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The Collegeville Prayer of the Faithful : General Intercessions for Years A, B, C

Michael Kwatera OSB

"Let us bring our prayers to the Lord." Each week when the community comes together for Mass, we gather to listen to the Word, to partake of the Eucharist, and to pray. The Prayer of the Faithful is marked by the same needs from week to week, but it is always an opportunity to approach God collectively in a way that reflects the richness of our particular celebration. This series of prayers by Father Michael Kwatera is rooted in the present moment: the liturgical season, lectionary readings, and the needs of the church. He draws on the readings, as well as the significance of feasts and of other celebrations. He is also attuned to the many ways we approach God, in language that is clear and attentive to the oral quality of the prayer. "To place prayerful words on human lips and in human hearts is a most sacred work," writes Father Kwatera in the introduction. The fruit of this work is a set of texts that invites the community to draw near to God each week in prayer. The Collegeville Prayer of the Faithful—a convenient compilation of the previously published volumes, with additional feasts added—includes a CD-ROM of intercessions that can be easily adapted for parish use. Each prayer is provided in a Word file that allows users to easily personalize the intercessions for their own parish.
Historical Dimensions of Islam: Pre-Modern and Modern Periods

James E. Lindsay and Jon Armajani

This Festschrift consists of twelve chapters first delivered as papers forming the foundations of these chapters at a special conference in honor of Professor Humphreys, which took place in October 2007 at the College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, Minnesota. These chapters were written as a tribute to Professor Humphreys by twelve of his former graduate students and reflect the broad chronological and disciplinary scope of Professor Humphreys teaching and erudition. In geographical range, they stretch from Morocco to the Punjab; in time from the ancient Near East to the present; and in approach from hard-core political analysis to post-modernist and post-colonialist discourse. The chapters by Lindsay, Sizgorich, and Bigelow reflect on the persistent power of sacred figures in Islamic societies and the apparently disparate ways in which these figures manifest sanctity, as well as the complex political roles they play both ideologically and in everyday life. Cory's chapter on the ruined al-Bad palace of the Sa d sultans in Marrakesh is illustrated by exquisite color photos and diagrams, and Stockdale shows how art transmutes the tangible present into the mystical realm of an imagined past. The contributions of Jones, Hoffman, Keaney, and Armajani explore the ways in which Muslims have constructed their past and how Muslims draw on the past in order to define who they are as Muslims, while Khalid discusses the issues as Muslim reformers and modernists in Bukhara struggled to build their societies along lines both modern and Islamic, between the end of Czarist rule and the imposition of the Soviet system. Finally, there is the world of power politics to reconcile with the lofty ideals of justice that are explored in the contributions of Howes (in examining a medieval Islamic polity that strove to define earthly rule in transcendent terms) and Darling, who explores the metaphors of social harmony. The final chapter, Thoughts in Retrospect by Professor Humphreys, stands as an eloquent commentary on the contributions by his former students
God Drops and Loses Things

Kilian McDonnell OSB

Out of a lifetime of familiarity with the great biblical narratives, Kilian McDonnell draws a portrait of the biblical God charged with vitality, at once prodigal in mercy and ruthless, thunderous, and painfully silent. It is dangerous to love this God, who exacts of "the God-mad Abraham" a faithfulness beyond sanity: "If God makes a covenant in blood with you, why are you surprised to see your flesh upon the altar?" Despite our longing, such apparent capriciousness can be reconciled only in the mysterium tremendum invisible to human eyes; for Father Kilian, such is "fire's absolute autonomy that scolds me / for putting dirty sandals on glowing cinders, / but invites me to approach barefoot." Equally compelling is the character of Jesus Christ as a true son of God hungry for human contact, who likes hanging out with a fallible humankind and often happens to drop by at mealtime. The children of God who people these poems have God's own murderous prodigality in their genes. They are jealous, weak, and proud. They compete, lie, steal, cheat, betray, repent, and despair; and God loves them. Conscious of their dignity as children of God, they are quick to take exception. Father Kilian says of the poems themselves, "I am contending with God." In God Drops and Loses Things, his third collection, the poems are by turns edgy, affectionate, gentle, deeply moving, and always compassionate.
Approaching God : the Way of Abraham Joshua Heschel

John C. Merkle

Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972) is widely regarded as one of the most creative religious thinkers of the twentieth century, and John Merkle is well known as a leading guide to Heschel's thought. In accessible and engaging language, Merkle's Approaching God: The Way of Abraham Joshua Heschel introduces readers to Heschel's life and works in the service of God and to the very heart of his theological perspective. This book clearly explains Heschel's reasons for affirming the reality and revelation of God, what he recommends as ways of responding to God, and why he thinks it is important to accept religious diversity as the will of God. Deeply rooted in tradition, Heschel's message was, in its day, both timely and ahead of its time. This book shows just how relevant his message is for those seeking God 'and an enlightened perspective on God' in the twenty-first century.
Majority Rule versus Consensus: The Political Thought of John C. Calhoun

James H. Read

John C. Calhoun may be best known for his stature in the U.S. Senate and his controversial defense of slavery, but he is also a key figure in American political thought. The staunchest advocate of the consensus model of government as an alternative to majority rule, he proposed government not by one, by few, or by many, but by all: each key group enjoying veto rights over collective decisions.

Some consider consensus preferable to majority rule in deeply divided societies, and consensus theory has been advocated in such contemporary works as Lani Guinier's The Tyranny of the Majority.James Read's book, the first historically informed, theoretically sophisticated critique of Calhoun's political thought, goes beyond other studies to ask key questions about the feasibility of consensus. Read critically examines Calhoun's arguments, considering both their antebellum context—including Calhoun's spirited defense of slavery—and modern-day attempts to apply consensus models in Northern Ireland, the former Yugoslavia, and South Africa.

Read sheds new light on the crisis leading up to the Civil War by exploring Calhoun's conviction that his uncompromising defense of slavery would help preserve the Union. He also juxtaposes Calhoun's thought with that of Jefferson and Madison, whose legacies Calhoun invoked to support his claim that states had the right to nullify federal law, and he contrasts Madison's ultimate faith in majority rule with Calhoun's ultimate rejection of it.

Read argues that, although Calhoun's critique of majority rule deserves careful attention, his remedy is unworkable and in the end unjust. Read demonstrates that governments ruled by consensustend to be ineffective, that they are better at preventing common action than achieving common goods, and that they privilege strategically placed minorities rather than producing genuine consensus.

Majority Rule versus Consensusis a provocative work that sheds new light on the promise and limitations of democracy, showing that, despite the failure of Calhoun's remedy, his diagnosis of the potential injustice of majority rule must be taken seriously. It discourages uncritical celebrations of democracy in favor of reflection on how committed democrats can better address the problems that Calhoun attempted to solve.
This book is part of the American Political Thought series.
Sharing Sacred Space: Interreligious Dialogue as Spiritual Encounter

Benoit Standaert OSB and William Skudlarek OSB

If interreligious dialogue is to bear fruit—the fruit of mutual understanding, respect, and peace—it needs to be rooted in the specific spiritual space or milieu of each religious tradition. For Christians, that milieu is "Jesus space," a space shaped by faith in the paschal mysteries and nurtured by prayer, study, and love. With Jesus space as his starting point Benoît Standaert invites us to join him as he visits different religious spaces—those of Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and agnostics. If we are willing to enter into and even dwell for a time in another spiritual space, we will be able to return to the space we call home, enriched by the gifts we have received and prepared to live in peace with those who dwell in a spiritual space that is very different from our own.
Homilies for Weekdays : Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials

Don Talafous OSB

Homilies for Weekdays: Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials is a requested and welcome addition to the first two volumes of weekday homilies by Father Don Talafous, OSB. Here, he offers creative homily suggestions for solemnities, feasts, and obligatory memorials that fall on weekdays. Readers will deeply appreciate the faithful representation of the Scripture readings and their practical applications for Christian living.
The Adventures of the Parrot

Gary Brown

Fritz, better known as the Parrot, solves cases using mathematical reasoning and metaphors from modern game theory.
United States-Cuban Relations: A Critical History

Esteban Morales Dominguez and Gary Prevost

United States-Cuban Relations breaks new ground in its treatment of this long and tumultuous relationship. The overall approach, mirroring the political science background of both authors, does not focus on historical detail that has been provided by many other works, but rather on a broad analysis of trends and patterns that have marked the long relationship between the two countries. Dominguez and Prevost argue that U.S. policy toward Cuba is driven in significant measure by developments on the ground in Cuba. From the U.S. intervention at the time of the Cuban Independence War to the most recent revisions of U.S. policy in the wake of the Powell Commission, the authors demonstrate how U.S. policy adjusts to developments and perceived reality on the island. The final chapters of the book focus on the contemporary period, with particular emphasis on the changing dynamic toward Cuba from U.S. civil society. Dominguez and Prevost describe how the U.S. business community, fearful of being isolated from Cuba's reinsertion in the world's capitalist markets, have united with long-standing opponents of the U.S. embargo to win the right to sell food and medicines to Cuba over the last four years. Ultimately, the authors are realists about the possibility of better relations between the U.S. and Cuba, pointing out that, short of the collapse of Cuba's current political and economic system, fundamental change in U.S. policy toward the island is unlikely in the immediate future.
Vote Catholic? Beyond the Political Din

Bernard F. Evans

Voting your conscience can be a challenge. In our emotionally charged political environment, many people are asking about the role of faith in elections. Of course, faith should inform the political choices we make and the way we use our time to try to improve the world. It seems the loudest Catholic political voices fall in one of two choruses-that of "the left," advocating for social justice issues, and of "the right," claiming abortion as the single most important issue. In Vote Catholic, Bernard Evans helps us get beyond the sometimes deafening din of these choruses. He takes us to the heart of an important third voice-Catholic social teaching-and shows how this teaching can inform Catholics as they wrestle with political choices. Without putting forward a particular platform or advocating particular candidates or positions, he presents a clear set of principles from the teachings to guide our decision-making process. With special attention to the Catholic position on life and human dignity, Evans shows that the issues and the solutions are more complex than our "headline news" world suggests. Complex though the issues are, Evans's straightforward presentation will help readers go to the polls with faith and confidence.
What Every Catholic Needs to Know about the Eucharist : A Guide for the Liturgical Assembly

Michael Kwatera OSB

The primary focus of this book, described as a "reflection on Eucharist," is on the importance of the assembly in the eucharistic liturgy. Using the catechetical method, Kwatera begins with the familiar and moves to the spiritual. In a down-to-earth and easily readable style that is crisply articulate, he discusses the meaning of liturgy and its individual parts. He emphasizes the importance of God's action in calling the assembly together as a worshipping body, not as a collection of individuals. He discusses the active particiation of the assemlby and explains why this is essential to liturgy. He reminds us throughout the book that liturgy is to make a difference in what we do when we leave the communal celebration. he answers the questions "What is the assembly?" and "What is its purpose?"

Far more than being simply a "reflection on Eucharist," this book gives us our "marching orders" for participating with understanding, for appreciating the "real presence" in its various forms, one of which is the assembly, and for understanding the Eucharist as relational.
The National Environmental Policy Act: Judicial Misconstruction, Legislative Indifference, and Executive Neglect

Matthew J. Lindstrom and Zachary A. Smith

Environmental degradation and the compromised integrity of the earth's ecological system were growing public concerns in the mid to late 1960s. These issues spurred Congress to pass the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), the first law to focus such environmental concerns into a comprehensive national policy. The new legislation encompassed an array of environmental values and ethics, as well as administrative tools to achieve the ecological goals of the nation while taking into account other important societal needs. Though NEPA has had a positive effect on U.S. environmental policy and the national quality of life, this challenging new book shows how federal courts and agencies have failed to implement many of the values and goals fundamental to the success of NEPA. To explain this divergence, authors Matthew J. Lindstrom and Zachary A. Smith examine NEPA's origins, address how NEPA has been implemented and enforced, and highlight the shortcomings of its practice. Lindstrom and Smith strongly argue that if NEPA were fully and properly implemented, it would prove to be a valuable and realistic tool for balancing the needs of the world population and the protection of the earth's environment. They offer a new, hopeful look at how the law's structure can be properly utilized in order to give future generations hope of living on a sustainable planet. This book is well suited for audiences interested in public policy formation and implementation, especially environmental policy administrators, environmental historians, and those involved in environmental law, its policy, and its politics.
The Pro-life Wisdom of Fr. Paul Marx, the Apostle of Life.

Paul Marx OSB

This collection of quotes by Father Paul Marx, OSB, gathered by his friends and co-workers clearly demonstrates the prescience of Father Marx in immediately recognizing what would follow from the widespread acceptance of contraception and abortion by Western society. As early as the late 1960s he foresaw in great detail the disasters that would follow in leading to what Pope John Paul II called the Culture of Death. Not satisfied with merely watching these disasters develop, he took courageous action to the extent of going undercover to attend conferences as "Dr. Marx," where the captains and the kings of the future Culture of Death laid their plans and set their agendas. He was on the ground floor as the death culture took shape, precisely recognizing the gathering darkness for what it was. He saw the path laid out not only for widespread contraception and abortion but all the other evils that followed in the wake of the cheapening of Human Life: euthanasia, theological dissent, embryonic stem cell research, population control, and amoral "sex education," and founded Human Life International as a single clearinghouse to deal with them all on the international level. Today many of these evils require entire separate agencies to deal with them; and this too is the fuit of Father Marx's work, and indeed his legacy. This collection not only shows his insight and courage but also his unfailing joy, love, kindness, humor, and wit, which confounded his opponents and endeared him to millions. Today Human Life International carries on his work with the mission to create effective opposition to the Culture of Death around the world.
Vertical Association Rule Mining: From Data Representation to Data Mining

Imad Rahal and William Perrizo

This book provides a unique and fairly comprehensive treatment of a popular data mining task known as “association rule mining.” At the heart of this book, a vertical framework (based on the patented P-tree technology along with other well-known artificial intelligence techniques) for data representation and data mining is described. The framework is adapted to environments that require “divide and conquer” parallel processing or pruning beyond the ubiquitous support-based pruning. Along with the theory, the book highlights the versatility of the presented framework in different application domains ranging from citation analysis to precision agriculture and bioinformatics.
Doorstep Democracy: Face-to-Face Politics in the Heartland

James H. Read

The quest for elected office—one conversation at a time

At once a memoir of a hard-fought contest and a meditation on the state of American democracy, Doorstep Democracy refuses the “red state” versus “blue state” view of American voters. James Read shows the power of kitchen-table politics and proves how conversations between citizens concerned about their communities can get us beyond the television ads, mass mailings, and sound bites to rejuvenate American democracy.
Doorstep Democracy : Face-to-Face Politics in the Heartland

James H. Read

The famous Tip O'Neill axiom "all politics is local" comes alive in this chronicle of Democrat James H. Read's hard-fought but unsuccessful (by 98 votes) bid for state legislature in the socially conservative communities of Stearns and Morrison counties in Minnesota. Read door-knocked 7500 households during his campaign, visiting voters and engaging in genuine dialogue on doorsteps from St. Anthony to St. Joseph.
At once a memoir of a hard-fought contest and a meditation on the state of American democracy, Doorstep Democracy shows the power and importance of kitchen-table politics-people sitting down together to tackle the issues that affect us-and proves that voters and candidates can be convinced to change their minds. Read ultimately demonstrates how conversations between citizens concerned about their communities can get us beyond the television ads, mass mailings, and sound bites to rejuvenate American democracy.
Late Medieval Mysticism of the Low Countries

Helen Rolfson OSF, Rik Van Nieuwenhove, and Rob Faesen

This book contains translations and introductions to some of the major representatives of the spiritual tradition of the Low Countries from ca. 1350 onwards.
Responsorial Psalms for Weekday Mass: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter

Anthony Ruff OSB

In Responsorial Psalms for Weekday Mass: Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter, Father Anthony Ruff, OSB, offers a simple chanted setting and makes it possible for the responsorial psalm to be sung at every daily Mass during the seasons of the liturgical year. These responsorial psalms were conceived for unaccompanied singing led by a single cantor, but keyboard accompaniments and guitar chords are provided for those who desire it.

The melodic settings use the eight Gregorian chant modes, as found in the psalm tones of Saint Meinrad Archabbey. Type melodies, one for each mode, are employed repeatedly for varying antiphon texts, making it easier for cantor and congregation to pick up the antiphon melodies. The psalm verses are provided in two translations, the New American Bible translation of the United States Lectionary for Mass and the Grail translation, as revised in 1983 for inclusive human language. This unique collection of psalm music allows us to celebrate the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter more fully.
Arrogant Bones: Poems

Lawrence "Larry" Schug

"[Larry's] work is always a wonderful surprise, whether he is being whimsical, politically astute, a social commentator or, when the muse moves him, incredibly loving. Arrogant Bones is the best of Larry Schug. Unforgettable."
--Nancy Kay Peterson & Carol Borzyskowski

McKnight award winner Larry Schug brings his amazing insight to life in these poems.
The Foundations of Mathematics

Thomas Q. Sibley

Finally there's an easy-to-follow book that will help readers succeed in the art of proving theorems. Sibley not only conveys the spirit of mathematics but also uncovers the skills required to succeed. Key definitions are introduced while readers are encouraged to develop an intuition about these concepts and practice using them in problems.
The Art of the Saint John's Bible

Susan Sink

The Saint John's Bible provides an opportunity for people to experience the Scriptures in a new, but at the same time ancient, way. Here are illuminations that bring the words of the Bible alive for a contemporary audience. Some of the world's top calligraphers, working in a tradition all but replaced by the printing press centuries ago, invite us into a rich and varied creation. This second volume of The Art of The Saint John's Bible: A Reader's Guide takes up two great collections of biblical literature:Wisdom Books and Prophets.

The illuminations in Wisdom Books and Prophets draw on motifs from earlier illuminations and expand the visual vocabulary to strike at what is unique and important to these books. In Wisdom Books we find a number of well-known and beloved aphorisms, or "words of wisdom." Here calligraphic text treatments take center stage. However, these books also portray the divine in the female figure of Wisdom, presented visually in several large-scale illuminations. The prophets' messages are often dark and strange, reflecting the grief of exile but also hope. The illuminations throughout these pages reflect visions of man's inhumanity, but they also burst with the rainbows of God's promise and glory. Lavishing equal attention on the biblical passages and the artistic vision of The Saint John's Bible, this guide is offered to enhance your experience and reflection.
Demythologizing Celibacy : Practical Wisdom from Christian and Buddhist Monasticism

William Skudlarek OSB

When St. Benedict compiled his Rule for Monasteries in the early decades of the sixth century, the Buddhist monastic code had already been in existence for about nine hundred years. Since monastic life is shaped by spiritual practices that are very similar across different religious traditions, it should not be too much of a stretch to suggest that Christians can learn from the accumulated wisdom of Buddhist monasticism.
For Buddhists, celibacy, accompanied by skillful reflection on their personal reactions to it, is a means of letting go of attachment to sensory pleasure. Buddhist monks do not marry; they strive to relinquish the desire for sexual pleasure because this form of gratification obstructs the "one-pointed stillness" that leads to insight.
For Christians, celibacy-like marriage-is ultimately about love: responding to God's love for us and expressing selfless love for others. In light of the Christian understanding of marriage as an authentic-indeed, the ordinary-path to holiness, Skudlarek proposes a demythologized view of celibacy, presenting it as an alternate and equally valid spiritual practice for those who choose not to accept the demands of a committed sexual relationship.
Drawing on the monastic interreligious dialogue, Skudlarek considers the Buddhist view of celibacy, which is not mythologized as a response to a divine call or as a superhuman way of life. He examines their regard for it as simply-and profoundly-a path to freedom, peace, and happiness. As Christians become aware of the benefits of celibacy for monks who observe it without reference to the Gospel, they may be able to appreciate all the more its importance and value for those who wish to followChrist as celibates, and in this way come to share in the freedom of the children of God.
Painting the Pilgrimage: From Paris to Compostela

Jerome Tupa OSB

"Published on the occasion of the exhibition Painting the Pilgrimage: From Paris to Compostela, January 29 through May 18, 2008. Organized by the Naples Museum of Art"--T.p. verso.
Creating Minnesota : A History from the Inside Out

Annette Atkins

Historian Annette Atkins Presents a fresh understanding of how a complex and modern Minnesota came into being in Creating Minnesota. Each chapter of this innovative state history focuses on a telling detail, a revealing incident, or a meaningful issue that illuminates a larger event, social trends, or politics during a period in our past." "A three-act play about Minnesota's statehood vividly depicts the competing interests of Natives, traders, and politicians who lived in the same territory but moved in different worlds. Oranges are the focal point of a chapter about railroads and transportation: how did a St. Paul family manage to celebrate their 1898 Christinas with fruit that grew no closer than 1,500 miles from their home? A photo essay brings to life communities of the 1920s, seen through the lenses of local and itinerant photographers. The much-sought state fish helps to explain the new Minnesota, where pan-fried walleye and walleye quesadillas coexist on the same north woods menu." "In Creating Minnesota, Atkins invites readers to experience the texture of people's lives through the decades, offering a fascinating and unparalleled approach to the history of our state."
God and the Victim : Traumatic Intrusions on Grace and Freedom

Jennifer Beste

Christian tradition holds that an individual's ability to respond to God's grace to love both God and neighbor is not wholly vulnerable to earthly contingencies, such as victimization. Today, however, trauma theory insists that situations of overwhelming violence can permanently damage a person's capacity for responsive agency. For Christians, this theory raises the very troubling possibility that humans can inflict ultimate harm on each other, such that some individuals' eternal destiny can be determined not by themselves but by those who do great harm. Offering crucial insights that lead to a more adequate understanding of the relation between Gods grace and human freedom, Bestes important theory reconfigures our visions of God and humanity and alters our perceptions of what it means to truly love ones neighbor.