Heroes of the Catholic Reformation: Saints Who Renew Church

by Joseph Pearce

Overview

The Protestant Reformation began five hundred years ago, accompanied by an age of turmoil and secularism we can recognize even in our own time. Rather than shrinking from the crisis, the Catholic Church responded with even deeper, and more genuine, reform. We can do the same today. This Catholic Reformation was accomplished by many defenders of the Faith whom we now know as saints. Their holiness, courageous deeds, and sacrifices during this renewal of the Catholic faith demonstrate the true heroism of saintly action and provide models for defending the Faith in the modern world. As diverse as they are inspiring, these heroes and saints stood up to slay "the dragons of sin" while championing Church teaching. Their sacrifices left the Church-and the world-forever changed. Bishop John Fisher, Sir Thomas More, and priests Edmund Campion and Robert Southwell refused to submit to England's secular tyranny and chose martyrdom instead. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, and Charles Borromeo, the reforming Archbishop of Milan, spearheaded the Catholic Reformation. Pope Pius V brought a spirit of asceticism to the papacy and ardor to the work of reform. Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross, despite enduring terrible suffering, surrendered themselves completely to Christ's great mission of reform within the Church. Heroes of the Catholic Reformation is a scholarly and cultured celebration of the saints who responded to the fierce oppositions of their time with courage and an authentic and lasting Catholic Reformation. Author Joseph Pearce invites us look to these heroes for inspiration as we seek to live the fullness of Faith in our fallen world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612783895
Publisher:	Our Sunday Visitor, Publishing Division
Publication date:	08/18/2017
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	616,022
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.36(d)

About the Author

A native of England, Joseph Pearce is senior editor at the Augustine Institute in Denver, Colorado, editor of the St. Austin Review, and the author of biographies of Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and other Christian literary figures.

Table of Contents

Prologue: On Heroes and Holiness 11

Chapter 1 The Three Reformations 15

Chapter 2 John Fisher 23

Chapter 3 Thomas More 29

Chapter 4 The Passion of Fisher and More 47

Chapter 5 Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier 59

Chapter 6 Charles Borromeo 71

Chapter 7 Pius V 89

Chapter 8 Teresa of Ávila 101

Chapter 9 John of the Cross 109

Chapter 10 Edmund Campion 125

Chapter 11 Robert Southwell 143

Epilogue: Ever Old, Ever New 165

Notes 169