FALL 2011 - Ignatius Press

new FALL books
The Desert Fathers E
Saint Anthony and the Beginnings
of Monasticism
Peter H. Görg
In the late third century, more and more people
withdrew to the radical seclusion of the desert
so as to live entirely for God under the direction
of a spiritual father. Among these “Desert Fathers”
one figure is especially preeminent: Saint Anthony
the Hermit.
This book takes the reader back to the hour
when monasticism was born and describes the life
of those revolutionary Christians who sought God
in the Egyptian desert. The focus of the book is the
life and work of Saint Anthony, whose experiences
of the spiritual life have a timeless beauty and
validity, even for those not called to live as a monk.
The second half of the book presents other
Desert Fathers, such as Paul of Thebes, Pachomius,
and Simeon Stylites, as well as the great founders of
the monastic communities in Western Europe who
were inspired by them: John Cassian, Columban,
and Benedict, for example.
“The monk’s self-denial begins radically in
precisely those departments of life which have
perennially seemed to be the most important:
ownership, self-determination and sexuality.
At the same time those who admonish so
uncomfortably become the salt that lends
Christianity its original flavor. . . . Just as the saints
are God’s specific answer to the needs of a given
time, so too are the religious orders that have been
founded over the course of the centuries.”
Peter Görg
“These are the men who taught the world to pray—
really pray. They fled to the desert to avoid the
crowds, yet drew disciples from everywhere. They
still do. They’re drawing you and me, right now,
to join them in the greatest adventure. Our desert
begins in these beautiful pages by Peter Görg.”
Mike Aquilina, Author, The Fathers of the Church
DFABM-P . . . 145 pp, Sewn Softcover, $16.95
E indicates availability as an e-Book on ignatius.com
A indicates availability as an audio download on ignatius.com
6
In Defense of Sanity E
The Best Essays of G.K. Chesterton
Selected by Dale Ahlquist, Joseph Pearce,
and Aidan Mackey
G
. K. Chesterton was a master essayist. But
reading his essays is not just an exercise in
studying a literary form at its finest, it is an encounter
with timeless truths that jump off the page as
fresh as the day they were written.
The only problem with Chesterton’s essays is
that there are too many of them—over five thousand!
For most G. K. C. readers it is not even possible
to know where to start or how to begin to
approach them.
So three of the world’s leading authorities on
Chesterton—Dale Ahlquist, Aidan Mackey, and
Joseph Pearce—have selected the “best” Chesterton
essays, a collection that will be appreciated by both
the newcomer and the seasoned student of this
great 20th century man of letters.
The variety of topics is astounding: barbarians,
architects, mystics, juries, ghosts, fireworks, rain,
gargoyles and much more. Plus G. K. C.’s unique
insights on Shakespeare, Dickens, Jane Austen,
George MacDonald, T. S. Eliot, and the Bible. All
written in that inimitable, formidable but always
quotable style of G. K. C. Even more astounding
than the variety is the continuity of Chesterton’s
thought that ties everything together. Here is a
veritable feast for the mind and the soul.
While some of the essays in this volume may be
familiar, many of them are collected here for the
first time, making their first appearance in over a
century.
G. K. Chesterton was one of the most beloved writers
of the 20th century, quoted more often than any
other writer. He wrote dozens of popular books on
numerous topics, as well as thousands of essays.
His books include Orthodoxy, The Everlasting Man,
The Man Who Was Thursday, the Father Brown stories,
and many more. See more by Chesterton on
page 71 of this catalog.
IDS-P . . . Sewn Softcover, 405 pp, $19.95
1-800-651-1531
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