John Garvey

This book is a collection of aphorisms that can be read in any order. They are reflections stemming from an event, a convivence or an encounter; spiritual wake-up calls either announcing or denouncing; questions or calls to hope that the reader feels are for him: sometimes daring confidences that spring from the author's soul; occasionally, they take the form of a hymn or a psalm, full of ardent pleas and fervent thanksgiving to God. From the dates contained in the little passages, one can somewhat follow the historical thread from 1988 to 2014. The passages are united by the history of faith of the author and of the Neocatechumenal Way more than by the development of a theme, although many references to this specific charism are dispersed throughout. It is a history full of joys and sufferings; it reveals the author's struggle to fulfill faithfully the commission he has received from God.(Ricardo Bl zquez Perez, Cardinal Archbishop of Valladolid). Soft cover edition only on Amazon.

For over forty years, John Garvey was the “ballast” of Commonweal magazine. His award-winning essays and consistently notable columns revealed not only his acuity and alacrity, but his uncommon spiritual insight. These in turn provided momentum and substance for whatever followed in an issue of the magazine because Garvey never hesitated to wrestle with some of the most challenging and intractable topics of the day, and did so with a rich pastoral sensitivity, and a refreshing and rare intelligence. Only Wonder Comprehends gleans from John Garvey’s many contributions to Commonweal that reflect his spiritual depth and deep appreciation of history, politics, theology, and culture. Steeped in the Christian tradition, Garvey loved to write and, in return, his readers relished what he wrote. It is hoped that this collection of his writings from Commonweal will inspire readers to cultivate a similar sense of attentiveness and commitment, for as the author himself observed, “Religious traditions are meant to transform us, not to affirm us as we are.”

With clarity and wisdom, Pope Benedict XVI sets out his vision for Catholic higher education in this first and only collection of his major addresses on the topic. What is the mission and identity of a Catholic university? What are the responsibilities of administrators, teachers, and students in Catholic institutes of higher learning? Where does the central theme of ""love of God and others"" fit into academia? The pope's most important statements on the nature of the university and its cultural and educative tasks are brought together in this volume. Featured are the various speeches he has given to university audiences since his pontificate began. Also included are select addresses on education and culture, themes that go to the heart of the mission of the university, and that possess a value for society as a whole. Throughout these addresses, the pope presents 2,000 years of lived tradition with a striking freshness. His response to the contemporary challenges in Catholic higher education will have an enduring historical impact. The addresses are grouped in parts as follows: The Problem and the Urgent Task Ahead; The Relationship of Faith and Reason; The Symphony of Freedom and Truth; Education and Love; Pedagogy and Learning; The Church—Education in Faith and Community; Culture and the University; Science, Technology, and Theology; and Caritas and Mission. John Garvey, president of the Catholic University of America, provides a foreword in which he reflects on the themes of the pope's speeches. J. Steven Brown is editor of the collection.

No issue in the contemporary Church evokes more controversy than sexuality. In the wake of the clerical abuse scandals, the Catholic Church has come under intense scrutiny, criticized for being either too repressive or too lenient in its approach to human sexuality. In Sexuality and the U. S. Catholic Church, Lisa Sowle Cahill, John Garvey, and T. Frank Kennedy, S. J. introduce the work of leading Catholic theologians, writers, and scholars to help ground the conversation in the tradition, identify modern-day challenges, and point to resources for the future. Topics include homosexuality and marriage; theology of the body: possibilities and limitations; views of celibacy past and present; rebuilding community; childbearing; sexual discipleship; and future challenges.