Best Christian Catechisms
The full, complete exposition of Catholic doctrine and the essential elements of the faith are presented, enabling everyone to know what the Church professes, celebrates, lives, and prays in her daily life.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"it will help me increase my knowledge and faith."
"excellent service/product."
"Awesome resource for life."
"Excellent gift for confirmation."
"I learned things I did not know."
"Very pleased with my purchase."
Using the tradition of explaining what the Church believes (the Creed), what she celebrates (the Sacraments), what she lives (the Commandments), and what she prays (the Lord's Prayer), the Catechism of the Catholic Church offers challenges for believers and answers for all those interested in learning about the mystery of the Catholic faith. To get some idea of the level of detail with which the Catechism engages Catholic doctrine, consider that 17 pages of explanation accompany the opening words of the Apostle's Creed ("I Believe in God the Father"). Extensive cross-referencing, indexing, footnotes, and "In Brief" summaries of each section further ease the project of finding the precise answers to any questions a reader might have.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"it will help me increase my knowledge and faith."
"excellent service/product."
"Awesome resource for life."
"Excellent gift for confirmation."
"I learned things I did not know."
"Very pleased with my purchase."
The New York Times bestselling author of The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and Jesus: A Pilgrimage turns his attention to the relationship between LGBT Catholics and the Church in this loving, inclusive, and revolutionary book. Adapted from an address he gave to New Ways Ministry, a group that ministers to and advocates for LGBT Catholics, Building a Bridge provides a roadmap for repairing and strengthening the bonds that unite all of us as God's children. It will also help LGBT Catholics feel more at home in what is, after all, their church.” ( Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Vatican's Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life ). “Martin has written a wonderful book that challenges the institutional church to be in dialogue with the LGBT community. Martin’s inspiring new book invites church leaders to minister with more compassion and reminds LGBT Catholics that they are as much a part of our church as any other Catholic.” ( Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archbishop of Newark ). “If Martin’s book, with its biblical reflections on God’s loving creation of us and Jesus’ unconditional welcome, can help LGBT people and our families experience and trust God’s tenderness, he will have laid the foundation stone for social change and spiritual renewal.” ( Washington Post ). “In this much anticipated new book, Father James Martin, SJ, seeks to end the ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mentality that has long divided LGBT Catholics and the institutional Church.” ( Crux ). In this inspiring book, Father Martin turns to three virtues from the Catechism of the Catholic Church —“respect, compassion, and sensitivity”—as a model for how both the Catholic leadership and LGBT Catholics can move together on a “two-way bridge” toward reconciliation and love. Father Martin offers biblical passages, accompanied by meditations and questions for reflection, to help LGBT people find their place in the church and enter into a deeper relationship with God.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Excellent, easy to read."
"Then he takes equal time (3 chapters) to appeal to LGBT individuals to treat Church leadership with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. The last half of the book is an offering of scripture passages with questions for meditation and ideas for prayer."
"I wanted a more confrontational, get-right-with-Christ approach to this."
"I read this after seeing a ton of harsh critiques all over social media. As many people have stated, this is a great FIRST STEP into creating a much needed dialogue with the LGBT community. There is also a great section in the back aimed to help people who feel marginalized either because they are 1. Parents/Siblings/Relatives of gay people who feel uncomfortable with how they should talk to them about the Church. This book is not perfect, and it will not please everyone, but it is valuable that every person is treated with dignity and respect."
"Martin has written a book that truly brings Christ's love for all and is a wake up call for not only the church hierarchy and the LGBT community; but for each and every one of us in understanding and reaching out on both sides of the bridge."
"In the Bridge section, a chapter is devoted to each of the three virtues, respect, compassion, and sensitivity, from the perspective of both the LGBTQ community, and the Church. Showing compassion to the LGBTQ community is comprised of listening to them, standing with them, sorrowing and rejoicing with them. Martin points out that the bridge is desirable for trust, forgiveness, reconciliation, unity and love, and that it is all supported by the power of the Holy Spirit. Among the ten are such things as the Biblical importance of naming for honoring all Imago Dei; finding acceptance in knowing that all of God’s children are “fearfully and wonderfully made”; finding strength in God (Psalm 62); finding hope in the risen Christ; and examining one’s “darkness” in the “sunshine of God’s love.” Each meditation concludes with questions for reflection, geared both to LGBTQ individuals, Church leaders, and allies. The final section contains a Prayer for use by the LGBTQ community, particularly when feeling the sting of rejection and despair. However, the book is a valuable resource for bridging the divide, with plenty of completely Scriptural exhortation for both Church leaders, the LGBTQ community, and allies. Martin alludes to this in his Together on the Bridge summary: “Some of this may be hard for members of the LGBTQ community to hear. On the other side of the bridge, the Church must avoid singling out homosexuality as a more “disordered” sin than, say, divorce and remarriage without annulment, premarital sex, adultery, even the use of birth control. This is implied in the discussion about respect for the spiritual gifting of LGBTQ individuals, as well as in several of the meditations that relate to self-acceptance. On the other hand, he also advocates strongly for LGBTQ submission to and respect for Church leaders, tradition, and doctrine. It is worth pointing out that Catholic acceptance of LGBTQ as Christians hinges on their baptism/confirmation in the Church, not heterosexual identity. In the evangelical context, the vast majority of churches currently rejects LGBTQ Christians as a contradiction in terms. Although this is theologically erroneous from an orthodoxy point of view, it is nonetheless a reality that will unfortunately prevent most Evangelicals from finding any merit in the book. There may, of necessity, be limits to what that can look like in a Church, but there’s no Biblical warrant for complete exclusion of the LGBTQ community."
"This book, while devoted to the divide between the Roman Catholic Church and the LGBT community, is so much more!"
Best Lutheran Christianity
Content includes: · Five Divine Services. · Morning Prayer. · Evening Prayer. · Matins. · Vespers. · Family devotions. · Luther’s Small Catechism. · 150 psalms. · 636 hymns, songs, and canticles.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I am so glad that something got worked out, although the fonts in the print version are different than the ebook version and the readability of the hymns is very dependant on screen size."
"The LSB is a wonderful book for Lutherans to use at church, at home with their families, or for personal study."
"The Kindle edition is a bit clunky, especially if your device is a small handheld."
"After more experimentation, I found the contents side bar off the left of the screen, so a quick swipe brings it up and I can scan sections for the song or order of service I need - much better!"
"These are used in our Church, I wanted a home copy."
"This is a terrific resource with one important shortcoming: it doesn't have real page numbers set up, so you're limited to working with Kindle "Locations.""
"First, The Lutheran Service Book is a lovely hymnal and I've been waiting for the Kindle version to come out ever since I purchased the pew edition for home use."
"Digital edition."
Best Ritual Spiritual Practices
Using the tradition of explaining what the Church believes (the Creed), what she celebrates (the Sacraments), what she lives (the Commandments), and what she prays (the Lord's Prayer), the Catechism of the Catholic Church offers challenges for believers and answers for all those interested in learning about the mystery of the Catholic faith. To get some idea of the level of detail with which the Catechism engages Catholic doctrine, consider that 17 pages of explanation accompany the opening words of the Apostle's Creed ("I Believe in God the Father"). Extensive cross-referencing, indexing, footnotes, and "In Brief" summaries of each section further ease the project of finding the precise answers to any questions a reader might have.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"excellent service/product."
"Awesome resource for life."
"Excellent gift for confirmation."
"I learned things I did not know."
"Very pleased with my purchase."
"A simple goto would solve...but not the way my kindle works...the newer versions of kindle may allow - I do not know."
Best Christian Sacraments
--This text refers to an alternate Kindle Edition edition. If you have not yet experienced Confession as a wonderful, personal encounter with Christ; if you do not yet look forward to going to Confession with the same eagerness and expectation with which you receive Holy Communion, this book is for you. In 7 Secrets of Confession , he addresses the most misunderstood sacrament of the Church, and his readers will never look at confession the same way again. Taking the intimidation factor out of this great sacrament, he brings it into new relevancy for today's Catholics and helps us realize that confession is not something we have to do; it's something we get to do. In 7 Secrets of Confession , he addresses the most misunderstood sacrament of the Church, and his readers will never look at confession the same way again. Taking the intimidation factor out of this great sacrament, he brings it into new relevancy for today's Catholics and helps us realize that confession is not something we have to do; it's something we get to do.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"For instance, the fact that confession is all about healing and is an ongoing process. This is a book you will want everyone to benefit from so order more than one copy."
"Mr. Flynn, by the grace of God and a boat-load of behind-the-scenes work, has done for me in 180 pages what I was unable to do for myself in 9 years of studying the Catholic faith as an adult convert; he's made me eager to participate in a Sacrament that I once dreaded. As a side note, this book may make you want to buy copies of the Catechism of the Catholic Church as well as the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska by the time you finish due to the author's numerous references to both."
"This book made me want to read more of Vinny Flynn's books too."
"I read this book and used the workbook in a bible study."
"It's great for everyone."
"It begins with the word if: "If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." And delivers it all with humor and good writing that keeps you reading instead of frowning Pharisee style."
"If anybody doesn't understand the need for confession read this beautifully written book by Vinny Flynn."
"This is so basic, not for anyone who is beyond the beginner stage of the Catholic Faith."
Best Christian Prayer Books
Stormie Omartian shares how God can strengthen your marriage as you pray for your husband concerning key areas in his life, including... According to Omartian, a marriage's success depends upon "laying down all claim to power in and of yourself, and relying on God's power to transform you, your husband, your circumstances, and your marriage."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In years past, I’ve heard about “The Power of a Praying Wife.” The Holy Spirit led me to check it out. Each day I pray, the chapter’s topic just so happens to coincide with what my man is going through and/or addresses a pressing issue about his character. I personally appreciate this book because it is helping me to keep my focus/contentment on Christ, pray instead of nag, and address my own character flaws as I study the provided scriptures."
"Definitely recommend this book to anyone who needs help praying specific prayers for their spouse, and marriage!"
"So glad we chose this book and the accompanying study guide."
"We have survived and grown together as a couple, and without a doubt this book was the guide I needed to be a strong wife and reconnect with my husband."
"Stormie covers all the bases in this book of prayers for a Christian wife."
"There is a prayer at the end of each chapter and there are 31 chapters!"
"ITS NOT THE FULL BOOK!"
"This book not only provides prayers but tells of her story as well which strengthens my faith seeing I am not alone."
Best Christian Rites & Ceremonies
Jesus Always, the new 365-day devotional from bestselling author Sarah Young, was written as part of Sarah Young’s exploration of the promises of joy in scripture. Written as if Jesus Himself is speaking directly to the reader, Jesus Always invites you into a new way of living—a life of joy. Hall-of-Fame center BILL RUSSELL, widely considered the greatest team player of all time, won 11 championships in 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"For the past several months, I've been attending a mom's group at church and one day they were giving away the Jesus Calling devotional by Sarah Young. When I started searching Sarah Young on here, I came across the Jesus Always devotional as one of the top results since it is a new release. After traveling for awhile and dealing with illness, Sarah Young strives to find joy in her everyday life so she wrote this particular devotional with that in mind. It's the perfect size to stick in your purse if you need something positive and uplifting to read when you are at work or out and about and it makes a great gift."
"Very good for the soul, every one should read it to make an informed opinion for themselves."
"Sarah writes in the voice of Jesus in the same way A. J. Russell did with his classic devotional "God Calling" whose writings inspire Sarah. Using the voice of Jesus personalizes Scripture for readers in ways that other devotions do not and Jesus’ words are always italicized."
"Her other books have been good, but this one speaks to me as much as "Jesus Calling"."
"It is always good to start the day with God."
"So beautiful to read each morning and start your day with a great reminder that God's got your problems and you're blessed to have His word to guide you."
"Another great spiritual book from Sarah Young."
"I am really enjoying this devotional."
Best Christian Monasticism & Asceticism
It tells of the growing restlessness of a brilliant and passionate young man whose search for peace and faith leads him, at the age of twenty-six, to take vows in one of the most demanding Catholic orders--the Trappist monks. In 1941, a brilliant, good-looking young man decided to give up a promising literary career in New York to enter a monastery in Kentucky, from where he proceeded to become one of the most influential writers of this century. The best reason to read The Seven Storey Mountain , however, may be the one Merton provided in his introduction to its Japanese translation: "I seek to speak to you, in some way, as your own self.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"fantastic copy of the 1st edition, excellent condition -- and the book/story is riveting."
"This is one of the very best books out of many hundreds that I have read."
"The 50th edition of The Seven Storey Mountain has added information pertinent to understanding Merton from the publisher Giroux and Shannon."
"Truly inspirational for me at a time of deepening spiritual faith."
"Fascinating read!"
"I found the early narration rather tedious trekking from home to home, in and out of schools with mixed anecdotal commentary on Merton's early life and adolescence."
"This famous autobiography chronicles the author's life from childhood up to the point as a young man he makes the bold decision to enter the Trappist order. Eventually his love for God becomes a passion of awesome proportions, enabling him to bring his life into a wonderous balance, inspiring him to write some of the most influential religious reflections of our age or perhaps any age."
Best Christian Meditation Worship & Devotion
Visions of an angry, distant, moral scorekeeper or a supernatural Santa Claus handing out cosmic lottery tickets to those who attend the right church or say the right prayer dominate our culture. Richard Rohr (with Mike Morrell) points readers to an unlikely opening beyond this divinity impasse: the at-times forgotten, ancient mystery of the Trinity—God as utterly one, yet three. Seriously friends, this is Richard in peak form, doing what he does best: showing you how the best ideas for the future have actually been here, in the Jesus tradition, the whole time. In these pages it’s the Trinity—that old familiar word—that suddenly gets infused with insight and electricity as you see just how practical and helpful and healing and inspiring and provocative and dangerous this conception of the Divine is. The Divine Dance is an example of why Rohr has had such a profound influence on so many Christians seeking to balance reason and mystery, action and contemplation, not to mention faith and real life. —Nadia Bolz-Weber, Accidental Saints The Divine Dance is a joyful plunge into what is often dry academic mystery. Richard Rohr shares his exploration into the sacred and challenges us all to come along on the nourishing journey to community.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Franciscan priest Richard Rohr considers The Divine Dance the most important book he has ever written. “…this ‘whole creation itself … [is being] brought into the same glorious freedom as the children of God’ and is ‘groaning in one great act of giving birth’” (page 114). The book ends with a quote from Catherine of LaCugna: “The very nature of God, therefore, is to seek out the deepest possible communion and friendship with every last creature on this earth” (page 194). I highly recommend this book for people of all faiths who seek inspiration for living in our current time of increasing interconnectedness."
"Then when I was faced with what seemed like unbearable challenges in my own life, it became vital to my sanity and survival to "own" my faith instead of simply competing for first place among my peers for being the holiest appearing of them all. It wasn't THAT dramatic, but I desperately needed to re-assess what I actual did believe, and rid myself of the toxic burdon of man made dogmas that had poisoned my heart. All of them pointing to the reality that our acceptance and eternal love in the heart of our Father has nothing to do with how good or bad we are, how many religious "buzz phrases" we have memorized .... but simply because of Who HE is .. and his provision for our placement as sons and daughters in and through Christ."
"The beauty of the flow of love between the members of the Trinity, the flow of Trinitarian love in believers, and the flow of Trinitarian love through believers to the world was made so clear and so exciting."
"I've been taking my time reading Rohr's text."
"Rohr explores the mystical heart of Christianity with a bold and wholly accessible book on that most enigmatic and ignored doctrine of the Holy Trinity."