Ignatius Press Podcast

Exorcisms, demonic possession, occult practices…these aren’t just the stuff of horror movies—they are real (if dramatic) reminders of the existence of the devil and his presence in the world. But as gripping as stories of the supernatural are, it can be easy to forget that the seductive activities of the devil are often found in far more mundane circumstances: the temptations to pride, lust, greed, and other sins that we all experience in our daily lives. In his book CHRIST VERSUS SATAN IN OUR DAILY LIVES: THE COSMIC STRUGGLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL, spiritual writer and philosopher Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., tackles the topic of recognizing and overcoming spiritual evil. His focus is the human heart. His goal: our spiritual and moral transformation, which leads to true peace and genuine happiness.

Lucid and inspiring, Behold the Man is a unique exploration of Catholic spirituality for men. Much of the literature written for Catholic men focuses on topical issues such as fatherhood and sexuality. While this book does not exclude these subjects, it is the first to present a comprehensive picture of Catholic male spirituality. What is authentic male Catholic spirituality? What distinguishes it from Protestant male spirituality? How does masculine spirituality complement feminine spirituality? These questions and many more are answered in this book. Drawing from Scripture and Church teaching, the author roots Catholic male spirituality in a covenant relationship with God and the cross of Jesus Christ. He demonstrates that when a man embraces the cross he is truly able to be himself—the man that God created and calls him to be. Behold the Man can deepen a man’s experience of Christ and help him to know the Lord more intimately. https://www.ignatius.com/Behold-the-Man-P161.aspx 

Music remains something of a mystery to many people—ephemeral sounds floating invisibly through the air—here, and then gone. This book begins with the basic question of what music actually is, scientifically, employing simple, clear explanations of wave theory and the acoustics of sound as part of God's natural creation. It presents accessible and fascinating explanations of some theories of the psychology of perception of music, how music speaks to the mind, emotions, and spirit. Some of these concepts have rarely been addressed outside the ivory tower and even more rarely been seen through the lens of Catholic theology. This is a kind of "layman's handbook," a comprehensive theology of all things music, which anyone can understand, written by an internationally respected classical composer and music professor at a top secular university who is also a faithful Catholic. It sheds light on the mysteries of music and furthers the spiritual formation regarding music for Catholics of many ages and walks of life. It is groundbreaking in its comprehensive and holistic treatment of music from a Catholic perspective, and particularly timely in advocating for the renewal of the norms for music in liturgy found in the documents of Vatican II. It also presents one of the most penetrating critical examinations to be found of contemporary classical music, from an insider. The book is available for purchase here: https://www.ignatius.com/The-Sound-of-Beauty-P3352.aspx

This is the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and thorough defense of the Catholic Church against Protestant objections in print. This book is especially relevant as the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation draws near and discussion of the arguments made against the Church during that time in history receive renewed interest. The Case for Catholicism answers arguments put forward by early Reformers like Luther and Calvin as well as contemporary defenders of Protestantism like Norm Geisler and R.C. Sproul. It provides a meticulous defense of the biblical and historical nature of Catholic doctrines from Scripture and church history. Finally, in both answering Protestant objections to Catholicism and in providing evidence for the Faith, The Case for Catholicism cites modern Protestant scholars who question Reformation assumptions and show how evidence from Scripture and church history support aspects of Catholic theology. This book is divided into four sections, with each answering a key question Christians have asked about the nature of their faith. Those key questions are: What is my authority? What is the Church? How am I saved? Who belongs to the body of Christ? The Case for Catholicism will become a reliable, resource for any Catholic who desires a well-researched, readable, and persuasive answer to Protestant arguments made against the Catholic faith. https://www.ignatius.com/The-Case-for-Catholicism-P242.aspx

https://www.ignatius.com/Sex-and-the-Catholic-Feminist-P3564.aspx About the author: Sue Ellen Browder is a freelance writer who has appeared on Oprah, the Today Show, and hundreds of radio talk shows. Her work for Cosmopolitan, New Woman, Woman’s Day, and other magazines has given her a lifetime of experience with the women’s movement as it unfolded in the media, both on the public stage and behind the scenes. About the book: In Sex and the Catholic Feminist, Browder challenges the notion that you can't be a feminist and believe in God. She echoes John Paul II's call for Catholics to embody a "new feminism," a radical new view of women's dignity. Her goal in this book is to "follow one golden thread of feminism in America—the pro-life thread—to show why it has been ignored by the media and left out of public conversation for fifty years." For Browder, the pro-life movement is about more than abortion and contraception; it's about loving and respecting all human life. While tracing the history of feminism in America, Browder discovered at the core of these various feminist movements a search for personhood. Where do women place their identity and find their fulfillment? Browder ultimately concludes that in our noisy, consumerist society, placing one's identity anywhere other than in God will prove disappointing and unfulfilling. "My hope is that some thoughts presented here will spark a new conversation and help heal one of the deepest political divisions in our nation." — Sue Ellen Browder

In this third title in the Father Gabriel Mystery series, the detective priest is less than pleased to find himself the reluctant guest at a wealthy local family's Christmas party. Only the excellent – and probably black market – food softens the horror of meeting the odious Victor Gladstone, a veteran reporter, an ardent anti-clerical and the only witness to a wartime massacre no one wishes to hear about. When Victor is found dead on the Martin estate the next morning, the apparent victim of an unfortunate accident, Gabriel is drawn into the mystery of who among the family's chattering guests could have wanted the old man dead. Gabriel quickly realizes that Victor Gladstone, like any good reporter, had a nose for rotten behavior, but as Gabriel's investigation moves towards its tragic conclusion, he faces the not one but two serious questions: Who is guilty of Gladstone's murder? and Is anyone truly innocent? This mystery focuses on the issue of indirect involvement in evil, particularly buying and selling property stolen from victims of the Nazis and witnessing Nazi crimes.

With the announcement that Pope Francis will be consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary later this week, the words and message of Our Lady of Fatima—and some of the controversies to which they gave rise—are in the news. Paul Senz, author of FATIMA: 100 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE MARIAN APPARITIONS, explains the history and context of the upcoming consecration, and addresses some of the misconceptions that persist about previous consecrations, particularly those enacted by Pope John Paul II in the 1980s.

We'll be talking to Dr. Edward Sri about the Blessed Mother, specifically in his book, "Rethinking Mary." https://www.ignatius.com/Rethinking-Mary-in-the-New-Testament-P3072.aspx Scholars often have questioned how much the New Testament can tell us about the Mother of Jesus. After all, Mary appears only in a few accounts and speaks on limited occasions. Can Scripture really support the many Marian beliefs developed in the Church over time? In Rethinking Mary in the New Testament, Dr. Edward Sri shows that the Bible reveals more about Mary than is commonly appreciated. For when the Mother of Jesus does appear in Scripture, it's often in passages of great importance, steeped in the Jewish Scriptures, and packed with theological significance. This comprehensive work examines every key New Testament reference to Mary, addressing common questions along the way, such as: What was Mary's life like before the Annunciation? Is there biblical support for Mary's Immaculate Conception and Perpetual Virginity? Does Scripture reveal Mary as our spiritual mother? What does it mean for Mary to be "full of grace"? How is Mary the "New Eve," "Ark of the Covenant," and "Queen Mother"? Can Mary be identified with the "woman" in Revelation 12? Rethinking Mary in the New Testament offers a fresh, in-depth look at the Mother of Jesus in Scripture—one that helps us know Mary better and her role in God's plan.

https://www.ignatius.com/Real-Philosophy-for-Real-People-P3672.aspx The philosopher Paul Weiss once observed, "Philosophers let theories get in the way of what they and everyone else know." For many, the very word "philosophical" has become all but synonymous with "impractical". Yet whether we like it or not, almost every corner of our lives—from dissertation writing to channel surfing—brings us face to face with competing philosophies and world views, each claiming to tell us definitively what it means to be human. How can we know which one is right? And what difference does it make? To Robert McTeigue, S.J., it makes every difference in the world. Consciously or not, we all have a world view, and it decides how we live. In this book, McTeigue gives a funny and invigorating crash course in practical logic, metaphysics, anthropology, and ethics, equipping readers with a tool kit for breaking down and evaluating the thought systems—some good, some toxic—that swirl around us, and even within us. In McTeigue, classical philosophy finds a contemporary voice, accessible to the layman and engaging to the scholar. Real Philosophy for Real People is an answer to those philosophies that prize theory over truth, to any metaphysics that cannot account for itself, to anthropologies that are unworthy of the human person, and to ethical systems that reduce the great dignity and destiny of the human person. As the author insists, "A key test of any philosophy is: Can it be lived?" With Thomas Aquinas, this book teaches not only how to know the truth, but how to love it and to do it.

Join us as Kathryn Lopez from the National Review Institute interviews Marcus Grodi, author of Life from Our Land: https://www.ignatius.com/Life-from-Our-Land-P1484.aspx Voices from every direction beckon us, even push us, toward better and faster technology, with the promise of more wealth, more pleasure, and, consequently, more happiness. But have we become so bewitched by the siren song of material progress that we've lost the ability not just to achieve, but to discern what true happiness is? What criteria do we use to plan for the future, for retirement? At the end of our earthly lives, how will we measure our fruitfulness? In this book Marcus Grodi discusses what he and his family discovered, mostly by surprise, after moving from the city to twenty-five acres of Ohio farmland. This move involved a radical shift in priorities for all of them, but mostly it helped them to discover some critical truths about our relationship to nature and to nature's Creator that apply regardless of where a person lives. He offers wonderful reflections on his going- back-to-the-land experience as a metaphor for drawing closer to God.