IGNATIUSINSIGHT.COM ARCHIVES for NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2004

DECEMBER 2004

• "Who Do You Say I Am?" | by Peter Kreeft. The well-known professor of philosophy defends the divinity of Jesus Christ in this excerpt from Fundamentals of the Faith.

• "Sometimes you just have to trust and believe" | Actress Sydney Penny talks about making the film Bernadette and what the French saint means to her.

• "On The Sternness of Christianity" | by Fr. James V. Schall, S.J. True love can be truly tough. Which means that true Christianity can be daunting.

• "The God in The Cave" | by G.K. Chesterton. In this chapter from his masterful The Everlasting Man, Chesterton contemplates the mystery of the Incarnation and the story of Christmas.

• "Immaculate Mary, Matchless In Grace" | by John Saward. As Mother of God, our Lady is without equal, surpassing by far all other created persons, whether angels or men. After the human nature of the Son, no created entity is closer to the Trinity.

• "Father, Son, and Spirit: So What's In A Name?"| by Deborah Belonick. More and more people are playing games with the name of God, arguing that the traditional formulas are narrowminded and outdated. But the name of the Triune God is not outdated - it is timeless.

• Foreword to Yves Congar's The Meaning of Tradition | by Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J.

• Introduction to The Meaning of Tradition | Yves Congar, O.P. Father Congar's book on Tradition is a classic work that contributed to the teaching of Vatican II and to a deeper appreciation of the Church Fathers.

• "Falling From Faith" | by Carl E. Olson. "We walk by faith, not by sight," writes Saint Paul. That doesn't mean life is easy, but it makes eternal life possible.

• "What I Heard in 2004" | by Carl E. Olson. Here are a few thoughts about things that I heard and saw this past year, along with my brief comments, some serious and others not so serious.

• Just Judges? | by Dr. James Hitchcock. The voters in Louisiana, following the lead of several other states, voted this fall to not allow homosexual "marriage."

• It's Over! Did the Catholic Vote Really Count? | by Valerie Schmalz. What is the "Catholic Vote" and what did accomplish in the 2004 elections?

• Catholic Voters and the Work Ahead | by Valerie Schmalz. Pundits argue about how much of a difference Catholic voters made in the outcome of the 2004 election. Here are some of their opinions about the election and what it means for the future.

• Beyond the Election: Catholics and America | An interview with Kathryn Jean Lopez, the editor of National Review Online and associate editor of the print edition of National Review.

• Love Must Be Perceived | In the newly translated Love Alone Is Credible, Hans Urs von Balthasar delves deeply into what love means, what makes the divine love of God, and how we must become lovers of God in the footsteps of saints like Francis de Sales, John of the Cross and Therese of Lisieux.

• Thomas Howard on the Meaning of Tradition | An exclusive excerpt from Thomas Howard's On Being Catholic.

• The Year of the Eucharist | Carl E. Olson, editor of IgnatiusInsight.com, writes about "The Meaning and Purpose of the Year of the Eucharist" and "The Doctrine (and the Defense) of the Eucharist." Included is a list of select Ignatius Press books about the Eucharist and the Mass.

NOVEMBER 2004

• Thomas Howard and the Kindly Light | Dr. Thomas Howard talks about his journey to the Catholic Church and his book, Lead, Kindly Light: My Journey to Rome.

• Is This Chalice The Holy Grail? | An interview with the author of St. Laurence and The Holy Grail: The Story of The Holy Chalice of Valencia.

• The Cardinal, The Faith, and the Truth | Can the absolute claim of Jesus Christ as the only savior still be maintained today? That's the question addressed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in his new book, Truth and Tolerance: Christian Belief and World Religions.

• "The Point of It All" | by Peter Kreeft. The point of Christianity cannot be contained in words because the point of Christianity is the living Christ.

• "Why Catholicism Makes Protestantism Tick: Louis Bouyer on the Reformation" | by Mark Brumley. Interpreting the Reformation is complicated business. But like many complicated things, it can be simplified sufficiently well that even non-experts can get the gist of it.

• A Victory for Conscience: Federal Spending Bill Prohibits Discrimination On Abortion | By Valerie Schmalz. In 1997 the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that a small community hospital in Palmer, Alaska, was required to perform late-term abortions, overruling the hospital's board of directors which had voted to bar abortions.

• Theory of the Enlightened Class | By Dr. James Hitchcock. Liberals are showing their true colors in the wake of the 2004 elections.

• The Origins of Masonry | By William J. Whalen. What is Masonry, and how did it start? What does this secret society mean to Catholics?

• Raymond Flynn: Post-Election Reflections of a Pro-Life Democrat | For years Raymond Flynn's name was synonymous with Boston and liberal Democrats.

• Can Catholics Be "Real Americans"? | by Mark Brumley. Can a good Catholic be a good American? Can a saint be a good American? Yes, they can - and they should, writes the president of Ignatius Press.

• The New York Times called the movie "Kinsey" an "intellectual turn-on." But who was Kinsey and why was he so influential? Dr. Benjamin Wiker talks about the real Alfred Kinsey in "Dedicated Scientist or Sexual Deviant?" Valerie Schmalz explains why Kinsey is "The Father of the Sexual Revolution." And Mark Brumley takes a look at "Kinsey and What's Normal."

• Interview with Tom Allen of CatholicExchange.com | What is the role and value of the internet in the New Evangelization? The president of one of the most-visited Catholic web site in the world shares his thoughts.

• Derrida: Does the Name Mean Anything To You? | Carl E. Olson. Everyone is stupid and confused on occasion. But to dedicate one's entire life to stupidity and confusion-that's a remarkable and dubious achievement.

• The Mysterious, Elusive Catholic Voter - Captured! George J. Marlin's fascinating book The American Catholic Voter is for everyone with an interest in the political life of the United States and the vital role of the Christian Faith in the public square.

• Catholic and Conservative: A Conversation with Ramesh Ponnuru | An interview with Ramesh Ponnuru, senior editor for National Review.

• Thought Crime Becomes a Reality in Canada: An interview with Michael O'Brien | Ignatius Press author O'Brien, who lives in Canada, talks about the recent Bill C-250, which amends the federal hate crimes law to include speech against sexual orientation.

• Mixed Messages | by Phil Lawler. As the U.S. presidential campaign accelerated toward its conclusion, political analysts became increasingly persistent with their questions about how John Kerry's Catholicism would affect the outcome.

• When the Media Decide What the Church Should Teach by Dr. James Hitchcock, professor of history at St. Louis University and author of numerous books and articles.

• Traveling With Walker Percy | by Carl E. Olson. In the summer of 1995, my wife and I - both Evangelical Protestants at the time - took a trip with the Catholic novelist Walker Percy.

• I Saw "Therese"...Again | by Anthony Ryan. "Last week my wife, Marcia, our 13-year-old son, Sean, and I were able to attend a local movie theater to watch the new national release of Leonardo Defilippis's little gem of a film, Therese..."

• Part Two of Interview with Regina Doman | Black as Night: A Fairy Tale Retold is a new novel for teens and young adults from Bethlehem Books, written by Regina Doman. Bethlehem published Doman’s first book, Snow White and Rose Red: A Modern Fairy Tale, in 1997. Based on a little-known fairy tale, it became something of a phenomenon among homeschool teens. IgnatiusInsight.com spoke with Doman about her newest book, the challenges of writing fiction for young adults, and her thoughts about books for teens, including the popular Harry Potter series. Part one of a two-part interview can be read here and part two can be read here

• His Story and the History of the Church | A two-part interview with Dr. Glenn Olsen, Professor of History at the University of Utah, and the author of Beginning at Jerusalem: Five Reflections on the History of the Church, which is a profound and challenging reflection on the history of the Church and what Catholics need to learn from the past.

• All The News That's Fit to Print...Sort Of | On October 6, 2004, David Kirkpatrick, a reporter for The New York Times, conducted an extensive interview with Denver’s Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., on issues surrounding this year’s national elections. In the interests of accuracy, archdiocesan staff recorded the interview. A heavily truncated and framed version of the archbishop’s views appeared in an October 12 New York Times story. Read a transcript of the full interview with Archbishop Chaput here. Then decide for yourself whether the October 12 Times story is slanted or fair; complete or misleading.

• Catholic Answers vs. Catholic "Choice" | On Tuesday August 31, Catholic Answers ran a full-page ad in USA Today in several major markets advising Catholics how to vote on five key, non-negotiable issues in light of Church teaching. The ad contained the text of the "Voter's Guide for Serious Catholics," created and produced by Catholic Answers. On September 20, 2004, Francis Kissling, President of Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC), filed a "complaint" with the IRS, claiming that Voter's Guide produced by Catholic Answers violates tax rules governing non-profit charitable organizations.

In an exclusive interview with IgnatiusInsight.com, Jimmy Akin, Catholic Answers Director of Apologetics and Evangelization, talks about the controversy, the attacks by Catholics for a Free Choice, and the Voter's Guide.

• An interview with Father Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R. Hit by a car while crossing a street near the Orlando airport, Father Groeschel nearly died at the scene of the accident. In an exclusive interview, Father Groeschel talks about the accident, his recovery, the meaning of prayer, and his book, Praying to Our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Marie Bellet is a wife and mother of eight who writes and sings songs about motherhood, marriage, and faith. IgnatiusInsight.com recently interviewed Marie and asked her about her passion for music, her life as wife and mother, and the challenges of being a Catholic singer/songwriter in Nashville.

• Questions in early October 2004 for Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J., include the SSPX, the "Reform of the Reform," homosexuality, female altar servers, and catechetical texts. Go here to open the files!