Not Less Than Everything: Catholic Writers on Heroes of Conscience, from Joan of Arc to Oscar Romero

For a thoughtful Catholic, ongoing divisions and controversies call for continual redefinition and negotiation of one's faith and allegiance to the church. And this often requires looking at respected figures from the past for inspiration.

In NOT LESS THAN EVERYTHING: CATHOLIC WRITERS ON HEROES OF CONSCIENCE, FROM JOAN OF ARC TO OSCAR ROMERO, anthology editor Catherine Wolff has compiled a thoughtful and engaging collection of essays and reflections on the Catholic figures who continue to inspire us today -- profiles of the men and women who found great personal, spiritual, and intellectual strength to challenge the traditional church. Some were heretics, denounced for denying or inventing doctrine, and others were condemned for not submitting to ecclesiastical control. And yet all of these figures have what theologian Elizabeth Johnson calls 'uncanny integrity'. They saw through a lens of great moral clarity, were fueled by passionate motivation, and remained steadfast in their beliefs.

Covering a range of subjects and topics -- from Ann Patchett on Charles Strobel to Colm Toibin on Gerard Manley Hopkins to Alice McDermott on Horace McKenna, S.J. -- the anthology showcases some of today's most respected writers and thinkers engaging personally with their favourite saints.

Exploring the tensions that arise from conflicting demands of conscience and authority, and from the challenge of living one's faith in the real world, NOT LESS THAN EVERYTHING will appeal to both a Catholic audience struggling to make sense of their faith and a wider readership eager to understand the conflict of modern sensibilities with ancient beliefs.