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SEPTEMBER 29, 1956.
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
FIFTEEN
BOOK REVIEWS
EDITED BY EILEEN HALL
3087 Old Jonesboro Road, Hapeville, Georgia
Each issue of this Bovk Page
is confided to the patronage of
Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces,
with the hope that every read
er and every contributor may
be specially favored by her
*nd her Divine Son.
THE ARCHBISHOP AND THE
LADY, by Michael de la Bedo-
yere, (Pantheon), 63.50.
(Reviewed by Flannery O’Connor)
This is an account of the per
secution of Madame Guyon, the
author of the “Moyen Court,” and
Fenelon, Archbishop of Cambrai,
by the French court and clergy in
the 17th century. In these times
when every newspaper adver
tises that Christ is the way to
success, it is particularly cheering
to have this story reconstructed,
for as the parties to the conflict
were drawn more and more close
ly to the Divine, they enjoyed
less and less success in the world,
Fenelon being deprived of just
ambitions both for himself and
the future of France and Madame
Guyon eventually spending eight
years in the Bastille.
Besides recounting this en
grossing story, the author throws
considerable light on .the subject
of true and false mysticism and
shows clearly that Madame Guy
on, although an emotional and
bizarre; woman given to an in
flated style of writing, never de
viated in intention from the
mainstream of mystical doctrine
taught by the Church. Essential
ly she practiced the “little way”
that St. Therese of Lisieux, with
possibly an even ghastlier style
of writing, was to make more
widely know-n to the world two
centuries later. Madame Guyon,
however, had an unfortunate pe
riod of history in which to pub
lish her way of prayer, and for
an enemy one of the most famous
Catholic bishops of all time, Bos-
suet, who emerges from this stu
dy something less than respect
able.
The author points out that
“there cSn, of course, be no cer
tainty in the reconstruction of
disputed points in the small
amount of historical testimony
which posterity possesses,” but
throughout his conclusions seem
fair and indisputable.
THE BOOK OF BOOKS, by
Daniel- Rops, (Kenedy), illustrat
ed by Fritz Kredel, $3.75.
(Reviewed by Margaret Donovan)
Years ago, when I was a little
girl, my grandmother told me
Bible stories. Now it is my turn
to tell Bible stories to my own
grandchildren.
This book brings them all back
vividly and nostalgically—Adam
and Eve in the Garden of Eden;
Joseph and his coat of many
colors; Moses hidden by his moth
er in the bulrushes; Lot’s wife
turned into a pillar of salt. My
favorite waS the story of Noah
and the ark, in which he and his
family and two of every kind of
animal and bird were saved from
the flood; and of the rainbow that
God set in the sky as a promise
that such a terrible thing would
never happen again. Even now,
whenever I see the rainbow in
the sky, I recall my grandmother
telling me this story.
This celebrated French writer,
a member of the French Academy,
wrote this book for his little
goddaughter Christine, age 10.
and for all boys and girls from
10 to 14. He tells the stories dra
matically, in a way that will sure
ly appeal to the children and hold
their attention.
ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA, by
Leonard von Matt and Hugo Rah-
mer, S.Jy, translated by John
Murray, S.J., (Regnery), $6.50.
(Reviewed by Rev. John
Schroder, S.J.,)
A photograph-text book, al
ready appearing in French, Itali
an and Dutcft- editions, with a
separate edition published in
Western Germany, this is a fas
cinating portrayal in pictures and
words of the life of the soldier-
saint, a life which ranged from
the Basque homeland to the
battle fields of Spain, the Univer
sity of Paris, far-away Palestine
and finally to Rome.
Photographic m a s t e r p ieces
abound, each illustrating some
scene connected with the founder
of the Jesuits—scenes from the
Basque country where Loyola was
born, photographs of knights in
armor, a picture of the sick room
where the wounded Ignatius made
his decision to follow his heaven
ly King, of the monastery where
he meditated, views recalling his
pilgrimage to the Holy Land, of
the Universities of Salamanca and
Paris, where he studied, scenes
and personages connected with
the founding of his society.
For those unacquainted with
the life of Ignatius, this is- a fresh,
concise biography; for the rest, a
satisfying treasury of 226 photo
graphs of the main scenes and
events of that life.
CONTEMPORARY CHURCH
ART, by Anton Henze and Theo
dor Filthaut, (Sheed & Ward),
$7.50, published September 19.
Those familiar with the devel
opment of modern art will surely
find this book a treasure. Others,
not too well informed on the sub
ject, can gain from it some basic
appreciation of the current trend
in Church architecture, painting,
sculpture and other arts used in
furnishing God’s House and pro
viding vessels and vestments for
the altar.
Dr. Henze, Professor of History
of Art at art school in Munster,
Germany, is author of the first
essay: “The Potentialities of Mod
ern Art and Its Position in His
tory.” Dr. Filthaut, a teacher of
theology in Germany, contributed
the second: “Church Art and the
Liturgy.” The preface of the Am
erican edition is by Maurice Lava-
noux, secretary of Liturgical Arts
Society and editor of the quarter
ly “Liturgical Arts.”
Two-thirds of the handsome
volume consists of photographs
and other reproductions of repre
sentative churches and their furn
ishings, all in contemporary styles,
in Europe, Mexico and the United
States. Studying these beautiful
illustrations is quite an education
in itself.
Other specialized volumes re
cently published include:
INVALIDATING LAWS ($3.00)
and PRECEPTS ($3.50), both by
Edward Roelker, S.T.D., J.C.D.,
(St. Anthony Guild Press). These
books were given to the Trappists
at Our Lady of the Holy Ghost
Abbey, Who wrote: “The two
books by Dr. Roelker are a valu
able addition to our Canon Law
library which we are slowly and
DISTRIBUTORS:
Holsum Ice Cream Co., Macon, Ga. — Magnolia Creamery, Milledgeville, Ga.
PLANTS AT AUGUSTA, GA. — WASHINGTON, GA.
B E S T W
CATHOLIC
ISHES
LAYMEN
painfully trying to build up. Doc
tor Roelker is very highly esti
mated at CU and by most of the
canonists in the country.’ !
ADDRESSES AND SERMONS,
1951-1955, by the Most Reverend
Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, Apos
tolic Delegate to the United
States, (St. Anthony Guild Press),
$3.00. Reviewer Margaret G.
Smith says: “These addresses and
sermons were presented at various
functions throughout the country.
All are permeated with deep re
ligious fervor and an ease of
words and phrasing which is beau
tiful to read. Each is redolent of
the history of Catholicity in our
North American continent.”
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS,
by Cecily Hastings, (Sheed &
Ward), $3.00. Reviewer Wenonah
Chambers says: “The first section
of this book is a brief but com
prehensive statement of Catholic
truth. The second contains selec
tions first printed in The Catholic
Herald of London. The author’s
knowledge was gained in many
years pf Catholic Evidence Guild
work and other forms of Catholic
Action. An excellent book for stu
dents and study groups.”
INDULGENCES, by Winfrid
Herbst, S.D.S., (Bruce), $1.50. Re
viewer Margaret G. Smith says:
“. . . the history of The Reccolta,
which contains the most complete
collection of indulgenced prayers.
. . . This is followed by a section
devoted to the meaning and his
tory of indulgences, authority for
them, their importance. For gen
eral information on a little under
stood subject, this small volume
presents, simply and concisely, a
startling amount of facts.”
FIDES BOOKS
THIS WAY TO GOD, by John
Rossi, $2.75, is one of four new
books from Fides Publishers As
sociation. Its prayerbook-size for
mat and bright gold cover, attract
the eye immediately. A glance at
the text reminds one of Merton’s
“Seeds of Contemplation”—brief,
pithy paragraphs under various
subject-heads, such as “Victory
Over Sorrow,” “Contemplation,”
“The Spirit of the Apostolate,”
etc. These are portions of three
principle divisions: “In Christ,”
“Through Christ” and “With
Christ.” The original Italian work,
of which this is a translation, was
called “Breviario Cristiano.” 1 Fath
er James Keller, M.M., Director of
the Christophers, in his foreword,
comments: “The reader is taken
from the highest flights-of the
spiritual to the most concrete situ
ations of every day. The transition
is never jolting ... It is the rare
touch that keeps the proper bal
ance between the active and the
contemplative' . . . Father Rossi
has succeeded where most even
fear to tread.”
Also published September 20 by
Fides are:
Father Louis Lochet, $4.50.
Father Lochet, who taught phi
losophy and moral theology for
ten years, and has been since
1950 in the worker-parish of St.
Louis in Reims, writes in his fore
word to this book: “Activity in
the Church, purification in the
Church, contemplation in the
Church, those are the three
themes that recur incessantly in
our reflections, because they make
up our life. Engaging in activity
in the Church demands the purifi
cation of our energies for her and
in her; the purity of our views
leads to contemplation . . .”
In his eleven chapters he writes
of such things as temptations, the
mystery of the Church, apostolic
life in the Church, apostolic puri
fications, the missionary spirit and
contemplations.
“The result,” the publishers say,
“is a book on apostolic spirituali
ty ... a reflection on apostolic
action and the enormous dispro
portion between the apostle’s love
of men and his own innate weak
ness to reach so few men and for
so short a time.” It is addressed
to all those who serve the Church,
whether as priests, religious or
laity.
CONVERSATION WITH
CHRIST, by Father Peter-Thomas
Rohrbach, O.C.D., $3.75.
An introduction to mental pray
er, based on the methods of St.
Teresa of Avila, written by a
young American Carmelite priest
who is director of vocations for
his province and assistant editor
of “Spiritual Life.” The author
was born 30 years ago in New
York City and ordained in 1952.
His book was prompted by the
discovery that many people do not
understand the basic principles of
mental prayer, a discovery, which
he made while giving retreats to
religious, laity and high school
students. This busy young jiriest
elaborates on St. Teresa’s state
ment that “mental prayer is noth
ing else than an intimate friend
ship, a frequent heart-to-heart
conversation with Him by Whom
we know ourselves to be loved.”
MENTAL HEALTH IN CHILD
HOOD, by Dr. Charles L. C.
Burns, $2.75.
Dr. Burns, Senior Psychiatrist to
the Birmingham 6hild Guidance
Service in England, writes as a
parent as well as a child-psychia
trist, and bases his work on “more
than twenty years of practical ex
perience in dealing with mal
adjusted, nervous and delinquent
children.” It is a small book be
cause, the author says, “in my ex
perience, longer books on this sub
ject go largely unread; people
have no longer -the time nor the
patience.”
It’s the aim of the man behind
the gun to make his mark.
It’s even possible for the fel
low who thinks he knows it all to
SON OF THE CHURCH, by profit by experience.
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