Showing titles in Biographies

Journey through the life, thought, and works of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. One of the most celebrated spiritual minds of the 20th century, Teilhard de Chardin was both a respected scientist and a Jesuit priest. He combined an evolutionary worldview with his commitment to his Christian tradition and Catholic faith. A pioneer in the dialogue between religion and science, he remains a widely influential mystical voice.

St. Thomas Aquinas OP (1224-1274) towers in the history of Christian thought as a mystic, spiritual master, theologian, philosopher, teacher, and preacher. Along with St. Augustine, his synthesis of Christian teaching and exposition of the truth of the Catholic faith remains unsurpassed in Western Christianity.

When Winston Churchill was a boy of 16, he already had a vision for his purpose in life. "This country will be subjected somehow to a tremendous invasion...I shall be in command of the defenses of London...it will fall to me to save the Capital, to save the Empire." It was a most unlikely prediction. Perceived as a failure for much of his life, Churchill was the last person anyone would have expected to rise to national prominence as prime minister and influence the fate of the world during World War II.

Explore the profound spirituality of Hans Urs von Balthasar. Born in Switzerland, Balthasar (1905-1988) was one of the most prolific and sophisticated Catholic thinkers of the 20th century. As you will discover, Balthasar's theology provides a powerful model for the Catholic Church in the modern world. In Hans Urs von Balthasar: Rediscovering Holistic Christianity, you will join Balthasar expert Dr. Kevin Mongrain (PhD, Yale University) in exploring this great theologian.

A voice for the voiceless and a champion of human rights, Blessed Oscar Romero (1917-1980) is beloved around the world. In six lectures, you are invited to explore his life and legacy.

Encounter the towering thought of Karl Rahner (1904-84), one of the most significant voices in Catholic theology in the 20th century. An extraordinarily productive and creative theologian who wrote over 5,000 works, he played a central role as a theological advisor to the bishops at Vatican II. His influence continues to live on in the church and world today.

Encounter one of the most influential figures in Christian spirituality. "To be full of things is to be empty of God. To be empty of things is to be full of God." Said by Meister Eckhart, these words encapsulate the insight of a timeless philosopher, theologian, author, preacher, and mystic. Eckhart has contributed spiritual direction and knowledge to generations of Christians, yet his wisdom remains unknown to many.

In Help from Heaven, Carlos Vivas shares a story of hope and love as he describes the true events surrounding his near-death experience and the miracles he continues to witness since that day. Through nature and spiritual messages, Vivas describes how God not only saved him, he also transformed him.

The engrossing, moving biography of one of China's better-known Christians, the dedicated evangelist and gifted Bible teacher Watchman Nee.

In Confessions, regarded as the first true Western autobiography, Saint Augustine of Hippo lays bare his heart, body, and soul. In this unguarded prayer, a fallible Augustine admits to the indiscretions, selfishness, and licentious obsessions of his youth. He reveals a man of contradictory desires and beliefs, a regretful libertine torn between sin and morality on a spiritual journey toward his conversion to Christianity.

Is there a true seeker among us who has not endured what St. John of the Cross first called the "dark night of the soul" - a crisis, a betrayal, a sadness seeming without end? In The Way of St. John of the Cross, you will meet this towering figure - mystic, poet, healer of souls, and lover of God - and hear how this great explorer of mystical experience left an unfailing map to guide us through the dark nights of our own lives, one that promises eternal joy to all with the courage to follow it.

Apologia Pro Vita Sua (A Defence of One's Own Life), John Henry Newman's defense of his religious beliefs, was published in 1864 in response to Charles Kingsley of the Church of England after Newman quit his position as the Anglican vicar of St. Mary's, Oxford. From 1833 to 1841 there was friction in the Church of England which culminated in Newman's 1845 resignation as an Anglican vicar and his conversion to Roman Catholicism. Newman's essay responded to attacks from Charles Kingsley of the broad church party, who criticised Newman's conversion.

Despite her lack of formal education, Teresa of Avila became an inspirational mystic, an influential reformer, and the first female Doctor of the Church. Today, her spiritual works are widely acclaimed as timeless masterpieces. Now, guided by Carmelite spirituality expert Dr. Keith Egan, you will explore St. Teresa’s most beloved work, The Interior Castle.

In this course you will encounter seven powerful schools of spirituality, discovering what makes each school special and transformative. Your professor is celebrated spirituality expert Fr. Anthony Ciorra, PhD, who will guide you through the development of insights and charisms through the centuries. Throughout this course you are invited to deepen your personal relationship with God.

Jonathan Edwards is one of the most extraordinary figures in American history. Arguably the most brilliant theologian ever born on American soil, Edwards (1703 - 1758) was also a pastor, a renowned preacher, a missionary to the Native Americans, a biographer, a college president, a philosopher, a loving husband, and the father of 11 children.

When Thomas Merton published The Seven Storey Mountain in 1948, no one could have expected it to become an international sensation. An autobiography of his conversion to Catholicism, it became a wildly popular best seller, propelling this humble Trappist monk to literary fame. Today, it is widely regarded as a spiritual classic. While it remains his most famous work, The Seven Storey Mountain is only the tip of the iceberg in Merton's rich, multi-layered oeuvre.

Thomas Merton was one of the greatest spiritual writers and social critics of the past century. For thousands of men and women, he remains a guide and model for contemplative living, interreligious dialogue, and intellectual exploration. While many have encountered Merton through his best-selling books on spirituality and contemplation, few are familiar with his powerful - and often prescient - insights about vital social and cultural issues of his day.

Suitcases from Heaven: A Mother’s Journey through Her Daughter-in-law’s Cancer is the heart- wrenching story of a daughter-in-law fighting a rare, terminal cancer with a mountain of miracle-moving faith, and a mother-in-law depleted of miracle-believing faith who wants nothing to do with such miracle nonsense. Day by day, as Cindy Seaton Henson cares for her dying daughter-in-law, God invites her onto Jazmin’s hope-train legacy. This memoir is intended to encourage caregivers to lean into restored faith so they can better care for their loved ones.

Enjoy this wonderful collection of Andrew Murray's most notable works: Humility, Absolute Surrender, and With Christ in the School of Prayer.

Julian of Norwich was a 14th-century Christian mystic, important English theologian, and visionary writer. Indeed, her masterpiece, A Revelation of Divine Love (or Showings), is the first book written by a woman in English. Six centuries after her death, she continues to inspire with her pious and moving words. Now you can enjoy this brilliant course on Julian. In nine lectures you'll consider what we know (and don't know) about her life and the larger historical context into which she fits.