Essays, novels, biographies… Find the ranking of best-selling books from April 28 to May 4, 2023 in La Procure bookstores. A selection of inspiring readings from books published over the past four months.
1THE JERUSALEM CHALLENGE
Albin Michael
Summary : by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt, Albin Michel, April 2023. Invited by the Vatican to a trip to Holy land then in the city-state, the author recounts his two pilgrimages, between an intimate travelogue and a meditation on faith and religions. If in Jerusalem his spirituality is adorned with new colors and smells, his meeting with Pope Francis, a few weeks later, completes to give substance to his faith. Find it in bookstores.
2PAUL OF TARSUS: THE TERRIBLE CHILD OF CHRISTIANITY
Threshold
Summary : by Daniel Marguerat, Seuil, April 2023. The first theologian of Christianity, the apostle Paul is a disputed figure who is still debated among Christians as among non-Christian intellectuals. The author returns to his life and his thought without omitting what the saint has been accused of for centuries: dogmatism, misogyny or even anti-Judaism. It also discusses its topicality in the 21st century. Find it in bookstores.
3HE GAVE US SO MUCH: TRIBUTE TO BENEDICT XVI
Fayard
Summary : by Cardinal Robert Sarah, Éditions Fayard, April 2023. The author paints a spiritual and psychological portrait of Benedict XVI, and completes it with texts he has devoted to the figure of the pontiff since his resignation. With a selection of the Pope’s writings. Find it in bookstores.
4WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY
Artège I Editions du Rocher
Summary :by Benedict XVI, Artège, Rocher, March 2023. A work that Benedict XVI wanted to have published after his death, as a sort of spiritual testament, and in which he shares his final thoughts on fundamental themes of religion. It evokes divine mercy, dialogue with other religions but also with other Christian denominations or even the Eucharistic presence. Find it in bookstores.
5Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church: From Scandals to Reforms
Gallimard
Summary : by Monsignor Pascal Wintzer, Éditions Gallimard, March 2023. Faced with the growing number of scandals linked to sexual abuse within the Church, the author wonders about his role as archbishop and the future of the Catholic institution. He denounces all these crimes which undermine the French episcopate. According to him, rather than wanting to change the Church, we must review its organization and its governance. Find it in bookstores.
6MARGOT AND THE MYSTERIES OF LOVE: LOVE YOURSELF TO BE ABLE TO LOVE
the Sénevé / Artege
Summary :by Inès D’Oysonville, le Sénevé, Artège, April 2023.Six chapters opening a question bearing on female adolescence and sexuality as well as on the importance of the Catholic religion and their place in it. Femininity, mixed friendships and puberty are notably addressed. Find it in bookstores.
7I, JERUSALEM’S DONKEY
Deer
Summary : by Elisabeth de Lambilly, Cerf, March 2023. The triumphal entry of Jesus in Jerusalem and Holy Week are told from the point of view of the donkey who carried the Christian messiah into the city. Find it in bookstores.
8COMMUNION IS A TREASURE
the Sénevé, Artege
Summary : by Inès D’Oysonville, le Sénevé, Artège, April 2023. An accessible and educational summary of the Christian faith, the Mass, the sacraments and the great events of the Bible, intended for children preparing for or having just made their first communion. Find it in bookstores.
9THE ENNEAGRAM IS NEITHER CATHO, NOR KOSHER
Deer
Summary : by Anne Lécu, Editions Cerf, April 2023. The author presents the origins of the enneagram and wonders about the nature of its use within Church places. It addresses the theological justifications for its use and the consequences of its practice. Find it in bookstores.
