The Difference God Makes: A Catholic Vision of Faith, Communion, and Culture »

Francis Cardinal George, OMI, is the president of the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops. He has served as vicar general of the Oblates; Bishop of Yakima, Washington; and archbishop of Chicago. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope John Paul II in 1998. He lives in Chicago.

Penned by the leading intellectual in the American Catholic hierarchy, this debut brings together some of the most influential writings on the Catholic vision—not just the Church itself but of the relation and unity of all people. Weaving together intellectual insight and personal wisdom, this investigation offers a luminous Catholic vision of communion, illustrating the Church’s relation to numerous religions as well as the secular world. Drawing from both the author’s observations of Catholicism in cultures around the globe and countless theologians’ perspectives—including Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, Thomas Aquinas, and Francis of Assisi—this analysis demonstrates how to recognize the self-giving, liberating God who provides freedom from the competitive, oppressive gods of secular modernity. This overview also recalls an assortment of fascinating stories, from a poignant moment with a non-Christian in Zambia to the humbling dedication of volunteers who came to observe Pope John Paul II’s visit to Mexico City. Confronting controversial issues head-on, this volume will inspire Christians everywhere while also offering non-Christians a renewed understanding of what a Christian lifestyle means for political and personal life today.

Publishers Weekly

As archbishop of Chicago, George is pastor of one of the largest Catholic communities in the United States, and as head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops he presides over a powerful collection of churchmen. George is also one of the most thoughtful men in the American hierarchy, and somehow he found time to gather his ideas in a collection of essays on the role of the Catholic faith in the modern world. The essays generally reflect George's traditional approach and his style—for good and ill. He ranges widely and is always challenging; his writing can be as scholarly as it is spiritual. The work is organized like a catechism, which makes it easy to dip into. George invokes the late Pope John Paul II as his model. Yet this book has more in common with an earlier work on faith in the modern world, “Introduction to Christianity,” also by a well-known cardinal—Joseph Ratzinger, now known as Pope Benedict XVI. (Oct.)

Introduction: Living through Others ix

Part 1 The Church's Mission: Universal Communion

Chapter 1 Of God and Man: The Two Cities in the Third Millennium 3

Chapter 2 Evangelizing American Culture: A Practical Project 25

Cchapter 3 Sowing the Gospel on American Soil: The Distinctive Contribution of Theology 42

Chapter 4 Making All Things New: Notes on a New Apologetics 59

Chapter 5 Ancient Traditions in Contemporary Culture: Catholics and Jews in Dialogue Today 77

Chapter 6 A Necessary Conversation: Catholics and Muslims in Dialogue 92

Chapter 7 The Universal Church and the Dynamic of Globalization 115

Chapter 8 One Lord and One Church for One World: Redemptoris missio 131

Part 1 The Church's Life: Hierarchical Communion

Chapter 9 The Crisis of Liberal Catholicism: An Internal Dialogue 155

Chapter 10 Lay Catholics: The Role of the Lay Faithful in Our Culture Today 173

Chapter 11 Receiving Identity from the Risen Christ: Ordained Priesthood and Leadership in the Catholic Church 185

Chapter 12 To Reveal the Fathers Love: The Mission of Priests 207

Chapter 13 Worship in the Church: Questions That Test Ecclesial Renewal 229

Chapter 14 A True Home Everywhere: John Paul II and Liturgical Inculturation 243

Chapter 15 Too Good to Be True? The Eucharist in the Church and the World 259

Part 3 THe Church's Goal: Communion With God

Chapter 16 The Difference God Makes: Deus Caritas Est 275

Chapter 17 Godly Humanism: Images of God in the Poetic Writings of Pope John Paul II 289

A Philosophical Epilogue: Living through Others 307

Notes 327

Index 343