News

Dear Friends,             What to say about the conclusion of a divisive election season? What to say about a victory marked by “brazen appeals to nativism, racism, and misogyny” (New York Times); a campaign fueled by the demonization of migrants and refugees (“animals,” “vermin”); punctuated by violent threats of retribution against political rivals (“the enemy within)”—all in pursuit of “Making America Great Again”?             In his speech before Congress almost ten years ago Pope Francis offered a very different vision of what makes a nation great. As he observed, “A nation can be considered great...

Dear Friends, As you may know by now, our esteemed author and friend, Gustavo Gutierrez, died last night, October 22, at the age of 96, in Lima. He had been ill for some time. Gustavo was not only the "father" of liberation theology, but truly the cornerstone of the Orbis program. In 1973 we published the English translation of A Theology of Liberation, which Christianity Today named as one of the 100 most important theological works of the twentieth century. This inaugurated a whole program of works by the greatest generation of Latin American theologians: Gustavo himself, Jon Sobrino, Jose Combin, Leonardo...

Dear Friends, Each year the church commemorates the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, “apostle to the apostles,” who first proclaimed the good news of Jesus’s resurrection. But there are other women whose names are not remembered. There is the woman who anointed Jesus with precious oil, whose deed, Jesus said, would be told in memory of her. Or the Samaritan woman who described to her neighbors her encounter with Jesus, so that many of them “believed because of her testimony.” Since then, many women, whether by word or deed, have continued to bear witness to the faith. Thanks to the...

Dear Friends, I just returned from the annual assembly of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, a gathering of representatives from most Catholic religious congregations in America. I always look forward to gathering with some of our most informed, discerning, and avid readers. Not surprisingly, their favorites this year—all by women religious--were also are our bestselling titles of the year. First of these is Elizabeth Johnson’s Come, Have Breakfast: Meditations on God and the Earth. Johnson, a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph, is without doubt one of the leading Catholic theologians in the United States, best known for...

Dear Friends, We are delighted to share with you the news of our latest prize-winning titles. As always, these books reflect not only the highest standards, but a range of theological, ethical, ecclesial, and spiritual engagement with the world and our moment in history. From the Association of Catholic Publishers: Excellence in Publishing Awards   First Place (Biography): Mary Frances Coady, Caryll Houselander: A Biography Second Place (Scripture): John Dear, The Gospel of Peace Second Place (Theology): Elizabeth Gandolfo, Ecomartyrdom in the Americas   And from the Catholic Media Association Book Awards (22 Awards)   FIRST PLACE: Books on Pope Francis: James Kroeger,...