Book Marks: New releases on Kenya, Notre Dame, and pastoral transitions

Here are some interesting new book releases for November:

November 2013

Stories of Early Christianity: Creative Retellings of Faith and History

By vanThanh Nguyen, SVD, SThD

From vanThanh Nguyen, an associate professor of New Testament at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, comes the beautiful storytelling of some of the Bible’s most forgotten characters. Stories of Early Christianity (Liguori, 2013) tells the tales of Matthias, Rhoda, Lydia, and Aquila—to name a few—through their own narrative. Nguyen shares their triumphs and their turmoil as they follow Christ’s example.
 

Encountering Jesus in Word, Sacraments, and Works of Charity

By Peter J. Vaghi

Encountering Jesus (Ave Maria Press, 2013) is a new way to approach friendship with Jesus. In three sections, Msgr. Peter J. Vaghi shows readers how to build this relationship by learning about Jesus in scripture, by celebrating the sacraments, and by loving our neighbors as ourselves. Through these practical reflections, Vaghi shows God’s love for us.
 

What’s So Blessed About Being Poor? Seeking the Gospel in the Slums of Kenya

By L. Susan Slavin and Coralis Salvador

Living among the poor in Kenya, authors L. Susan Slavin and Coralis Salvador have grown in love and friendship with an impoverished community. What’s So Blessed About Being Poor? (Orbis, 2013) challenges the gospel beatitude and provides an inspiring and provocative glimpse into the lives of those we rarely meet.
 

Navigating Pastoral Transitions

Navigating Pastoral Transitions (Liturgical Press, 2013) is an interesting trilogy—A Staff Guide (By Barbara Kerkhoff), A Parish Leader’s Guide (By Marti R. Jewell), and A Priest’s Guide (Edited by Graziano Marcheschi)—that helps different groups deal with a stressful time in the life of a parish: the introduction of a new priest. Barbara Kerkhoff provides helpful hints and step-by-step guidelines to ease the change and help the parish continue to flourish as before.
 

Words of Life: Celebrating 50 Years of the Hesburgh Library’s Message, Mural, and Meaning

By Bill Schmitt

The library at the University of Notre Dame has a rich history—from Father Ted Hesburgh who built and named the library to “Touchdown Jesus.” Words of Life (University of Notre Dame Press, 2013) shares the keys to the development and advancement of the university’s mission and traditions throughout the world.

Illustration by Angela Cox