The United States is in a crisis of freedom. Influenced by neoliberal economics, the concept of freedom has become identified with an abstract, radical individualism disdainful of responsibility to others and to the past. Signs of this crisis crop up everywhere. Some invoke freedom as justification for refusing to wear a mask in a pandemic. Others argue that freedom is an empty word if it's celebrated apart from an honest engagement with the country's history of racism. Created Freedom under the Sign of the Cross offers a Catholic theological response to this crisis of freedom. Catholic social ethics may be better known for its emphasis on social principles like the common good and solidarity. But developments in Catholic theologies of freedom in the last decades provide fertile ground from which to develop a bold, creative response to this American crisis of freedom. In this book, theologian David DeCosse draws on thinkers ranging from philosopher Amartya Sen to Black Catholic theologian Shawn Copeland to twentieth-century theological giant Karl Rahner in order to reimagine American freedom in light of classic Catholic emphases on embodiment, relationship, history, the good, and God. The result is a Catholic public theology that provides a redemptive path forward in an age of crisis.

The United States is in a crisis of freedom. Influenced by neoliberal economics, the concept of freedom has become identified with an abstract, radical individualism disdainful of responsibility to others and to the past. Signs of this crisis crop up everywhere. Some invoke freedom as justification for refusing to wear a mask in a pandemic. Others argue that freedom is an empty word if it’s celebrated apart from an honest engagement with the country’s history of racism. Created Freedom under the Sign of the Cross offers a Catholic theological response to this crisis of freedom. Catholic social ethics may be better known for its emphasis on social principles like the common good and solidarity. But developments in Catholic theologies of freedom in the last decades provide fertile ground from which to develop a bold, creative response to this American crisis of freedom. In this book, theologian David DeCosse draws on thinkers ranging from philosopher Amartya Sen to Black Catholic theologian Shawn Copeland to twentieth-century theological giant Karl Rahner in order to reimagine American freedom in light of classic Catholic emphases on embodiment, relationship, history, the good, and God. The result is a Catholic public theology that provides a redemptive path forward in an age of crisis.

In The Sign of the Cross, author Bert Ghezzi shows how this potent prayer engages the Holy Spirit and affirms Christian identity. With insights derived from Scripture, church teachings, and personal experience, Ghezzi inspires people to utilize the sign of the cross in their daily lives. Drawing on the fascinating history of the sign of the cross, Ghezzi reveals six dynamic truths of the spiritual life and encourages Christians to see the sign of the cross as a simple yet powerful way to grow in their relationship with God.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

ORIGINAL ARTICLES The Boundaries and Authority of Catholic Social Teaching: A Reply to John Finnis Bernard G. Prusak Struggling with Self-Love: A Thomistic Perspective on Anxious Attachment and the Vice of Self-Debasement Sheryl Overmyer Synodality in the Catholic Church: Toward a Conciliar Ecclesiology of Inclusion for LGBTQ+ Persons Ish Ruiz CATHOLIC PEACEBUILDING IN TIMES OF CRISIS Catholic Peacebuilding in Times of Crisis: Hope for a Wounded World Caesar A. Montevecchio Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation: The Challenge for Future Relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the Catholic Church Maka Black Elk Walking Towards Peace: Generating Synergies at a Regional Level Isabel Aguilar Umaña and Cecelia Suárez Trueba Peacebuilding in an Interfaith Context in the Great Lakes Region of Africa: The Challenges of Creating New Approaches Emmanuel Ntakarutimana, OP Imagination in Catholic Thought and Peacebuilding Eduardo Gutiérrez González BOOK REVIEWS Gary Chartier, Understanding Friendship: On the Moral, Political, and Spiritual Meaning of Love Nickolas L. Becker, OSB David C. Cramer and Myles Werntz, A Field Guide to Christian Nonviolence: Key Thinkers, Activists, and Movements for the Gospel of Peace David Kwon David DeCosse, Created Freedom under the Sign of the Cross: A Catholic Public Theology for the United States Matthew A. Shadle Christine Firer Hinze, Radical Sufficiency: Work, Livelihood, and a US Catholic Economic Ethic Mary M. Doyle Roche Kate Jackson-Meyer, Tragic Dilemmas in Christian Ethics Thomas Ryan Bradford E. Hinze, Confronting a Church in Controversy Federico Cinocca Richard Horsley, You Shall Not Bow Down and Serve Them: The Political Economic Projects of Jesus and Paul Najeeb T. Haddad Marc A. Pugliese and John Becker, Process Thought and Roman Catholicism: Challenges and Promises Simeiqi He

Reprint of the original, first published in 1873.

Christians worldwide have been blessing themselves with the sign of the cross for centuries. But few who use this simple, familiar gesture know its impact as a powerful prayer. Author Bert Ghezzi shows how this potent prayer engages the Holy Spirit and affirms Christian identity. With insights derived from Scripture, church teachings, and personal experience, Ghezzi encourages people to utilize this powerful sign in their daily life. Drawing on the fascinating history of the sign of the cross, Ghezzi reveals six dynamic truths of the spiritual life that God gives. The Sign of the Cross brings forth an opening to God, renewal of baptism, mark of discipleship, acceptance of suffering, defense agains the devil, and victory over self-indulgence. This inspirational book brings to life the blessings of this ancient prayer and guides Christians to a renewed experience of God.