Video Recommendations

Making Sense of Christian Morality (V 1021)
Father Richard Sparks provides insights into living Christian values and shows how Christian morality “makes sense” when complex and challenging decisions must be made.
A - Christian Moral Living: The Challenge and the Possibility
B - Bioethical Issues: Ethics at the Edge of Life
C - Human Sexuality: Wonderful Gift, Awesome Responsibility
D - The Gospel is a Social Message: Justice in the Christian Tradition.

Building the Civilization of Love (V 1431)
The wisdom of Catholic social teaching is brought to bear in the discussions of Father William Maestri of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and Helen Alvare of the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Pro Life Office. Their discussions about building the civilization of life and confronting the civilization of death explore abortion, euthanasia, marriage-family life and adolescent sexuality.

Beginning and End of Life Issues: Seeking Divine Wisdom (D 5105)
Learn about the Catholic Church’s stand on beginning-of-life and end-of-life issues. Topics of discussion include marriage and sex, family planning, treating infertility, advanced directives, organ donation and death with dignity.

Assumptions (D 5122)
Tells the story of a young girl who is thrilled her mother is having a baby, then struggles as she learns of her mother’s cancer. All in the family assume they know what’s best. But Jessica, the mother, trusts in God and makes a confident decision to risk her life for the child she doesn’t know.

Book Recommendations

Reaffirming Life in a Culture of Death (BK 4119)
Mark Neilsen; Liguori
Our culture is embroiled in a war of morality. Individualism, self-importance, convenience and profit hold greater value in our society than does human life. Neilsen examines eight contemporary issues and offers guidelines for Christian decision making.

Good Care, Painful Choices–Medical Ethics for Ordinary People (BK 5448)
Richard J. Devine, C.M.; Paulist Press
Patients, family members and students will find this a valuable guide through the clutter and confusion of opinions. It offers a perspective that puts complicated issues in a comprehensible, ethical context.

Defending Life 2009: Proven Strategies for a Pro-Life America (BK5973)
Americans United for Life
A guide for state legislators and policy makers seeking to pass effective pro-life laws. Whether the issue is abortion, bioethics, end of life or protecting healthcare providers’ rights of conscience, here are the tools to pass laws that defend human life and withstand judicial scrutiny.

Internet Recommendations

www.catholicculture.org
A site to give faithful Catholics the information, encouragement and perspective they need to become active forces for renewal in the Church and in society, working to shape an authentically Christian culture in a secular world.


To check out these materials or others, phone Kathy Ward at 406-442-5820 or e-mail kward@diocesehelena.org. To see more holdings, please visit www.diocesehelena.org and select “Resource Center Catalog.”


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 26, No. 9, September 17, 2010.