Showing titles in Biographies

Julian of Norwich was a 14th-century Christian mystic, important English theologian, and visionary writer. Indeed, her masterpiece, A Revelation of Divine Love (or Showings), is the first book written by a woman in English. Six centuries after her death, she continues to inspire with her pious and moving words. Now you can enjoy this brilliant course on Julian. In nine lectures you'll consider what we know (and don't know) about her life and the larger historical context into which she fits.

At the time of his death, Christopher Hitchens was the most notorious atheist in the world. And yet, all was not as it seemed. "Nobody is not a divided self, of course," he once told an interviewer, "but I think it's rather strong in my case." Hitchens was a man of many contradictions: a Marxist in youth who longed for acceptance among the social elites; a peacenik who revered the military; a champion of the Left who was nonetheless pro-life, pro-war-on-terror; and, after 9/11, something of a neocon.

Children were her life, and God’s messenger Mother Frances X. Cabrini dedicated her entire life to caring for poor Italian immigrants who sought refuge in the slums of New York City in the early 1890s. A devout champion of education and proper health care for the poverty-stricken, Cabrini forged a path of survival for young children by building schools, orphanages, and hospitals—not only in the United States, but also throughout Europe and Central and South America.

In this accessible and well-documented study, philosopher Douglas Groothuis introduces listeners to Pascal's life as well as the breadth of his intellectual pursuits, including his contributions to mathematics, science, ethics, and theology. Groothuis overviews the key points of Pascal's Pensees, which captures his thoughts about God, humanity, and Jesus Christ. Listeners will also explore Pascal's views on a range of topics, including culture, politics, Islam, and miracles.

San Agustín de Hipona (354-430) es uno de los representantes más reconocidos en la historia de la teología. Estudió filosofía y se adhirió a la fe cristiana después de pasar por varias escuelas de pensamiento. Su autobiografía espiritual y reflexiones filosóficas se reúnen en el libro Las Confesiones de San Agustín, el cual relata desde sus primeras peregrinaciones hasta su conversión al cristianismo. Para el autor de estas bellas páginas, el origen del bien y el mal en el hombre se encuentra en su conciencia, y solo al ingresar en ella podrá alcanzar la realidad suprema de la verdad.

Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry: True Stories of Padre Pio, Book II is written and published by Diane Allen. The author continued her research and study of the life and spirituality of Padre Pio for her second book on the saint who has often been referred to as "the greatest mystic of the 20th Century." She has also continued to travel to different parts of the U.S. with her husband, Deacon Ron Allen, in order to interview those who met Padre Pio and had a testimony to share.

In this course you will encounter seven powerful schools of spirituality, discovering what makes each school special and transformative. Your professor is celebrated spirituality expert Fr. Anthony Ciorra, PhD, who will guide you through the development of insights and charisms through the centuries. Throughout this course you are invited to deepen your personal relationship with God.

Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) is one of the most inspiring figures in Christianity: a Doctor of the Church, visionary mystic, powerful composer of hymns, artist, and philosopher. Now, you have the opportunity to know Hildegard intimately in this program on her life and spirituality.

Suitcases from Heaven: A Mother’s Journey through Her Daughter-in-law’s Cancer is the heart- wrenching story of a daughter-in-law fighting a rare, terminal cancer with a mountain of miracle-moving faith, and a mother-in-law depleted of miracle-believing faith who wants nothing to do with such miracle nonsense. Day by day, as Cindy Seaton Henson cares for her dying daughter-in-law, God invites her onto Jazmin’s hope-train legacy. This memoir is intended to encourage caregivers to lean into restored faith so they can better care for their loved ones.

Through the suffering and hardships you’ll see a remarkably strong woman emerge, whose extraordinary resolve brought her through the ashes as she gripped her faith and found the strength to soar. Every painful experience grew her unwavering bravery and eventually catapulted her into the arms of Jesus. She also brings light to the epidemic of mental illness and how it is time to erase the stigma in our society and in the church.

The mystics show us the deepest recesses of the human spirit. Now, this remarkable series gives you the rare opportunity to take one of the world's leading experts on mysticism as your personal guide. Boston College's Fr. Harvey Egan draws on 50 years of teaching the Christian mystics. Brilliantly taught, his lectures are filled with faithful insights. Under his guidance, you will explore the mystical life by focusing upon 11 significant figures. You will begin with Ignatius of Loyola and his finding of God in all things.

As the Society of Jesus approaches its 500th anniversary, the Jesuits make up the largest unified religious order of men in the Catholic Church. How did these "Soldiers of Christ" grow from their humble beginnings to become an order deeply engaged in ministries, learning, and society in 112 nations on all six inhabited continents? Whether you are a Jesuit yourself or a person touched by Jesuit education, ministries, and writings, you will love this course.

St. Thomas Aquinas OP (1224-1274) towers in the history of Christian thought as a mystic, spiritual master, theologian, philosopher, teacher, and preacher. Along with St. Augustine, his synthesis of Christian teaching and exposition of the truth of the Catholic faith remains unsurpassed in Western Christianity.

At a moment when the world is asking, "Can the religions get along?" one figure stands out as the shared ancestor of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. One man holds the key to our deepest fears and our possible reconciliation. Abraham.

How Christ Came To Church is an enlivening spiritual autobiography that grew out of a beleaguered pastor's dream. This dream was the seminal event out of which blossomed a complete change in Gordon's approach to ministry and a vivid transformation in his parishioners.

In Confessions, regarded as the first true Western autobiography, Saint Augustine of Hippo lays bare his heart, body, and soul. In this unguarded prayer, a fallible Augustine admits to the indiscretions, selfishness, and licentious obsessions of his youth. He reveals a man of contradictory desires and beliefs, a regretful libertine torn between sin and morality on a spiritual journey toward his conversion to Christianity.

Is there a true seeker among us who has not endured what St. John of the Cross first called the "dark night of the soul" - a crisis, a betrayal, a sadness seeming without end? In The Way of St. John of the Cross, you will meet this towering figure - mystic, poet, healer of souls, and lover of God - and hear how this great explorer of mystical experience left an unfailing map to guide us through the dark nights of our own lives, one that promises eternal joy to all with the courage to follow it.

What does it mean to be an imitator of Christ? Find out by exploring the life and legacy of Saint Francis of Assisi and the movements he inspired with one of the world's leading Franciscan experts as your guide.

When Winston Churchill was a boy of 16, he already had a vision for his purpose in life. "This country will be subjected somehow to a tremendous invasion...I shall be in command of the defenses of London...it will fall to me to save the Capital, to save the Empire." It was a most unlikely prediction. Perceived as a failure for much of his life, Churchill was the last person anyone would have expected to rise to national prominence as prime minister and influence the fate of the world during World War II.

Explore the profound spirituality of Hans Urs von Balthasar. Born in Switzerland, Balthasar (1905-1988) was one of the most prolific and sophisticated Catholic thinkers of the 20th century. As you will discover, Balthasar's theology provides a powerful model for the Catholic Church in the modern world. In Hans Urs von Balthasar: Rediscovering Holistic Christianity, you will join Balthasar expert Dr. Kevin Mongrain (PhD, Yale University) in exploring this great theologian.