Showing titles in Biographies

What would it be like to listen to great figures of our faith discuss their struggles, life lessons, and spiritual insights? A number of remarkable Christians have bequeathed to us their autobiographies. Now, you can access their words and understand the contexts in which they lived with a master scholar and teacher as your guide.

Experience Henri Nouwen's fullness of life spirituality with this new course presented by his official biographer. Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) was one of the most popular and influential spiritual thinkers of the 20th century. Born in the Netherlands, Nouwen was ordained as a Catholic priest and trained as a psychologist. He spent much of his life in America, where he ministered and taught throughout the continent.

St. Augustine of Hippo (354 - 430) is unquestionably one of the most influential figures in Western civilization. This audio course will bring you to the heart of St. Augustine’s works, revealing how his words speak to us across the centuries. According to his rival and contemporary St. Jerome, Augustine “established anew the ancient faith”.

Journey through the life, thought, and works of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. One of the most celebrated spiritual minds of the 20th century, Teilhard de Chardin was both a respected scientist and a Jesuit priest. He combined an evolutionary worldview with his commitment to his Christian tradition and Catholic faith. A pioneer in the dialogue between religion and science, he remains a widely influential mystical voice.

Explore Thomas Merton’s encounter with Islam and its mystical tradition of Sufism with one of Catholicism’s great scholars. This captivating six-lecture audio course focuses on Merton’s engagement with Islam. Your presenter is Professor Sidney Griffith (Ph.D., Catholic University of America), an expert in Muslim-Christian relations and a lifelong reader of Thomas Merton.

This nonfiction audiobook will tell the story behind the upcoming film All Saints. The movie is inspired by the true story of salesman-turned-pastor Michael Spurlock, the tiny church he was ordered to shut down, and a group of refugees from Southeast Asia. Together, they risk everything to plant seeds for a future that might just save them all. Michael's first assignment as their new pastor is to close down All Saints, a dilapidated country church with a dozen devoted members and a mortgage well beyond its means.

St. Thomas Aquinas OP (1224-1274) towers in the history of Christian thought as a mystic, spiritual master, theologian, philosopher, teacher, and preacher. Along with St. Augustine, his synthesis of Christian teaching and exposition of the truth of the Catholic faith remains unsurpassed in Western Christianity.

Discover why St. Thérèse of Lisieux is, in the words of Pope Pius X, the “greatest saint of modern times.” When Thérèse Martin died not yet 25 years old in the small town of Lisieux, no one could have predicted that the Catholic Church would honor her as a saint and Doctor of the Church. Join Carmelite spirituality expert Dr. Keith Egan in exploring the life, works, and legacy of this inspiring saint.

St. John of the Cross is one of the most inspiring figures in the history of Christianity: a saint of profound faith, a compelling mystic, and an immensely gifted poet. Now, you can explore the life, teachings, writings, and reflections of St. John of the Cross.

Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) is one of the most inspiring figures in Christianity: a Doctor of the Church, visionary mystic, powerful composer of hymns, artist, and philosopher. Now, you have the opportunity to know Hildegard intimately in this program on her life and spirituality.

Great Saint Teresa, the Spanish Carmelite of the 16th century, captured the imagination of those seeking God in her own time and beyond. It’s no surprise that she was quickly canonized and, in 1970, became the first woman Doctor of the Church. In this edifying 12-lecture audio course, you’ll understand why her teachings remain transformational today.

Take an unforgettable retreat with Teilhard de Chardin's masterpiece: The Divine Milieu. A Jesuit priest and scientist, Teilhard's powerful vision of the universe has influenced countless spiritual seekers. Written in the 1920s but published posthumously, The Divine Milieu is a spiritual work at once cosmic and personal. Mapping the horizons of transcendence and intimacy, it illuminates the boundless contours of our true nature and home in God.

You are invited into a profound and personal contemplative experience in this unique retreat with Thomas Merton, who will summon you toward the recovery of paradise. Presented by gifted professor, author, and musician Sr. Kathleen Deignan, this six-conference series will transform your spiritual imagination and deepen your contemplative consciousness.

Writer, preacher, counselor, educator, pastor of souls: all of these descriptions and more have been aptly applied to John Henry Newman (1801-1890). Newman's canonization by Pope Francis focuses attention on the extraordinary holiness and inner life of a man who spent most of his earthly years being misunderstood. His trust in God and his willingness to seek the truth eventually convinced him to seek ordination as a Catholic priest.

In this course you will encounter seven powerful schools of spirituality, discovering what makes each school special and transformative. Your professor is celebrated spirituality expert Fr. Anthony Ciorra, PhD, who will guide you through the development of insights and charisms through the centuries. Throughout this course you are invited to deepen your personal relationship with God.

You will explore Thomas Merton's remarkable life and works while actively developing a relationship with him. For many, Merton has become a lifelong mentor and spiritual guide, and he will bring you to new places with the questions he raises and the experiences he shares. Whoever you are and wherever you come from, Thomas Merton will speak to you.

This program will focus on the classic topics of theology as Benedict himself has done both before and after assuming the Chair of Peter: faith, God, Christology, the Church, the liturgy, the word of God, and the preaching and spirituality that flow from it as well as Catholic social teaching. We begin our study of Pope Benedict XVI by understanding the context that produced this great figure, the ideas that shaped him, and the events that impacted his personal life and professional career.

Led by gifted professor, author, and contemplative retreat leader Fr. Donald Goergen, O.P., this life-changing series will capture your spiritual imagination and deepen your life with Christ. As Prof. Lawrence Cunningham writes, “Thomas Merton could easily be called the greatest spiritual writer and spiritual master of the 20th century in English-speaking America.” He was a monk and seeker - restless, deeply contemplative, and socially conscious.

The mystics show us the deepest recesses of the human spirit. Now, this remarkable series gives you the rare opportunity to take one of the world's leading experts on mysticism as your personal guide. Boston College's Fr. Harvey Egan draws on 50 years of teaching the Christian mystics. Brilliantly taught, his lectures are filled with faithful insights. Under his guidance, you will explore the mystical life by focusing upon 11 significant figures. You will begin with Ignatius of Loyola and his finding of God in all things.

Julian of Norwich was a 14th-century Christian mystic, important English theologian, and visionary writer. Indeed, her masterpiece, A Revelation of Divine Love (or Showings), is the first book written by a woman in English. Six centuries after her death, she continues to inspire with her pious and moving words. Now you can enjoy this brilliant course on Julian. In nine lectures you'll consider what we know (and don't know) about her life and the larger historical context into which she fits.