Between May and October of 1917, three young shepherds were reportedly visited six times by an apparition of the Virgin Mary near the town of Fátima in Portugal. At the final apparition event, approximately 70,000 visitors gathered to witness a prophesied miracle intended to convince the public that the children's visions were of divine origin. The miracle took the form of a solar anomaly; witnesses claimed that the sun began to "dance." Exploring the early development of the cult of the Virgin of Fátima and the overthrow of the liberal, secular government by pro-Catholic elements, Jeffrey Bennett offers the first book-length scholarly study of the cult's relationship to the rise of authoritarian politics in Portugal. When the Sun Danced offers a fascinating look at the cultural dynamics that informed one of the most turbulent periods in the nation's history.

In 1917, in Fatima, Portugal, the Virgin Mary appeared to three illiterate, peasant children. She showed them a vision of hell and warned that if Russia was not converted and consecrated to Her Immaculate Heart, that country would spread its errors around the world. The last apparition on October 13, 1917, was accompanied by a strange event: the sun danced in the sky! Before an estimated seventy thousand people gathered in an open field, it zigzagged overhead and appeared to be rushing toward the crowd. There was no screaming, no panic and no stampede. Scientific instruments around the world, failed to record this terrifying event. It became known as the “Miracle of the Sun.” More than a century has passed and the Vatican has yet to proclaim it a miracle. Nevertheless, these apparitions with its anti-Russian message were shamelessly used by the Catholic Church as a rallying war cry against Russia and its purported godlessness. Part religious-political treatise, but mostly, history, The Day The Sun Danced, traces the history that for centuries, saw Christians slaughter fellow Christians across Europe -- the cradle of Christianity, in the firm belief, that God was on their side. From the time of the Crusades to Martin Luther's nailing of his ninety-five theses, to the Holocaust, to World War II, the Cold War and beyond, author Leslie Michael pays special attention to the role Christianity played in the rise of Hitler. Pope Pius XII was not Hitler's Pope. He firmly believed Jews were the architect of their own misfortune. Instead of accepting Christ as their Lord, they murdered him – and Hitler was taking good care of them. Pius XII had his own agenda. Godless Communism was not his sole concern. He agonized over the division between the Roman Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. It was his fervent hope that “Operation Barbarossa” the Nazi Invasion of the Soviet Union, joined by several Eastern European nations, would form a “Christian Crusade” that would would wipe out those godless communists and faithless Jews from the face of Europe. That country would be conquered, converted to Catholicism and consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, thus fulfilling the promises of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima -- and seeing Pope Pius XII emerge as the Supreme head of all Christendom.

A highly respected physicist demonstrates that the essential beliefs of Christianity are wholly consistent with the laws of physics. Frank Tipler takes an exciting new approach to the age-old dispute about the relationship between science and religion in The Physics of Christianity. In reviewing centuries of writings and discussions, Tipler realized that in all the debate about science versus religion, there was no serious scientific research into central Christian claims and beliefs. So Tipler embarked on just such a scientific inquiry. The Physics of Christianity presents the fascinating results of his pioneering study. Tipler begins by outlining the basic concepts of physics for the lay reader and brings to light the underlying connections between physics and theology. In a compelling example, he illustrates how the God depicted by Jews and Christians, the Uncaused First Cause, is completely consistent with the Cosmological Singularity, an entity whose existence is required by physical law. His discussion of the scientific possibility of miracles provides an impressive, credible scientific foundation for many of Christianity’s most astonishing claims, including the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection, and the Incarnation. He even includes specific outlines for practical experiments that can help prove the validity of the “miracles” at the heart of Christianity. Tipler’s thoroughly rational approach and fully accessible style sets The Physics of Christianity apart from other books dealing with conflicts between science and religion. It will appeal not only to Christian readers, but also to anyone interested in an issue that triggers heated and divisive intellectual and cultural debates.

By painstakingly following the long international paper trails that connect such apparently unrelated manifestations and occurrences as crop circles, alien abductions, extraterrestrial activity, and many other modern mysteries, Bruce Rux uncovers a conspiracy of misinformation, denial, and silence among government officials. 30 photos. 50 illustrations.

A collection of inspiring stories of miracles, healings and divine presences on Earth depicts people throughout history, exploring how their faith in God guided them in their everyday lives. Reprint. 30,000 first printing.

The Introduction to Mary, offers us the opportunity to experience the truth about the person of Mary, our Spiritual Mother, through learning about Marian doctrine and devotion. Also offers answers to ten of the more common objections to Mary. Written by a Professor of Theology and Mariology at Franciscan University at Steubenville. Imprimatur.

Through the centuries and across the world, the Virgin Mary has appeared to ordinary people of every race and culture, from scholars to illiterates, from the devout to the unbelieving, from young children to the dying. In this exquisite and inspiring volume, Janice T. Connell chronicles authenticated Marian apparitions and messages Mary has brought from God--as mother, comforter, Queen of Angels, and Prophet of the Apocalypse. Drawn from scripture, legend, and never-before-published eyewitness accounts, these are personal stories--the author's own, and her interviews with other visionaries--filled with beauty, wonder, and joy. Meetings with Mary ranges from Elijah's vision of Mary eight hundred years before her birth to the world-famous children of Medjugorje in Bosnia, whose encounters with her began in 1981 and continue daily. Here also are lesser-known, deeply touching encounters with the Mother, from an office worker in Holland to a Japanese nun, from a Jewish banker in Rome to an awestruck crowd of visionaries, few of them Christians or of any other faith, in Egypt. Meetings with Mary asks also: as the millennium draws near, shadowed by disasters, disease, and brutal civil warfare, are Mary's frequent appearances a signal to the faithful? Perhaps she is calling us all to join her now on a voyage toward the eternal shores of peace, joy, and abiding love. . . . "[Connell is] passionate about prayer and sharing her love of Jesus' mother. . . . She has a way of simplifying complex theology." --Rocky Mountain News

"Mother Figured" is a wide-ranging study of apparitions and miracles of the Virgin Mary in the Philippines from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. While most analyses have read Marian revival as antimodern, de la Cruz demonstrates that its origins actually lie "within "secular modernity. She takes inspiration from one of Mary s titles that has grown in popularity in modern times Mary the Mediatrix to show how modern print and technological media enable and support the circulation of miraculous narratives and images. While thoroughly grounded in local tradition, the resurgence of Marianism in the Philippines is a subject of global relevance. De la Cruz portrays Filipino Catholics not as mere followers of the faith from the margins or from below but as guardians of orthodoxy and aggressive purveyors of their own sort of Christian universalism. In this sense, the book offers a timely analysis of the social and political implications of contemporary Christianity s shift to the Global South."

In Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina, on June 25, 1981, five teenagers and a nine-year-old began telling others that they were seeing the Blessed Virgin Mary on a local mountain with the Infant Christ in her arms. The religious visions of the children continued daily. The Blessed Virgin Mary, who identified herself as the "Queen of Peace" on that day continues to bring messages for the entire world. Like Lourdes and Fatima before it, Medjugorje has become a holy pilgrimage site for Christian worshippers around the world. The Visions of the Children, Revised and Updated Edition features exclusive conversations with the six apparitioners who have been receiving, since June 1981, visions and messages of the Virgin Mary. After 25 years, three of the original visionaries continue to see the Blessed Mother daily. This revised and updated edition includes: -new information on the six visionaries who first saw Mary at Medjugorje -Messages from the Virgin Mary through June 2006 -extraordinary secrets about the final chapter in the history of the world -A new, updated list of Marian Centers worldwide. This is a must have volume for anyone interested in the Blessed Virgin Mary, Marian apparitions, or Mejugorgje.