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Book: The Faith and Modern Man Author: Romano Guardini Regnery Co., Chicago, pp.237 Excerpt from introduction: The twelve essays united in this book have a special history. They were written during World War II, when the Christian life was deeply threatened by hostile doctrines. At that time, a group of Christian writers in Germany tried to find ways and means of informing and strengthening the minds of bewildered and harassed people, particularly the young. What was needed, we felt, was a restatement in terms of contemporary life and experience, of the eternal spiritual and humane verities. In order to elude, at least for a time, the tightening thought control, we decided to publish booklets of little weight, each complete in itself, and each discussing a theme of special importance to contemporary man. Excerpt from book: And here lies the root of adoration. It is the bowing down of all creation before God, not only because He is all-powerful, but because He is worthy as well. . . . At the moment of adoration we are there for God, and for God alone. This very detachment from the oppression of care, from the cravings of the will and from fear is in itself adoration, and floods the soul with truth. Then say: God is here. I am before Him as are those forms in the vision, bowing down before His throne. I cannot see Him, for everything here is still in the obscurity of time, still earthly. But I know by faith that He is here. He is God; I am His creature. He made me; in Him I have my being . . . . And now there is probably no need to write further. The one concerned must look up into the face of God — His God — and tell Him what his heart bids him to say. Table of Contents: 1. Adoration 2. God's Patience 3. God's Dominion and Man's Freedom 4. The Lordship of Christ 5. Providence 6. Revelation as History 7. Faith as Overcoming 8. Faith and Doubt in the Stages of Life 9. Dogma 10. The Saints 11. The Adversary 12. Purgatory |