BOOKS

A Maryland-based catechist and writer reviews a book by a professor emeritus at Arizona State University and twice a Fulbright fellow, who begins "The Catholic Labyrinth" with these words, "The argument of this book is not that Catholicism changes ... the story concerns how the church changes and by how much, and the direction of the change as well."

Mark Hart of Life Teen wastes no time getting to the heart of the matter in his new book, “Behold the Mystery: A Deeper Understanding of the Catholic Mass,” when he illustrates the lengths to which people will go to obtain something upon which they place great value — camping out for days for movie tickets, new products, lotteries, silly game shows, etc.

Jennifer Fulwiler had no faith with which to take a leap. The big questions of life always nagged her and as she grew, she began to understand that her father’s science did not explain all things.

In the opening line of her new book, “Non-negotiable: Essential Principles of a Just Society and Humane Culture,” Sheila Liaugminas writes, “We the people are losing our ability to think clearly or reason well.”

“Rekindling the Christic Imagination: Theological Meditations for the New Evangelization” is a book that takes us to a place where we should be and where we should have been all along.

Chapels at Princeton, Harvard, Yale and the University of Chicago are explored in Margaret M. Grubiak's "White Elephants on Campus," which provides readers with two history lessons. One is about religion's role on campuses of private, nondenominational U.S. universities; the other is about the architecture of these chapels.

The book "Three Moments of the Day: Praying with the Heart of Jesus” is one of those tests of Church unity.

There is a close relationship between charitable action and philanthropy on the part of religious organizations, according to Thomas J. Davis, editor of "Religion in Philanthropic Organizations: Family, Friend, Foe?" But the philanthropy his book focuses upon aims principally at alleviating society's ills and making the world a better place. This might be done through caring for the sick, feeding and educating the poor, disaster relief, counseling families that suffer or aid for immigrants.

I received this book, R is for Rosary, by Barbara Gowan and immediately thought – as a Lay Dominican – a book about St. Dominic and the story of how the Virgin Mary gave him the rosary. Then, I discovered it was a children’s book.

The following books, including one by an Arizona author, are suitable for Christmas giving.