Books Published by Ignatius Press

St. Thomas Aquinas - For Chesterton, Thomas Aquinas is a man of mystery, who though born into a noble Neapolitan family chose the life of a mendicant friar. Shy and lumbering, his classmates dubbed him "the Dumb Ox". However he was to lead a revolution in Christian thought. Chesterton's portrayal will engage, enlighten and sometimes confound. His seminal sketch of the life and thought of this great man is as relevant today as when it was first published in 1933. ...... St Francis of Assisi - ...

Clear, precise and inspiring, Theology for Beginners has been acclaimed as one of the outstanding modern introductions to theology. More than a compendium of the central doctrines of Catholicism, however, the book is designed to equip you with the information you need to understand key doctrines and to explain them to others. Along the way, you will find yourself falling more deeply in love with your faith and more confident of your ability to bring healing and hope to what Frank Sheed called...

Saint Anthony and the Christ Child, written by Helen Walker Homan, is a delightful book which chronicles the life of the beloved saint from Padua. Written for young readers, it offers fascinating insight into an important period of time. The book includes a variety of engaging details about Saint Anthony's life and accomplishments, including his visit to Morocco, shipwreck experiences, meeting with Saint Francis in Assisi and powerful preaching skills. In addition, there are stories about the...

Contemplative Provocations, by Father Donald Haggerty, is a must-have resource for any spiritual seeker looking to deepen their faith and devotion. This book will take you on a journey towards a deeper encounter with God, exploring the sometimes difficult obstacles that come with seeking Him out. Utilizing rich examples and insights from men and women of the past, this work encourages the reader to stay focused on the ultimate adventure: discovering the living God beyond our human knowledge.C...

Since the beginnings of the Church, much has been written about the Trinity in the Creator. In this accessible book for ordinary Christians, Peter Kreeft reflects on a different topic: the Trinity in the creation.Because, as G. K. Chesterton put it, in creating us, God "broke His own law, and made a graven image of Himself", it comes as no surprise that we find a Trinitarian structure embedded in our lives--not to mention the universe itself. While the fact that so many things come in threes ...

The greatest teacher of philosophy in all of history was Socrates, according to philosopher Peter Kreeft. In 2,400 years, no one has topped him or his Socratic method, teaching not by monologue, but by dialogue; not by lecturing, but by logical questioning. Yet of the hundreds of textbooks for beginning philosophers today, none uses his method.Kreeft has imagined Socrates University: a log, with Socrates at one end and a typical intelligent modern student beginner at the other, conversing abo...

Ignatius Press is proud to bring you The Shadow of His Wings, the must-have book this season. It is an incredible true story from Father Gereon Goldmann, a young German seminarian drafted into Hitler's dreaded SS during World War II. Despite being surrounded by evil, Father Goldmann persevered without compromising his Christian ideals and values. The Shadow of His Wings details all of Father Goldmann’s harrowing experiences – family life during wartime, the trials of war and his many near-dea...

This is a simple, comprehensive guide for men seeking to grow daily in their relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ. It introduces men to the rhythm of prayer throughout their entire day - from the moment they wake to their last conscious thought. It offers quick insights and prayers for common concerns facing men throughout their day/life. It also introduces men to traditional devotional practices and prayers of the Church. Prayers for Catholic Men supports men in their primary vocations in...

This unparalleled introduction to St. John Henry Newman--mind, heart, soul, and personality--brings the great cardinal to life before our eyes, and with him the charged air of nineteenth-century England. Drawing from his letters, writings, and journal entries with precision and poetic flair, the book is one of Ida Friederike Görres' masterworks. While famous for his brilliance, Cardinal Newman did not hide in an ivory tower. His life was one of risk, sacrifice, and immense charity. His sharp ...

Available for the first time in a comprehensive English translation, this thoroughly annotated but easy-to-use presentation of the classic 1917 Code of Canon Law by canon and civil lawyer Dr. Edward Peters is destined to become the standard reference work on this milestone of Church law. More than just of historical interest, the 1917 Code is an indispensable tool for understanding the current 1983 Code under which the Roman Catholic Church governs itself. Dr. Peters' faithful translation of ...

The life of St. Edmund Campion comes alive in the pages of Evelyn Waugh’s Edmund Campion. This captivating work traces the journey of a remarkable man—from a celebrated Oxford scholar to professorship in Prague and ultimately to becoming a martyr for his unshakable commitment to the Queen and faith. With its combination of striking prose, perfect historic truth and elements that any novelist would admire, this book is bound to captivate any reader. Tracing the arc of Edmund Campion’s incredib...

Italian Carmelite Antonio Maria Sicari''s vibrant biographies of saints--from Augustine to Catherine of Siena to Faustina Kowalska--have been read across Europe for decades. In How Saints Die, Sicari turns to the most difficult challenge in the life of a Christian: the hour of death.What he uncovers in this darkest moment, however, is not desolation, but inexplicable joy. I have recounted the death of many saints, he writes, but all of them have confirmed for me the truth of this ancient Chri...

Here is a special two-in-one book that is both by G.K. Chesterton and about Chesterton. This volume offers an irresistible opportunity to see who this remarkable man really was. Chesterton was one of the most stimulating and well-loved writers of the 20th century. His 100 books, and hundreds of essays and columns on a great variety of themes have made G.K. Chesterton the most widely quoted writers of modern times. Here is Chesterton in his own words, in a book he preferred not to write, but d...

Looking for a book that offers thoughtful insight into why someone may have chosen to convert from fundamentalist Protestantism to Catholicism? David Currie's Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic is the perfect read. In this book, Currie provides a comprehensive exploration of his personal spiritual journey, tracing his roots in his religious upbringing of fundamentalist Protestantism and how it eventually led him to embrace Catholicism. From theology professors at Moody Bible Institute t...

This book presents the chief insights concerning the mystery of atonement in the works of four theological guides: John Paul II, Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Norbert Hoffmann.The author argues for the central importance and perennial value of a theology of atonement, even as she explains the modern aversion to it. The book's central aim is to deepen our understanding of the biblical claim that God shows himself to be love precisely by sending his Son as atonement...

Ngo Dinh Diem, the first president of the Republic of Vietnam, possessed the Confucian "Mandate of Heaven", a moral and political authority that was widely recognized by all Vietnamese. This devout Roman Catholic leader never lost this mandate in the eyes of his people; rather, he was taken down by a military coup sponsored by the U.S. government, which resulted in his brutal murder.The commonly held view runs contrary to the above assertion by military historian Geoffrey Shaw. According to m...

Since the early twentieth century, scientific materialism has so undermined our belief in the human capacity for transcendence that many people find it difficult to believe in God and the human soul. The materialist perspective has not only cast its spell on the natural sciences, psychology, philosophy, and literature, it has also enthralled popular culture, which offers very little to encourage the "soul's upward yearning". There are many signs of the widespread loss of confidence in our abi...

Fulfilling the promise he made in his previous book, The Quest for Shakespeare, bestselling literary writer Joseph Pearce analyzes in this volume three of Shakespeare's immortal plays -The Merchant of Venice, Hamlet and King Lear - in order to uncover the Bard's Catholic beliefs. In The Quest for Shakespeare, which has been made into an EWTN television series, Pearce delved into the known biographical evidence for Shakespeare's Catholicism. Here the popular and provocative author digs into th...

The whole of Scripture, Old Testament and New, is being published in a single volume, featuring the beautiful Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation along with introductions, outlines, and explanatory notes for each biblical book, extensive cross references to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and an array of visual and educational aids to bring the message of Scripture into clear focus for Catholic readers. More than any other study edition of the Bible on ...

Josef Pieper's timeless classic on the three theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love is now available in a single-volume edition. Spanning the intervals between East and West, Reason and Revelation, and despair and ecstasy, these treatises offer profound insights into the nature of the human condition. Delivered with clarity, elegance, and wit, they provide a unique perspective on the perennial questions of human existence.In his famous work on Faith, Josef Pieper discusses the role of f...

St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel-On Prayer This book is the fruit of Fr. Dubay's many years of study and experience in spiritual direction and in it he synthesizes the teachings on prayer of the two great doctors of the Church on prayer--St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila--and the teaching of Sacred Scripture. But the teaching that Fr. Dubay synthesized is not collected from Teresa and John for contemplatives alone. It is meant for every Christian and is b...

Growing in the spiritual life can be challenging, but with the right tools it’s sure to be a fulfilling experience. Now, novice and experienced prayer warriors alike have access to invaluable insights in Peter Kreeft’s Prayer for Beginners. Based on timeless guidance from Brother Lawrence’s classic The Practice of the Presence of God, this book enables readers to discover how to connect with God through prayer in meaningful ways. Kreeft shows readers the necessity of prayer, outlining various...

This inspiring work profiles sixteen heroic Catholic men and women who defied the odds to advance civil and human rights around the world. Spanning from the birth of the United States to World War II Germany to the current Latin American immigration crisis, this book features people whose faith drove them to courageously defend the dignity of the children of God, especially the most vulnerable, transforming many lives and paving the way for a more equitable society. To understand human rights...

One day, philosopher Peter Kreeft reads an open letter published by a friend, Nat Whilk. He's Catholic, but he sees the Church as unsteady, outdated, obsessive. As a challenge to the "True Believers", Nat pens a twenty-point manifesto for "cafeteria Catholics", who pass up certain Church teachings and scoop up others like a diner in a buffet line."I find in [Catholicism] both much to accept and even love and also much to refuse and even despise", he asserts. "If you insist on tying God to the...

This 27th volume in the popular Ignatius Catholic Study Bible series leads readers through a penetrating study of the Psalms using the text itself and the Church's own guidelines for understanding the Bible.Ample notes accompany each page, providing fresh insights by renowned Scripture scholars Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch as well as time-tested interpretations from the Fathers of the Church. These helpful study notes provide rich historical, cultural, geographical, and theological information...

In this unusual murder mystery, the tranquility of Saint Mary's Abbey is shattered by the discovery of a gruesome crime in a cottage on the abbey grounds. A foreign artist and war hero seeking refuge from the world has been murdered. Marie Paige, the frail, sickly wife of the village doctor, lies beside him beaten into a coma. The police arrest Marie's husband, convinced that they are looking at a crime of passion. But Dr. Paige finds himself with an unlikely champion: Fr. Gabriel, a blunderi...

The Porn Myth is a non-religious response to the commonly held belief that pornography is a harmless or even beneficial pastime. Author Matt Fradd draws on the experience of porn performers and users, and the expertise of neurologists, sociologists, and psychologists to demonstrate that pornography is destructive to individuals, relationships, and society. He provides insightful arguments, supported by the latest scientific research, to discredit the fanciful claims used to defend and promote...

Ceremonies Explained for Servers may well be called the "mother of all servers' manuals". This is the most detailed guide available for servers and those who train and supervise them at the altar. In accessible language, Ceremonies covers the roles of servers in a wide range of Catholic liturgical celebrations. These are described in full, such as: the Mass in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary forms, the seven sacraments, the ceremonies of Holy Week, the Liturgy of the Hours, funeral rites,...

First Steps in Becoming a Saint  "Life, in the end, has only one tragedy: not to have been a saint."- Leon Bloy The ever-popular and prolific Peter Kreeft says that the most important question he has written about is how one becomes holy; or to put it another way, how one becomes a saint. This question is central to all the great religions, Kreeft demonstrates, for striving toward holiness, moving toward perfect love, is the whole purpose of life. Kreeft admits that he is only a beginner on t...

The power of a woman is most concretely observed in the seeds she plants, day after day, in the lives of those around her. Soul Garden is a sizable collection of personal stories, essays, poems, and recipes written to cultivate the motherly role of women by offering inspiration, camaraderie, and encouragement.Contributors from across the country and around the world invite readers to put away their screens and to pick up this lovely, tangible book, in which they can find nourishment for the s...

This panoramic novel of the last days of Christ ranges from the palaces of imperial Rome to the strife-torn hills of Judea-where the conflict of love and betrayal, revenge and redemption, reaches a mighty climax in the drama of the Crucifixion. For this is the full story of the world's most dramatic execution, as it affected one of its least-known participants-the man who hurled his spear into Christ on the Cross. Among his many successful historical novels, Louis de Wohl considered The Spear...

The St Gregory's Prayer Book is a beautifully produced leatherette prayer book compiled by the Ordinariates established by Pope Benedict XVI and drawing on the riches of the Anglican liturgical heritage and the exquisite Cranmerian language of the Book of Common Prayer to further enrich the panoply of Catholic liturgy and devotion. The text includes ancient English collects, introits and hymns available together for the first time for the whole Church as approved examples of Catholic liturgy....

Very few people know that Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) wrote a major work on Joan of Arc. Still fewer know that he considered it not only his most important but also his best work. He spent twelve years in research and many months in France doing archival work and then made several attempts until he felt he finally had the story he wanted to tell. He reached his conclusion about Joan's unique place in history only after studying in detail accounts written by both sides, the French and the Engl...

This book introduces the reader to thirteen Christian spiritual classics that illustrate the ordinary steps we can take toward living the Gospel life more fully.Drawing on the rich teaching of a particular saint or mystic, each chapter helps us grow in a different aspect of holiness, of intimacy with God. Archbishop Hughes offers an itinerary for becoming a good disciple of the Lord, giving the reader access to an impressive spiritual library that can support and strengthen progress in discip...

One morning, attorney Dan Geary, seventy-seven years old, finds himself in the middle of a rolling, polychrome landscape. The greens are bold and bright. Birds sing in the distance. Tall grasses surge like a sea before the wind. He has never seen anything quite like it. But somehow--with the doctors and beeping monitors suddenly gone--he knows exactly where he is: the afterlife.What a relief not to be floating on a cloud, playing a harp. Instead, a hiking pack full of gear sits on his back, a...

In sixth-century Ireland, the memory of the great missionary Saint Patrick was strong, but so was the influence of the old pagan religion. There was still much work to be done to spread the Christian faith.This book tells the story of one of the greatest saints of the Emerald Isle after Patrick, Saint Kevin, whose monastery at Glendalough was a beacon of light for eight hundred years. Saint Kevin worked miracles, communed with animals, and inspired thousands to leave everything to follow Chri...

If a life of spiritual growth and connection to God is your goal, then Into Your Hands, Father by Carmelite Father Wilfrid Stinissen is the perfect book for you. Drawing from Jesus’ example on Earth, Father Stinissen takes us on a deep journey of surrendering completely to God in order to meet our goals both in life and in faith. This book outlines three distinct stages of abandonee that help to bring clarity and peace to the practice of respect for the will of God. In the first stage, Into Y...

This book addresses important moral questions people commonly face when they or their loved ones experience life-threatening injuries, end-stage illnesses, or advanced old age. Due to modern medical technology, patients and their family members often confront such questions as: What medical procedures are morally required, and what procedures are optional? Is providing food and water to a patient an optional medical treatment, or is it basic care necessary for all human beings? What roles do ...

Awarded the Grand Prix for Literature by the Académie Française and adapted into a classic film by Robert Bresson, Diary of a Country Priest has long been recognized as a literary masterpiece. In this acclaimed new translation by Bernanos scholar Michael R. Tobin, the full, unabridged work is made available to English-language readers for the first time. Set in rural France, the novel recounts the joys and travails of a young parish priest, tormented by illness and afflicted by awkwardness, a...

This book provides a detailed, updated exposition and defense of five of the historically most important (but in recent years largely neglected) philosophical proofs of God's existence: the Aristotelian, the Neo-Platonic, the Augustinian, the Thomistic, and the Rationalist. It also offers a thorough treatment of each of the key divine attributes--unity, simplicity, eternity, omnipotence, omniscience, perfect goodness, and so forth--showing that they must be possessed by the God whose existenc...

Although many Catholics are familiar with the four Gospels and other writings of the New Testament, for most, reading the Old Testament is like walking into a foreign land. Who wrote these forty-six books? When were they written? Why were they written? What are we to make of their laws, stories, histories, and prophecies? Should the Old Testament be read by itself or in light of the New Testament? John Bergsma and Brant Pitre offer readable in-depth answers to these questions as they introduc...

Spiritual Direction from St. Thomas Aquinas.  From a lifetime of studying the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, popular author Peter Kreeft says that his amazement has continually increased not only at Aquinas' theoretical, philosophical brilliance and sanity, but also at his personal, practical wisdom, his "existential bite." Yet this second dimension of St. Thomas has usually been eclipsed by the other. Kreeft wrote this book to help bring that sun out from its eclipse. He provides easily dig...

With eloquent, moving prose, Sheldon Vanauken tells about those years following the death of his beloved wife, Davy, and how he moved step-by-step through the darkness of his grief into the light of God's love. But this poignant volume is much more than a sequel to the runaway best-seller, A Severe Mercy: it is a continuing autobiography and an engrossing chronicle of Vanauken's writings, and always a challenge to live the spiritual life.Under the Mercy also mirrors the times during which Van...

Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini crossed oceans to spread the Gospel and serve the poor. She also wrote oceans of letters to her religious sisters as she travelled all over the globe. Frances suffered from health problems all her life. Despite her many limitations, she bravely faced persecution, poverty, and dangerous sea voyages to establish new schools and orphanages for her religious order, the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. To keep in contact with her spiritual daughters throughout h...

Bishop Fulton Sheen's renowned and inspiring television series, Life Is Worth Living, was watched by millions of viewers from all walks of life and every religious belief. This book contains the full-length scripts of forty-four of those top-rated programs that drew thousands of letters weekly to Sheen from his viewers in response to the advice and insights he gave on his shows. Bishop Sheen's writings, tapes and videos are as popular today as when he was alive. His timeless insights offered ...

A Catholic Defense of Capital Punishment  The Catholic Church has in recent decades been associated with political efforts to eliminate the death penalty. It was not always so. This timely work reviews and explains the Catholic Tradition regarding the death penalty, demonstrating that it is not inherently evil and that it can be reserved as a just form of punishment in certain cases.  Drawing upon a wealth of philosophical, scriptural, theological, and social scientific arguments, the authors...

Over three hundred years ago, many Frenchmen came to the unknown forests along the St. Lawrence River. Most of them came in search of furs and wealth. But there were some--a handful of Jesuit missionaries--who came not to get, but to give. They wished to give the savage Indians the knowledge of God and of His love for them. One of these missionaries was Isaac Jogues, martyr and Saint. This is the story of his dangerous and difficult life among the Indian tribes in their tree-dark country--of ...