This selection of previously untranslated documents from the French debates about Christian philosophy provides a long-needed complement to available English-language literature on the subject.

This document's purpose is to spell out the Church's understanding of the nature of revelation--the process whereby God communicates with human beings. It touches upon questions about Scripture, tradition, and the teaching authority of the Church. The major concern of the document is to proclaim a Catholic understanding of the Bible as the "word of God." Key elements include: Trinitarian structure, roles of apostles and bishops, and biblical reading in a historical context.

The twentieth century witnessed considerable debate over the question of the possibility of a “Christian philosophy,” particularly in light of the revival of Thomism initiated by the papal encyclical Aeterni Patris. Two major figures of that revival were Etienne Gilson and Bernard Lonergan, both of whom read Aquinas in quite different ways. Nonetheless, this work brings these two authors into conversation on the possibility of a Christian philosophy. Gilson was a great proponent of the term, and while Lonergan does not use it, he does speak of “Christian realism.” Both display a lively interaction of faith and philosophical positions, while maintaining a clear distinction between philosophy and theology. Debates continue in the twenty-first century, but the context has shifted, with Radical Orthodoxy and new atheism standing at opposite ends of a spectrum of positions on the relationship between faith and reason. This work will demonstrate how the two thinkers, Gilson and Lonergan, may still contribute to a better understanding of this relationship and so shed light on contemporary issues.

A startling exploration of the history of the most controversial book of the Bible, by the bestselling author of Beyond Belief. Through the bestselling books of Elaine Pagels, thousands of readers have come to know and treasure the suppressed biblical texts known as the Gnostic Gospels. As one of the world's foremost religion scholars, she has been a pioneer in interpreting these books and illuminating their place in the early history of Christianity. Her new book, however, tackles a text that is firmly, dramatically within the New Testament canon: The Book of Revelation, the surreal apocalyptic vision of the end of the world . . . or is it? In this startling and timely book, Pagels returns The Book of Revelation to its historical origin, written as its author John of Patmos took aim at the Roman Empire after what is now known as "the Jewish War," in 66 CE. Militant Jews in Jerusalem, fired with religious fervor, waged an all-out war against Rome's occupation of Judea and their defeat resulted in the desecration of Jerusalem and its Great Temple. Pagels persuasively interprets Revelation as a scathing attack on the decadence of Rome. Soon after, however, a new sect known as "Christians" seized on John's text as a weapon against heresy and infidels of all kinds-Jews, even Christians who dissented from their increasingly rigid doctrines and hierarchies. In a time when global religious violence surges, Revelations explores how often those in power throughout history have sought to force "God's enemies" to submit or be killed. It is sure to appeal to Pagels's committed readers and bring her a whole new audience who want to understand the roots of dissent, violence, and division in the world's religions, and to appreciate the lasting appeal of this extraordinary text.

The relationship between revelation and reason in apologetics has long been debated. If our defense of the faith is a rational enterprise, and biblical veracity itself is under attack, where, when, and how does revelation come into play? That question and related concerns are central to these essays in the Reformed apologetic tradition of Cornelius Van Til. The editors explain: Part of the purpose of this collection of essays is to set in the foreground the necessity of exegetical and theological foundations for any Reformed, Christian apologetic. A Reformed apologetic is only Reformed to the extent that its tenets, principles, methodology, and so forth are formed and re-formed by Scripture.

Perhaps no book in the history of the world has been as misunderstood and misappropriated as the Book of Revelation. Those people versed in the methods of scholarly interpretation (exegesis) may understand the symbolism of this work, but what about the general reader? How is he or she to know whether this book is being soundly interpreted or misinterpreted? Father Chapman writes for the general reader, for the many who need to understand the truth of The Message of the Book of Revelation -both its historical message and its message for Christians today. He explains, phrase by phrase, in clear, direct terms what has been learned about the genre of writings called apocalyptic literature - of which Revelation is a part - and how that knowledge can be properly used to interpret the images and symbols of Revelation. Faithful to the teaching of the Church, this explanation of Revelation "reveals" this biblical book to be an inspiring, hope-filled, poetic portrayal of the triumph of Christ and his followers over the powers of evil. The Rev. Charles T. Chapman, Jr., was raised and educated as a Southern Baptist. He joined the Episcopal Church in 1980 and was ordained priest in 1987. He holds degrees from Union University and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, with further training at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest. With Bible teaching and writing among his principle interests, Fr. Chapman offers this commentary in the hopes that reason and scholarship can shed light on a biblical work where baseless, extravagant imagination has long cast its shadow.