One of the most significant changes initiated by the Second Vatican Council was the direct encouragement for Catholics to rediscover the Bible. Unfortunately, education has lagged behind Catholic interest in exploring the Bible and its mysteries. Consequently, vital questions, including how to read and interpret the Bible, remain unanswered for many Christians. In Biblical Fundamentalism, Father Ronald Witherup offers Catholics a guide to the questions that arise when they desire to use "the good book" in their personal lives.

Father Witherup provides an overview of the origins, history, basic tenets, and problems with biblical fundamentalism and its influence in contemporary culture. He summarizes Catholic teaching on the Bible and points out both the strengths and the weaknesses in the fundamentalist approach to the Bible. He also provides a concise but thorough response to questions that Catholics have about fundamentalism and discusses resources for further study.

Biblical Fundamentalism is divided into five chapters. The first chapter explains the historical origins of Christian biblical fundamentalism and why it is a uniquely American phenomenon. The second chapter outlines the main tenets of fundamentalist faith and how it approached the Bible. The third chapter does the same for the Catholic faith. The fourth chapter explores why biblical fundamentalism is attractive in our day and offers a critique of it. Finally, the fifth chapter imparts some practical advice about how to fashion a sensible (and courteous) Catholic response to fundamentalism.

Chapters are "The Origins of Biblical Fundamentalism," "Bible Basics: A Fundamentalist Approach to the Bible," "Bible Basics: A Catholic Approach to the Bible," "Evaluating Fundamentalism," and "A Catholic Response to Fundamentalism."

Presents the Roman Catholic approach to sacraments in general in a way that encompasses the teaching of Vatican II, contemporary Catholic theologians and the ecumenical dimension.

Newly revised and expanded, this is the perfect introduction to the beliefs of Catholicism and a unique and invaluable guide for studying the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This revised and expanded edition of The Creed is highly recommended for students of Ecclesiology, Christology, Church History, and Catechetical Theology.

The Classic Work Simplified and Updated

Written by one of the country's most respected Catholic theologians, for twenty years this book has been the standard in explaining the major doctrines of the faith. Here now is a fully revised edition, updated throughout by Hellwig herself. The result offers solid, trustworthy answers to questions that trouble most thinking Catholics.

This concise overview of the Catholic faith--

· uses inclusive language for God and gender.

· streamlines the original's expression of ideas into simpler terms.

· clarifies the book's more difficult material.

· covers a wide range of topics.

· addresses the major questions raised by general readers over the past twenty years.

The sacraments are at the heart of our life as Catholics, the way we celebrate together our continuing conversion and encounter with God. Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing, Marriage, and Holy Orders--all are activities that require preparation to bring us to the fullness of our life in community and in Christ. Chapter by chapter, Father Lawrence Mick puts these core experiences into their historical and theological context, and illuminates the ways the sacraments bring us together as God's people. Ever conscious of the complex history of the church and its dynamic relationship to ritual, as well as the varied histories of human communities, Understanding the Sacraments Today is a book to be visited and revisited, a companion to the ongoing and repeated practices that nourish us.