Asked about the dialogue between Asian and Christian mysticisms, Hans Urs von Balthasar wrote: "The dialogue is possible. The question is: 'does selflessness mean emptiness, or (trinitarian) love.'" Word and Silence is an ascent to the fullness of the Christian vision, from the depths of natural and Christian wisdom and under the guidance of this great master of contemplative theology of our time. It offers an overview of the human condition, and then broadens to explore the fullness of God's revelation, which overflows the deepest longings of the human heart, fully embracing the human as human, and leading it into the heart of God.
 "What one of the greatest theologians of our century--Hans Urs von Balthasar--says about what the world's religions mean for one another as pluralism intensifies their interaction--no other study comes close to the depth with which Word and Silence addresses that subject."--Huston Smith, author of The World's Religions
 "In this luminous book, Father Raymond Gawronski demonstrates the fruitfulness of Balthasar's distinctive Christology, Mariology, and nuptial mysticism for a genuine Catholic theology of world religions; and in the process, he sheds much-needed light upon the mysteries of sexuality and gender, the spirituality of obedience, and the beauty of holiness."--Carol Zaleski, Professor of World Religions, Smith College; co-author of Prayer: A History
 "The Epistle to the Hebrews tells us that while 'in many and various ways God spoke of old to our fathers,' in 'these days he has spoken to us by a Son.' Meanwhile, at the heart of that word, spoken in and through the Son, sits the 'wordless word' of Christ's death and descent into hell. This paradox--that in revealing himself to us in both word and deed God makes His final word a wordless deed--lies at the center of this spellbinding and beautifully written book. As Raymond Gawronski succinctly puts it, 'The Word weds silence, as it were.' This book is no less relevant now than when it was first published in 1995. Indeed, not only is this one of the best books on Balthasar to date, it should also be required reading for anyone interested in the important dialogue between Christianity and the East."--Rodney Howsare, Professor of Theology, DeSales University; author of Balthasar: A Guide for the Perplexed
 A native of New York, Fr. Gawronski entered the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus in 1977, after studies in East Asian culture, and then graduate study in comparative religion with Huston Smith at Syracuse University. His doctoral studies were undertaken in Rome, and included work in Eastern Christian spirituality, which led in turn to a lifelong commitment to the theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar. He was professor of theology at Marquette University for thirteen years, during which time he helped design the Spirituality Year program for the St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver, where he then served as professor and spiritual director for eight years. He has published and lectured widely on issues of culture and spirituality, and has for years served as an active retreat master, annually leading the full Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. He is currently professor of dogmatic theology at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, California, where he also gives spiritual direction.

Word and Silence: Hans Urs von Balthasar and the Spiritual Encounter Between East and West

Literature & Fiction

Gawronski, Raymond

History & Criticism

Angelico Press/Second Spring

The Golden Princess and the Moon: A Retelling of the Fairy Tale "Sleeping Beauty"

The Golden Princess and the Moon is a classic retelling of "Sleeping Beauty," steeped in legend and magic. The beautiful but spoiled Princess Rosamund (Rosa for short) has squandered the seven faerie gifts given her on her christening day. She must reclaim these gifts in order to face a terrible curse cast long before her birth. Prince Erik grew up hearing stories of a sleeping princess, but all does not end happily when he wakes her. For what happens when a princess of legend awakens in a world that fears all to do with the old kingdom and Faerie? Intertwined in both Rosa's and Erik's lives is the figure of the Golden King and the ancient curse that separated him from his faerie bride. The luminous world evoked by Anna Maria Mendell in this, her first full-length work, is unforgettable, and will delight readers of all ages. "A deeply felt tale of faery, richly mixing elements from the brothers Grimm, George MacDonald, and even (did I sense at times?) The Princess Bride. Read, and enjoy!"--MICHAEL WARD, author of Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis "Anna Maria Mendell's debut novel is a masterly re-telling of the Sleeping Beauty story. At a time when shallow agendas dominate the revival of the fairytale genre, she sets a fresh narrative standard: one drawing equally from modern depth psychology and traditional symbolism. The author conjures a rich, imaginative landscape peopled with believable characters, as she works toward the final eucatastrophe. A 'joyous turn' not easily achieved: and this is perhaps the chief lesson of Mendell's gripping excursion into the realm of faerie."--LÉONIE CALDECOTT, co-editor of Second Spring and director of the Centre for Faith & Culture "With passages of striking beauty, this splendid re-telling of the fairy tale 'Sleeping Beauty' touches evocatively on timeless human themes and achieves a poignant depth reminiscent of the work of George MacDonald."--MARK SEBANC, co-author of the "Legacy of the Stone Harp" series Anna Maria Mendell grew up climbing trees in the woods of New England. She studied Literature at the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts and received her Master of Studies in English from Oxford University. While she lived abroad, she traveled far and wide and explored crumbling ruins and castles, secret caverns, and hushed forests--all these places made their way into the scribbles of her notebook.

Mendell, Anna Maria

Mythology & Folk Tales

Tolkien's Sacramental Vision: Discerning the Holy in Middle Earth

Bernthal, Craig

The Radiance of Her Face: A Triptych in Honor of Mary Immaculate

These meditations on the Immaculate Conception will teach you to look at and love Our Lady as God sees and loves her. "The longing to gaze upon the Immaculate Virgin,"writes Dom Xavier Perrin, "is not a matter of superficial devotion ... but rather a genuine requirement of Christian contemplation." In this book, he shows us the necessity of Mary in the life of every Christian.Alive to the role of material beauty in strengthening our perception of the invisible, Dom Perrin uses the visual language of the "Triptych" to assist us in our understanding of Mary's role in the divine plan. Those who already rejoice in fervent devotion to Mary will find their love for her here nourished, stirred, refreshed, confirmed, given new impetus. For those who have lacked the confidence to turn to Mary, who feel they do not really understand how we can pray to her, or relate to her, these pages may prove truly liberating, inviting entry into a prayer life that is deeper, more confident, and more effective. A contemplative gaze at Mary Immaculate has the power to change us, to convert us, to soften our hard hearts, to open us up to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Here then is a book to be savored, to be read slowly and repeatedly, to be passed on to others. May it be a blessing for all who encounter it.

Religion & Spirituality

Perrin, Dom Xavier

Christian Books & Bibles

Out of the Classroom and into the World: How to Transform Catholic Education

Catholic education can transform our children, and we can transform Catholic education: that is the foundational message of this book. Drawing inspiration from the work of Stratford Caldecott, Pope Benedict XVI, and many others, Out of the Classroom and into the World delivers a rallying cry for parents, teachers, and home educators, offering a probing analysis of contemporary Catholic education and making practical, actionable suggestions for real and lasting change.

Peachey, Roy

50 Books for Life: A Concise Guide to Catholic Literature

With fifty chapters on fifty books by fifty different authors, 50 Books for Life is a new book that reveals the riches of older ones, providing an accessible introduction to Catholic novels, plays, poetry, and non-fiction from every corner of the globe. It is a book that points beyond itself to books that can engage us for a lifetime.

This is the time for a new politics, a new economics. Not As the World Gives, drawing on the Church's two millennia of reflection on the Gospel, especially in the encyclicals from Rerum Novarum to Centesimus Annus, shows us the nature of society by showing us ourselves. We are beings created to give and receive -- called to "walk towards the true freedom that Christ taught us in the Beatitudes," as Pope Francis expressed it. There is no peace without justice, but neither can there be justice without love. Far from being an impractical dream, Catholic social doctrine can transform the way we work, the way we govern, and the way we treat the natural world. What emerges from this sequel to the author's The Radiance of Being is a vision of integration and wholeness, a society both divine and human, and a "humanism open to the absolute."

Not as the World Gives: The Way of Creative Justice

Caldecott, Stratford

The Meaning of Blue: Recovering a Contemplative Spirit

Bell, Luke

Treasure in Heaven: A Study of the Sermon on the Mount Using the Four Senses of Scripture

The Sermon on the Mount is central to the teaching of Jesus. In this fresh study of the sermon, Barry Pearlman revives its traditional biblical interpretation, which acknowledges all four senses of scripture: the literal, moral, allegorical, and mystical. The first chapter begins by tracing these four senses to their origin in the haggadic teaching of Jesus, then follows their development in the allegories of St. Paul up to their blossoming in the Middle Ages. After critically reviewing the rise and demise of the historical critical method, there follows a brief account of the return to the four senses within the ressourcement movement in contemporary theology. "An illuminating study of the Sermon on the Mount and an astute history of scriptural exegesis. It is also a profound meditation on being a true disciple of Jesus--a sure guide for all seeking wisdom, understanding, fortitude, and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit. Treasure in Heaven is a treasure on earth, a literary and spiritual gift of immense beauty and value."--PHILIP ZALESKI, co-author of Prayer: A History BARRY R. PEARLMAN, Ph.D. B.Th., is a Catholic apologist and writer. He was born in South Wales but grew up and was educated in Texas. He studied mathematics, social psychology, and literature at the University of Houston. Upon graduation he returned to Wales, where he met his wife Anne, and eventually moved to Australia. There he obtained his doctorate in social psychology and a degree in theology, majoring in biblical theology and exegesis. Recent publications include A Certain Faith and Year of Faith Prayer Book. He is currently retired and lives in Wales.

Pearlman, Barry R.

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Angelico Press/Second Spring publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Angelico Press/Second Spring

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Angelico Press/Second Spring publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Word and Silence: Hans Urs von Balthasar and the Spiritual Encounter Between East and West

The Golden Princess and the Moon: A Retelling of the Fairy Tale "Sleeping Beauty"

Tolkien's Sacramental Vision: Discerning the Holy in Middle Earth

The Radiance of Her Face: A Triptych in Honor of Mary Immaculate

Out of the Classroom and into the World: How to Transform Catholic Education

Out of the Classroom and into the World: How to Transform Catholic Education

50 Books for Life: A Concise Guide to Catholic Literature

Not as the World Gives: The Way of Creative Justice

The Meaning of Blue: Recovering a Contemplative Spirit

Treasure in Heaven: A Study of the Sermon on the Mount Using the Four Senses of Scripture