Between the Rock and a Hard Place: Being Catholic today; Paul Collins; ABC Books; PB $29.95 [0733314295]; 255pp; 235x155mm; 2004
Author holds that many Catholics today feel adrift in their Church, disenfranchised by a leadership out of touch with its people. In the light of this, the author presents his case for what is good in Catholicism. He focuses on Catholic spirituality as something that elevates one’s whole life and places one within a global community; the formation of what he terms ‘Catholic imagination’; ecology and recovering our place in nature; and conscience and the evolution of a personal and public morality. A concluding chapter critiques fundamentalism, especially within the Catholic Church. Includes endnotes; bibliography; glossary; index. A former Missionary of the Sacred Heart priest, the author is a broadcaster, writer and church historian. Other publications include God’s Earth (1995) and From Freedom to Inquisition (2001).

Breath of Life: A theology of the Creator Spirit; Denis Edwards; Orbis, dist. by Rainbow Book Agencies; PB $34.95 [1570 755256]; 224pp; 235x150mm; 2004
Offers a contemporary theology of the Holy Spirit grounded in modern cosmology and the theology of Basil of Caesarea (ca. 330-379), as presented in Part 1. Part 2 proposes a theological narrative of the Creator Spirit with four great episodes: Creation, Grace, the Christ Event, and the Church. Part 3 explores this theology of Creator Spirit, including Spirit as midwife and companion as creation gives birth, and the relational universe within the relational life of God. Part 4 considers two specific issues: the procession of the Spirit, and discernment of the Spirit. Endnotes; indexes of scriptural references, and names and subjects. Author is a priest of the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide who teaches theology at the Flinders University School of Theology, Adelaide. Previous books include Jesus and the Cosmos (1991) and The God of Evolution (1999).

English for Theology: Developing proficiency in academic English for theological studies with a special focus on reading skills; Gabrielle Kelly OP; Australian Theological Forum (ATF Press); Spiral Bound + CD $38.50 [1920691154]; 255pp; 300x210mm; 2004
First in the Dominican Series edited by Mark O’Brien OP and Gabrielle Kelly OP. Resource workbook for the development of academic English language skills in theology and related disciplines for students - and their language teachers - from non-English speaking backgrounds. Assumes a level of proficiency in English suitable for tertiary-level study, seeks to be ecumenically relevant, and includes Asia-Pacific socio-cultural references. The contents focus especially on developing reading skills. Section 1 (11 units) provides instruction and practice in the skills of reading comprehension in English, using theological texts. Section 2 (13 units) offers practice in applying reading skills, as well as practice in listening, writing and speaking skills. Foreword by Gustavo Gutierrez; linguistic glossary; theological glossary; texts for listening exercises (which can be heard on the compact disk included); answers to exercises; list of sources of theological texts used. Author is a Dominican Sister, a member of Holy Cross Dominican Congregation, Adelaide. She has spent many years in education and community affairs, and is a qualified and experienced teacher of English as a Second Language. At the University of Adelaide, she taught discipline-specific language courses to foreign post-graduate students.

A Hunger for Reconciliation: In society and the Church; Gerard Moore SM (editor); St Pauls; PB $19.95 [1876295864]; 112pp; 215x140mm; 2004
Fourth of the ‘Windows Into…’ series, providing concise introductions to contemporary issues, encouraging thought, conversation and informed action. This is a collection of essays offering religious perspectives on reconciliation, both with respect to the Church and wider community. Essays are ‘Reconciliation: Yesterday, today and tomorrow’, by Neil Brown; ‘Sin: Struggling with God and our humanity’, by Richard Lennan; ‘Reconciliation and the Paschal Mystery’, by Neil Ormerod; ‘Becoming Reconciled’, by David Ransom; ‘The Sacramental Church and its Sacrament of Penace’, by Gerard Kelly; and ‘Rituals for Forgiveness, the Rites of Penance and the Healing of the World’, by the editor. Four of the essays were originally a series of talks given during Lent 2003 by members of the Catholic Institute of Sydney. They have been revised and two new papers added (those by Brown and Kelly). Notes on contributors; endnotes. Contributors all have current or former roles at the Catholic Institute of Sydney. Editor is a Marist priest and co-ordinator of liturgy at the Institute. His previous book is Why the Mass Matters: A guide to praying the Mass (2004).

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Cosmology and Biological Evolution; Hilary D. Regan & Mark Wm Worthing (editors); Australian Theological Forum, dist. by Rainbow Book Agencies; PB $30.00 [095863999X]; 230pp; 210x145mm; 2002
Second volume in the ‘ATF Science and Theology’ series under the editorship of Mark Wm Worthing. Collection of papers regarding the relationship between religion and science. Papers originate from the first workshop to be held in Australia sponsored by the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS) Science and Religion Course Program (SCRP), held in Adelaide in January 2001 and funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Papers are grouped into three sections: historical perspectives, philosophical perspectives, and theological perspectives. Contributors are John Hedley Brooke, Denis Edwards, Peter MJ Hess, Nancey Murphy, Adrian Wyard, and William R Stoeger SJ, as well as co-editor Worthing. Introduction by co-editor Regan; historiographical resources for teaching religion and science; brief bibliography in science and religion; notes on contributors; footnotes; author index; subject index. Some papers include bibliographies and/or responses by other contributors.

The Land of Walking Trees: Meditations for the seriously ill; Michael Hansen SJ; John Garratt Publishing; PB $29.95 [1920721118]; 174pp; 210x145mm; 2004
New edition of a book first published by Collins Dove in 1993. Collection of 25 meditations intended chiefly for those with chronic or serious illness, or who experience ongoing suffering in some other way. Each meditation begins with a text from the Gospel of Luke, followed by a personal reflection by an illness sufferer (called ‘The Pilgrim’). An imagined response from ‘The Lord’ is then given, and the meditation concludes with an original prayer. The meditations follow St Ignatius Loyola’s method of Imaginative Contemplation. The introduction suggests a number of ways in which the texts can be used. Title is a reference to the story of the blind man healed by Jesus found in Mark 8:22-25. Index of biblical texts. Author is a Jesuit retreat leader, speaker and spiritual director at the Campion Ignatian Spirituality Centre, Melbourne. Other books include The Gospels for Prayer (editor, 2003).

Lifting the Burden: Reading of Matthew’s Gospel in the Church today; Brendan Byrne SJ; St Pauls; PB $29.95 [187629 5848]; 262pp; 230x150mm; 2004
Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, focussing on the depiction of Jesus as one who comes to bear humanity’s burdens and lift them, and Jesus as a fresh and liberating interpreter of the Torah. While based on expert scholarship, the book is intended for a general readership. Prior to the commentary, there are chapters on the vexed question of Matthew’s Gospel and Judaism, and the structure of Matthew. Footnotes; bibliography; scripture, modern author, and subject indexes. First published in the USA by the Liturgical Press in 2004. Author is Professor of New Testament at Jesuit Theological College, Melbourne, has been Catholic Biblical Association Visiting Professor at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome, and became the first Australian member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission in 1990. Other publications include Romans (Sacra Pagina series, 1996) and The Hospitality of God: A reading of Luke’s Gospel (2000).

The Lure of Fundamentalism; Julianne Schultz (editor); ABC Books; PB $16.95 [07333 15488]; 267pp; 235x150mm; 2005
Issue 7 of Griffith REVIEW, a topical publication produced quarterly by Griffith University in conjunction with ABC Books. This issue is devoted the rise of fundamentalism, especially religious, in the contemporary age, encompassing a range of religions and parts of the world. Included are Hugh Mackay’s insights on the fundamentalist impulse in Australia today, Muriel Porter on Sydney Anglicans, Nick Earls on his childhood in Northern Ireland, John Carroll on contemporary fundamentalism as a product of the failure of the Enlightenment, Gideon Haigh on lessons from the tyranny of ideology in Russia, and Michael McKernan on the history of religious intolerance in Australia. The 22 chapters include essays, reportage, memoir, and a short story. Introduction by editor; photos, including a colour insert; notes on contributors.

The Pocket Guide to Saint Paul: Coins encountered by the Apostle on his travels; Peter Lewis & Ron Bolden; Wakefield Press; PB $29.95 [1862545626]; 304pp; 210x130mm; 2002
Guide to the life and travels of the Apostle Paul primarily from a numismatic perspective, and drawing on history, archaeology and, in some instances, theology. Traces Paul’s various missionary journeys and the coins he would have encountered. Colour and black-and-white photos; maps; endnotes; glossary; bibliography; index. Authors are numismatists specialising in coins relating to the early history of Christianity. Lewis has an honours degree in divinity from the University of London and is a medical practitioner on the Gold Coast, Queensland. Bolden’s expertise is in the area of coin restoration and identification. Both are members of the Australian Numismatic Society.

Prayers I Pray: An Australian prayer book for primary school age children; Margaret Commins RSM; St Pauls; PB $7.95 [1876295767]; 64pp; 180x115mm; 2004
Pocket-sized collection of 57 prayers for primary school-age children. At the start and end of the volume are common traditional prayers, such as the Our Father, Rosary, and Prayer of St Francis, but the majority of the prayers are the original work of Commins. The prayers are grouped into categories, for instance, those for ‘daily use’ include prayers on waking, going to sleep, and meal times. Also includes prayers for ‘special people’, ‘special interests’, the major liturgical seasons, the sacraments, and prayers specifically about Australia, such as the natural environment, Aborigines, bush fires, and ANZAC Day. Illustrated throughout the colour drawings, many with an Australian character. Commins is a Religious Sister of Mercy who has served as an editor at St Pauls Publications for 14 years, and also has experience as a primary-school teacher.

The Septuagint, Sexuality, and the New Testament: Case studies on the impact of the LXX in Philo and the New Testament; William Loader; Eerdmans Publishing, USA, dist. by John Garratt Publishing; PB $36.95 [080282756X]; 173pp; 235x160mm; 2004
Scholarly examination of the biblical Decalogue, the creation story, and the rule of divorce, comparing the Hebrew texts with the Greek translation (Septuagint/LXX), and the way in which differences introduced in the Septuagint influenced later writers and beliefs regarding sexuality, especially Christian sexual ethics. Examines this effect particularly in the writings of Philo of Alexandria and selected New Testament passages. Translations of the Hebrew and Greek texts are provided throughout. Footnotes; tables; bibliography; index of modern authors; index of ancient sources. Appendices present the key biblical texts in Hebrew, Greek and English, arranged in side-by-side columns for easy comparison. Author is Professor of New Testament at Murdoch University, Perth, and Lecturer in New Testament at Perth Theological Hall of the Uniting Church in Australia. Previous books include Jesus’ Attitude Towards the Law: A study of the Gospels (1997/2002).

The Shaping of Things to Come: Innovation and mission for the 21st-century church; Michael Frost & Alan Hirsch; Strand Publishing; PB $19.95 [18768 25871]; 248pp; 230x150mm; 2003
Argues that our time calls for Western Christians to develop churches that are based on the ‘missional’ imperatives of the Bible rather than the maintenance of institutional churches. It is proposed that Christians establish communities that live out the gospel within specific cultural contexts. Includes accounts of such missional projects in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and England. Jointly published with Hendrickson Publishers (USA). Footnotes; tables; illustrations; glossary; annotated guide to recommended texts; bibliography. Frost is the founding Director of the Centre for Evangelism and Global Mission at Morling Baptist Seminary, Sydney. Previous books include Jesus the Fool (1994) and Eyes Wide Open: Seeing God in the ordinary (1998). Hirsch is the National Director for Forge Mission Training Network; his local church is the South Melbourne Restoration Community.

The Timor Sea’s Oil and Gas: What’s fair? Frank Brennan SJ; Australian Catholic Social Justice Council; PB $6.60 [1864 202521]; 60pp; 220x140mm; 2004
Number 51 in the ‘Catholic Social Justice’ series. Paper on the question of justice regarding the Timor Sea’s oil and gas deposits. Considers the historical and current context for Indonesia, Australia and Timor-Leste (formerly East Timor). Concluding chapter presents the author’s proposals for a just resolution. Foreword by ACSJC chairman, Christopher A. Saunders, Bishop of Broome. Maps; glossary; appendices; endnotes. Author is a Jesuit priest, lawyer and Associate Director of Uniya, the Jesuit Social Justice Centre in Sydney. In 2001-2002, he worked in East Timor as Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service. Previous books include Sharing the Country: The case for an agreement between black and white Australians (2nd edition, 1994) and Legislating Liberty: A bill of rights for Australia? (1998).

Transfiguration; Dorothy Lee; Continuum, UK, dist. by Allen & Unwin; PB $45.00 [082647 5957]; 168pp; 215x135mm; 2004
Volume in the ‘New Century Theology’ series. Study of the Transfiguration story in the New Testament. The first four chapters, in turn, examine the story (and its wider context) in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke, and 2 Peter. The following chapter analyses allusions to the Transfiguration elsewhere in the NT, especially in the Gospel of John. A concluding chapter explores the Transfiguration from symbolic and theological perspectives, arguing the importance of a recovery of its significance for Western Christian theology, spirituality and worship. Notes; references and bibliography; index of biblical references and other Jewish writings; index of names and subjects. Author is Professor of New Testament within the United Faculty of Theology, Melbourne. Other books include Symbolic Narratives of the Fourth Gospel (1994) and Flesh and Glory: Symbol, gender, and theology in the Gospel of John (2002)
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A Welcome on the Mat: Father Tom Dunlea: A memoir; John McSweeney PE; OMP Publications, PO Box 377, Kingsgrove 2208; PB $19.95 [0646433962]; 281pp; 215x140mm; 2004
Biography of Thomas Vincent Dunlea (1894-1970), an Irish Catholic priest who arrived in Sydney in 1920 following his ordination. He had a particular concern for the homeless and founded Australia’s first Boys Town, modelled on Father Flanagan’s Boys Town in the US. With two colleagues he introduced and established Alcoholics Anonymous in Australia, and was also involved in the founding of GROW, a self-help group for those with mental illness. Forewords by Sir William Deane, former Governor-General of Australia, and Fr Chris Riley SDB, founder and Director of Youth Off the Streets. Photos, some in colour; bibliography; index. Author is also an Irish-born priest who has lived the majority of his life in Australia. He is pastor emeritus at Kingsgrove, Sydney, where he was parish priest for many years.

When a Loved One Dies: A Catholic funeral companion; Dan Connors (editor); John Garratt Publishing; PB $9.95 [192072110X]; 38pp; 280x215mm; 2004
Booklet that provides support, information and advice for those in mourning and wishing to celebrate the life of a loved one according to the Catholic tradition. Written by the staff of Today’s Parish magazine in the United States and adapted for Australia following consultation with Verna Holyhead sgs, and parish priests Martin Dixon and Frank O’Loughlin. Topics include coping with grief, assisting grieving children, a step-by-step guide to the Catholic funeral rite, the rite’s scripture readings, and life beyond the funeral. Illustrated throughout in full-colour.

When I Talk to You: A cartoonist talks to God; Michael Leunig; Harper CollinsPublishers; HB $26.95 [0732280435]; 200x150mm; 2004
Collection of whimsical prayers written and illustrated by cartoonist Michael Leunig. Originally published in the Melbourne Sunday Age newspaper, they were first published in book form by Collins Dove in two volumes, A Common Prayer (1990) and The Prayer Tree (1991), and then reprinted in the Common Prayer Collection (1993). This edition presents a selection of these prayers in a gift-book format, making use of white, grey and pink papers and ink to add colour to the presentation. Includes an introduction by Leunig as well as his original introduction to A Common Prayer. Leunig is a regular contributor to the Melbourne Age newspaper and his cartoons and other artworks have been collected in numerous volumes, including Everyday Devils and Angels (1992) and The Curly Pyjama Letters (2001)..

Kevin Mark is Data Collection Manager for Australian Books in Print and a former religious publisher for HarperCollins Publishers.