“Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.” – St. Augustine
Because I’ve built up a large collection of extra books and resources, every week I give away some absolutely free, no strings attached.
Each giveaway lasts seven days with a new one beginning each Friday, and you can enter any time during the week. Check out the past giveaways items here.
Mothers of the Church: The Witness of Early Christian Women
by Mike Aquilina and Christopher Bailey
This week’s giveaway is a brand new book titled, Mothers of the Church: The Witness of Early Christian Women (Our Sunday Visitor, paperback, 163 pages). Mike Aquilina, one of the co-writers, is a highly regarded expert in patristics, which is the study of the Church fathers. Some time ago I reviewed his popular introductory book titled, The Fathers of the Church. But this is the first book I’m aware of which focuses specifically on their female counterparts (maybe we need to coin the word “matristics”?). From the publisher:
“Meet the heroines of Christianity’s formative years!
Mike Aquilina and Christopher Bailey, in a follow-up to the best-selling Fathers of the Church, have penned an inspiring companion volume on the Mothers of the Church that, like no other book, explores their impact on history and the Faith.
Mothers of the Church will reinforce Catholics’ understanding of the part played by women in the early Church. Drawing upon a wide spectrum of sources, it illustrates the many kinds of women that left their mark on sacred history by responding to God’s call. Whether they were martyrs, abbesses, mothers, desert solitaries, or managers of large family businesses, these women’s stories will encourage you and deepen your faith.
Each chapter features a concise biography that is supplemented by quotes from the Fathers’ writings concerning the woman in question, poetry concerning her, and other ancient testimonials.
The authors’ authoritative yet accessible writing style deftly explores the important impact of early Christian women.”
In order to win this week’s giveaway, leave a comment below answering this question:
Which woman do you most admire in Church history?
The winner will be randomly selected next Friday and the giveaway item will be sent out, free-of-charge, shortly thereafter.
UPDATE:
The drawing is now closed. Congratulations to Juan B. for winning this week! Check your e-mail for instructions on receiving the book. If you don’t see an e-mail from me, check your spam box—apparently e-mails with “giveaway” in the title are prone to end up there.
In the future I’ll be giving away more books and resources, sometimes multiple items per giveaway! So subscribe via feed reader or email to ensure you never miss your chance to win.