• The Helicon Press of Baltimore and Dublin announce the

first six titles of a new Living Word Series. These are under the general editorship of Fr. Gerard S. Sloyan, chairman of the Religious Education Department of the Catholic University of Washington, and were originally published in French.
The translations are good and the series provides an excellent introduction to Biblical studies steering between the highly specialised and superficial popular. The Bible is opened to the student in what we now call "themes." The first six titles are The Message of Moses, The Temple of Yahweh, The Paschal Feast in the Bible, Salvation of the Gentiles and the Prophets, The Living Temple, The Spirit of God in Scripture. Each volume, from 80 to 130 pages, is 7s. 6d.
• Introduction to the Psalms (Blackwell, 12s. 6d.) is R. A. Wilson's translation of a work by Christoph Barth. It is a workmanlike book firmly based on traditional literary and historical lines of thought; types of psalms, poetry in the psalms, the Hebrew text and translations, the authors of the psalms are just a few examples of the matters that are briefly expounded.
• Prayer of Faith (Geoffrey Chapman, 12s. 6d.) by Fr. Leonard Boase, S.J., is subtitled "A Simple Approach to Prayer." Fr. Boase describes prayer as the development of our awareness of God, and the first sentence of his foreword reads, "No one, so far as I know, has written a book about walking." This selects the gear of his thinking: prayer, like walking, is—or should be —something so natural and ordinary that we start to do it before we start to think about it.
Then when we start to read some of the books that have been written about it we begin to wonder if it should be so natural after all; should it perhaps be something more elaborate and complicated, and formal, like dancing.
Without belittling the "professional" writings on prayer Fr. Boase puts them in their place, or more correctly in focus, and then he is able to use them in this wholly real and encouraging book that shows us prayer as an integral part of our lives.
• In Christ and Prayer (Clon
more & Reynolds, 5s.) Fr. J. F. Cassidy recalls the Apostles' request "Lord teach us how to pray," and reminds us that Christ gave more than one lesson; most of His lessons He gave through example. Fr. Cassidy picks out the examples from the Gospels and gives simple comments.
• Scepter Publishers first brought out The Liturgy Constitution (15s.) with foreword by Fr. Austin Flannery, O.P., and voluminous commentaries by others in 1964. It has already established for itself a high reputation.
This latest edition is cornpletely up to date and includes all the Instructions and other directions subsequently issued from the Vatican, e.g. Concelebration Rite, Holy Communion under Both Kinds, Vernacular. The speed' of publication alone is a marvel of organisation. There is also an excellent last chapter on the design and reorganisation of churches.
• Geoffrey Chapman produce the first of a series of simplified versions of Council documents prepared under the direction of The Grail. The text of This is the Church (2s. 6d.) is prepared by Philippa Stewart Craig.
Many of the faithful feel that an understanding of the Council documents is beyond them. This is not surprising when the clergy themselves find plenty of homework to be necessary. This excellent series will do a great deal to help the People of God to "penetrate the world with a Christian spirit, and be witnesses of Christ in all things in the midst of human society." Whoever thought of this layout in short lines of one sentence or clause, it is inspired.
Of course some readers will find fault with details; nevertheless the overall plan is faultless. Throughout the text there are clear subtitles and abundant Scriptural references; and at the end there is an appendix with discussion questions on each chapter. This is one of the best half crown's worth we have seen for a long time.
• In Union With Christ (Clonmore & Reynolds, 21s.), Dom Idesbald Ryelandt, OSB, gives a balanced account of Benedictine spirituality based on the Rule of St. Benedict and the liturgy.
Gerard Meath O.P.