Sarah Coakley

Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt

An Invitation to Christian Faith

The Love That Is God

A Reader and Commentary

Essential Summa Theologiae

Saint Thomas (Aquinas)

In the Summa theologiae, Aquinas attempts to set forth the whole of Christian theology in summary form. It was written, he says, for "the instruction of beginners," but few Christians today have the time or inclination to reach for the five thick volumes that comprise the standard English-language edition. In Holy Teaching, Frederick Bauerschmidt presents some choice selections from the Summa theologiae, along with commentary that unpacks the selections and places them in context. Holy Teaching is an ideal introduction to the work of Aquinas that will give students, pastors, and interested laypeople a greater appreciation for our common Christian inheritance.

Introducing the Summa Theologiae of St. Thomas Aquinas

Holy Teaching

Meditations on ordinary life as part of a larger story "We human beings are creatures of time and space," writes Frederick Bauerschmidt. "We have no choice but to find ourselves at a particular place in a particular moment." Fortunately, as Christians, we worship a God who became embodied and lived among us--the timeless Word who became the Word in time. Thus, it is no contradiction for us to expect to find our stories in the larger story of God's ongoing dealings with the world. This truth is nowhere more evident than in preaching, which, of necessity, speaks to particular occasions. Throughout these thirty-eight homilies, Bauerschmidt finds the truth of Scripture refracted through the lenses of current events from the past decade--including the coronavirus pandemic--as well as the seasons of the liturgical year and momentous individual occasions like baptisms, weddings, and funerals. His advice and examples will help preachers heed Paul's urging to be on point and persuasive "in season and out of season." All readers will be joyfully reminded of how beautiful the world is when seen in its larger context, illuminated by the light of eternity.

Christian Reflections on the Everyday

How Beautiful the World Could Be

“God is love is the radical claim of Christianity,” writes Frederick Bauerschmidt at the beginning of this little meditation on the essentials of Christian faith. In a rich yet accessible style reminiscent of C. S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton, Bauerschmidt breathes life back into that claim, drawing from Scripture, great Christian and non-Christian writers of the past, and his own lived experience to show just how countercultural and subversive Christianity is actually meant to be. Eschewing the abstract and dogmatic in favor of the relational and inviting, he offers something for everyone, from lifelong churchgoers and students of religion to the growing population of “nones” among younger generations who are increasingly seeking spiritual fulfillment outside of institutional Christianity. With further reading suggestions (both scriptural and nonscriptural) at the end of each chapter, The Love That Is God is the perfect starting point of a spiritual journey into deeper relationship with God.

Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt

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