Living & Defending the Faith

     "As a Protestant minister, I sincerely believed and enthusiastically taught almost all the papal fictions which this book so deftly unmasks. In a very readable style, it catalogs and refutes those fictions charitably and completely. Had it been available when I first began to be drawn to the Church, my journey home would have been years shorter. Following Mr. Madrid's suggestion, let us pray that countless non-Catholics will read this book and recognize that the stone (rock) which they have rejected is indeed the cornerstone of the true Church of Jesus Christ." Rev. Ray Ryland, Ph.D.,J.D. - Franciscan University of Steubenville
     "Througout the centuries, the papal office has been the focus of many objections and condemnations. Mr. Madrid addresses many of these seemingly plausible arguments against the papacy, answering each of them with amazing clarity and readability. In a thorough fashion, each "papal fable" is exposed for what it is and refuted. Pope Fiction is a powerful addition to one's library, a book that will never gather dust." Deacon David Hess - co-author of Jesus, Peter & the Keys
     "Pope Fiction drives straight to the heart of the issue: Authority. It's the matter that most divides Christendom, especially Catholics and Protestants. This book addresses misconceptions about the papacy with a clear, organized, and readable style. Coming from an evangelical Prostestant background myself, I know these misunderstandings that surround the papacy well - they are legion. Pope Fiction couldn't be more timely, answering objections one at a time, and clearing the air for the beginning of the third millennium." Stephen Ray - author of Crossing the Tiber and Upon This Rock

The Da Vinci Hoax by Carl E. Olson & Sandra Miesel $15.95 - 329 pages - Soft Cover Ignatius Press	This book is carefully researched, popularly written critique of the best selling novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The novel claims, to be based on facts and solid scholarship. The Da Vinci Hoax explodes these claims, demonstrating how Brown uses unsubstantiated research and far-fetched hypotheses to bolster his outlandish thesis that Jesus and Mary Magdelene were married and established a sacred bloodline and that traditional Christianity has conspired throughout history to suppress this truth. Authors Olson and Miesel examine the origin of the New Testament, the claims of apocryphal gospels and ancient sects such as the Gnostics, Constantine's role in the rise of early Christianity, the medieval Knights Templar and the Holy Grail. Leonardo Da Vinci's alleged "coded" messages in his paintings, and accusations against the Catholic Church. According to Dan Brown, almost everything most Christians and non-Christians think they know about Jesus is completely wrong-the result of Catholic propaganda designed to hide the truth from the world. But are The Da Vinci Code's claims fact or just plain fiction? Is the novel well researched as claimed? What is the truth about Jesus, Mary Magdelene, and the early Church? Has the Catholic Church distorted the real Jesus? Why is the novel so popular? What about the anti-Catholic, anti-Christian agenda behind the novel? The Da Vinci Hoax answers these questions, and many more, revealing some surprising truths about Brown's book. With a Foreword by Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago, and an Introduction by Historian James Hitchcock of St. Louis University, The Da Vinci Hoax is the definitive response to and critique of Brown's popular novel.
The Russian Church and The Papacy by Vladimir Soloviev $12.50 - 203 pages Soft Cover Catholic Answers	Vladimir Soloviev's true legacy consists of three simple propositions. Jesus Christ instituted the Universal jurisdiction and infallible teaching authority of the papacy as a perpetual gift to his Church. Apart from the papacy, the Eastern churches will always remain what they are now: ethnic, national churches, totally independent and disunited. Only in union with Rome can the separated Eastern churches become truly Catholic. Seldom, if ever, has this Catholic doctrine of the Church been stated more eloquently, more persuasively in an apologetic context than by Vladimir Soloviev. - Fr. Ray Ryland Franciscan University of Steubenville Vladimir Soloviev was able to see the kernels of truth in all systems of thought and to extract those good things in order to restore them to God. He accomplished this restoration in his own systematic work, which was an architectonic marvel. Catholic theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar praised Soloviev for his "skill in the technique of intergrating all partial truths in one vision" and ranked him second only to Thomas Aquinas as "the greatest artist of order and organization in the history of thought." Soloviev believed that the great obstacle to divine-human progress was the fragmentation of the Church. Though he was baptized, raised, and reached his maturity in the Russian Orthodox Church, Soloviev eventually concluded that truth reached its fullness neither in the ossified tradition of Byzantine Orthodoxy nor in the unbridled prophetic character of Protestantism, but in the unity that is accomplished only under the authority of Peter: the papacy. - Scott Hahn Franciscan University of Steubenville
J.R.R. Tolkien Myth Morality & Religion by Richard Purtill $13.95 - 207 pages Soft Cover Ignatius Press	Here is an in-depth look at the role myth, mortality, and religion play in J.R.R Tolkien's works such as The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion - including Tolkien's private letters and revealing opinions of his own work. Richard L. Purtill brilliantly argues that Tolkien's extraordinary ability to touch his readers' lives through his storytelling - so unlike much modern literature - accounts for his enormous literary success. This book demonstrates the moral depth in Tolkien's work and cuts through current subjectivism and cynicism about morality. A careful reader will find a subtle religious dimension to Tolkien's work - all the more potent because it is below the surface. Purtill reveals that the author's fantasy stories creatively incorporate profound religious and ethical ideas. For example, Purtill shows us how hobbits reflect both the pettiness of unimaginative parochial humanity and the unexpected heroism of ordinary people in crisis. Purtill effectively addresses larger issues of the place of myth, the relation of religion and morality to literature, the relation of Tolkien's work to traditional mythology, modern fantasy and science fiction, and the lessons Tolkien's work teaches that are applicable to our own lives. "Purtill's book deserves a place along side the best Tolkien criticism. At once deeply personal, wise, and Christian, Purtill's intellectual and highly readable work offers an overflowing stream of brilliant insights into Tolkien the man, the author, and the Roman Catholic. Especially stunning are Putill's explorations of myth and the deeper meanings behind serious science fiction and fantasy. One comes away from this book not only with a better understanding of Tolkien, but more importantly, with greater grasp of truth, beauty, and Grace." Bradley J. Birzer Author, J.R.R. Tolkien's Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle-Earth
Pope Fiction Answers to 30 Myths & Misconceptions About The Papacy by Patrick Madrid $14.99 - 338 pages Soft Cover Basilica Press	Answers To 30 Arguments That Mythed The Mark "As a Protestant minister, I sincerely believed and enthusiastically taught almost all the papal fictions which this book so deftly unmasks. In a very readable style, it catalogs and refutes those fictions charitably and completely. Had it been available when I first began to be drawn to the Church, my journey home would have been years shorter. Following Mr. Madrid's suggestion, let us pray that countless non-Catholics will read this book and recognize that the stone (rock) which they have rejected is indeed the cornerstone of the true Church of Jesus Christ." Rev. Ray Ryland, Ph.D.,J.D. - Franciscan University of Steubenville "Througout the centuries, the papal office has been the focus of many objections and condemnations. Mr. Madrid addresses many of these seemingly plausible arguments against the papacy, answering each of them with amazing clarity and readability. In a thorough fashion, each "papal fable" is exposed for what it is and refuted. Pope Fiction is a powerful addition to one's library, a book that will never gather dust." Deacon David Hess - co-author of Jesus, Peter & the Keys "Pope Fiction drives straight to the heart of the issue: Authority. It's the matter that most divides Christendom, especially Catholics and Protestants. This book addresses misconceptions about the papacy with a clear, organized, and readable style. Coming from an evangelical Prostestant background myself, I know these misunderstandings that surround the papacy well - they are legion. Pope Fiction couldn't be more timely, answering objections one at a time, and clearing the air for the beginning of the third millennium." Stephen Ray - author of Crossing the Tiber and Upon This Rock
Faithful Citizenship A Catholic Call To Political Responsibility by U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops $3.95 - 36 pages Soft Cover USCCB Publishing	Faithful Citizenship A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility This statement encourages Catholics to bring the values of our faith to our decisions as citizens, using our voices and votes to protect human life and dignity and promote justice and peace. The statement poses challenging questions and offers a framework for responding to the political questions of our day.