The Book Of The Foundations Of S Teresa of Jesus by St Teresa of Ávila

Paperback: The Book of the Foundations of S Teresa of Jesus of The Order of Our Lady of Carmel with the Visitation of Nunneries, The Rule and Constitutions (1610) written by the Saint herself was translated from the Spanish by David Lewis with an introduction by Very Rev Benedict Zimmerman, Discalced Carmelite. In the present edition, the text published by Mr Lewis in 1871 has been confronted with the original and, where necessary, amended.

The Book of the Foundations was written at different times. It was begun in Salamanca on 24 August 1573, by the order of Father Jerome Ripalda SF, Teresa's confessor at the time. She seemed to have written twenty chapters without much interruption. Then, when she was, as it were, imprisoned in Toledo by order of the general, after the foundation of Seville was made, she was commanded by Fray Jerome of the Mother of God (Jerónimo Gracián) to continue her writing. She obeyed and finished on the vigil of St Eugenius on 14 November 1576. The rest of the book was probably written as each foundation was made. In England, The Book of Foundations was not known till 1669. 

This work chronicling the origins of the Discalced Carmelites and the spiritual evolution and establishment of St Teresa's convents has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

About the author: Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) was a Spanish noblewoman, Carmelite nun, mystic and author of spiritual writings and poems. She founded numerous convents throughout Spain and was the originator of the Carmelite Reform of the Discalced Carmelites that restored a contemplative and austere life to the order.  In 1970, she was declared a Doctor of the Church for her writing and teaching on prayer, one of four women to be honoured in this way hitherto.

Happy Sunday

Finding Viganò: In Search Of The Man Whose Testimony Shook The Church And The World by Robert Moynihan (in conversation with Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò)

Hardback: When you see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, let him who reads understand. Man's mind is a holy place and a temple of God in which the demons have laid waste the soul through passionate thoughts and set up the idol of sin... Some say that these things will also happen when the Antichrist comes. - St Maximus the Confessor

In 2018, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò released an eleven-page testimony that rocked the world. In it, he called out the corruption of the Church, especially with regards to its handling of the sexual abuse crisis - addressing most specifically the case of disgraced Cardinal Theodore McCarrick - and stunningly called for the resignation of Pope Francis. 

And then he was gone...at least physically. 

In these pages, longtime Vatican journalist Robert Moynihan, publisher of Inside the Vatican magazine, brings to bear his vast experience in the corridors of power in Rome as well as his longstanding friendship with Viganò to produce a book that both provides an incisive look at the content of the "Testimony" itself and, through interviews conducted in-person with the archbishop at undisclosed locations, a personal look at the man whose conscience compelled him to speak out about the corruption in which the Church he loves, and to which he has given his life, has been mired for years.

Part thriller, as when Moynihan details his efforts to reach Viganò and makes his way to their meeting, and part personal memoir as both men reflect on their lives, families, and the state of the Church in the world, Finding Viganò (2020) has something for everyone. 

Readers familiar with the ongoing drama surrounding the archbishop will appreciate the insights into the man provided through the interviews, while those unfamiliar with the drama of the "Testimony" and all that has transpired since will, after reading, have a better understanding of the key issues and players involved.

About the author: Robert Moynihan (Harvard College, BA, 1977 and Yale University, PhD, 1988) founded Inside the Vatican magazine in 1993. He has covered the Vatican and Church affairs for more than thirty years and is the author of books on Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, as well as a book-length interview with Cardinal Péter Erdő of Hungary also by TAN Books. 

The Ten Books On The Way Of Life And Great Deeds Of The Carmelites Volume 1 by Felip Ribot OCarm

Hardback: "In these ten books, it will be possible to learn enough of the truth about the Carmelites so as to devoutly study the beginning, progress and growth of their Order, the admirable qualities of its founders and earliest members, the eremitical monastic way of life and its purpose, and the blessed reward gained by those who live it worthily."

In compiling The Ten Books on the Way of Life and Great Deeds of the Carmelites in the late fourteenth century, Felip Ribot, a friar from Catalonia, constructed a legendary history of his religious order that would dominate its spirituality for centuries.

The text, better known under the title The Book of the First Monks, was widely read across medieval Europe. It begins with the Carmelites' supposed foundation in the Holy Land by the Old Testament prophet Elijah, and traces the Order's adoption of Christianity and its international expansion. 

Highlighting the Carmelites' devotion to the Mother of God, their attentiveness to the Bible, and the Rule of Life by which they were guided, Ribot attempts to show his Order's antiquity, its privileged place within the Christian Church, and even its unique role in the history of salvation. 

Held up as a spiritual masterpiece by the likes of Saint Teresa of Jesus (of Ávila), and derided as a work of fantasy by rival religious orders, The Ten Books has attracted a surge of revived interest in recent years from historians and theologians, Carmelites and non-believers, scholars and the wider public.

With an introduction, scholarly notes, illustrations and comprehensive index, this translation, now in its second edition, will be valuable not only to those engaged in Carmelite studies, but all those who wish to explore the fascinating spiritual world evoked in Felip Ribot's masterpiece.

The Ten Books on the Way of Life and Great Deeds Volume 1 is a medieval history of the Carmelites written around 1385 by Felip Ribot OCarm; edited and translated by Richard Copsey OCarm and published in 2005 (second edition, 2007).

About the editor/translator: Richard Copsey OCarm is a Carmelite friar and renowned historian, whose translation of The Ten Books makes this key text of western spirituality available in modern English to the general public for the first time.

Marked For Life (Jana Berzelius Trilogy) by Emelie Schepp

Paperback: When a high-ranking head of the migration board is found shot to death in his living room, there is no shortage of suspects, including his wife. But no one expects to find the mysterious child-sized handprint in the childless home. 

Public prosecutor Jana Berzelius steps in to lead the investigation. Young and brilliant but emotionally cold, Berzelius, like her famous prosecutor father, would not be swayed by the hysterical widow or intimidated by the threatening letters the victim had tried to hide. Jana is steely, aloof, impenetrable. 

That is, until the boy.

A few days later on a nearby deserted shoreline, the body of a preteen boy is discovered, and with him, the murder weapon that killed him and the original victim. Berzelius is drawn more deeply into the case for as she attends his autopsy, she recognizes something strangely familiar in his small, scarred, heroin-riddled body. Cut deep into his flesh are initials that scream child trafficking and trigger in her a flash of memory of her own dark, fear-ridden past. Her connection to this boy has been carved with deliberation and malice that penetrate to her very core. 

Now, to protect her own hidden past, she must find the suspect behind these murders, before the police do. 

International bestselling author Emelie Schepp introduces us to the enigmatic, unforgettable Jana Berzelius in this first novel of a chilling trilogy set in Sweden.

Marked For Life was first published in 2016 and won the Specsavers Reader's Choice Award 2016. The other two instalments in the Jana Berzelius trilogy are Marked For Revenge (2017) and Slowly We Die (2018).

About the author: Emelie Schepp was awarded the Specsavers Reader’s Choice Award for best Crime Writer in 2016, 2017 and 2018. 

Emelie Schepp (b 1979) worked for many years as a project manager in the advertising industry. In 2013 she released her debut book Marked For Life under her own publishing house and with 40 000 copies sold she is still ranked as Sweden's premier self-publisher. Since then, she has released several books in the series about the complex prosecutor Jana Berzelius. The books have been sold to 30 countries and in over two million copies and have become readers’ favourites and bestsellers in many countries.

Rating: 3/5

The Teresian Carmelites: Nuns And Friars In One Family by Finian Monahan OCD

Paperback: The Teresian Carmelites booklet (1994) by Father Finian Monahan OCD shows the areas of struggle that had to be faced by the Discalced Carmelites, namely, the struggle for the birth and survival of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns and Friars in the sixteenth century. This deals with the difficulties they encountered in becoming and staying in an Order in which there are nuns and friars.

The problems which were encountered brought the realization that eventually the Calced and Discalced would have to split and become two separate branches.

Another area where questions arose was the fact that some of the nuns were directly under the Friars whereas others were under the local bishop. What was the Father General’s position as to the visitation of these houses under the bishop?

The Second Vatican Council brought with it further questions which had to be looked at and dealt with.

The Teresian Carmelites trace the roots, beginnings, and vicissitudes of this unity as expressed in the legislation of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns down the years. It is not an outline of the history of the Order, but a history of the Order's legislation. It should help to give the reader a better understanding of one aspect of Discalced Carmelite history and put some recent events in their historical perspective. 

About the author: As Superior General, Father Finian Monahan OCD (1924-2010) was responsible for the Declarations, which updated the Primitive Constitutions according to the directives of the Second Vatican Council. He read Philosophical studies in Dublin (1943-1946) and Theological studies in Rome at the International College (1946-1951). He was ordained to the priesthood in Rome in 1950. From 1951 to 1954, he studied Canon Law at the Angelicum in Rome. He was a member of the Mount Carmel Community in Glasgow and put his experience and learning at the disposal of the Order. He was also Religious Assistant to the Association of Carmels in Britain and Ireland.

Elijah Prophet By Carmel by Jane Ackerman

Paperback: Members of the three monotheistic faiths have always told stories of what the prophet Elijah has done - and is still expected to do - in sacred history. He is perhaps most appreciated by members of the Carmelite Order, known for its contemplative and pastoral orientation. 

Elijah is considered their legendary founder and traditional patron. Carmelites rank him as one of the greatest spiritual models. Their coat of arms displays his flaming sword, Mount Carmel, and Elijah's proclamation, "With zeal I have been zealous for the Lord God of Hosts." This book inquires into this deep appreciation. It examines the linkage between the Order and the prophet over time.

Beginning with the oldest knowledge we have about Elijah, coming from Scripture, Elijah Prophet of Carmel (2003) briefly sketches his role in the three faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It then turns to what the distant, but influential, Christian antecedents of the Carmelite Order, the desert hermits and the early Fathers, wrote about the zealous man of God.

As the Carmelite Order was founded, achieved its corporate identity, and changed over time, so did its views of its legendary model. Interaction between storytelling about Elijah and Carmelites' understanding of themselves continues even to the present. As thoughts from the past about the prophet continue to influence them, both Teresian Carmelites and Carmelites of the Ancient Observance of our times are developing a brand-new tradition of him, the tradition of Elijah's double charism.

About the author: Jane Ackerman is Associate Professor of Religion at The University of Tulsa. She has published articles on Saints Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross and has made a comparative translation of both recensions of Saint John's The Living Flame of Love.

2020 Directory

I Have No Plan

Contradistinction

The New Girl (Gabriel Allon Series) by Daniel Silva

Paperback: What’s done cannot be undone. - Macbeth (1606), Act 5, Scene 1

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva comes the nineteenth thriller of deception, betrayal, and vengeance published in 2019 and dedicated to the fifty-four journalists who were killed worldwide in 2018. 

She was covered from head to toe in expensive wool and plaid, the sort of stuff one saw at the Burberry boutique in Harrods. She carried a leather bookbag rather than a nylon backpack. Her patent leather ballet slippers were glossy and bright. She was proper, the new girl, modest. But there was something else about her.

At an exclusive private school in Switzerland, mystery surrounds the identity of the beautiful raven-haired girl who arrives each morning in a motorcade fit for a head of state. She is said to be the daughter of a wealthy international businessman. In truth, her father is Khalid bin Mohammed, the much-maligned crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Once celebrated for his daring social and religious reforms, he is now reviled for his role in the murder of a dissident journalist. And when his only child is brutally kidnapped, he turns to the one man he can trust to find her before it is too late.

Gabriel Allon, the legendary chief of Israeli intelligence, has spent most of his life fighting terrorists, including the murderous jihadists financed by Saudi Arabia. Prince Khalid - or KBM, as he is known - has pledged to finally break the bond between the Kingdom and radical Islam. For that reason alone, Gabriel regards him as a valuable if flawed partner. Together they will become unlikely allies in a deadly secret war for control of the Middle East. The life of a child, and the throne of Saudi Arabia, hang in the balance. Both men have made their share of enemies. And both have everything to lose.

About the author: Daniel Silva is an American journalist and author of thriller and espionage novels. He is also the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of his long-running thriller series starring spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon. Silva's books are critically acclaimed bestsellers around the world and have been translated into more than 30 languages. He resides in Florida with his wife, television journalist Jamie Gangel, and their twins, Lily and Nicholas.

Rating: 5/5

Union With Our Lady: Marian Writings Of Venerable Marie Petyt Of St Teresa translated by Reverend Thomas E McGinnis OCarm, STL

E-book: At the same moment, I saw dearly that this was not the work of the imagination - no more than that which happened on Candlemas Day was the work of the imagination. How ugly now appear all the statues and paintings which depict our lovable Mother! Rather than devotion, they inspire nausea, especially now that the recollection is still fresh of the magnificent beauty and majesty whose image remains in my memory. - Ven Marie Petyt, Candlemas Day, 1666

The present work has the purpose of making available to sincere souls the rich treasures of Carmelite Marian devotion through the writings of Venerable Mary Petyt of St Teresa, a lay Third Order Carmelite, who was a spiritual daughter of Venerable Michael of St Augustine, Belgian Carmelite of the seventeenth century. 

Mary Petyt presents a description of Marian devotion in actual practice within the depths of her own soul. 

Time and time again, spiritual writers discussing the subject of Our Lady's position in the life of the soul refer both to Father Michael and to Mary Petyt, also known as Sister Mary of St. Teresa, her name in the Secular Third Order. 

Hence, it seemed to us most desirable that English-speaking lovers of Our Lady should have the Marian classics of each of these Carmelites available for their prayerful study. The main part of the present work is, of course, the translation of Mary Petyt's Marian writings. These writings are selections from her letters to Father Michael, who was the first to publish them. 

In one of her letters, Mary Petyt prays that Our Blessed Lady may raise up many souls to know and love her, souls who will join in singing the praises of their heavenly Queen and Mother. That same desire has motivated our efforts. The Marian Year, it is true, draws to a close. But is not the Marian Era at hand? 

Every sincere Christian must learn to be led to the fulfilment of his spiritual destiny by the hand of his Lady. God wills it. We feel that Mary Petyt, through her Marian writings, can help to teach souls that lesson. 

Union With Our Lady was published in 1954.

About the author: Maria Petyt (1623–1677), was known as a great mystic. Her writings have been cited as unequaled in volume and mystical content within the historical context of the Flemish-speaking 17th century. In about 1662, Michael of St Augustine asked her to write a memoir of her spiritual and mystical experiences. The resulting autobiography titled La vie de Marie Petyt (The Life of Maria Petyt) was published after her death. Maria Petyt was declared Venerable by the Catholic Church. She is also considered a Mystic of the Carmelite Order. 

Excerpts taken from Wikipedia.

The Ávila of Saint Teresa: Religious Reform In A Sixteenth-Century City (European History/Religious History/Women's History) by Jodi Bilinkoff

Paperback: The Ávila of Saint Teresa provides both a fascinating account of social and religious change in one important Castilian city and a historical analysis of the life and work of the religious mystic Saint Teresa of Jesus. 

Jodi Bilinkoff's rich socioeconomic history of sixteenth-century Ávila illuminates the conditions that helped to shape the religious reforms for which the city's most famous citizen is celebrated.

Bilinkoff takes as her subject the period during which Ávila became a centre of intense religious activity and the home of a number of influential mystics and religious reformers. During this time, she notes, urban expansion and increased economic opportunity fostered the social and political aspirations of a new "middle class" of merchants, professionals, and minor clerics. This group supported the creation of religious institutions that fostered such values as individual spiritual revitalization, religious poverty, and apostolic service to the urban community. According to Bilinkoff, these reform movements provided an alternative to the traditional, dynastic style of spirituality expressed by the ruling elite, and profoundly influenced Saint Teresa in her renewal of Carmelite monastic life.

A focal point of the book is the controversy surrounding Teresa's foundation of a new convent in August 1562. Seeking to discover why people in Ávila strenuously opposed this ostensibly innocent act and to reveal what distinguished Teresa's convent from the many others in the city, Bilinkoff offers a detailed examination of the social meaning of religious institutions in Ávila. 

Historians of early modern Europe, especially those concerned with the history of religious culture, urban history, and women's history, specialists in religious studies, and other readers interested in the life of Saint Teresa or in the history of Catholicism will welcome The Avila of Saint Teresa.

First published by Cornell University Press in 1989, this new edition of The Ávila of Saint Teresa includes a new introduction by the author. 

About the author: Dr Jodi Bilinkoff is Associate Professor of History at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Her research interests include religion, gender, life-writing, and the construction of memory in early modern Europe, particularly Spain. After working for many years on women in Catholic culture, more recently she has turned her attention to masculine identity, especially male clerical identity.

In her current research project, she engages all these issues by examining the life, afterlife, and legacy of St John of the Cross (1542-1591). Her book-in-progress, John of the Cross: The History, Mystery, and Memory of a Spanish Saint, will not be a conventional biography, but rather, a critical study of the manifold, at times, conflicting meanings this intriguing figure has held for individuals and communities, both during and after his lifetime. 

She is also the author of Related Lives: Confessors and Their Female Penitents, 1450-1750 (2005).

Interior Castle by St Teresa of Ávila

Paperback: A masterpiece of spiritual literature, this sixteenth-century work was inspired by a mystical vision that came upon the revered St Teresa of Ávila, one of the most gifted and beloved religious figures in history.

St Teresa's vision was of a luminous crystal castle composed of seven chambers, or "mansions," each representing a different stage in the development of the soul.

In her most important and widely read book, St Teresa describes how, upon entering the castle through prayer and meditation, the human spirit experiences humility, detachment, suffering, and ultimately, self-knowledge, as it roams from room to room. As the soul progresses further toward the center of the castle, it comes closer to achieving ineffable and perfect peace, and finally, a divine communion with God.

A set of rare and beautiful teachings for people of all faiths desirous of divine guidance, this meticulous modern translation from the Spanish by E Allison Peers breathes contemporary life into a religious classic.

Interior Castle or The Mansions (Spanish: El Castillo Interior or Las Moradas as this book is known in Spain) was written by Teresa of Ávila in 1577 and published in 1588, as a guide for spiritual development through service and prayer. 

About the author: St Teresa of Ávila (1515-1582) was a Spanish Carmelite nun who lived in the 1500s. She was a mystic and author of spiritual writings and poems. She founded numerous convents throughout Spain and was the originator of the Carmelite Reform that restored a contemplative and austere life to the order.