For Catholics, marriage isn't just an institution: It s a sacrament. In fact, almost 10 percent of the Code of Canon Law covers issues pertaining to marriage. But even if you don't have the time to study all 111 marriage-related canons in the Church's law books, you can still learn the ropes without getting tangled in them. Catholic Answers new book, 101 Quick Questions with Catholic Answers: Marriage, Divorce, and Annulment, is designed to help you. This book distills into one volume the many questions on marriage that have been asked and answered in the pages of Catholic Answers Premier magazine on Apologetics and Evangelization This Rock. Selected and introduced by Catholic Answers staff apologist Jim Blackburn, the book aims to help Catholics more fully understand the Catholic Church's teaching and laws concerning marriage so that you can be assured of always treating marriage with the dignity and respect that God originally intended for this sacred institution. This book will serve as a simple introduction to the Catholic truth about this vital and sacred institution. In 101 Quick Questions with Catholic Answers: Marriage, Divorce, and Annulment, you ll learn: *The dos and don'ts of both Catholic and non-Catholic weddings, *The truth about prenuptial agreements, *The Church s prudential teachings on mixed marriages, *The distinctions between a valid marriage and a sacramental marriage, *The proper context of human sexuality and procreation (otherwise known as marriage), *The clear distinction between divorce and annulment. *And much more.
How do ministers, whether lay or ordained, form their spiritual life? What practices do they need to foster in order to become good and to be holy in their service? Richard Gula invites readers to think along with him about the kind of minister they want to be as he presents a variety of virtues including gratitude, self-care, humor, and courage and explains how developing these qualities is essential for a minister s moral and spiritual life. By grounding a spirituality for pastoral ministry in the virtues, Gula provides a way for ministers to bridge the gap between who they are and who they hope to become in imitation of Christ Jesus.
Domestic violence is a leading cause of injury and death to women worldwide. Nearly one in four women around the globe is physically or sexually abused in her lifetime, and gender violence causes more death and disability among women aged 15 to 44 than cancer, malaria, traffic accidents or war. Regrettably, the church is not immune to this problem. Numerous studies suggest that incident rates among active churchgoers are nearly the same as those among the general populace. In this thoroughly revised and updated edition, Catherine Clark Kroeger and Nancy Nason-Clark share with readers a further ten years of experience in listening to the voices of women from around the world and especially to those within the church. They help us hear their cries and find concrete ways to respond so that no home will be a place of abuse. In this immensely helpful guide you'll find
true stories and updated statistics that illustrate the gravity and extent of the problem worldwide
a look at what Scripture says about domestic violence, including verbal abuse and patterns of concealment, secrecy and silence
a discussion of how proper concerns for Christian families can be twisted to endanger women and their children
an assessment of alternatives to suffering in silence in a threatening environment
new chapters on what churches can do and an introduction to the RAVE (Religion and Violence e-Learning) Project website, which provides a wide array of continually updated resources
Here is a book for all who want to make a difference in women's lives.
Inspired by the work of Ann Belford Ulanov, this introductory text in pastoral care explores the depth dimensions of pastoral ministry with an eye toward teaching practitioners to value and embody this life-giving wisdom. It captures many of the multiple strands of pastoral work and weaves them together into an integral whole.
In this book Marnie C. Ferree offers a unique resource for women struggling with sexual addiction. Taking her book's title from the parable where Jesus extends grace to the woman caught in adultery, Ferree bravely shares her own story of sexual addiction, recalling her years of shame from living a double life and the moment when she ultimately had to tell the truth. But more than just offering her story as a hopeful example of God's transforming power, Ferree distills her clinical expertise on female sexual addiction accessibly and gently, providing a much-needed resource for women struggling with any degree of relational or sexual addiction. Ferree details the roots of addiction in family trauma and offers clear-eyed advice as both a counselor and a "grateful recovering sex addict" on how to achieve sobriety and healing. Written by a counselor who understands the condition from the inside out, No Stones offers practical help for those battling sexual addiction. It also includes a specific chapter for anyone in close relationship with an addict, whether a spouse, family member, or friend, who wants to come alongside women as they seek help. Important for pastors and church leaders, this book will also be a much sought-after resource for Christian counselors and therapists counseling women who grapple with this type of addiction.
Hope is on the horizon, and it's time to take back your life. More than two million couples divorce each year, and the experience can be devastating--creating a sense of loss, loneliness, mistrust, and failure. The effects of divorce are often felt heaviest by Catholics.
But there is life after divorce. As a counselor with a long history of helping those who have suffered the trauma of divorce, author William Rabior identifies eight key factors to experience healing from divorce culled from the lives of people who have successfully traveled these paths. From the stories of people who have moved successfully through the process come practical steps in an easy-to-read format for today's harried lifestyle. Learn to:
1. Work through the grief 2. Befriend anger 3. Forgive your former spouse and yourself 4. Let God help 5. Talk things out 6. Give service to others 7. Find the benefits of laughter 8. Manage stress
Refill your life with hopes, dreams, and the realization of a bright future. The Joy of You explores the path to healing after the devastation of divorce.
When serious injury or wrongdoing takes place, we cry out for justice to be done. At the same time, Christian faith calls for forgiveness and mercy. But forgiveness is often seen as letting people off the hook. Is it truly possible to forgive a betrayal, a rape, a genocide? How can Christians forgive without excusing wrongdoing? Psychologist and leading forgiveness researcher Everett Worthington demonstrates how Christians can and must hold forgiveness and justice together. He gives Christian foundations for understanding just forgiveness and dealing with wrongdoers. With concrete examples and field-tested exercises, Worthington shows how just forgiveness can be accomplished in families, churches and the world at large. This comprehensive guide offers practical resources for both individuals and communities, addressing situations from interpersonal to societal levels. Scripture tells us that righteousness and peace will kiss. Here's how we can respond to transgressions with justice, forgiveness and humility.
The first 48 hours are critical to the recovery of trauma victims.
First responders make the difference between life and death for trauma victims. But what is often not recognized is that when disaster strikes, spiritual caregivers are often among those first on the scene. For these caregivers response should also help propel survivors toward positive transformation. This book focuses on critical responses that are key in the aftermath of natural disaster, community violence, personal injury, and crime. These basics include: the power of presence, safety, assessment and triage, how we help, putting the pieces together, telling the story, hope, and caring in the long haul.
In this helpful handbook, William Cutrer guides pastors, other ministry leaders, and laypeople through crisis care and ministry. Drawing from his personal and professional experience as a physician and seminary professor, Cutrer covers a wide variety of topics, from specific crises such as suicide, to more general family issues such as teen pregnancy. "It is my prayer," Cutrer writes, "that this manual and workbook will be a helpful, practical reference."
