The Case for Jesus by Brant Pitre (Image Books, £16). The author, professor of Sacred Scripture at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, provides here all the biblical and historical evidence for Christ’s life on earth. As Bishop Robert Barron emphasises in his afterword, Pitre’s book will be “an effective weapon” for Christian evangelists who are struggling against “the debunking and sceptical attitudes towards the Gospels so prevalent in academe”. Teachers and catechists who want to deepen their knowledge of Jesus should also read it. The Gospels, as Pitre shows, were accurate accounts by eyewitnesses or those in close association with them.
The Name of God is Mercy by Pope Francis (Pan Macmillian, £9.99). Published earlier this year, this book records the Pope’s interview with Andrea Tornielli in July 2015. It has been translated by Oonagh Stransky. Not looking for soundbites, Tornielli had the idea of asking Pope Francis what mercy and forgiveness meant to him as a man and as a priest, hoping that it “would reveal the heart of Francis and his vision”. As the Pope comments, the Church is not in the world “to condemn, but to make possible an encounter with the visceral love that is God’s mercy”.
Oscar Romero and the Communion of Saints by Scott Wright (Orbis, £16.99). First published in 2009, and now slightly revised, this is an unapologetically celebratory account of Romero’s life. A highlight is the account of how the celebrations of Romero’s beatification last year captivated and enthused the people of El Salvador, while serving as a reminder that the slain archbishop’s life and legacy, however deeply cherished, provoke painful reflections. That, says Wright, is important since the saints and the blessed are “a community of memory and hope linked to solidarity”.
Archbishop Romero: Memories and Reflections by Jon Sobrino (Orbis, £16.99). This is a revised version of Sobrino’s 1990 collection of essays combining memoir and theological musings. Two new chapters are included: one dealing with Romero’s influence on the Jesuit theologian Ignacio Ellacuría, the other looking at “the inner … Romero before God” and his “praxis” as archbishop, with the role as defender of the oppressed taking centre stage. A postscript attempts to place Romero’s beatification in the context of the Gospel message and challenges some aspects of the way Romero is being remembered.
God Hates: Westboro Baptist Church, American Nationalism, and the Religious Right by Rebecca Barrett-Fox (University Press of Kansas, £18). Since the 1990s a small church in Kansas has been grabbing headlines through its anti-gay activism, not least the practice of picketing funerals. Barrett-Fox asks probing questions about the theological roots of such behaviour. The stark world view – America supposedly being punished for its sins – is analysed through a sociological prism and the author’s dispassionate approach, along with her dedicated fieldwork, is laudable.
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.