Ave Maria Press Releases New Edition of 1907 Dystopian Novel Lord of the World

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Ave Maria Press Releases New Edition of 1907 Dystopian Novel Lord of the World BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT To schedule media interviews, or to request images or review copies, contact: STEPHANIE A. SIBAL, PUBLICIST 800.282.1865 x206 | [email protected] Ave Maria Press, Inc., P.O. Box 428 Notre Dame, IN 46556 A Ministry of the United States Province of Holy Cross AVE MARIA PRESS RELEASES NEW EDITION OF 1907 DYSTOPIAN NOVEL LORD OF THE WORLD NOTRE DAME, Ind.— Popular young adult books such as The Hunger Games and Divergent, as well as literary classics such as Walker Percy’s Love in the Ruins and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, have created a growing interest in dystopian novels. In one of the first such novels of the twentieth century, Robert Hugh Benson imagines a world where belief in God has been replaced by secular hu- manism. In an airplane news conference on his return from the Philippines in January 2015, Pope Francis mentioned Benson’s Lord of the World and said, “I advise you to read it.” It wasn’t the first time the Holy Father had praised the book since becoming pope. This 1907 futuristic narrative has been hailed as the finest work of this unsung, but influential author and son of the Archbishop of Canterbury whose conversion to Catholicism rocked the Church of England in 1903. The compelling book includes a new introduction, a biography of Benson, and a theo- logical reflection. Lord of the World A Novel Lord of the World describes a world where Catholics are falling away and priests By Robert Hugh Benson and bishops are defecting. Only a small remnant of the faithful remains. Julian Falsenburg, a mysterious and compelling figure arises, promising peace in ex- ISBN: 978-0-87061-298-5 change for blind obedience. Those who resist are subjected to torture and execu- 352 pages • $14.95 tion. Soon the masses are in Falsenburg’s thrall and he becomes leader of the Religious Study world. Into this melee steps the novel’s protagonist, Fr. Percy Franklin. Daunt- Also available as an eBook less and clear-sighted, Franklin is a bastion of stability as the Catholic Church in England disintegrates around him. Benson’s harrowing plot soon brings these two charismatic men into a final apocalyptic conflict. “Lord of the World is the With an imagination to rival H. G. Wells and theological insight akin to G. K. right book for Christians in Chesterton. Benson’s astute novel has captured the attention of many today, in- the modern world—and cluding Popes Benedict and Francis. This new edition makes it easily available and there may be no message features an insightful introduction by Rev. Mark Bosco, S.J., a brief biography of Benson by Martyn Sampson, and a theological reflection by Rev. Michael Murphy, more critical for our time.” S.J. MOST REV. JAMES D. CONLEY Bishop of Lincoln ABOUT THE AUTHOR Robert Hugh Benson (1871–1914) was an English Anglican priest who joined the Roman Catholic Church in 1903 and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1904. He was lauded in his own day as one of the leading figures in English literature and was the author of many novels and apologetic works..
Recommended publications
  • Pope Francis the Revolutionary Nine Months Into His Papacy, the Pontiff Has Made Clear His Aim to Restore the Church's Original Evangelical Passion
    Pope Francis the Revolutionary Nine months into his papacy, the pontiff has made clear his aim to restore the church's original evangelical passion. By George Weigel Nov. 28, 2013 4:38 p.m. ET The first nine months of the pontificate of Pope Francis have often resembled a gigantic Rorschach test in which various commentators inside and outside the Catholic Church have "seen" their dreams and fears realized. Alas, what has been "seen" has often had little to do with the record of Jorge Mario Bergoglio as priest and bishop or with his most consequential decisions as pope. Those projections reached fever pitch with the publication on Tuesday of Francis' first apostolic exhortation, "Evangelii Gaudium" (The Joy of the Gospel), which was celebrated, or lamented, as if it were an Occupy Whatever position paper for a G-8 summit. Instead, the papal document should be read and appreciated for what it manifestly is: a clarion call for a decisive shift in the Catholic Church's self-understanding, in full continuity with the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Pope Francis' general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Nov. 6. AFP/Getty Images Given the fantasies that the pope and his pontificate have inspired on both left and right, it might be useful, at the three-quarter pole of Francis' first year in the Chair of Peter, to describe with more precision the man with whom I shared a wide-ranging conversation about the global state of the Catholic Church in May 2012.
    [Show full text]
  • The-Popes-And-Our-Era
    Why Aren’t the Popes Shouting? markmallett.com/blog/why-arent-the-popes-shouting/ MarkMarch 15, 2015 With dozens of new subscribers coming on board now each week, old questions are popping up such as this one: Why aren’t the Pope’s speaking about the end times? The answer will surprise many, reassure others, and challenge many more. First published September 21st, 2010, I have updated this writing to the present pontificate. I receive letters from time to time asking, “If we are possibly living in the “end times,” then why wouldn’t the popes be shouting this from the rooftops?” My response is: “If they are, is anyone listening?” The fact is, this entire blog, my book, my webcast—which are intended to prepare the reader and viewer for the times which are here and coming—are based on what the Holy Fathers have been preaching for over a century. And they have been consistently warning, with greater and greater frequency, that the path of mankind is leading to “destruction” unless we embrace once again the Good News and the One who is Good: Jesus Christ. It is not I, but Paul VI who said: There is a great uneasiness at this time in the world and in the Church, and that which is in question is the faith. It so happens now that I repeat to myself the obscure phrase of Jesus in the Gospel of St. Luke: ‘When the Son of Man returns, will He still find faith on the earth?’…I sometimes read the Gospel passage of the end times and I attest that, at this time, some signs of this end are emerging.
    [Show full text]
  • The Religious Lives of Franciscan Missionaries, Pueblo Revolutionaries, and the Colony of Nuevo Mexico, 1539-1722 Michael P
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2010 Among the Pueblos: The Religious Lives of Franciscan Missionaries, Pueblo Revolutionaries, and the Colony of Nuevo Mexico, 1539-1722 Michael P. Gueno Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES AMONG THE PUEBLOS: THE RELIGIOUS LIVES OF FRANCISCAN MISSIONARIES, PUEBLO REVOLUTIONARIES, AND THE COLONY OF NUEVO MEXICO, 1539-1722 By MICHAEL P. GUENO A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Religion in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2010 The members of the committee approve the dissertation of Michael P. Guéno defended on August 20, 2010. __________________________________ John Corrigan Professor Directing Dissertation __________________________________ Edward Gray University Representative __________________________________ Amanda Porterfield Committee Member __________________________________ Amy Koehlinger Committee Member Approved: _____________________________________ John Corrigan, Chair, Department of Religion _____________________________________ Joseph Travis, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members. ii For Shaynna iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is my pleasure and honor to remember the many hands and lives to which this manuscript and I are indebted. The innumerable persons who have provided support, encouragement, and criticism along the writing process humble me. I am truly grateful for the ways that they have shaped this text and my scholarship. Archivists and librarians at several institutions provided understanding assistance and access to primary documents, especially those at the New Mexico State Record Center and Archive, the Archive of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Archivo General de la Nacion de Mexico, and Biblioteca Nacional de la Anthropologia e Historia in Mexico City.
    [Show full text]
  • The Council and the “Papal Prince”: Trent Seen by the Italian Reformers*
    The Council and the “Papal Prince”: Trent Seen by the Italian Reformers* Diego Pirillo Introduction In November 1550, having left Italy the previous year to embrace the Reformation, the former bishop of Capodistria Pier Paolo Vergerio published a pamphlet against Julius III, who, under pressure from Charles V, intended to reopen the Council in Trent.1 The pamphlet, one of several launched by Vergerio against the council, was dedicated to Edward VI. The English king had recently welcomed the two prominent Italian reformers Peter Martyr Vermigli and Bernardino Ochino, who had arrived in England at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer, himself determined to summon a general Protestant council in opposition to the one that had just begun in Trent.2 From his Swiss exile, Vergerio attentively followed not only his fellow reformers abroad but also those still in Italy. By opting for the vernacular over Latin, he intended to reach a wide audience of Italian readers who remained undecided on whether to break off from the Roman Church and leave Italy or to stay and compromise with Catholic orthodoxy. A skillful pamphleteer, Vergerio knew very well that the purpose of “adversarial propaganda” was to create stereotypes and that, by contrasting a positive set of ideas with its negative antithesis, he could target the “uncommitted,” situated between the two extremes.3 Thus, Vergerio outlined a sharp opposition between the supporters of the Reformation on one side and the Roman Antichrist on the other, aware that any third alternative would have undermined the efficacy of his communicative strategy.
    [Show full text]
  • “The Mission of the Church in the New America” with Guest, Charles J
    1 Franciscan University Presents “The Mission of the Church in the New America” With guest, Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. The Mission of the Church in the New America: Augustine, Francis and the future By Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap Much of what I say today is adapted from Strangers in a Strange Land, a book I’ve written that will be published by Henry Holt & Co. in February. The good news is that if you don’t like the talk, I’ve saved you $20. The other good news is that if you do like the talk, there’s a lot more of the same in the book. The not-quite-so good news is that you’ll have to buy it. Please. So let’s begin. Back when dinosaurs walked the earth, and the world and I were young – or at least younger -- the singer Bobby McFerrin had a hit tune called “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” The lyrics were simple. Basically he just sang the words “don’t worry, be happy” more than 30 times in the space of four minutes. But the song was fun and innocent, and it made people smile. So it was very popular. That was in 1988. Before the First Iraq War. Before 9/11. Before Al Qaeda, Afghanistan, the Second Iraq War, the 2008 economic meltdown, the Benghazi fiasco, the Syria fiasco, the IRS scandal, the HHS mandate, the Obergefell decision, the ghoulish Planned Parenthood videos, the refugee crisis, Boko Haram, ISIS, and the terror attacks in Paris, San Bernardino and Orlando.
    [Show full text]
  • September 2006 Pope Benedict XVI
    University of Dayton eCommons Marian Thoughts of Pope Benedict XVI Marian Thoughts of the Popes 9-2006 September 2006 Pope Benedict XVI Follow this and additional works at: http://ecommons.udayton.edu/imri_popes_benedict_xvi eCommons Citation Benedict XVI, Pope, "September 2006" (2006). Marian Thoughts of Pope Benedict XVI. Paper 18. http://ecommons.udayton.edu/imri_popes_benedict_xvi/18 This Letter to the Editor is brought to you for free and open access by the Marian Thoughts of the Popes at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Marian Thoughts of Pope Benedict XVI by an authorized administrator of eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Marian Thoughts of Pope Benedict XVI September 1, 2006 to September 24, 2006 2006 September 1, 2006: Shrine of the Holy Face in Manopello, Italy But let us now address a thought of special devotion to the "Queen of all the saints," the Virgin Mary, whom you venerate in the various shrines and chapels scattered across the valleys and mountains of the Abruzzi region. May Our Lady, in whose face ‐‐ more than in any other creature ‐‐ we can recognize the features of the Incarnate Word, watch over the families and parishes and over the cities and nations of the whole world. May the Mother of the Creator also help us to respect nature, a great gift of God that we can admire here, looking at the marvelous mountains surrounding us. This gift, however, is exposed more and more to the serious risks of environmental deterioration and must therefore be defended and protected. This is urgently necessary, as Archbishop Forte noted and as is appropriately highlighted by the Day of Reflection and Prayer for the Safeguarding of Creation, which is being celebrated by the Church in Italy this very day.
    [Show full text]
  • Popes Benedict XVI and Francis on the Sexual Abuse of Minors: Ecclesiological Perspectives
    The University of Notre Dame Australia ResearchOnline@ND Theology Papers and Journal Articles School of Theology 2020 Popes Benedict XVI and Francis on the sexual abuse of minors: Ecclesiological perspectives Mariusz Biliniewicz Follow this and additional works at: https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theo_article Part of the Christianity Commons This article was originally published as: Biliniewicz, M. (2020). Popes Benedict XVI and Francis on the sexual abuse of minors: Ecclesiological perspectives. Australasian Catholic Record, 97 (3), 297-311. Original article available here: https://www.acr.catholic.org.au/ This article is posted on ResearchOnline@ND at . For more information, please contact [email protected]. Copyright © 2020 Australasian Catholic Record. All rights reserved. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. This article first published in the Australasian Catholic Record. Online: https://www.acr.catholic.org.au/ Biliniewicz, M. (2020) Popes Benedict XVI and Francis on the sexual abuse of minors: Ecclesiological perspectives. Australasian Catholic Record, 97(3), 297-311. Permission granted by the Australasian Catholic Record for use on ResearchOnline@ND. 297 Popes Benedict XVI and Francis on the Sexual Abuse of Minors: Ecclesiological Perspectives Mariusz Biliniewicz * Introduction The wound inflicted by the clerical sexual abuse scandal and its cover-up runs so deep that it is sometimes deemed impossible to talk about the church at the beginning of the twenty-first century in a credible way without making at least some reference to this problem. 1 This opinion is seemingly partially shared by current and previous pontiffs, who, on many occasions and in various contexts, have touched upon this issue.
    [Show full text]
  • A Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan by Fr John Mccloskey Catholicism
    A Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan by Fr John McCloskey Catholicism Explained/Theology Little Talks with God (modernized version of "The Dialogues") by St. Catechism of the Catholic Church Catherine The Spirit of Catholicism by Karl Adams City of God by St. Augustine Spirit and Forms of Protestantism by Louis Bouyer The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis Christianity for Modern Pagans by Peter Kreeft Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross The Lord by Romano Guardini Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis Essay on Development of Christian Doctrine by Cardinal Newman The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis Parochial and Plain Sermons by Cardinal Newman The Everlasting Man by G. K. Chesterton End of the Modern World by Romano Guardini Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton Rome Sweet Home by Scott & Kimberly Hahn The Greatest Story Ever Told by Fulton Oursler Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Ludwig Ott Meditations from a Simple Path by Mother Teresa The Four Cardinal Virtues by Josef Pieper Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila History and Culture The Way of Perfection by St. Teresa of Avila The Great Heresies by Hilaire Belloc Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux How The Reformation Happened by Hilaire Belloc My Way of Life/Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas Survivals and New Arrivals by Hilaire Belloc Spiritual Reading Christendom I: Founding of Christendom by Warren Carroll The Great Means of Salvation and Perfection by Alphonso Liguori Christendom II: The Building of Christendom by Warren Carroll Uniformity with God's Will by Alphonso Liguori Christendom III: The Glory of Christendom by Warren Carroll Spiritual Theology by Jordan Aumann Christendom IV: The Cleaving of Christendom by Warren Carroll Frequent Confession by Benedict Baur Triumph : The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church by H.
    [Show full text]
  • Visions of the End: from Paul to Apocalyptic Fiction RELG 334 Christian Thought and Culture (CATH 370 Crosslisted) D
    1 Visions of the End: From Paul to Apocalyptic Fiction RELG 334 Christian Thought and Culture (CATH 370 crosslisted) D. B. Farrow, Professor of Theology and Christian Thought F2020 TR 10:05-11:25 ‘From a certain point of view, the world’s history is God’s judgment of the world.’ – Solovyov Description & Goals That time is directional, that history is headed somewhere rather than nowhere, that it does not merely go round in circles like the stars in their courses, is a biblical idea. Messianism, millennialism, myths of progress, and utopianism are all indebted to this covenantal postulate. So are dystopian and apocalyptic visions, with their contests between good and evil, Christ and Antichrist. We will examine some of these visions, paying special attention to their roots in Paul’s early correspondence, in search of a better understanding of Christian eschatology and of our own times. Required Texts & Assigned Novels • Douglas Farrow, 1 & 2 Thessalonians (2020) • Josef Pieper, The End of Time (1980; ET 1999) • Vladimir Solovyov, War, Progress, and the End of History (1900; ET 1915) • Robert Hugh Benson, Lord of the World (1915) • C. S. Lewis, That Hideous Strength (1945) • P. D. James, Children of Men (1992; set in 2021) Consult Paragraph Books or your local bookstore, or order on-line. It is best to do this in advance of term. None of the books is long or expensive. Short biblical texts will also be assigned and supporting material posted. Recommended summer reading: Michael O’Brien, Father Elijah: An Apocalypse (1996) Assignments & Assessment Quiz (10 marks) • read Book 20 of Augustine’s The City of God, on the main points of which there will be a short quiz when we come to Augustine (Session 14 on 20 October) • those who wish a fuller picture of the work in question and of Augustine’s prototypical theology of history may consult William Babcock’s introduction to his fresh translation of The City of God (New City Press 2018, Abridged Study Edition, xii–xlix) 2 First Paper (20 marks) • read Benson, Lewis, and James • write a reflection paper of c.
    [Show full text]
  • Devil Is Working Hard on Securing End Times
    Devil is working hard on securing end times To most of the world, Pope Francis is the pope of the poor, foe of unrestrained free-market capitalism, reformer engaged in shaking up the Roman Curia, ecclesiological innovator committed to consultation, collegiality and decentralization in the governance of the Church. Francis is all that, but he’s also more — something his image as a social activist and agent of structural change might not lead you to expect. In short, this pope is a believer in the end times who’s convinced they aren’t merely coming but are, in a sense, already being played out before our eyes. This, likewise, is someone who believes the devil is real and perceives a demonic hand at work in current events. For example: The Vatican summary of his weekday homily Nov. 28 quotes him as saying: “The devil pushes us to be unfaithful to the Lord. Sometimes he pushes hard.” Francis went on to add that this is more than just individual temptation. Scripture, he pointed out, “speaks to us about a universal temptation, about a universal trial, about the time when … the whole of the Lord’s creation will be faced with this choice between God and evil, God and the prince of the world.” That time, he made clear, is now. Cautious, optimistic That said, it’s important to realize nothing Pope Francis has said lends support to sweaty-palms predictions that the end of the world is imminent. On the contrary, much that the pope has said and done seems to reflect the assumption that Church and world will both be around for a long time.
    [Show full text]
  • Augustine's Use of Rhetoric in His Preaching Ministry
    Eleutheria Volume 4 Issue 1 Article 3 May 2015 Redeeming Rhetoric: Augustine's Use of Rhetoric in His Preaching Ministry John A. Sypert Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/eleu Part of the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, and the Rhetoric Commons Recommended Citation Sypert, John A.. 2015. "Redeeming Rhetoric: Augustine's Use of Rhetoric in His Preaching Ministry." Eleutheria 4, (1). https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/eleu/vol4/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Divinity at Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in Eleutheria by an authorized editor of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Redeeming Rhetoric: Augustine's Use of Rhetoric in His Preaching Ministry Abstract The art and practice of rhetoric occupied a fundamental place in the ancient Roman world. It is thus not surprising that Augustine (354-430 AD) was deeply committed to the art of speaking well. He spent his youth mastering the theory of rhetoric, putting into practice what he had learned during a preaching career of almost forty years. This essay examines elements of rhetoric in Augustine’s preaching, arguing that he purposely appropriated common rhetorical elements in his preaching for the purpose of making Scripture both plain and compelling to his audience. Augustine’s training in rhetoric is summarized, followed by an overview of the context, Scriptural basis, and style of his preaching. His thoughts on the use of rhetoric in preaching are discussed, primarily by summarizing his arguments from Book Four of his treatise On Christian Doctrine.
    [Show full text]
  • Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson
    MONSIGNOR ROBERT HUGH BENSON Father Martindale is to be trusted on this. His life puts before us a chainsmoking, novel­writing man of God, incapable of treachery. The clerical novelist is scarcely a latter­day phenomenon. Not only priests but Princes of the Church have turned to fiction. In the last century, both Newman and Wiseman wrote novels, as in this did Cardinal Spellman (The Foundling), though with somewhat less effect. One of the most gifted and energetic of priest story tellers was Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson. Benson was born in 1871, his father was to become Archbishop of Canterbury and Hugh himself took Anglican Orders but eventually was drawn to the Roman Catholic Church. At first disdainful of Rome, he followed a route that had been charted earlier by Newman and the scores of converts who came in his wake. Newman and his fellows in the Oxford Movement sought to see the English Church as part of the Catholic Church, emphatically not a Protestant sect, but, for many, history and theology eroded this position until there was nothing left to do but turn to Rome. Half a century later, Robert Hugh Benson began with the same conviction about the Anglican Church as Catholic, but in his case too, gradually © Ralph McInerny, 2005. and painfully, he gave it up. He became a Roman Catholic in 1903 and was ordained a priest a year later, in Rome. Any appreciation of Benson as a writer must take into account his devotional and apologetic works, but it can be said that the single motive of all his writing was to put the Roman Catholic faith compellingly before his reader.
    [Show full text]