The Essential Works of Thomas More, Edited by Gerard Wegemer and Stephen W. Smith ’94 (Yale University Press). Smith, a Renaissance scholar and the Temple Family Chair of English at Hillsdale College, and his colleague from the University of Dallas have compiled the first comprehensive single-volume collection of the English statesmen’s vast body of work. The anthology spans theology, political philosophy, law and poetry, underscoring the breadth of writings by the Catholic saint who opposed the Protestant Reformation and was beheaded in 1535 for refusing to recognize King Henry VIII as head of the Church of England.
Decisions: Practical Advice from 23 Men and Women Who Shaped the World, Robert Dilenschneider ’65 (Citadel Press). The choices we make every day have the power to shape our lives and those of the people around us. Dilenschneider, a corporate communications and public relations adviser, distills lessons large and small in the lives of world-changing figures from Hannibal, Henry Ford and Harry Truman to Joan of Arc, Marie Curie and Malala Yousafzai, providing inspiration to help the rest of us make empowering, positive decisions.
Triumphs from Notre Dame: Echoes of Her Loyal Sons and Daughters, Lisa Kelly ’93 (Dog Ear Publishing). The third book in Kelly’s “Echoes from Notre Dame” series tells the personal stories of former Fighting Irish athletes as they reflect on what it takes to succeed in sports, academics and life. This volume includes female athletes for the first time, tracing the journeys of former players from the football, men’s and women’s basketball, hockey, baseball, golf, women’s soccer and women’s track programs, as well as a former student manager.
Art and Architecture for Congregational Worship: The Search for a Common Ground, Richard S. Vosko ’75M.A. (Liturgical Press). The polarization of our political culture also extends to religious communities. Vosko, a priest in the Diocese of Albany, New York, and a liturgical designer and consultant, believes that removing physical and psychological boundaries in places of worship can help people bring people together. Offering insights from a career spanning half a century, Vosko explores how liturgical buildings, as “metaphorical expressions of the people of God,” offer an opportunity to create a unifying built environment.
Disestablishment and Religious Dissent: Church-State Relations in the New American States, 1776-1833, Edited by Carl H. Esbeck and Jonathan J. Den Hartog ’03M.A., ’06Ph.D. (University of Missouri Press). In the history of Christendom before the founding of the United States, government funding and other preferential treatment for official state churches prevailed. Den Hartog, professor of history and department chair at Samford University, and the University of Missouri’s Esbeck bring together the work of historians, legal scholars and political scientists to document the diverse ways the original 13 colonies and eight early-admitted states contributed to a new relationship between church and state during the revolutionary era.
Our Dog Red: A Small Token of Remembrance, Edward C. Sellner ’78M.A., ’81Ph.D. (Resource Publications). Losing their beloved pet drew Sellner and his son, Daniel, even closer together. The loss also prompted Edward, a professor emeritus of theology and spirituality at St. Catherine University, to explore the field of “animal theology” to better understand their suffering, the meaning they bring to our lives and what awaits pets in the afterlife. The result is a volume that the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, Minnesota, cited as one of last fall’s best books.
Reportings, Tom Gannon ’60 (Antrim House). A former priest, erstwhile magazine editor, retired attorney, painter and poet, Gannon has written a second collection of poems, drawing on his own experiences and the stories of friends and loved ones in the Renaissance man’s eclectic life. Aboard a bus to South Bend as a college freshman, the poet prepares to explore “the mystery of himself,” a process of discovery that continues across the seasons of his life.
My Life Directory, Neil Hitz ’62. Serious illness, injury or death causes grief for families, emotional stress that can be compounded by an inability to find essential documents. Hitz developed a guide to ease loved ones’ access to materials such as insurance policies, home deeds, tax records, military papers, passwords, birth certificates and more. A hard copy or PDF of the guide to help reduce the logistical burden on families in trying times is available at mylifedirectory.com.