"Offers overview and summary of ten of Pope Francis's principle documents"--

"A comprehensive collection of Pope Francis's writings and reflections on the theme of synodality-his vision for the church of the future"--

Pope Francis has taken the world by storm, captivating Catholics, Protestants, and non-Christians alike. Sneaking out of the Vatican at night, washing the feet of inmates, and taking selfies with young fans is certainly unlike any religious leader we've seen in a while, and some of the religious establishment is uneasy about it. The revitalization Francis is bringing to the Catholic Church is not without precedent, however. Jesus had a similar effect in his day, drawing crowds with his humility, kindness, and wisdom--even as he drew the disapproval of established religious leaders. The things that have brought Francis such media attention are the same things that made Jesus so peculiar and attractive in his day. Thoughtful examination of Jesus' example and legacy, as well as an honest look at the similarities and differences between Catholic and Protestant faith, invites reflection on the heart of Christianity and how we relate to our fellow Christians. Readers will discover the power of heartfelt joy, radical love, and passion for justice to shake people out of religious complacency and into dynamic, contagious faith. Jesus, Pope Francis, and a Protestant Walk into a Bar looks at what is universal among Christians, what is unique to Catholics and Protestants, and how all Christians can practice understanding and cooperation across differences. Perfect for individual or group use, discussion questions are also included to encourage further thought and conversation.

2018 Catholic Press Association, 3rd Place: Pope Francis “There is a charm and a charism to Pope Francis. His words have a way of captivating the reader. Like all good pastors, he points to Jesus. Prepare now to join Pope Francis on this walk along ‘the Way.’” —From the Foreword by ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH E. KURTZ Ask someone for a definition of Christianity and you are likely to hear a philosophical, historical, or even cultural description of it. But any explanation of the Christian faith that fails to define it as a way of being, of proceeding, is missing the mark. For at its core, Christianity is about living—and loving—as committed disciples of Jesus Christ. Embracing the Way of Jesus is a beautifully curated collection of excerpts from the homilies and writings of Pope Francis, all centering on Christianity as a way of life—or, as the earliest Christians would have understood it, “the Way.” Through the Pope’s meditations on Scripture, we pause to consider essential aspects of discipleship such as The Way of the Cross, The Way of Prayer, The Way of Children, The Way of the Poor, and more. The book even offers a rare opportunity to see more clearly the path of discipleship through the lens of the Old Testament. For anyone desiring to live out the faith in a way that can truly transform and heal our hearts and our world, Embracing the Way of Jesus is the perfect place to start.

A month of thoughts from Pope Francis on the Virgin Mary.

Walking Together on the Way is the first agreed statement of the third phase of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, and the first ARCIC agreed statement since 2005. The language of 'walking together' is used by both Archbishop Justin Welby and Pope Francis to describe our ecclesial life and the ecumenical journey. Both have also, in different ways, endorsed the approach of receptive ecumenism: that we have much to learn and much to receive from each other. In Walking Together on the Way the Commission asks what Anglicans and Catholics can learn from one another to make us better able to walk together in the way of communion. Both our communions have an understanding that all the baptized share in the threefold office of Christ as prophet, priest and king. The document considers how this common understanding is lived out in our processes of governance and discernment at the local, regional and global levels. The Commission not only examines our respective ecclesial processes of discernment, but also seeks to identify the tensions and difficulties we experience; it asks where Angicans and Catholics can look to one another for wisdom. In this way, the Commission proposes, we can grow together through a journey of mutual enrichment. As the text affirms, 'We are pilgrims together walking on the way of penitence and renewal towards full communion.'

After facing a life-changing cancer diagnosis, Phil Volker started walking a circuitous route around his ten-acre backyard. It was a chance to exercise, which his doctors had encouraged, but also created a sacred space to think and pray. Realizing that he was covering quite a distance, he found a map of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route and began to map his progress, calculating that 909 laps would get him from St. Jean Pied-de-Port to the Cathedral of St. James. Volker completed five caminos, five hundred miles each, without leaving his backyard, and many visitors have found healing, solace, and consolation in walking with him. Phil’s life was transformed by what he calls his three Cs—Camino, Catholicism, and Cancer. Part spiritual autobiography, part pilgrimage journal, and part Old Farmer’s Almanac, this book is the story of his journey.

A study of the most important document from Pope Francis to date exploring key components of his agenda for the church.

Walking with Ignatius is a celebration of 500 years of the Society of Jesus, as seen through the eyes of its first Latin American Father General, Arturo Sosa. Comprised of interviews with Father General conducted over a period of two years by Dario Menor, Walking with Ignatius retraces the ‘inner tension’ – both personal and communal – that defines the quest for meaning over the ages: from the time when St Ignatius begged for alms to sustain his studies to a world transformed by globalisation. Menor’s questions reflect the spirit of the Ignatian practice of discernment: unafraid to ask questions and to face up to the challenges of the present, Menor and Sosa engage in a spiritual conversation that covers such topics as the life of Ignatius, the life story of Sosa, the challenge of the unsettling twenty-first century, and the future of the Church. With great care Sosa sifts through the past, present, and future of the Society of Jesus and of the Church. The reader is invited in the Ignatian spirit into a conversation about the future direction of the Church in which the question of being a Catholic is replaced with the question of how we become Catholics. Included is a section-by-section guide – complete with bible references, pointers for prayer, and tips for spiritual conversation – that encourages the reader to embark on a spiritual journey of their own. Intended for those within and outside the Ignatian family, Walking with Ignatius is both an exemplar of spiritual conversation in action and a response to Pope Francis’s call for Jesuits to bring the practice of discernment to the world.

Contrary to popular belief, the biblical prophets do far more than predict the future. They speak truth to power, they tell the truth about the uncomfortable past, they indict empty religiosity, they advocate for poor people and working people while seeking justice--all at tremendous risk to themselves. In Walking in the Prophetic Tradition Jason Bembry argues that the prophets have too often been domesticated by cultural impulses that reduce the prophetic message to prediction about Jesus or the end times. This book highlights themes addressed by the Old Testament prophets and connects each theme to modern people who exemplify passion for those same ideals. In this sense the prophetic tradition comes to life in the lived testimony of Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day, Myles Horton, Cesar Chavez, and Cornel West--moderns who stand courageously in this tradition. This book is a guide for all who seek a fuller understanding of the Old Testament prophets and who want to continue their work in the present.