Sophia Insider: October 2019

This Month at Sophia Institute Press Sophia Authors in the News – Sophia authors continue to appear in major print publications and on top shows in Catholic and broadcast media. New Book Announcements – Read about the great new books we're publishing for children and adults alike! New Sophia Video Trailers – Sophia books and programs are gaining attention through the visual media. Watch our short video trailers for The Priests We Need to Save the Church and The Seed who was Afraid to be Planted.  Sophia Book Reviews – Latest rave reviews and features of Sophia books. Hot Topic Featurettes – Sophia’s websites featured must-read articles this month. Don’t miss major features that ran on our websites this month and were read by hundreds of thousands. Classics Corner – Sophia Classics on sale now. Peruse the Sophia archives for timely books to help you integrate your prayer life with the sacred rhythm of the liturgical calendar.  Latest Endorsements – Exciting endorsements for our newest books. Faith leaders and Catholic personalities weigh in on our new books. Book Industry Update – Religion publishing for children expands. Traditional religion children’s book publishers, nonfaith houses that are dipping into the religious market, and publishers from across spiritual traditions are addressing issues related to faith and culture in books publishing for children from now through next summer. That includes us at Sophia! Sophia's Newest Releases – Stay abreast of Sophia’s newest offerings, and don’t miss our $2 and $5 Catholic classics!

Sophia Authors in the News Sophia authors in the news this month

Wall Street executive Stephen Auth (The Missionary of Wall Street) made the first stop on his media tour on The World Over with Raymond Arroyo.

WATCH HERE

Auth's next stop was Forbes podcast What's Ahead with Steve Forbes. Their insightful, optimistic conversation is sure to inspire you!

LISTEN HERE

Kevin Wells (The Priests We Need to Save the Church) spoke with EWTN's Teresa Tomeo on Catholic Connection about the dire need for holy priests.

LISTEN HERE

Spirit and Life author Rose Rea reflected on the beauty of the sacraments on Catholic Answers Live. Pictured also are Catholic Answers President Chris Check (right) and Producer Darin DeLozier.

LISTEN HERE

New Book Announcements Upcoming Sophia titles

New Sophia Video Trailers Watch our newest book promo videos (:60 and :88)!

The Seed Who Was Afraid to Be Planted

The Priests We Need to Save the Church

Sophia Book Reviews A selection of reviews of Sophia books

The Missionary of Wall Street in The Catholic Spirit by Kurt Jensen, Catholic News Service

He’s executive vice president of Federated Global Investment Management Corp. in New York. His publicist provides numbers to document his success, somewhat like athletes provide statistics: Assets under management, $484.9 billion. Equity under management, $80.2 billion. That amount of clout enables him to frequently appear on finance shows, and he’s developed a skill at a delivery calm enough not to upset the stock market during trading hours. A cable TV carnival barker he’s not, and he’s never been in sales, either, he observed in an interview with Catholic News Service. “I don’t do sales. I’m kind of an intellectual guy — an introvert.” For the past 10 years, he has gotten outside his comfort zone to do sidewalk evangelism at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral on Mulberry Street in New York City.

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The Missionary of Wall Street on The Catholic Man Show by Kent Keithly

Close your eyes for a minute and place yourself on a busy street corner in New York City. It doesn’t matter if you have never been there, most of us have at least viewed scenes of New York in movies or advertisements. Listen for a moment to the sound of the traffic, the footsteps of people passing by, the vendors hailing their next customer, and then quiet the outside noise and focus on the conversations. Did you hear it? Did you hear the question you never expected amid the relative hustle and bustle? Here it comes again so lean in a bit closer, “Excuse me, are you Catholic?”

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Around the Year with the von Trapp Family in The Catholic Herald by Francis Phillips

Divided into two parts, Celebrating with the Family in Heaven, containing vivid and affectionate reminiscences of pre-War liturgical celebration in Austria, and Celebrating with the Family on Earth, which is all about how the von Trapp family celebrated the Sacraments and kept a firm hold on family customs such as reading aloud, singing, dancing and home concerts, [Around the Year with the von Trapp Family] would make an excellent addition to a Catholic family book shelf – not least today when the milieu surrounding the faith has almost entirely disappeared, leaving families marooned on a small island of religious belief, surrounded by the vast, secular (and often hostile) cultural mainland.

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Hot Topic Featurettes Selections from Sophia websites

These Ridiculous Misconceptions about the Catholic Church are Finally Explained by Theresa Zoe Williams

You’ve probably heard at least one of them at some point. Catholics worship Mary! The Eucharist is cannibalism! And so many others. We as Catholics know they’re false, but do we know why or how to explain them? Maybe not. Archbishop Patrick John Ryan explained five of these anti-Catholic myths in a lecture he gave in St. Louis in 1877. These myths and answers are collected into the book Anti-Catholic Myths Debunked: Five Common Misconceptions Answered and Explained. Here are his major points.

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How I Talk with my Daughter about the Role of Women in the Church by Michele Chronister

A few months ago, my daughter decided that her vocation was to be a “girl bishop.” To two parents who work for the Church, this was amusing (but not concerning, given our mutual love for catechesis and theological discussions). Her dad works at a seminary, and this little girl is surrounded by spiritual fathers and brothers. We have had the talk about spiritual fatherhood before (emphasis on fatherhood), but still she persisted. Not long after making this declaration, she was watching a livestream of the enthronement of an abbess. In case you’ve never seen it, when an abbess is enthroned, she is led to a literal “throne” (which looks just like an episcopal chair that a bishop would sit in) by two bishops, crowned with a crown of flowers, and given a crosier (just like a bishop). My daughter watched this with fascination.

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The False Prophets of Climate Change by Jane Clark Scharl

Due to teenage activist Greta Thunberg’s thunderous—and divisive—speech to the United Nations last week, climate change is getting another moment in the sun. It may be tempting to brush off her comments as youthful hyperbole, but Thunberg’s speech does not stand alone. She’s the most prominent figure in a worldwide movement of young people who are gravely concerned about the environment, to the point of skipping school to attend protests and vowing never to have children.

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Classics Corner Sophia classics to unite your prayer life with the liturgical calendar

Latest Endorsements Faith leaders and personalities weigh in on our new books

“Fear is a natural part of growing up, but it can be crippling and paralyzing if we don’t deal with it correctly. This little book contains a tremendous amount of truth about what happens when we confront frightening trials with courage. It shows children that God has the power to transform even the worst suffering into something beautiful and even glorious. What an incredibly valuable lesson for children—and adults—to learn.” Dr. Ben Carson United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development "This is a wonderful book with an important Gospel message: when we give every bit of ourselves to God, He miraculously transforms our lives and 'makes all things new.'" Alveda C. King Evangelist, Niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“One of the most important books written in years involving the ugly dilemma that threatens to swallow the Catholic Church. It’s a must read for every Catholic wanting to understand both the source and depth of its  tragic, self-inflicted wounds as well as the potential path toward forgiveness, healing and survival.” John Heubusch Executive Director, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation; best-selling author of the fictional thriller The Shroud Conspiracy

Book Industry Update

Religion Publishing for Children Expands by Ann Byle

Traditional religion children’s book publishers, nonfaith houses that are dipping into the religious market, and publishers from across spiritual traditions are addressing issues related to faith and culture in books publishing for children from now through next summer. Diversity stands out as a key tenet for publishers in the religious children’s space, reflecting what readers need today. “Books that tell a faith-based story but from a different ethnic heritage, or that help educate children regarding different people around the world, are building blocks for understanding,” says Annette Bourland, senior v-p and group publisher at Zonderkidz.

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Product Catalog Stay abreast of Sophia’s book offerings, published at a rate of five fresh titles per month! View New Releases