A Weekly Book Discussion Group
Every month we will discuss a new book selection. Join us on Fridays, 10:30 a.m.-noon, followed by lunch. The cost for lunch is $10. Books may be purchased on your own or at the center. To register, call 412-835-3510 x 112 or email thespiritancenter@gmail.com
March 4, 11, 18, 25
Monika K. Hellwig, the People’s Theologian
by Dolores R. Leckey and Kathleen Dolphin, eds.
Though Hellwig is well known in theological circles, what is not so widely known is how theology led her into a whole new way of life. Leckey and Dolphin, writing from their intimate knowledge of Hellwig, create a portrait of a woman who was teacher, author, poet, administrator, a mother, and a contemplative in action - "a people's theologian" - with whom readers will feel at home.
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April 1, 8, 15, 29
What Makes us Catholic
by Thomas Groome
Inviting readers "to critically consider and deliberately choose what could be life-giving from their faith tradition," Groome describes eight spiritual qualities that he believes are distinctively Catholic. These include sacramentality ("finding the infinite in the finite"), a sense of community, a commitment to work for justice, a reverence for tradition, and a disposition toward faith and not despair. Short essays--blending personal reflection, stories from Scripture and church history, and exercises for prayer and reflection--define each ingredient of Catholic spiritual identity. Readers will likely find a way of believing that "religion and spirituality are two sides of the same coin, and they badly need each other."
Winter 2011 Selections
January 7, 14, 21, and 28
Uncommon Gratitude: Alleluia for All That Is
by Joan Chittister and Rowan Williams
What does it mean to be a Christian? In Uncommon Gratitude, two persons formed by monastic prayer practices reach across denominational lines to form a common understanding of a life of alleluia. Chittister and Williams show how one can realistically offer praise and wonder in the face of the often uncertain or discouraging circumstances of ordinary life. Their reflections, based on study of the God revealed in the Genesis and Exodus community based on mutual trust, are rooted in the conviction that God is good and all of life is life-giving.
February 4, 11, 18, and 25
The Mercy Seller
by Brenda Rickman Vantreage
In the fifteenth century when religious intolerance was spreading across Europe, Englishwoman Anna Bookman and her grandfather Finn earned a living by illuminating precious books, including forbidden translations of the Bible.
Meanwhile, Brother Gabriel of London, was busy granting pardons... for a small fee. As an agent of the king, he is sent to London to find the source of the banned books making their way to England. The paths of illuminator and mercy seller cross and their lives take on precarious results.
Fall 2010 Book Selections
Ronald Rolheiser’s Against an Infinite Horizon: The Finger of God in Our Everyday Lives
Written for believers and for those struggling to believe, Rolheiser’s book attempts and succeeds in giving a vocabulary to show how the events in our lives can be seen and spoken of in the light of the infinite, the eternal, God. It is, in the author’s words, “a pilgrim’s book” with special food for the restless as well as for those steady in their lives.
Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross
A novel that paints a sweeping portrait of a heroine who struggles against restrictions her soul cannot accept, Pope Joan is about a woman in the medieval social structures of church and state. For a thousand years her existence has been denied. Joan, the ninth century woman who disguised herself as a man and rose to become the only female ever to sit on the throne of St. Peter, travels a road from scholar to healer, to head of the Church, where the web of politics, religion, and identity end in a roadblock.
The Four Teresas by Gina Loehr
Theresa of Lisieux, Teresa of Avila, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, and Mother Teresa--all lively, determined, and direct women with an abundance of common sense--Loehr focuses on how each of these women lived out a particular aspect of the command to love God with heart, mind and soul and neighbor as self. Each chapter includes points for reflection and practical tips on how to imitate these holy Teresas.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Set during the civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss. where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver, The Help introduces Eugenia Skeeter Phelan, just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer. The book Skeeter puts together based on the town’s hired helps’ stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams.
Individual Retreats (either private or directed) 
