The recordings recommended in this episode are:Complete Symphonies Rundfunk-Symponieorchester Saarbrücken, conducted by Stanisław SkrowaczewskiSymphony No. 4 Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Gunther WandSymphony No. 7 Vienne Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Karl BöhmSymphony No. 8 Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, conducted by Marek Janowski<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bruckner-Symphony-No-9-Anton/dp/B000001GAM?crid=15V1DB54ZRHXW&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3ETY46Z4yTOr61ij6FXadfxbhS3id5T-jtrygLB9fxg4PhcGssmjMvRF1lHY_ADbblYVPTagMfTtkE6j-4jsEuJUFjijNqQucurR-tkCi4Ek7D3z0KvhISRMKDdwwvnXMF71ffDWE2_slUBVHzKPAFZVtysve0nFv8wkeqwhtxu9TyQ4xY4eGfJ0CfzDF7gdPwpo3dzAq2Nc37CxKl-IJ6BzS1bpYXYRB0JDNwJaz7U.YiqPX7TtG9s_ViEh3Lt3gUiTwNAKzE0_qSNLLRGJr4k&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=bruckner+symphony+no.+9+giulini&amp;qid=1730288706&amp;sprefix=bruckner+symphony+no.+9+giulini%2Caps%2C356&amp;sr=8-1&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=fivebooksforc-20&amp;linkId=34bbcb83be5b9d0e61fc124641809382&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

The books discussed in this episode are:Confessions translated with introduction and notes by Thomas WilliamsThe Conversion of Augustine by Romano GuardiniAugustine: Conversion to Confessions by Robin Lane FoxA Reader's Companion to Augustine's Confessions edited by Kim Paffenroth and Robert Peter KennedyAugustine the Bishop by Frederick van der Meer ...and a bonus...

The books discussed in this episode are:Mirari vos, Quanta Cura (print edition), Immortale Dei, Libertas (print edition) by Gregory XVI, Pius IX, Leo XIIIReligious Liberty and Contraception by Fr. Brian HarrisonWe Hold These Truths and More: Further Catholic Reflections on the American Proposition : The Thought of Fr. John Courtney Murray, S.J. and Its Relevance Today by Donald J. D’Elia and Stephen M. KrasonFreedom, Truth, and Human Dignity: The Second Vatican Council's Declaration on Religious Freedom by David L. Schindler and Nicholas J. Healy Jr....and for readers of French...<a...

The books discussed in this episode are:Purgation and Purgatory by St. Catherine of GenoaLife Everlasting and the Immensity of the Soul by Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange OPOn Purgatory: The Members of the Church Suffering by St. Robert BellarmineThe Divine Comedy by Dante AlighieriSaved in Hope (Spe salvi) by Benedict XVI...see also...<a...

The works discussed in this episode are Bruckner's:Requiem, Psalms 114 and 112 Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, RIAS Kammerchor, directed by Łuckasz BorowiczThe Masses Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, directed by Eugen JochumMotets Tenebrae, directed by Nigel ShortTe Deum Chor des Bayrischen Rundunks, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, directed by Bernard HaitinkPsalm 150 Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Gächinger Kantorei Stuttgart, directed by Helmuth RillingFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases...

The books discussed in this episode are:Catechism of the Catholic Church by John Paul IIThe Case for Catholicism: Answers to Classic and Contemporary Protestant Objections by Trent HornThe Apostolic FathersTeaching with Authority: How to Cut Through Doctrinal Confusion &amp; Understand What the Church Really Says by Jimmy AkinPope Peter: Defending the Church's Most Distinctive Doctrine in a Time of Crisis by Joe HeschmeyerFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Read the interview at ⁠<a href="https://www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/apolgetics-and-protestant-objections/"...

The books discussed in this episode are:Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef PieperThe Musical Shape of the Liturgy by William Peter MahrtGraduale Romanum Medieval Music and the Art of Memory by Anna Maria Busse BergerThat All May Sing (<a...

The books discussed in this episode are:The Council of Florence by Joseph GillPersonalities of the Council of Florence by Joseph GillThe Filioque: History of a Doctrinal Controversy by. A. Edward SiecienskiThe Orthodox Eastern Church by Adrian FortescueRome and the Eastern Churches: A Study in Schism by Aidan Nichols OP<a...

The books discussed in this episode are:Celestial Hierarchy by Pseudo-DionysiusThe Angels and their Mission: According to the Fathers of the Church by Jean Daniélou SJAngels and Demons: A Catholic Introduction by Serge-Thomas Bonino OPWorld Invisible: The Catholic Doctrine of the Angels by Fr. John SawardAngels and Demons in Art by Rosa GiorgiFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Read the interview at <a href="www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/the-pentateuch/"...

The books discussed in this episode are: The poem "One dark night" (En una noche oscura) by St. John of the CrossThe Ascent of Mount Carmel (Prologue, Diagram, and Picture) by St. John of the CrossThe Spiritual Canticle by St. John of the CrossThe Living Flame of Love by St. John of the CrossThe Ascent of Mount...

The books discussed in this episode are: Love and Responsibility by Karol WojtyłaTaking Sex Differences Seriously by Steven E. RhoadsThe Great Mystery: Formation for Flourishing Marriages by David H. DelaneyJesus the Bridegroom: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Brant PitreSupernatural Fatherhood Through Priestly Celibacy: Fulfillment in Masculinity, A Thomistic Study by Carter GriffinFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission...

The books discussed in this episode are:Ordinatio (online translation) by John Duns Scotus, translated by Peter SimpsonTreatise on the First Principle by John Duns Scotus, edited and translated by Thomas M. WardJohn Duns Scotus: Selected Writings on Ethics translated and edited by Thomas WilliamsDuns Scotus by Richard CrossUnderstanding John Duns Scotus by Mary Beth Ingham CSJOrdered by Love: An Introduction to John Duns Scotus by Thomas M. Ward<span...

The books discussed in this episode are:On Lying &amp; To Consentius, Against Lying by St. AugustineSumma theologiae II-II, qq. 57-120 (esp. 108-110) by St. Thomas AquinasCatholic Teaching About The Morality Of Falsehood by Rev. Julius A. DorszynskiMoral Absolutes: Tradition, Revision, and Truth by John Finnis<a...

The books discussed in this episode are:Vatican I: The Council and the Making of the Ultramontane Church by John W. O'Malley SJThe Conciliarist Tradition: Constitutionalism in the Catholic Church 1300-1870 by Francis OakleyTriumph in Defeat: Infallibility, Vatican I, and the French Minority Bishops by Margaret O'GaraThe Pope and the Professor: Pius IX, Ignaz von Döllinger, and the Quandary of the Modern Age by Thomas Albert HowardA Letter to the Duke of Norfolk by St. John Henry NewmanFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Read the interview at www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/vatican-i/For more interviews like this, visit <a...

The books discussed in this episode are:The Sources of Christian Ethics by Servais Pinckaers OPThe Pinckaers Reader: Renewing Thomistic Moral Theology edited by John Berkman and Craig Steven TitusMorality: The Catholic View by Servais Pinckaers OPPassions and Virtue by Servais Pinckaers OPThe Pursuit of Happiness - God's Way: Living the Beatitudes by Servais Pinckaers OP ...and a bonus recommendation for readers of...

The books recommended and discussed in this episode are:Troilus and Criseyde by St. Gregory NazianzusThe Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey ChaucerOxford Guides to Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales by Helen CooperFeminizing Chaucer by Jill Mann<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Consolation-Philosophy-Boethius/dp/0872205835?crid=CR74A9TTMLUU&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.q_zlXIgwO556UW1rHw_mcaBaXW3KWyw_oAFNSwwZ9XOYK7WrKruYWfcB6KhwAc9KTPvpRR1Y4oOXgCDBTPzFpev9VqImbb2gsexYM_4yNqNzvWDuZAcj4xEfzcvgWmXBXLCGzvragsOxqpWO7-lAxZP2_eeF1kXq9XQ2bviSNjIas1jvYwjm7qN-KssXG9RWuZj9VHc0rFbAHhxIWHfbpancWKa5sNMrbUdpgtMWB70.Srplb6jd0EvKOWsOctXf36K68OXN8iLB2IZzOEcdcPk&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=boethius+consolation+of+philosophy&amp;qid=1713860667&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=boethius+consolation+of+philosoph%2Cstripbooks%2C301&amp;sr=1-10&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=fivebooksforc-20&amp;linkId=3da3ccf2a1943c723fb50d4e3aa53402&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl"...

The books recommended in this episode are:Theology of the Liturgy: The Sacramental Foundation of Christian Existence (Collected Works, vol. 11) by Joseph RatzingerAltar and Church: Principles of Liturgy from Early Christianity by Mons. Stefan HeidMy Body Given for You: History and Theology of the Eucharist by Helmut HopingThe Roman Mass: From Early Christian Origins to Tridentine Reform by Fr. Uwe Michael LangDo this in Remembrance of Me: The Eucharist from the Early Church to the Present Day by Bryan D. SpinksFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Read the interview at <a href="https://⁠www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/liturgical-history-theology/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

The books recommended and discussed in this episode are:Theological and Dogmatic Works by St. AmbroseEnchantment and Creed in the Hymns of Ambrose of Milan by Brian Dunkle SJAmbrose of Milan: Deeds and Thought of A Bishop by Caesare PasiniAmbrose by Boniface Ramsay OP The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God&nbsp; by Robert Louis WilkenFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Read the interview at <a...

The books discussed in this episode are:The Principles of Psychology by William JamesOn The Trinity (De Trinitate), Book 11 by St. AugustineSumma theologiae, Secunda Pars (I-II, qq. 1-70) (I-II, qq. 71-114 ) (<a...

The books recommended in this episode are:Intention by G.E.M. AnscombeEthics, Religion and Politics: Collected Philosophical Papers, Volume III by G.E.M. AnscombeFaith in a Hard Ground: Essays on Religion, Philosophy and Ethics by G.E.M. Anscombe edited by Mary Geach and Luke GormallyThe Philosophy of Elizabeth Anscombe by Roger TeichmannThe Women Are up to Something by Benjamin J.B. LipscombFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from...

The books and resources recommended in this episode are:Listening to Bach: The Mass in B Minor and the Christmas Oratorio by Daniel R. MelamedBach by David SchulenbergTexts and Historically-Informed Translations for the Music of Johann Sebastian Bach by Michael Marissen and Daniel R. MelamedBloomington Bach Cantata Project directed by Daniel R. MelamedFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Read the interview at www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/bach-sacred-music/For more interviews like this, visit ⁠www.fivebooksforcatholics.com⁠⁠Sign up ⁠to receive updates on the latest interview.⁠Become a premium subscriber⁠ to listen to the full interview and have access to complete archive on the website.If you have enjoyed this episode, please give the podcast a top rating. You can also support this podcast by making a one-off tip or donations. Just click here.

The books recommended in this episode are:Maximus the Confessor by Andrew LouthThe Cappadocians by Anthony MeredithSeventh-Century Popes and Martyrs: The Political Hagiography of Anastasius Bibliothecarius by Bronwen NeilMaximus the Confessor: Jesus Christ and the Transfiguration&nbsp;of the World by Paul BlowersCrisis of Empire: Doctrine and Dissent at the End of Late Antiquity by Phil BoothFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifyng purchases made using the affliate links in this post.Read the interview at www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/st-maximus-the-confessor/For more interviews like this, visit ⁠www.fivebooksforcatholics.com⁠⁠Sign up ⁠to receive updates on the latest interview.⁠Become a premium subscriber⁠ to listen to the full interview and have access to complete archive on the website.If you have enjoyed this episode, please give the podcast a top rating. You can also support this podcast by making a one-off tip or donations. Just click <a...

The books recommended in this episode are:A Modest Proposal by Jonathan SwiftGulliver's Travels by Jonathan SwiftThe Battle of the Books by Jonathan SwiftA Tale of a Tub by Jonathan SwiftThe Drapier's Letters by Jonathan Swift ...and for some additional recommendations...<a...

The books recommended in this episode are:Gregory of Nazianzus by Brian E. Daley SJOn God and Christ: The Five Theological Orations and Two Letters to Cledonius by St. Gregory NazianzusFestal Orations by St. Gregory NazianzusOn God and Man: The Theological Poetry of St Gregory of Nazianzus by St. Gregory Nazianzus<a...

The books discussed in this episode are:Annum sacrum (print edition) by Leo XIIIQuas Primas (print edition) by Pius XIMiserentissimus Redemptor by Pius XIHaurietis aquas (print edition) by Pius XIIDives in misericordia (print edition) by John Paul IIFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books

In this episode, Dr. Shaun Blanchard discusses the Jansenist controversy, its impact, and some of the best books on the subject:The Provincial Letters by Blaise PascalAdoration and Annihilation: The Convent Philosophy of Port-Royal by John J. Conley S.J.The Wanton Jesuit and the Wayward Saint: A Tale of Sex, Religion, and Politics in Eighteenth-Century France by Mita ChoudhuryeThe Religious Origins of the French Revolution: From Calvin to the Civil Constitution, 1560-1791 by Dale K. Van KleyJansenism: An International Anthology by Shaun Blanchard and Richard T. YoderFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.In 1640, a theological treatise entitled Augustinus was published posthumously. Its subtitle was St. Augustine’s Teaching against the Pelagians and the Massalians on The Health, Sickness, and Medicine of Human Nature. Its author was Cornelius Jansen (1585-1638), who had been a professor at the University of Leuven and Bishop of Ypres, Flanders. In it, Jansen opposed certain Jesuit theologians, such as Luis de Molina, for their conception of grace and divine predestination. He defended instead what he took to be St. Augustine’s doctrine on these matters. Before long, proponents of this school of Augustinianism were branded Jansenists by their opponents. Moreover, very soon they were widespread in France, thanks largely to one of Jansen’s like-minded friends from his student days, Jean du Vergier de Hauranne (1581-1643), better known as the Abbé de...

The books recommended in this episode are:On God and Christ: The Five Theological Orations and Two Letters to Cledonius by St. Gregory NazianzusThe Wellspring of Worship by Fr. Jean CorbonThree Treatises on the Divine Images by St. John of DamascusCalled to Communion: Understanding the Church Today by Joseph RatzingerThe Trinity: An Introduction to Catholic Doctrine on the Triune God by Gilles Emery OPFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.To commemorate Trinity Sunday this year, it made sense to go through the archive, pick out the books about the Trinity that have been recommeded, and repropose them. Read the interview at ⁠www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/trinity-sunday/For more interviews like this, visit ⁠www.fivebooksforcatholics.com⁠⁠Sign up ⁠to receive updates on the latest interview.⁠Become a premium subscriber⁠ to listen to the full interview and have access to complete archive on the website.If you have enjoyed this episode, please give the podcast a top rating. You can also support this podcast by making a one-off tip or donations. Just click here.

The books recommended in this episode are:I Believe in the Holy Spirit by Yves Congar OPThe Sanctifier by Archbishop Luis MartínezSumma theologiae (IaIIae, qq. 68-70) by St. Thomas AquinasCatecheses on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit by Pope FrancisIn the School of the Holy Spirit by Fr. Jacques PhilippeFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Read the interview at www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/gifts-of-the-holy-spirit/For more interviews like this, visit ⁠www.fivebooksforcatholics.com⁠<a...

The books recommended in this episode are:A Father Who Keeps His Promises: God's Covenant Love in Scripture by Scott HahnThe Idea of Israel in Second Temple Judaism: A New Theory of People, Exile, and Israelite Identity by Jason A. StaplesJesus and the Last Supper by Brant PitreActs and the Isaianic New Exodus by David W. PaoGod with Us: Encountering Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew by Edward Sri ...and some extra recommendations...Sin: A History by Gary AndersonWages of Cross-Bearing and Debt of Sin by Nathan Eubank<a...

The books recommended in this episode are: Our Lady of Fatima by William T. WalshThe Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis-Marie Grignion de MontfortTrue Devotion to Mary by St. Louis-Marie Grignion de MontfortThe Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus LigouriCalls from the Message of Fatima by Sister Lucia of Fatima Five Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed. Read the interview at ⁠www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/devotion-to-mary/For more interviews like this, visit ⁠www.fivebooksforcatholics.com⁠⁠Sign up ⁠to receive updates on the latest interview.⁠Become a premium subscriber⁠ to listen to the full interview and have access to complete archive on the website.If you have enjoyed this episode, please give the podcast a top rating. You can also support this podcast by making a one-off tip or donations. Just click here.

The recommended books for this episode are:The Servile State by Hilaire BellocAn Essay on the Restoration of Property by Hilaire BellocAn Outline of Sanity by G.K. ChestertonA Humane Economy by Wilhelm RöpkeThe Economics of the Free Society by Wilhelm RöpkeFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Distributism is an economic theory that advocates for the widespread ownership of the world’s productive assets, rather than their concentration in the hands of a few. It was developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, based on Catholic social teaching principles, especially Pope Leo XIII’s teachings in his encyclical Rerum novarum (1891) and Pope Pius XI in Quadragesimo anno (1931). The theory asserts that the means of production should be owned by as many people as possible, rather than being controlled by a small number of wealthy individuals or corporations. The idea is to create a more equitable society where wealth is distributed more evenly, and people have greater control over their own lives.In this interview, Alexander W. Salter discusses distributism and and his pick of books on the subject.Alexander W. Salter is the Georgie G. Snyder Associate Professor of Economics in the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University, the Comparative Economics Research Fellow at TTU's Free Market Institute, and an associate editor of the Journal of Private Enterprise. Additionally, he is a Sound Money Project senior fellow and a Young Voices senior contributor.He is the author of, The Political Economy of Distributism: Property, Liberty, and the Common Good (Catholic University of America Press, 2023), The Spirit of '76: Libertarianism and American Renewal (American Institute for Economic Research, 2023). He is co-author of Money and the Rule of Law: Generality and Predictability in Monetary Institutions​ (Cambridge University Press, 2021) and The Medieval Constitution of Liberty: Political Foundations of Liberalism in the West (University of Michigan Press, 2023).Read the interview at www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/distributism/For more interviews like this, visit ⁠www.fivebooksforcatholics.com⁠⁠Sign up ⁠to receive updates on the latest interview.⁠Become a premium subscriber⁠ to listen...

The books recommended in this episode are:Corpus Mysticum: The Eucharist and the Church in the Middle Ages by Henri de Lubac SJCalled to Communion: Understanding the Church Today by Joseph RatzingerFlesh of the Church, Flesh of Christ: At the Source of the Ecclesiology of Communion by Jean-Marie Roger TillardEucharist, Bishop, Church: The Unity of the Church in the Divine Eucharist and the Bishop During the First Three Centuries by John D. ZizioulasSacrament of Salvation: An Introduction to Eucharistic Ecclesiology by Paul McPartlanEcclesiology consists in articulating what the Word of God tells us about the Church. It has been the central theme of the last two general councils, Vatican I and Vatican II. During the twentieth century, several leading Catholic and Orthodox theologians wondered whether over time the faithful had acquired a conception of the Church that was more juridical than Eucharistic. In accordance with Sacred Scripture and the apostolic tradition, the early Church was keenly aware that the Church is constituted above all in the celebration of the Eucharist. As St. Paul teaches, the Church becomes the body of Christ by offering and receiving his body in the Eucharist. “The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread" (1 Corinthians 10:16-17). The twentieth-century retrieval of these teachings became known as eucharistic ecclesiology and is sometimes summed up by saying that “the Eucharist builds the Church and the Church makes the Eucharist.” (John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia 26). However, it has also been criticised for offering a partial view of the Church. Nevertheless, understanding the place of the Eucharist in the Church is indispensable for leading the Christian life in full. In this interview, Dr. Richard G. DeClue, Jr., will explain eucharistic ecclesiology and five recommended books on the subject.Richard G. DeClue, Jr., S.Th.D. is the Professor of Theology at the Word on...

The books recommended in this episode are: On Matters Southern: Essays About Literature and Culture, 1964-2000 by Marion MontgomeryPossum, and Other Receipts for the Recovery of "Southern" Being by Marion MongomeryLiberal Arts and Community: The Feeding of the Larger Body by Marion MongomeryRomantic Confusions of the Good: Beauty as Truth, Truth as Beauty by Marion MongomeryWith Walker Percy at the Tupperware Party: in Company with Flannery O'Connor, T.S. Eliot, and Others by Marion MongomeryFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Marion Montgomery (1925-2011) was a novelist and poet but is remembered for his literary and cultural criticism. An Anglo-Catholic, he shared the same background and outlook as his Catholic friend, peer, and fellow Georgian, the writer Flannery O’Connor, so much so, that he too described himself as a “hillbilly Thomist.” His cultural criticism draws on Thomism and Southern Agrarianism and stresses the importance of metaphysical realism, localism, and tradition. His literary criticism includes perceptive studies on writers such as Poe, Hawthorne, T.S. Eliot, Flannery O’Connor, and Walker Percy.&nbsp;In this interview, Prof. Michael M. Jordan discusses Montgomery’s work and some of his best books.&nbsp;Michael M. Jordan is Professor Emeritus of English at Hillsdale College and earned his PhD in English under the direction of Marion Montgomery at the University of Georgia. He lectured on the work of various Southern authors: the Southern Agrarians, Donald Davidson, Robert Penn Warren, Flannery O’Connor, M. E. Bradford, Richard Weaver, and Walker Percy. He also has written essays and reviews for various journals of &nbsp;scholarship and opinion, including Chronicles, Touchstone, The Southern Partisan, Modern Age, The Intercollegiate Review, The South Carolina Review, The Southern Humanities Review, The Chattahoochee Review, and The University Bookman. In 2005, he selected and edited a collection of Montgomery’s essays: On Matters Southern: Essays About Literature and Culture, 1964-2000.Read the interview at ⁠www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/marion-montgomery/⁠For more interviews like this, visit ⁠www.fivebooksforcatholics.com⁠⁠Sign up ⁠to receive updates on the latest interview.⁠Become a premium subscriber⁠ to listen to the full...

The books recommended in this episode are:The Complete Stories (also available for Kindle) by Flannery O'ConnorMystery and Manners: Occasional Prose (also available for Kindle) by Flannery O'Connor, seleceted and edited by Sally and Robert FitzgeraldThe Habit of Being: Letters of Flannery O'Connor (also available for Kindle) by Flannery O'Connor, selected and edited by Sally FitzgeraldA Prayer Journal (also available for Kindle) by Flannery O'ConnorUnderstanding the Hillbilly Thomist: The Philosophical Foundations of Flannery O'Connor's Narrative Art (also available for Kindle) by Fr. Damian FerenceFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Mary Flannery O’Connor (1925-1964) was a novelist and writer of short stories whose Southern Gothic fiction is informed by a deep Catholic faith. Born and raised in Georgia, after graduating from college, she earned a master’s degree at the University of Iowa’s prestigious Iowa Writer’s Workshop, after which she embarked upon a career as a writer. In 1941, her father had died from lupus, and in 1952 she was diagnosed with the same disease. Undeterred by her illness, she attended Mass every day, supported local Catholic newspapers with numerous book reviews, and wrote most of her fiction. She is remembered for her short stories, which won the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction in 1972.&nbsp;In this interview, Fr. Damian Ference will discuss O’Connor’s work.&nbsp;Fr. Damian Ference is a priest of the Diocese of Cleveland where he serves as Vicar for Evangelization, Secretary for Parish Life and Special Ministries, and as Professor of Philosophy at Borromeo Seminary. He holds a licentiate in philosophy from The Catholic University of America and a doctorate in philosophy from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He writes regularly on the intersection of faith and culture for a variety of outlets and is the author of the award-winning book, The Strangeness of Truth (Pauline Books &amp; Media, 2019) and <a...

Lent is just a preparation and spiritual warm-up for Easter. Now that it is Easter, it is time to get down to exercising the Christian life in full. It makes sense, therefore, to keep setting aside some time for reading about the mysteries we celebrate and how we can live them out. Here then are some books and music that might be helpful. For further suggestions, check out last year’s recommendations.Commentary on Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist: Homilies 48-88 by St. John ChrysostomThe Resurrection: A Biblical Study by François-Xavier Durrwell CSsR The Old Evangelization: How to Spread the Faith Like Jesus Did by Eric SammonsUnderstanding Early Christian Art by Robin M. Jensen Thomas Tallis: The Complete English Anthems by The Tallis Scholars, directed by Peter...

Holy Week should be, insofar as possible, a time of recollection and prayer. To this end, reading one or other of the following books may be useful. It may help us enter more deeply into the mysteries we are celebrating and contemplating. Commentary on Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist: Homilies 48-88 by St. John ChrysostomWhat is Redemption? by Philippe de la TrinitéJesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper by Brant PitreThe Crucifixion in Irish Art by Peter Harbison<a...

The books reviewed in this episode are:Hearing Bach's Passions by Daniel R. MelamedLutheranism, Anti-Judaism, and Bach's St. John Passion: With an Annotated Literal Translation of the Libretto by Michael MarissenBach in Berlin. Nation and Culture in Mendelssohn's Revival of the St. Matthew Passion by Celia ApplegateJohann Sebastian Bach's St John Passion. Genesis, Transmission, and Meaning by Alfred DürrRethinking Bach by Bettina VarwigFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), one the greatest Western composers,...

Genesis or Bereishis (“In the beginning”) is the first book of the Bible. It tells the story of creation and God’s covenants with the first men (1-11) and the patriarchs (12-50). It ends with the death of Joseph, who had brought to Egypt both his brothers and his father, Jacob. Many of the stories related in Genesis are amongst the most memorable ones in the Bible. They also constitute many of the most fundamental episodes in salvation history. St. Jerome’s dictum that knowing Scripture is essential for knowing Christ is particularly applicable to Genesis. Understanding Genesis is indispensable for understanding who Jesus is and what he has accomplished.In this episode, Steve Ray discusses some of the books that can help us understand Genesis.The GPS Torah Commentary: Genesis by Nahum M. SarnaThe Commentator's Bible: Genesis by Michael CarasikThe Lexham Research Commentary: Genesis 1-11 by Douglas Mangum, Miles Custis, and Wendy WidderOn the Literal Interpretation of Genesis (alternative edition) by St. AugustineGenesis: With Introduction, Commentary, and Notes by Curtis Mitch and Scott Hahn<a...

The books recommended in this episode are:Saint Thomas Aquinas: The Person and His Work by Jean-Pierre Torrell OPSaint Thomas Aquinas: Spiritual Master by Jean-Pierre Torrell OPThomas Aquinas: Selected Writings edited and translated by Ralph McInernyCommentary on the Gospel of John (vol. 1) (vol. 2) (<a...

The recordings recommended in this episode are of:Quatre Motets pour un temps de pénitence by François PoulencMiserere by Henryk GóreckiTriodion by Arvo PärtMiserere and Videns Dominus by James MacMillanSymphony of Psalms by Igor StravinskyFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.At Christmas, Five Books for Catholics recommended some classical music for the season. Moreover, it did not recommend a hodgepodge of works from different periods. It stuck instead to twentieth-century classical composers. As a follow-up, here is a selection of five works of classical music for Lent by twentieth-century composers.Read the interview at www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/twentieth-century-classical-music-for-lent/⁠For more interviews like this, visit <a href="https://www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/" rel="noopener...

The books recommended in this episode are:Discerning the Will of God: An Ignatian Guide to Christian Decision Making by Fr. Timothy M. Gallagher OMVThe Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living by Fr. Timothy M. Gallagher OMVSpiritual Consolation: An Ignatian Guide for Greater Discernment of Spirits by Fr. Timothy M. Gallagher OMVDiscernment of Spirits in Marriage: Ignatian Wisdom for Husbands and Wives by Fr. Timothy M. Gallagher OMVTeaching Discernment: A Pedagogy for Presenting Ignatian Discernment of Spirits by Fr. Timothy M. Gallagher OMV ...and a bonus recommendation...The Screwtape Letters by C.S. LewisFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.One of the charisms that St. Paul lists is “the discernment of spirits” (1Cor 12:10) (diakrisis pneumatikōn, discretio spirituum), whereas St. John warns us, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits” (1Jn 4:1). Indeed, Scripture continually describes how we are under the influence of both good and bad spirits. On the one hand, God influences us through his grace and angels. On the other...

Here are this year's list of recommended readings for Lent. You can also check out last year’s list and the Message of Pope Francis for Lent 2024.On Repentance and Almsgiving by St. John ChrysostomEncyclical Letter Dives in misericordia (Rich in Mercy) by St. John Paul IIThe Lord by Romano GuardiniA Father Who Keeps His Promises by Scott HahnThe Screwtape Letters by C.S. LewisFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Read the interview at ⁠www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/lent2024/For more interviews like this, visit ⁠www.fivebooksforcatholics.com⁠⁠Sign up ⁠to receive updates on the latest interview.⁠Become a premium subscriber⁠ to listen to the full interview and have access to complete archive on the website.If you have enjoyed this episode, please give the podcast a top rating. You can also support this podcast by making a one-off tip or donations. Just click here.

The books recommended in this episode are:Arcanum and Casti connubii by Leo XIII and Pius XIThe Social Teachings of Wilhelm Emmanuel Von Ketteler: Bishop of Mainz (1811-1877) edited by Rupert J. EdererCatholic Social Teaching: A Volume of Scholarly Essays edited by Gerard V. Bradley and E. Christian BruggerThe Teachings of Modern Roman Catholicism on Law, Politics, and Human Nature edited by John Witte Jr. and Frank S. AlexanderSelected articles (1) ( 2) ( 3) (<a href="https://library.georgetown.edu/woodstock/murray/1953d" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

Simon P. Keefe recommends some books that can help us learn about Mozart’s music and penetrate it more deeply as we listen to it.The Letters of Mozart and his Family (3rd edition) edited by Emily AndersonMozart: A Documentary Biography by Otto Erich DeutschMozart's Requiem: Reception, Work, Completion by Simon P. KeefeMozart in Vienna: The Final Decade (Kindle) by Simon P. KeefeThe Mozart Family: Four Lifes in a Social Context by Ruth HalliwellFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) ranks with J.S. Bach and Beethoven as one of the greatest Western composers. His father, Leopold, was a musical pedagogue and a musician at the court of the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg. When Leopold began to give clavier-lessons to his seven-year-old daughter, Nannerl, her younger brother listened attentively, started playing it himself at the age of four, and was composing his first pieces at the age of five. Between 1762-1773, Leopold brought the two child prodigies on tours around the main European cities and courts, from Rome to London, hoping to promote his son’s future career. Young Wolfgang worked as a court composer for the Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg, but, desirous of a better salary and opportunities to compose operas, he resigned in 1773. After several years of visiting different cities in search of a suitable position, he settled in Vienna, where he spent the final decade of his life. At Vienna, he composed most of his greatest compositions, and his greatness was recognised by both established composers, such as Haydn, and up-and-coming ones, such as Beethoven. Despite his premature death at the age of thirty-five, he left a huge body of work, with masterpieces in sacred, orchestral, and chamber music, concertos, and opera.Simon P. Keefe is James Rossiter Hoyle Chair of Music at the University of Sheffield, a life member of the Academy for Mozart Research at the International Mozart Foundation in Salzburg and President Elect of the Royal Musical Association. He is the author of five monographs on Mozart, including Mozart's Requiem: Reception, Work, Completion (Cambridge University Press, 2012), which won the 2013 Marjorie Weston Emerson award from the Mozart Society of America, and editor of a further seven volumes for Cambridge University Press, including Mozart Studies, Mozart Studies 2 and Mozart in Context.Read the interview at www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/mozart/For more...

The books recommended in this interview are: Understanding Early Christian Art by Robin M. Jensen The Clash of Gods: A Reinterpretation of Early Christian Art by Thomas F. MathewsThe Invisible God: The Earliest Christians on Art by Paul Corby FinneyLikeness and Presence: A History of Art before the Era of Art by Hans Belting, trans. E. JephcottThe Dawn of Christian Art: In Panel Paintings and Icons by Thomas F. Matthews and Norman E. MullerImperial Rome and Christian Triumph: The Art of the Roman Empire AD 100-450 by Jaś ElsnerFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Read the interview at www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/early-christian-art/For more interviews like this, visit ⁠www.fivebooksforcatholics.com⁠<a href="https://www.fivebooksforcatholics.com/signup/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

The books recommended in this interview are:Tales of Faith: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel through Literature by Holly OrdwayFaith, Hope and Poetry: Theology and the Poetic Imagination by Malcolm GuiteImaginative Apologetics: Theology, Philosophy, and the Catholic Tradition by Andrew Davison Spiritual Direction from Dante: vol. 1, Avoiding the Inferno; vol. 2, Ascending Mount Purgatory; vol. 3 Yearning for Paradise by Fr. Paul PearsonFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.Apologetics consists in defending the faith by explaining the reasons for belief in Revelation. It is summed up in Saint Peter's exhortation to “always be prepared to make a defence to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you” (1Peter 3:15). Recently, however, several apologists have been stressing the need to engage not just the mind but also the imagination. This strand of apologetics has been called imaginative apologetics.In a previous post, Holly Ordway recommended and explained her top five books on imaginative apologetics. Here is the rest of the interview, where she explains some more recommended readings and her own books on imaginative apologetics.Holly Ordway is the Cardinal Francis George Fellow of Faith and Culture at the Word on Fire Institute, and Visiting Professor of Apologetics at Houston Christian University. She holds a PhD in English from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and is the author of Tolkien’s Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages (Word on Fire Academic, 2021). Her other books include Tales of Faith: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel through Literature (Word on Fire Institute, 2021) and <a...

Dr. Thomas Scheck discusses Origen of Alexandria (185-253) and recommends the following books:Contra Celsum by Origen (edited by Henry Chadwick)Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (vol. 1) (vol. 2) by Origen (translated by Thomas P. Scheck)Homilies on Joshua by Origen (translated by Barbara J. Bruce)Homilies on Numbers by Origen (translated by Thomas P. Scheck)Apology for Origen by St. Pamphilius (translated by Thomas P. Scheck) ....and some bonus recommendations...Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine by Benedict XVI<a...

The books recommended in this episode are:Faith and Politics: Selected Writings by Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVIA New Song for the Lord: Faith in Christ and Liturgy Today by Joseph Cardinal RatzingerWhat is Christianity?: The Last Writings by Benedict XVIFundamental Speeches from Five Decades by Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVIThe Nature and Mission of Theology: Approaches to Understanding Its Role in the Light of Present Controversy by Joseph Cardinal RatzingerFive Books for Catholics may receive a commission from qualifying purchases made using the affiliate links to the books listed.It is difficult to underestimate Joseph Ratzinger’s influence within the Church over the last sixty years. During the Second Vatican Council he made an important contribution as a theological expert (peritus) to the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum). He emerged from the Council as a leading Catholic theologian and, in 1972, helped found the journal Communio. In 1977, he was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising and a cardinal. Five years later, St. John Paul II appointed him as Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. For over twenty years, Card. Ratzinger assisted the pontiff in issuing important doctrinal documents, drafting encyclicals, and overseeing the preparation of the magnificent Catechism of the Catholic Church. Finally, he was elected Bishop of Rome and exercised the Petrine ministry until his resignation in 2013.On this first anniversary of Benedict XVI’s death, Prof. Tracey Rowland selects and discusses five of his books that we should read.Professor Tracey Rowland holds the St John Paul...