Written in the early 5th century by Augustine of Hippo, who later became a Doctor of the Church, this large theological work provided an articulate defense of Christianity when it was being held culpable for the shocking sack of Rome that had occurred just a few years before. It outlines a citizenship that goes beyond the worldly, the political, and the self-centered, instead focusing on a place where the inhabitants are devout, God-focused, and ...
"To you who read, I speak. To you, who, through long years and much running to and fro, have been eagerly seeking, in books and teachings, in philosophy and religion, for you know not what—Truth, Happiness, Freedom, God. To you whose Soul is weary and discouraged and almost destitute of hope."—So begins this short inspirational work. «Impersonal Life» is a classic of Christian literature, which aims to bring the reader closer to God. ...
John Henry Newman (1801-1890) was a prominent figure in the religious history of England during the 19th century becoming nationally recognized by the mid-1830s. Originally an evangelistic Oxford scholar and clergyman in the Church of England, he was a leader in the Oxford Movement. This inspiring grouping of Anglicans wished to return the Church of England to the many Catholic beliefs and forms of worship. Newman left the Anglican Church and co ...
The authenticity of «The Book of Jasher» is debated by religious scholars. The book is referenced in Second Samuel, which some scholars point to as validation of its authentic origin. The author, Jasher, is supposedly the son of Caleb, a lieutenant of Moses and the book is believed by some to be one of the first books of the bible. «The Book of Jasher» recounts the biblical history from creation up to the time of Jasher. Regardless of its true o ...
John Henry Newman (1801-1890) was a significant figure in the religious history of nineteenth century England. Cardinal Newman was a leader of the Oxford Movement which eventually lead to the development of Anglo-Catholicism. No small presence within religious literature, John Henry Newman also wrote a great deal of tracts, hymns, and apologias. Here are collected thirty-two sermons, in Volume II of his «Parochial and Plain Sermons». These sermo ...
Sir James George Frazer developed an affinity for classic literature at a young age, which developed into a very real talent through his schooling at Glasgow University and then Trinity College at Cambridge, where he remained as a Classics Fellow for all but one year of his life. After the success of his first novel, «Totemism», in 1887, Frazer set out to create what was to become his defining work, «The Golden Bough: A Study in Comparative Reli ...
Spirituality meets philosophy in the Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection collection «The Practice of the Presence of God and the Spiritual Maxims.» This challenging yet fruitful read describes Brother Lawrence's philosophy that a relationship with God is more important than the service and work done in God's name. Through a series of letters to nuns and other monks, he states that people become caught up in trying to prove their worth ...
"Orthodoxy" is an autobiographical account of how Gilbert K. Chesterton comes to believe in the virtues of Orthodox Christianity. As a youth Chesterton described himself as a pagan and an agnostic, however as he ages he sees the need in his life for a spiritual belief in Christianity. In «Orthodoxy,» Chesterton makes the compelling argument that one needs faith to live happily in society. Discover Chesterton's arguments for yourself in ...
Friedrich Nietzsche's «The Antichrist» might be more aptly named «The Antichristian,» for it is an unmitigated attack on Christianity that Nietzsche makes within the text instead of an exposition on evil or Satan as the title might suggest. In «The Antichrist,» Nietzsche presents a highly controversial view of Christianity as a damaging influence upon western civilization that must come to an end. Regardless of ones religious or philosophic ...