Product Description
To read and understand the forty-six books of the Old Testament is a daunting challenge for most Catholics. The Old Testament can seem overwhelmingly lengthy, and the books that comprise it are a diverse and often confusing collection of poetry, prophecies, fables, and historical texts, written in a style and form unfamiliar to modern readers.

Jim Campbell's The Stories of the Old Testament turns this otherwise intimidating task into an eminently achievable and highly enjoyable journey. Campbell gently leads the reader through the central texts, essential stories, and major figures of the Old Testament in one hundred carefully selected readings, each designed to be completed in just one sitting. He provides a guide for each reading, and, throughout the book, dozens of short supplemental essays supply the background and commentary needed to properly understand the stories from Genesis to Malachi.

By reading this book, the reader will not only gain an understanding of and appreciation for the people and events of the Old Testament, but also come to see his or her own place in the ongoing and ever-growing story of God's providence and grace. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

You will never view the Old Testament the same.Great for teachers too.
I teach 10 grade Catechism, which in our Parish covers the Old and New Testaments .When I first started teaching I taught only the New Testament, which I felt very comfortable teaching to a rather tough age group.In summer of 2007 a decision was made to keep the classes with the same teacher for the entire year.That meant I had to leave my comfort zone and teach the Old Testament to 15 and 16 year olds.I had very little knowledge of the Old Testament.How was I going to make that fun for the teens?Was I going to turn into the type of teacher that I hated in my High School CCD classes?I started to look around for books that I could use to quickly educate myself.

I found this book.

It was such a blessing.I think the best way to describe what I found in"The Stories of the Old Testament" was the story behind the story for each of the books in the Old Testament.The stories that we have heard over and over were finally put into context for me.This book brought out the human details that I needed to know to make the Old Testament"Real" to the teens in my class.

I could tell the story of Cain and Abel by heart but never in my life had I thought about Cain's hurt feelings when his sacrifice is not accepted.That I could explain and make alive for my teens while teaching them how sin can eat away at all of us and how we can't hide our sins from God.They also were given something to think about.God certainly punished Cain but he did not give him the death penalty.He actually made sure he was safe while "serving his punishment".

The detail about the many stories of David gave me great hope.If David was worthy to serve God with all the sins he piled up then He just might use me too!The kids in my class absolutely loved hearing this detail.It made the stories so real to them.God must really love and care for us to put up with all these servants of his put Him through.Suddenly I could see in my students faces that they felt better about themselves.They were not alone in their struggle.They now had a unique window into the world of the Old Testament that they had never been allowed to look through before.They had heard these stories in Mass but they had never been given context before.This book allowed me to share the complete situations these people were living through with them.They left my class with a better understanding of what our faith was built on.They certainly saw God in a different light.The people in the Old Testament were not perfect.That rarely comes through in what we hear in Mass from these readings.They had to have those details to make these stories real to them.

This book transformed the Old Testament from a collection of historical stories to real life for me and my class.I now actually enjoy teaching the Old Testament as much or more than the New Testament because I am able to bring these stories to life. "The Stories of the Old Testament, A Catholic's Guide" By Jim Campbell, has given me the information I needed to make the Old Testament exciting and alive.It brings great satisfaction to me when I witness the expression on their faces when they are able to put these lessons in the context of their own lives.

This book is a wonderful tool which allows you to expand the stories of the Bible.After reading this book you can never look at these stories in the same way.They become alive.

I personally suggest this book to every Catholic I know.It is a fun read.It makes you think.It helps you to recognize and appreciate God's love for us in ways you may not have realized before.


J Breaugh

Good Starter Guide
This was an easy read and seemed more geared to instructing young people or those who had never read the Old Testament. It would be a good study guide or an excellent resource for family reading along with the Bible. Adults who have spent time reading the Old Testament might find it a little skimpy on detail.

Best product I bought from Amazon.com
Excellent purchase. I bought one for myself and my father. Nice read if you do not want to read the old scriptures in latin in the Bible. I would reccomend this book to anyone wanting to know about the Old Testament. I would consider making other purchases along these lines. price was a winner too!

A candid and insightful discussion, highly recommended for self-study or as a supplementary resource for bible study groups.
Theologian Jim Campbell presents The Stories of the Old Testament: A Catholic's Guide, a guide for Catholic readers to the central texts, stories, and figures of the Old Testament. One hundred carefully chosen readings from the Old Testament are discussed at length. "When Job's friends tell Job that he is refusing to admit his wickedness, Job replies that his complaint is bitter: he has not made the violence that stalks the earth. Job's friends ask how anyone can stand in a right relationship with God. Job replies that God's ways are a mystery no one can fathom. What is fascinating about the dialogue is that Job's friends seem so sure that they know the answers to Job's dilemma. They do not for an instant consider Job's side of the story or ask questions of either Job or God. Without questioning or listening hearts, they cannot begin their own journey into the heart of God." A candid and insightful discussion, highly recommended for self-study or as a supplementary resource for bible study groups. ... Read more

Product Description
100% Catholic - 0% Roman CatholicThe OLD CATHOLIC CHURCH has been around for hundreds of years, but few people today know about it. Larger groups that use the word "Catholic" rarely like to admit its existence, but it does exist. It is completely Catholic, but without the pope, the Inquisition and all the guilt.Archbishop Wynn Wagner introduces you to the beliefs of this small group of Catholics with their modern philosophy that is wrapped inside a very traditional liturgy. Expect to be amazed at the spiritual tools that are available you today. When someone says you can't marry because you are gay, or that you can't be a Catholic priest because you are married or female: read this book to find the answer: Yes, you can. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A great way to begin a great spiritual journey
Some books that introduce a religion are dry and boring. If that is what you want, don't look in these pages. Archbishop Wynn Wagner brings the Old Catholic Church to life. This is a "Pilgrim's Guide," and the archbishop is the first to let you know that he is just another pilgrim. When he doesn't know the answer, he tells you. He tells you in ways that may leave you chuckling. When he talks about the majesty of our Old Catholic Church, he speaks with the authority of someone who walks-the-walk. The "Pilgrim's Guide" is more than a simple introduction, it is a tour of what can be your spiritual life with a tour guide who lives the subject matter on a daily basis.

Abp. Michael V. Seneco, Presiding Bishop
North American Old Catholic Church ... Read more

Product Description
The Old Catholic Church aims at informing and inspiring its readers to reflect and entertain the theological richness of the Old Catholic churches of the Union of Utrecht, a Catholic tradition that is unknown and misunderstood by many in North America. Caruso presents much more than a mere history book about Old Catholicism by focusing on its historical origins to better explain the eucharistic nature of the local catholic Church; to which he simultaneously highlights some of the real struggles faced by Independent Old Catholics in North America with regard to this trinitarian and eucharistic understanding of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A ground-breaking and important resource
As a Roman Catholic theologian, I've been studying the "Old Catholic-Independent Catholic" (OC/IC) movement in the USA for over 12 years.In addition to gathering scarce resources for solid research, I've amassed a considerable file of correspondence and data from numerous OC/IC groups and have made friends with several members of the clergy in a number of these organizations.This little book by Fr. Robert Caruso is easily the most helpful and must honestly be considered the most ground-breaking research available on contemporary OC/IC theology as it is practiced in the United States.It has important ramifications not only for those who study theology, but for the philosophy of religion as well as sociology.Fr. Caruso has done his homework, and he is very honest about the present state of the mostly top-heavy, over-clericalized, small communities that often present themselves as Old Catholics but who have little or nothing in common with the Old Catholics of the Utrecht Union.Certainly, as he makes clear, they have no authorization or official communal ties to Utrecht.

Fr. Caruso's insights are bolstered by the fact that he originally comes from one of the OC/IC communities.He amply demonstrates the value of theological and doctrinal study by sharing his own journey and by proposing a new paradigm for OC/IC groups in the US.His insights are informed by a very healthy and positive understanding of eucharistic theology.

The books is not perfect.(Is any book?)There are occasional narrative formulations that are stilted, as if the writer were attempting to demonstrate his ability to use complex terminology.Since the book emerges from Fr. Caruso's graduate-level research, it may be that this is nothing more than slight academic awkwardness.The title doesn't perfectly match what the author accomplishes, but this is only because he spreads a wider net than the title suggests.The footnotes are very helpful and will provide a good resource to those theologians, philosophers, or sociologists who wish to study the OC/IC communities.Having exchanged a couple of emails with Fr. Caruso, I intend to thank him once again for his work.I trust he will continue his research into this fascinating topic.

Review of Father Caruso's Book on Old Catholicism
The Old Catholic Church

AMAZON REVIEW OF FR. CARUSO'S BOOK




Fr. Caruso's presentation of Old Catholic ecclesiology and Old Catholic theology in the first two chapters of his book and interspersed in other sections is scholarly and well articulated.He is correct when he states that we lack Old Catholic sources and resources in the US.It would be nice to have an Old Catholic chair at one of the seminaries.We welcome Fr. Bob's analysis and explanation of conciliarism, synodality, local church, eucharistic ecclesiology, royal priesthood, communion, the trinity, the mystical body of Christ. However, I must say that Fr. Caruso should have limited his scope to that which he knows best, Old Catholic ecclesiology and theology. His evaluation of the past and current status of the independent Catholic and independent Old Catholic churches in the US is for the most part hardly scholarly and is grossly inaccurate.His conclusion that most if not all independent bishops are egotistical, guilty of clericalism (whatever that is?), willing to ordain most anyone beyond the third grade demonstrates his own lack of knowledge and experience.It is subjective and resonates as emotional grunting.

There are only a limited number of bishops aspiring to build an Old Catholic Church in the US.The rest are busy reforming the Roman Catholic Church.There are pockets of communion and unity. One major reason we face these problems of unity is because for almost a hundred years (1907 to 2003) we have had an ethnic church (the PNCC) as the official Old Catholic Church.America is large and diverse.You can fit three Switzerlands into the State of Minnesota.We are not all Polish. It made no sense to make an ethnic church as the official representative.Another major reason for division is that some of us are inclusive and some are exclusive.The biblical literalists are usually exclusive.They sit in their temples and dialog with themselves instead of joining the 21st century and practicing the priesthood of Jesus Christ. Also, communion does require a willingness to seek the truth, honesty, maturity, and a spiritual mindset that is able to recognize the work of the Spirit.

Bishop James R. Judd
Holy Cross Old Catholic Diocese of Minnesota

The Old catholic Church
Most litterature about old catholic theology is in German or Dutch. So this book fills a great need not only in the US but also in Europe. The sad stories about the vagantes is the same on both continenets so it is usefuöl here as well.
I recommend this book! :)
Rickard Stenberg, rev.
priest in the Old Catholic Church in Sweden,
member of the Union of Utrecht.

undoubtedly one of the best
This book is undoubtedly one of the most well researched and perceptive expositions of Old Catholic ecclesiology in the English language.It reintroduces a view of church that although well known in apostolic times and among many modern orthodox, has too often been forgotten in the American experience.It reminds us again of our identity as an authentic Eucharistic people.

It also gives a brutally honest view of the present disastrous state of old catholicism in the United States.Father Caruso accurately portrays the majority of old catholic groups as being actually non-churches that do little more than serve the ego's of their clergy.He also accurately portrays the rest of us as being ruled more by arrogance and an unwillingness to accept mutual accountability than by a coherent ecclesiology.

In this relatively short book Father Caruso clearly holds American old catholics accountable.As a leader in one of the more successful American churches claiming Old Catholic heritage I am forced to admit the accuracy of Father Caruso's criticism.Many of his observations reflect my own errors and arrogance at one time or another in my career. I hope his book will cause us all to examine, study and cherish the gift available to us in authentic old catholic practice

Bishop Chuck Leigh
President
Florida Council of Churches ... Read more

Product Description
Year One covers the first two major sections of the Old Testament: the Pentateuch and the historical books that make up the Deuteronomic history of Israel. It is a full introduction to the foundational books of the Old Testament and their most important historical, interpretive, and theological questions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

old testment foundations Genesis through Kings; year one

Infrmative, concise , easy of handling , not expensive,This is a new learning experience for me so this book is a welcomeedition to my new library of information. ... Read more

Product Description
Karl Pruter, Presiding Bishop of the Christ Catholic Church and an acknowledged expert on the modern autocephalous churches, delineates the history of the Old Catholic Church in North America and provides the most straightforward account of the numerous offspring of this very active religious movement. Complete with Chronology, Notes, Bibliography, Index, and photographs. ... Read more

Product Description
How, a mere generation after Vatican Council II initiated the biggest reform since the Reformation, can the Catholic Church be in such deep trouble? The question resonates through this new book by Andrew Greeley, the most recognized, respected, and influential commentator on American Catholic life. A timely and much-needed review of forty years of Church history, The Catholic Revolution offers a genuinely new interpretation of the complex and radical shift in American Catholic attitudes since the second Vatican Council (1962-1965).
Drawing on a wealth of data collected over the last thirty years, Greeley points to a rift between the higher and lower orders in the Church that began in the wake of Vatican Council II--when bishops, euphoric in their (temporary) freedom from the obstructions of the Roman Curia, introduced modest changes that nonetheless proved too much for still-rigid structures of Catholicism: the "new wine" burst the "old wineskins." As the Church leadership tried to reimpose the old order, clergy and the laity, newly persuaded that "unchangeable" Catholicism could in fact change, began to make their own reforms, sweeping away the old "rules" that no longer made sense. The revolution that Greeley describes brought about changes that continue to reverberate--in a chasm between leadership and laity, and in a whole generation of Catholics who have become Catholic on their own terms.
Coming at a time of crisis and doubt for the Catholic Church, this richly detailed, deeply thoughtful analysis brings light and clarity to the years of turmoil that have shaken the foundations, if not the faith, of American Catholics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Wineskins without Wine
In the 1960s, Andrew Greeley was often accused of never having had an unpublished thought. Following his inordinate number of novels, we can now add that he hasn't had an unpublished fantasy. This scattered and strangely dated book envisions a kind of fantasy revolution in an American Catholicism where lay people can be holier than priests (no kidding) even though most of them scoff at strictures against birth control and even abortion, where the biggest problem seems to be that someone removed the statues from the sanctuary of the parish church while failing to appreciate how movies like "Dogma" improve on 2,000 years of theological reflection. He seems to think it objectively true that guitar players are all terrible musicians (take THAT, Les Paul) while all organ players are virtuosos.

He has identified a class of Catholics called "liturgists," whose passionate aim is to strip worship of anything beautiful and everything ancient while replacing it with a pimply-faced folk singer thoroughly versed in his three guitar chords and three hundred heinous hymns which parishioners listen to because they are polite.

He does mention in passing that the new authoritarianism and dogmatism are having an effect but seems oblivious to the fact that those reactionary forces, the ones that elected our new Pope, are spiraling out of control as politicians are denied communion for upholding the law of the land and the priest-pedophile scandal is rapidly morphing into a combination cover-up and gay-bashing frenzy.

Greely is coming out with a book that purports to explain the mystery of the recent papal election. I hope his big issue is not the poor color coordination of Benedict XVI's liturgical vestments.

Why Catholics stay in the church
Pretty much boils down to the idea that (American) Catholics who stay "in" the church, do so "because they like being Catholic".

Which apparently means they like the familiar "American Catholic" culture or ethnicity (ethnicities: Irish, German, Polish) that they were born and raised in: the rituals, color, music, customs ("May crownings"). The vernacular language change they accept as good, the Vatican, medieval ethics and theology they ignore (and have been for decades.) Greeley himself comes from ethnic/cultural Catholicism with good music and colorful liturgies and customs, so he's got a good "born Catholic" culture to like.

But there's little here in this compendium/rehash of Greeley's previous writings to lead someone not born into one of those likeable traditions to turn to Catholicism, or of help to anyone who converted because of the attraction of Catholic theology and the Vatican II vision of Church despite the poverty and disfunction of a local Irish Catholic culture of minimal liturgical beauty (concentration on "validity" as good enough) and little or awful music and zero spiritual content. Or who now find themselves stuck in a parish with all the same (updated with awful music) and now overlaid with a return of authoritarian top down heavy handed management from the Vatican and local bishops, the rollback of the Vatican reforms, and the crackdowns on the least signs of life in intellectual life, particularly in Catholic institutions.

What was the "Revolution"? It is when Catholics openly decided not to "receive" (i.e. ratify with "religious assent") fiats from the hierarchy that they found unreasonable, unworkable, and out of touch with reality. The hierarchy still hasn't gotten the message that if the Church (the faithful) doesn't "receive" a teaching (i.e. the believers don't believe it), it can't reflect the "sense of the faithful" no matter how the Vatican invokes infallibility of either the ordinary or papal magisterium. The Vatican doesn't get it that they're function should be to express what the believers who are the Church believe, not tell them what they should believe based on some theoretical neo-scholastic theology and 13th century concepts that ignore everything humanity has learned about itself since.

Greeley's Catholics who stay because they like being Catholic are the ones the Revolution worked for because they've got a compatible or likeable Catholic cultural milieu to fit into. Those who don't, have little reason to stay.

Romantic defense of Catholicism revisited
Greeley's analysis of the reasons for the church's loss of authority after Vatican II is totally believable, but that is not news.What is news is that Greeley bases his belief that the Catholic church and faith will survive entirely on what early 19th-Century Europeans called a Romantic defense of religion -- essentially invented by people like Chateaubriand, it held that religion would last because it was "beautiful."Because it filled a need and no amount of scientific evidence against its dogmas or practices would make any difference.

This is about what I would expect from Greeley -- an abandonment of reason and logic in favor of sentimentality.Buy it if you wish, I don't wish.

Personal Observations
Fr. Greeley has finally written a book that pretty well says it all, with the exception of one sentence. Hans Kung contrary to Fr.Greeley's opinion is "not" a celebrity theologian. Infact its uncanny how many of Fr.Greeley's observations resemble what Hans Kung has already written about in previous books, going back as far as the 80's. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Challenging and Affirming the Catholic Tradition
Admittedly, Moss is an Anglican, and he has an ax to grind. No, not the axe that cut off the head of St. John Fisher. Rather, Moss wishes to drive a wedge through Roman Catholicism by means of the Old Catholic Church of Utrecht. He fails at this, but in the process unfolds an arresting tale of the abuse of power in the Catholic Church. I was long told that "the Old Catholics are the guys who rejected Vatican I." That's only partially true. They are also victims of Jesuit power-snarfs and a Counter-Reformation run amuck. The notion that there can be an authentic and faithful Catholicism that dares differ with Rome is taking slow but steady root today, especially in the independent sacramental movement. Moss' book is a very valuable historical account of how and why this particular ball got rolling.

Flawed but interesting history
This book, recently reissued by Apocryphile Press, is one of the more heavily sought-after volumes on Old Catholicism on various online venues, used bookstores, and other avenues. Part of the reason for this is simple - Old Catholicism as a denomination and phenomenon in the Christian tradition is relatively little studied, and much of the material is done in German and other continental European languages. There are no major established seminaries, no strong denominational resources, and, particularly in the English-speaking world, a lot of competing sources of material that rarely approaches the quality of being good scholarship. C.B. Moss has produced a reasonably sound, reasonably broad account of European Old Catholicism in historical, ecclesial, and to lesser extent theological, terms.

Moss' first inspiration to study the phenomenon of Old Catholicism came from a foundational book of my own in this regard, the text 'History of the So-Called Jansenist Church of Holland'. This book, published in the 1850s, describes some of the earliest issues that led to a separate but Catholic church in Holland; this group later formed relationships with other continental Europeans, primarily but not exclusively in the German lands, after Vatican I. Moss' survey of church history from the Conciliar Movement (circa fourteenth century) to the first Vatican Council takes up more than half the book; this history is interesting and worthwhile, and serves as a good guide to process for Anglican thinking of the time as well as Old Catholic.

It is after this point in the text that the work of history of Old Catholicism proper really takes place. Moss looks at the various national/cultural situations in turn - German, Swiss, Latin, etc. He spends a good amount of time on the Reunion conferences at Bonn and the Declaration of Utrecht, and various conferences that have taken place since Vatican I in which the administrative side of Old Catholicism has been formed. Moss also devotes a chapter to Old Catholic liturgy, as well as one to ecumenical relationships with other Christians - both of these could be better if more fully developed. Moss concentrates the native language liturgies and is generally dismissive of the English versions of Old Catholic liturgical resources.

Of course, C.B. Moss was a cleric of the Church of England. While making a claim to present an unbiased and objective review of the material, he nonetheless betrays himself at the outset by labeling the foundational figures of North American Old Catholic jurisdictions with the chapter title, 'False Starts', with the fully intended double entendre that that terminology implies. Even as Moss speaks in glowing words about the unity of intercommunion and understanding given by the Bonn Agreement and the way in which this models a better means of cooperation among Christian bodies, he is careful to exclude those he doesn't seem to think pass muster. The bias is subtle but very present, even in the less critical parts of the narrative. (Moss in other writing confesses his personal bias against the North American and British expressions of Old Catholicism.)

The version of this text reissued and revised in 1977 devotes a special addendum to the Old Catholic body since Vatican II. Moss highlights certain restricted communion-agreement sharings that are significant; he also highlights other communion issues with Lutherans, Orthodox, and other churches, including the Anglican communion since the advent of women's ordination. This has continued to be a problem area for the Old Catholics.

This is a flawed text in many ways, but still remains a touchstone for Old Catholic history if for no other reason it is one of the few with a scholarly authority. It is a must for any in Old Catholic and Independent Anglican churches, to help them better understand their own history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Old Testament Connection
Hoppe, a professor of Old Testament studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, has written with the goal of showing the value of the Old Testament to believers "as they shape their lives of conversion in response to Jesus' proclamation of the Good News." He has accomplished that goal by presenting scholarly information in a way that interests and engages lay persons.

For example, the chapter on How Does God Speak contrasts the official and popular religions of the Chosen People. After citing a reference from Deuteronomy condemning "divination," Hoppe explains that the practice was based on the belief that messages from the gods are hidden in omens, and understanding the omens and the messages requires special skills. He goes into the history of divination, and describes archaeological evidence of some common omens and the meaning attached to them. The problem with divination in terms of religious practice is that its purpose was not simply to know the divine will, but to engage in ritual activities such as wearing an amulet or saying a prayer to avoid the evil "seen" by the diviner. Clearly this practice, though dressed in different terminology and rituals, can be seen in modern times, and deserves serious examination.

Chapter 6, Did All This Really Happen, explores an issue in today's news: creation science. As would be expected, Hoppe does a good job of addressing the topic and explaining the Church's position. In a more parochial matter, he offers a clear explanation, with examples, of the Christian "lectionary" with its three-year cycle of related Old and New Testament readings.

This is an excellent resource for individuals, catechists, homilists, and faith sharing groups. ... Read more

Product Description
Praying to God is essential to Catholics. Treasures Old and New offers a way to deepen your relationship with God. With user-friendly devotions and novenas, the book gives readers a way to participate more fully in prayer.
Treasures Old and New offers a modern approach to traditional prayers. It increases the understanding that praying is a way to thank God for your life and all His many blessings. These litanies, prayers, and novenas give readers the words to use to converse with God both internally and externally. Praying is participating and offering gratitude to God, and we are reminded that our Lord will not force a blessing upon us--receive and give thanks.
Gratitude prepares the soul for humility, and humility makes prayer come more easily. The more we rest and work and play in prayer, the more we come to live the Word of God in thanksgiving. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Nice gift
The title of this book is very apt, it is full of treasures. This is both a "prayer book" in the sense that Fr Powell gives set texts for prayer and also a prayer book in the sense that it promotes a certain practice of prayer. It's as much about a right understanding of praying as particular nice formulations (although these are really lovely). I would recommend it to anyone, but it would make an especially nice gift for someone newly confirmed or received into the church, for a student going off to college, or really for any occasion. There are a lot of sentimental, frankly worthless books sold as gift items; this is a small but pretty book that has real value as a devotional aid. Why settle for less?

Great way of prayer
This short but powerful book captures new prayers in traditional ways.It brings out the best in prayer.

Old Forms, Great Prayers
I've said before that one of the gifts post-Boomer Catholics are bringing to the Church is a reappropriation of faith traditions that were largely abandoned following the Second Vatican Council. While many of us never experienced the rosary, novenas or Eucharistic adoration as children, we are finding them invaluable practices as we grow into faith-filled adults. That today's young faithful are rediscovering and embracing these traditions -- in the context of their modern lives -- completes, in many ways, the promises of ressourcement and aggiornamento that were the hallmarks of the council.

Fr. Phillip Neri Powell's new book, Treasures Old and New: Traditional Prayers for Today's Catholics, sits comfortably within this movement. Consisting of novenas, litanies, a new rosary, a selection of penitential prayers, and short morning and evening prayers, Fr. Powell has produced a prayer book that blends ancient prayer forms with a modern spiritual sensibility. Far from an easy pietism, these prayers both enlighten and challenge the reader to enter more deeply into the teachings of the Church.

Fr. Powell, a Dominican, is especially careful to balance the affective aspects of these traditional prayers with a fidelity to the Church's theological tradition. Fr. Powell quotes generously from St. Augustine, St. Cyprian, Pope Benedict XVI, and other intellectual giants of the Church. The result is prayers that are "not only devotional, but catechetical as well."

I was especially intrigued by the Way-Truth-Life Rosary, a scriptural meditation on John 15:5-6. Instead of focusing on Christ's life, this rosary presents mysteries of his self-revelation. For instance, the "Mysteries of the Life" include

1. The Death of Death (Isaiah 25:7-8)
2. Exchanging One's Life (Matthew 16:26)
3. Losing One's Life (John 12:25)
4. Sacrificing One's Life (Mark 10:45)
5. Eating from the Tree of Life (Revelation 2:7)

If I had one complaint, it is that only some of the individual prayers have introductions. I enjoyed the background information and would have loved more "behind the scenes" thoughts on the theology of the prayers.

That having been said, Treasures Old and New is a welcome addition to my book shelf and I'm looking forward to two more promised volumes of prayers from Fr. Powell! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A piece of history...
`The Old Catholic Missal and Ritual' is a primary text for worship developed by one of the earliest figures in Old Catholicism in the English-speaking world, Archbishop Arnold Harris Mathew. Mathew had a quite colourful history, recounted by many as well as by his own autobiography, candidly entitled `Episcopal Odyssey'. Whether Mathew was more sinned against than sinner in his travels through Christendom is a debate better engaged elsewhere; suffice it to say that many Old Catholic jurisdictions trace their lines back to him directly or indirectly, and his work toward establishing standards, including the standards of worship contained in the `Old Catholic Missal and Ritual', remains a primary cornerstone of Old Catholic history.

A missal is a guidebook or instruction book for leading and participating in worship. Catholics, Anglicans and other high-liturgical traditions have missals; it is a more formal text than the BCP or other such primary liturgical sources. During the medieval period, liturgical worship books included the Sacramentary, used by the celebrant of a service; the antiphonale missarum, for use during mass; the lectionary, a set of readings from scripture for the service; and the missal, which was a fusion of the earlier three.

The `Westminster Dictionary of Worship' states, regarding Old Catholic worship:

`The liturgy is meant to be celebrated in a clear and pure form, bringing the Christological element, in particular, to the fore. Thus the Old Catholic churches play a lively part in the liturgical renewal that is taking place in both Roman Catholic and Protestant churches.'

Mathew's development is very traditional, particularly by today's standard. It was developed at a time of increasing mistrust between Anglicans and Roman Catholics, which is part of the difficulty with Anglican acceptance of Mathew or the churches derived from his bishopric consecrations. This edition is more in the manner of reprint than update, to make the historic text available to the various Old Catholic jurisdictions in the English-speaking world. Minor editing has been done, but for the most part this edition preserves the 1909 text of Mathew intact.

The first pages contain the calendar, with saints and feast/fast days, major and minor distinguished, and instructions for fast and abstinence days. The chart of abbreviations shows the history of the liturgy -- there is still an Emp. abbreviation for the Emperor. Various directions follow, including directions on how to use the calendar, how to hear mass, creeds and prayers, and instructions taken from St. Francis de Sales of what to expect in and from the mass.

The missal proper then begins, first the primary service of the Christian worship, the ordinary of the mass. Many of the elements here are familiar, if in somewhat less elaborate and somewhat different order, to most Christians of any denomination. The ordinary of the mass includes communion for the sick, vespers, and solemn benediction, things that are generally extra or supplemental to the ordinary of most denominations today.

Following this are the propers -- the texts, collects and other liturgical pieces that fit with each particular week. These are arranged according to the liturgical calendar, beginning with Advent. The propers also include the texts for the commons of saints, votive masses, propers of particular saints, and occasional prayers for topics, events and special intentions.

Then follow the more occasional offices -- burial of the dead, baptism, confirmation, marriage, confession, extreme unction, and ordination. The instructions and rituals for confession, to take an example, are quite developed -- there is an examination of conscience that begins with prayer and self-directed questions that place the penitent in relation to God, neighbour, and himself or herself. There are prayers for an act of contrition, thanksgivings for after confession, aspirations and absolutions.

Ordination also contains more traditional forms -- rather than just the three-fold ordained clergy of deacon, priest and bishop, clerical orders take on the more elaborate forms of major and minor orders, including orders of doorkeepers, lectors, exorcists, acolyths, and subdeacons in addition to the three major orders. The instructions for conferring orders not only include liturgical direction, but also the development of clergy instruction, character, and other considerations not often followed today.

`The Minor Orders shall be given to such only as understand Latin at least, observing the appointed intervals between each Order, unless the Bishop shall deem it more expedient to act otherwise; that so they may be the more accurately taught how great is the obligation of this their state in life, and may be exercised in each office, according to the appointment of the Bishop.'

Many Old Catholics leapfrog from layperson to bishop in one giant step; there is much wisdom to be gained by holding an interval between appointments.

Of course, some regulations seem strange to us today:

`Such as are not born in lawful wedlock may not be promoted to the Major Orders without an Episcopal dispensation; neither shall insane persons, slaves, man-slayers, such as are irregular, disfigured by some bodily defect, or maimed, take Orders.'

The language contained in the 1909 Mathew missal is, as one would expect, fairly traditional. It reads in many places like the 1928 Book of Common Prayer. This will appeal to certain people, but may be off-putting to those who seek a more modern and accessible language for their worship.

This book is a bit difficult to use for regular devotional practice. Photocopying the relevant pages or using the text in the printing of liturgical bulletins would be advisable, as a 652-page book is hard to hold, particularly when the pages are not thin.

Bishop Elijah, through the Dry Bones Press, has done a great service to the Old Catholic community by making this volume available. It will be of interest to liturgical scholars of many denominations, and a crucial volume for the library of any Old or Independent Catholic to have another anchor to the history of the movement.

An excellent book of traditional Catholic worship
Arnold Harris Mathew, an Archbishop in the Old Catholic tradition, translated the Latin Rite services of the Western Church into English in 1909.Archbishop Mathew wished to faithfully preserve Catholic theology and worship but present it to worshipers in a language they could understand--he did so admirably.This text contains almost all of the major services of the Western Church, in English, from the Mass to the Blessing of Baptismal Waters.Clergy and laity of the Roman and Anglican Churches should have this text in order to know what has been lost in Christian worship over the last several decades. ... Read more

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Read about the best kept religious secret in America! Married clergy, decentralized administration, and Catholic liturgy and practice - in a non-papal and autocephalous Catholic Church. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Old Catholic
As a new member to the Old Catholic Church
and a future seminarian i found this book
very helpful i think Bishop Queen did a great
job .

A good resource
Perhaps the strongest aspect in favour of this text is that it is a book on American Old Catholicism by an American Old Catholic. So many texts about the Old Catholics, American and otherwise, are written by outsiders, who bring the biased lenses of their contexts and communities with them. Sometimes these biases are subtle and unintended, but sometimes they are quite deliberate. Needless to say, those who write from the inside similarly write with bias; in the case of Old Catholicism, there is still a long way to go to achieve a parity in sources that could approximate objectivity.

That being said, this text does strive for some degree of objectivity. There are few texts available on Old Catholicism; it is an obscure-enough denomination and topic that books go out of print very quickly. Also, there are many varieties of Old Catholicism (and arguments as to the validity of the claim 'Old Catholic' by many from many). It is easy to get lost in the fray, and even the most able historian and researcher will find clarity an elusive goal.

Andre Queen is not an historian by profession or training, nor is he a writer. He is, however, bishop of a jurisdiction within American Old Catholicism, based in Chicago, and has various other titles and affiliations that have given him a reputation as a good source of information. Queen made effort to seek the counsel of other leaders in various jurisdictions as he compiled this text, so there was an element of collaboration in the process.

In some ways, this book is a compilation, and Queen would be in some respects more aptly described as the editor and compiler rather than the author. This, of course, is in keeping with the methodology of those who have a care for tradition and history - re-inventing the wheel is not necessary. For example, the longest chapter (comprising almost one-third of the entire text) is a model catechism, reprinted with permission from the catechism of the jurisdiction of the Old Catholic Church of America (James Bostwick, archbishop). Not all Old Catholic jurisdictions follow this catechism, and it is not intended to serve here as a dogmatic imposition, but rather as a paradigm for exploration.

The first several chapters give a brief history of the development of Old Catholicism in Europe (which has several strands), together with the text of important historical documents, and the transference of Old Catholicism into North America, a trek that has not been without incident, intrigue, and the occasional unfortunate occurrence. As a history, it suffers a bit from lack of a narrative framework; it is more like a patch-work quilt (made of documents, principles and brief biographies) that tells a story than a seamless narrative. For those not already acquainted to some degree with the history, it is easy to get lost. Perhaps in a future edition, this will be addressed.

The concluding chapters, 'Why Eastern and Western Expressions Combine in American Old Catholicism' and 'Yesterday's Tomorrow, Today', bring up important points that beg for further development. They address questions that most likely will be ongoing concerns, but further work on these issues would be appreciated.

There are three appendices, which deal with more obscure points (one an essay on married clergy, and two biographical/autobiographical pieces on figures of prominence in the movement). These are not really for the uninitiated - the essay on marriage assumes a familiarity with historical theology and church practice (and some degree of canon law); the other two appendices are more accessible. In particular, a reading of the appendix dealing with Archbishop Vilatte, side-by-side with that out of another text, Episcopi Vagantes, shows the trouble in dealing with Old Catholic history, and how apparent bias can be.

One minor criticism is that, in a day of computers with spell-check and grammar check, there are a few more typographical errors that one would hope; alas, in this day of self-editing even for major publishing houses, the primarily error-free text is becoming a vanishing species. Again, should there be a future edition, perhaps these will be corrected.

With the advent of lightning publishing and print-on-demand, texts such as this can remain available for longer periods of time, which is a blessing, given that in circles drawn as the Old Catholic circles are, it takes time to disseminate the information regarding the text's availability. There is not as yet a tradition of scholarship and publication in the Old Catholic world (European, North American or otherwise); in that instance, most any book is a blessing. This book represents another step in the direction of self-study and self-proclamation by the Old Catholics of their own community and beliefs. Imagine a world in which the only available texts about the Anglican, Presbyterian or Lutheran communions were written by Roman Catholic scholars, or the only texts available on Roman Catholicism were written by Eastern Orthodox scholars - one can begin to appreciate the difficulty of study of the subject.

This book strives to put Old Catholicism in the best possible light - a worthy goal, and one that any leader such as Queen would try to do. However, space should be made for the frank admission of the difficulties in Old Catholic history that Old Catholics have caused for themselves; this is brought up implicitly in some of the text, but never specifically addressed. Future editions might develop this theme, so as to not be subject to the charge of not facing our own origins.

For those interested in Old Catholicism, this is a valuable resource. It should be required of clergy and lay leaders of every jurisdiction in Old and Independent Catholicism; even the areas of disagreement can yield insight, and issues of difference made more explicit can aid in mutual cooperation. One hopes for further developments of this sort among the Old and Independent Catholic communities.

Exceptional!
I have read many, many publications about the Old Catholic Church in America, this book by far is the most comprehensive.

Truly a credit to the Old Catholics in America.

A must read for anyone interested in religious history in America. ... Read more

Product Description
In our opinion, this is the best Bible History ever! It contains Study Questions for each chapter, 23 maps, 165 enthralling pictures (which alone are worth the price of the book), side notes on every page, a wonderful Index and Pronouncing Vocabulary, plus wording that sixth to eigth grade students can easily handle. We give this book five stars. Impr. 558 pgs, 165 Illus. 23 Maps, PB Workbook also available. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Traditional & Orthodox
Excellent for homeschool middle school. Used in many traditional Catholic homeschool curricula such as Seton and others. There is a workbook to go with it. Perhaps the other reviewer needs a little more catechesis as to why the Church does or doesn't do modern things.

Needs to be revised
Pretty dated. Not particularly helpful for young Catholics of this generation. Would like to see some of the difficult issues explained from a biblical perspective such as the status(or lack of) of women and how the church justifies its patriarchy in the 21st century as these are questions that young people are interested in. The 'Things to Know and to do' at the end of each chapter are not going to satisfy today's young men and women. The book needs to be seriously updated from the 1931. ... Read more

Product Description
For Catholics, merely relying on the Sunday readings to provide a full understanding of the Bible can be unsatisfying.It is through a deliberate study of the "Good Book: as a whole that contextual understanding can be reached.Invitation to the Old Testament is a carefully written book that offers readers accessible and understandable explanations of the key themes and passages of the Hebrews Scriptures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not Catholic
The author, Alice Camille, an out of work college graduate majoring in English, correctly points out that many Catholics lack an understanding of the scriptures.Her purpose was write a simple and readable book for these people so they can gain some grasp of the Old Testament.She apparently has a similar book for the New Testament, though I have not read it.

In this she does succeed.Her writing style is engaging and will appeal to those who are not scholars.Unfortunately, these are really the only good things about the book.

In the introduction, the author happily points out that she is neither a theologian nor a Bible scholar.That becomes evident beginning with the first page.

According to the author, God did not really create the Universe, He just kind of organized it.Aaron was named high priest solely due to nepotism.During the period of Judges, Deborah, the only woman judge, was the only one who had any wisdom.The 20th century figures Martin Luther King and Cesar Chavez were prophets equivalent to the Old Testament prophets.

She later expresses "astonishment" that any man would write about women in the Old Testament, apparently because, to the author, all men were, and still are, misogynists.She claims that women have been sidelined in the Bible.(Blessed, Virgin Mary, please pray for the author.)In the same paragraph, she then goes on to point out that more than three hundred women are discussed in the Bible, in seeming contradiction to her previous premise.

She expresses concern that many unnamed women are often presented as being in a harem, completely ignoring the fact that many unnamed men are far more often simply described as soldiers.

Her focus on innovative interpretations of the scripture and her radical feminism comes through on nearly every page.(Remember: theology + innovation = heresy.)

If you love the Pope and pray for priests, if you look with respect upon nuns who wear the habit and priests in their cassocks, if you love God and respect the Magisterium, AVOID this book.

This book DOES NOT carry an imprimatur nor does it carry a nihil obstat.

Old Testament Explained, Brought to Life
Camille has written an "Everyman's" introduction (or reintroduction) to the Bible not as some huge, sprawling book about God, but "lots of little books clustered around a revolving cast of characters who understood themselves to be, in a fundamental way, the people of God." After briefly explaining the Church's use of the lectionery and ways of approaching scripture to get the whole picture, she brings those characters to life while addressing real issues of the day.

In the chapter Salvation by Journey, which covers Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, Camille addresses the question "Are you saved?" often asked by Fundamentalist Christians. That question, she explains, is often confusing to Catholics, who look at salvation not as a single event, but as (1) the Paschal Mystery, and (2) a process in which we participate our entire lives.

Each chapter ends with several questions for reflection and a prayer activity, making this an excellent resource for personal or group study. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Offers a thorough and accessible analysis of Catholic teaching on war and warmaking from its earliest stages to the present. ... Read more