"A fresh, vigorous new translation of the Gospel of Mark" -- Rod Dreher of The American Conservative "Professor Pakaluk provides not only a thrilling new rendering of the ancient Greek text but also provides lively scholarship in the commentary that follows his translation of Mark's sixteen chapters." -- Brad Miner of The Catholic Thing The Gospel as You Have Never Heard It Before... At a distance of twenty centuries, the figure of Jesus of Nazareth can seem impossibly obscure—indeed, some skeptics even question whether he existed. And yet we have an eyewitness account of his life, death, and resurrection from one of his closest companions, the Simon Bar-Jona, better known as the Apostle Peter. Writers from the earliest days of the Church tell us that Peter’s disciple Mark wrote down the apostle’s account of the life of Jesus as he told it to the first Christians in Rome. The vivid, detailed, unadorned prose of the Gospel of Mark conveys the unmistakable immediacy of a first-hand account. For most readers, however, this immediacy is hidden behind a veil of Greek, the language of the New Testament writers. Four centuries of English translations have achieved nobility of cadence or, more recently, idiomatic accessibility, but the voice of Peter himself has never fully emerged. Until now. In this strikingly original translation, atten- tive to Peter’s concern to show what it was like to be there, Michael Pakaluk captures the tone and texture of the sherman’s evocative account, leading the reader to a bracing new encounter with Jesus. The accompanying verse-by-verse commentary—less theological than historical—will equip you to experience Mark’s Gospel as the narrative of an eyewitness, drawing you into its scenes, where you will come to know Jesus of Nazareth with new intimacy. A stunning work of scholarship readily accessible to the layman, The Memoirs of St. Peter belongs on the bookshelf of every serious Christian.

The Chair of Saint Peter surveys the history of the papal office from the first century to the current papacy of Pope John Paul II. At the approach of the third millennium, the office of the papacy remains a vital sign of unity in the Catholic church and a link with the earliest church. But the papal office in its current form is the product of a long and conflicted history of evolution. The Chair of Saint Peter is an essential resource for future discussions about the shape of the church to come.

Relates the life and influence of our first Pope. Illustrated in full color.

St Peter's Basilica in Rome is arguably the most important church in Western Christendom, and is among the most significant buildings anywhere in the world. However, the church that is visible today is a youthful upstart, only four hundred years old compared to the twelve-hundred-year-old church whose site it occupies. A very small proportion of the original is now extant, entirely covered over by the new basilica, but enough survives to make reconstruction of the first St Peter's possible and much new evidence has been uncovered in the past thirty years. This is the first full study of the older church, from its late antique construction to Renaissance destruction, in its historical context. An international team of historians, art historians, archaeologists and liturgists explores aspects of the basilica's history, from its physical fabric to the activities that took place within its walls and its relationship with the city of Rome.

The acclaimed novel of the early years after the Resurrection, and the imagining of a Church and a new World, is now available in a convenient ebook edition. Walter F. Murphy, author of the bestselling novel The Vicar of Christ, engages the epic grandeur of the Resurrection and the heroic struggle of Simon Peter to spread the good word that the kingdom of God is at hand. His journey is harrowing: he flees from Jerusalem to Galilee and, after further fascinating travels, finally arrives in Nero's Rome. The story unfolds in epic scope filtered through the Greek scholar Quintus, who follows Simon Peter in his journeys. In Upon this Rock, Murphy humanizes the disciples as never before: they are filled with love for the Master, but like every man they are at times petty, selfish, vain. Peter himself is a man of spacious moods, resenting Jesus' love for John and envying the spiritual power Mary of Magdala's vision of the risen Master brings. And Peter can be crude, angry, and self-pitying, for he is an uneducated man with a tragic past that fuels his nagging spiritual doubt. His faith wavers, even fails, but ultimately triumphs, conquering even the brutal torture of the disciples by the Romans. Upon this rock a church was built, just as the Master envisioned. Previously published in print by Macmillan and Ballantine paperbacks, this work is now available from Quid Pro Books in a quality, authorized ebook edition, with proper formatting, active and detailed Contents, and the original maps and imagery from the hardcover edition retained in this digital work. Also available in new and modern paperback printing from Quid Pro Books.