Paraclete Giants

The most engaging collection of the French mystics' writings now available Twenty-first century Christians are now discovering the wisdom of this controversial theologian and spiritual thinker. FÉnelon showed how it was possible to have devotion and faith in the original Age of Reason. In many respects, rationality still rules today in religion and culture, and as a result, FÉnelon speaks to modern Christians wanting deeper faith and a meaningful inner life. His writings have never been as accessible as they are now in these lively new translations. The Complete FÉnelon includes more than one hundred of FÉnelon's letters of spiritual counsel, as well as meditations on eighty-five other topics. Also translated here into English for the first time are FÉnelon's personal reflections on twenty-one seasons and holidays of the Christian year. An introduction from bestselling translator Robert J. Edmonson and in-depth recommended reading and bibliography make this the first place to start in any study of Francois FÉnelon.

Published in over 6,000 editions before the year 1900, The Imitation of Christ has been more widely read than any other book in human history except the Bible itself. It has been called "the most influential work in Christian literature," "a landmark in the history of the human mind," and "the fifth gospel." Now, and for the first time, comes an exhaustive edition of this classic work, a work that is bound to become a classic in its own right. Fr. John-Julian introduces Kempis and his Imitation in ways that will shock many who have read the book before. For example, Protestant devotees to the book may be astounded to discover that Thomas was not only a Roman Catholic but an ardent traditionalist contemplative monk as well. And devoted Catholic readers may be amazed to discover that he was a radical moral reformer and part of a group twice formally charged with heresy. Notes and introductions to every aspect of The Imitation open the meaning of this classic to the next generation of readers.

The Complete Francis of Assisi offers the best introduction to St. Francis yet available between two covers. There are many editions of the writings of St. Francis, and biographies about him, but here in this volume are BOTH. The Complete Francis of Assisi is actually a collection of three books in one. • The Little Flowers • Francis of Assisi in His Own Words: The Essential Writings • The Road to AssisiThe Little Flowers, this classic collection of charming tales about the life of Francis of Assisi and his early companions did more to establish the legend of this man than any other work; Francis of Assisi in His Own Words: The Essential Writings includes his letters, prayers and monastic rules -- important documents of the early Franciscan movement. The Road to Assisi is Paul Sabatier's ground-breaking and foundational biography of the saint, first published in French in 1894 and re-issued and expanded in 2002. "Saint Francis of Assisi is easily one of the most recognized saints, right up there in popularity and appealing warmth with Santa Claus. The Complete Francis of Assisi seeks to create a loving, inspiring portrait of the man who abandoned his father's riches to wander the Italian countryside, ministering to lepers and preaching to birds. The editor-translator's clear love for his subject shines through, and the readers are left feeling they have spent some quality time with the man who continues to inspire us." -Christine Engel, Booklist

De Sales' classic has been described as "a masterpiece of psychology, practical morality, and common sense" and, after The Bible and The Imitation of Christ, is the widest read spiritual book of all time. Unlike many others, Devout Life was written specifically for lay persons and it demonstrates a rare sensitivity to the demands of life in a world that is often antagonistic to spirituality. In this first-of-its-kind edition, Fr. John-Julian offers a fresh translation, a most thorough historical introduction, and notes explaining points of language and theology along the way.

The Christian mystical tradition has its roots in Holy Scripture but was enunciated most clearly by the late 5th century author writing under the name Dionysius the Areopagite. It was acquaintance with the medieval version of that work which inspired the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing and led him to develop his insights and perceptions of the obscurity and "unknowability" of God. His understanding was that God was on an entirely different plane of existence from human beings-indeed, so different that time-bound human language was inadequate to describe God exhaustively or accurately. Intellect and emotion both fail in seeking God, who can only be encountered by rejecting of all common earthly means in a "cloud of forgetting" and the discovery of Godself in the dark "cloud of unknowing" which can be pierced only with a "lance of longing love."

The most complete and engaging one-volume introduction to the "Little Flower" Following a thorough introduction to the saint's life, The Complete Therese presents her classic, The Story of a Soul, in complete and unabridged form. Then, unique to this edition is a portion of the original edition rarely seen, describing the saint's final days as seen through the eyes of the Sisters of the Lisieux Carmel; plus a poignant collection of over seventy firsthand anecdotes about ThÉrÈse recounted by the Sisters following her death. Also included a comprehensive selection of prayers, letters, and poems written by Therese, and in both French and English, the poem that inspired her to call herself the "Little Flower." Further appendices give important dates for her life, taking the reader up to 1997, one hundred years after her death, when Pope John Paul II declared her to be a Doctor of the Church. Beautiful engravings and photographs throughout the book give the reader a view of the Little Flower's childhood home and family, her growing-up years, life at Carmel, her death, and the original gravesite. Millions of hearts have been touched by St. ThÉrÈse of Lisieux's desire, not to be mighty and great, but to be a humble, little flower that would gladden God's eyes as he glances down at his feet. Now, yours will be, too.

The most engaging and complete collection available of this beloved 14th century English mystic The Revelations of Julian of Norwich is the first book written in English by a woman – in this case, by a 14th century recluse who recounts the poignant, subtle, and radical insights granted to her in sixteen visions of the crucified Christ as she lay on what was believed to be her deathbed. Julian's miraculous recovery from that illness then led to twenty more years of reflection and contemplation on those revelations and finally to her writing a detailed account of her mystical experience. Her work – in the same Middle English as her contemporary Geoffrey Chaucer – is dense, deeply intuitive, and theologically complex. The Complete Julian is the first book to offer a modern translation of all of Julian's writings (including her complete Revelations), a complete analysis of her work, as well as original historical, religious, and personal background material that helps the reader comprehend the depth and profundity of her life and work. "[Julian's Revelations] may well be the most important work of Christian reflection in the English language." - Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury