to athletes and social activists, Donohue's book arms readers with tools to stem the tide and restore authentic character, faith, and patriotism to our land"--Amazon.com.

It all started in an old bookstore in downtown Boston. There I picked up a book called "A Doctor at Calvary". It was a story that a French surgeon, Dr. Pierre Barbet had written, and the only reason I picked it up was that I was then in pre-med, and I thought it would be the surgeon's version of Jesus' crucifi xion. But it was more than that. It was about Jesus' burial cloth of which I had never heard. Seventeen years later, just as I started to read the Boston Sunday Globe, I saw the picture of this same cloth, the Shroud of Turin. It was 1978 and it was then, as a young physician that I began this pursuit as a young skeptic, always seeking the truth. And in the end, I came to an astonishing realization. It took a lifetime. For all who wonder if there is a God at work, if there is a spiritual world, if there is everlasting life, if there is a God who is true, keep wondering and keep reading.

"Every time you pray these Stations, you will truly understand the abundant love that Jesus has for you. Through the sacred scenes, full-color illustrations, and revealing dialogue, children will draw ever closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus."--Back cover

"Here is the booklet that will teach your children how to pray the Rosary and make them love doing so."--Back cover

The Word who spoke, "Let there be light" into creation is the same Word who guarded the people of Israel as the "apple of His eye" (Deut 32:10), and who spoke, "You are the light of the world" (Mt 5:14) to His disciples. He speaks this same word to each of us, His children, who are bound by the darkness of self-rejection. From the beginning, the devil has sown lies and doubts into our hearts about our true identity and the Father's love and care for us. It is in the Father's gaze of love that we discover who we really are - His own beloved children, heirs to His kingdom, partakers of the Divine nature, and the very light of His eyes. In fact, His own light is within each of us - a light that radiates to a suffering world. The Son of God came into the world in order to set us free from the devil's lies, to show us who we are and what the Father's love for His children looks like. God speaks to His children's hearts and gives to each the graces they need in abundance, beckoning to us from the cross to receive what He is continually pouring out over us. We all have a story to tell - a story that is both unique and riveting. Through engaging our stories, we begin to discover a God who has entered into the very heart of our wounds, and who is waiting for us to encounter Him within our wounds, thereby discovering intimate love and healing. Mother Illiana invites you here to walk with her though a little part of her story - a journey from self-contempt to basking in the gaze of the Father's delight in me - the same delight with which He is gazing at you.

"You will learn the difference between mortal and venial sin (and how to avoid them!), how to prepare to make a good confession, and what it means to receive the power of God's healing love, grace, and mercy."--Back cover

For the first time since World War II, the newly opened archives of the Vatican's Secretariat of State reveal the crucial role Pius XII and the Holy See played in trying to save Jews from capture and death during the war.