by Loyola Press on March 31, 2009
Curiosity and controversy surrounding the Holy Grail reached a fever pitch after Dan Brown’s bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code. Since the early Middle Ages, storytellers have continually reworked and renewed the powerful Grail myth, but behind this resonant symbol lies a profound Christian meaning that remains vital despite countless incarnations. And this meaning, according to The Grail Code: Quest for the Real Presence ($15.95, paperback), is found in humankind’s eternal desire to experience the Real Presence of Christ.
Rather than offer a critique of the “sacred feminine” ideas found in The Da Vinci Code and other works, Aquilina and Bailey chart the evolution of the Holy Grail as a complex literary theme rooted in Biblical history, born at the moment that Jesus raises his cup to the disciples at the Last Supper. The story continues through the Dark Ages, when the memory of Christianity’s most sacred relic mingles with Celtic lore telling of charmed cups and cauldrons offering uncanny power. The various strands meet in the aristocratic courts of medieval Europe, where court writers such as Chrétien de Troyes conjure the Holy Grail that modern audiences would recognize, the one at the center of King Arthur’s legendary reign. Arthur’s world becomes an elaborate Christian allegory, in which the Knights of the Round Table quest for the Grail, learning through their struggles that, no mere piece of treasure, the Grail promises the grace of God, a blessing for the faithful rather than a prize for the bold.
As authors Mike Aquilina and Christopher Bailey explain, what drives all the Holy Grail stories is the yearning to know Christ, and the promise of communion with the divine. This spiritual thirst has kept the Grail fixed in the Christian imagination for centuries.Combining the theologian’s instructive voice with the ardor and pacing of a master storyteller, The Grail Code appeals to readers who wish to better understand the perennial spiritual meaning behind the Grail myth and the reasons why we are driven, in literature and in life, to reach for the divine. The Grail Code also offers Catholics an invaluable guide that empowers them to engage the popular culture—without falling prey to “Grail nonsense.” For this purpose, the authors have included an afterword addressing the more fanciful Grail fictions currently in circulation, as well as recommendations on where readers can continue their exploration of the Grail.
Mike Aquilina is author of a dozen books on Christian history, doctrine, and devotion. He is vice-president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and has been co-host of five popular television series.
Christopher Bailey has worked as a writer, editor, translator, and researcher for more than 15 years. His articles have appeared in Touchstone, Columbia, New Covenant, The New Catholic Encyclopedia (2nd Edition), and elsewhere. Schooled in the great-books tradition, he has spent many years in close study and translation of the Arthurian texts.
The Grail Code:
Quest for the Real Presence
Mike Aquilina and Christopher Bailey
Paperback $15.95
ISBN: 978-0-8294-2159-0
by Loyola Press on March 31, 2009
At face value, The Godfather is a movie about corruption, greed, and violence. Where can we find God in that? Everywhere, contends film critic Richard Leonard, SJ, whose book, Movies That Matter: Reading Film through the Lens of Faith ($14.95, paperback), digs into contemporary films to help religious educators, parents, and anyone who loves movies meet God in the cinema.
In this spirited, provocative, and thoroughly readable guide, Fr. Leonard reveals that God is present in the movies, if only we view them through the “lens of faith”—an informed Christian point of view. Movies That Matter is a tool for viewing films through that lens of faith: for seeing deeper, for enriching the movie-going experience—and, ultimately, for living better as Christians.
In a series of short commentaries and reflections, Fr. Leonard delves into 50 contemporary films, highlighting why they matter and drawing out their lessons, symbolism, and themes. Each of Leonard’s reflections opens with basic information about the film (its actors, director, rating, length, and date) and two or three “teachable moments”—concepts like “conversion,” “hospitality,” and “the meaning of suffering.” Following the essay are two to three questions for further reflection or group dialogue. By presenting films with clear religious messages (such as The Passion of the Christ) as well as those that have subtler Christian themes (such as Dead Poets Society and Chocolat), Fr. Leonard shows that a movie doesn’t have to be overtly religious to provide opportunities for learning about the Christian faith.
Even films that seem to undermine Christian morals give us a chance to learn. We should challenge the messages in films like The Godfather, says Fr. Leonard. Like the media of past generations—stained glass, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts—movies can help us make decisions about how we live our lives as Christians, sometimes by showing us a world absent of God’s love.
An excellent resource for teachers of every stripe, Movies That Matter seeks to encourage people to engage with movies in a productive, meaningful way. Readers have a passionate, knowledgeable guide in Fr. Leonard, whose highly developed understanding of film and faith is evident on every page. As Rose Pacatte, FSP, coauthor of Lights, Camera . . . Faith! says, Movies That Matter is “a book every person in pastoral ministry will want to use as he or she seeks to be relevant and faithful in a media world.” In a country where 1.5 billion people a year attend movies, we can pass on the faith in a relevant way by talking and learning about God through film. Movies matter because they are places where we can learn about the world, learn about ourselves, and learn about God.
Richard Leonard is a writer and film critic who has written and spoken about cinema, culture, and faith on four continents. As an Australian Jesuit with advanced degress in theology and film, Leonard is the director of the Australian Catholic Film Office.
Movies that Matter:
Reading Film through the Lens of Faith
Richard Leonard, SJ
Paperback $14.95
978-0-8294-2201-6
by Loyola Press on March 31, 2009
Monica Dodds understands the pressures that millions of Americans endure as they become caregivers to aging parents. Her professional work with the elderly has exposed her to the complex medical, financial, and legal problems that entangle the elderly. Her personal experience helping ailing family members has given her deep insight into the difficulties caregivers face in dealing with these problems. Her book, A Catholic Guide to Caring for Your Aging Parent, is a comprehensive and practical guide for caregivers.
Dodds insists that faith is a fundamental part of caregiving, and her approach is deeply rooted in Catholic spirituality. She shows adult children how they can love and serve their aging parents better by deepening their own spiritual lives. “Caregiving”, she says, “is a time of many grace-filled moments.” In fact, Dodds insists that faith is the most fundamental part of the caregiving process. Three extensive appendices provide comprehensive checklists for assessing needs, a compilation of resources, and an anthology of prayers.
Monica Dodds has worked with older people and their families in the Seattle area for many years. She has been a case manager for homebound elderly, a program coordinator for senior centers, and the manager of the Seattle/King County Meals on Wheels program. She and her husband, Bill, write a column on family life for the Catholic News Service and have written several books, including The Joy of Marriage. Monica Dodds is also the author of Praying in the Presence of Our Lord with St. Therese of Lisieux.
A Catholic Guide to Caring for Your Aging Parent
Monica Dodds
Paperback $14.95
978-0-8294-1872-9
by Loyola Press on March 31, 2009
Belief in the power of prayer is an aspect of faith that faces constant scrutiny in the secular media. Professional skeptics challenge prayer on rational grounds, while scientists try to measure the effect of intercessional prayers on the sick and needy, routinely drawing controversial conclusions. For example, in October 2003, scientists interpreted the results of the MANTRA study run by Duke University Medical Center, concluding that prayer had no significant impact on heart surgery patients (“‘No health benefit’ from prayer.” BBC News Online. 15 Oct 2003). But for New York Times best-selling author Joan Wester Anderson, there can be no doubt that prayer is supremely important in our lives and to our relationship with God. For Anderson, the proof is in the thousands of stories of answered prayers that she receives from believers around the world, a selection of which can be found in Anderson’s latest book, Guardian Angels: True Stories of Answered Prayers ($14.95, paperback).
Like many of Anderson’s previous books, including Where Angels Walk and In the Arms of Angels, Guardian Angels features tales of heavenly intervention. This latest work goes further by stressing that whether or not angels manifest at moments of crisis, every prayer we offer up is heard, and each serves to open us up to a divine plan. As Anderson writes, “The format of the prayers [in these stories] wasn’t significant. The acknowledgement that God was in charge was all that seemed necessary.”
Joan Wester Anderson is the best-selling author of Where Angels Walk: True Stories of Heavenly Visitors. Since she began her writing career in 1973, she has written sixteen books and contributed more than one thousand articles and short stories to numerous publications including McCalls, Family Circle, Reader’s Digest, Modern Bride, and the New York Times Syndicate. She has appeared on such television programs as “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “20/20,” “Good Morning America,” and “Mother Angelica Live.” She and her husband live in suburban Chicago and have five grown children and two grandchildren.
Guardian Angels:
True Stories of Answered Prayers
Joan Wester Anderson
Paperback $14.95
978-0-8294-2169-9
by Loyola Press on March 31, 2009
When headlines in the mainstream media tend to paint the Catholic Church as an institution overrun with turmoil, Catholics can easily feel put on the defensive about their faith. In May Crowning, Mass, and Merton: 50 Reasons I Love Being Catholic (Loyola Press, 288 pages, paperback, $13.95), author Liz Kelly reminds readers that one way to dissolve this negativity is by celebrating the many joyful aspects of the Catholic faith and culture that enrich our everyday lives.
In her engaging, frank, and witty style, Kelly explores the nuances of her richly textured Catholic faith, striving to inspire others to see the faith with new eyes—and learning something about her own faith in the process.
In five sections of short essays, Kelly reflects on the manifestations of the Catholic faith that make it come alive for her: the traditions, the celebrations, the beliefs, the people, even the clothes Catholics wear. Some aspects she delves into are universally known, like the rosary and Easter; while others are more obscure elements of this two-thousand-year-old faith, such as the Rosary of the Holy Wounds and Tenebrae services. Through them all runs a thread of pure, unadorned love for the Catholic faith, and a personal perspective that lends color and levity.
As Kelly explains in her introduction: “I feel wildly fortunate that the church is here—one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, established to help support humanity in its quest toward becoming our best selves, the people God intended us to be, his devoted children.”
Liz Kelly is the author of both fiction and nonfiction books, including The Rosary: A Path into Prayer (Loyola Press), and a jazz singer who has released two CDs.
May Crowning, Mass, and Merton:
50 Reasons I Love Being Catholic
Liz Kelly
Paperback $13.95
978-0-8294-2025-8
