Undusted Texts

 Questions to Antiochos and Other Theological Questions  Pseudo-Athanasius Buy the Kindle Edition Here Buy the Kobo Edition Here    It was Luther who made the question-and-answer format popular for catechisms, but it had been used for teaching for centuries before him.  Often, the curious would prepare lists of questions and send them to authorities to answer: so we have a set of  Solution to Thirty-Eight Questions  from St. Hildegard of Bingen, or the set of detailed questions that the Khan of Bulgaria sent to the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople to decide whether he would become Catholic or Orthodox.  (One question queried the sinfulness of wearing trousers.)   This volume consists of a variety of sets of questions, all falsely ascribed to St. Athanasius, but instead probably written in the 7th century.  The sets included are the  Questions to Antiochos , the  Sequential Questions on the Gospels , the  Scrip...

  On the Passion of Christ Selected Texts and Excerpts from Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle Buy the Kindle Edition Here    Just in time for Holy Week, I have released a selection of writings from Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle (1575-1629) on the Passion of Christ.  This collection includes selections from his Works of Piety ( one of the included texts can be found here ), as well as two excepts from his Discourses on the State and on the Grandeurs of Jesus . To celebrate the release, I have also temporarily lowered the eBook price for my other translations from Bérulle: Life of Jesus and Elevation to Jesus Christ Regarding Saint Mary Magdalene .  Both these longer texts are currently only $1.99 for the Kindle version, instead of the usual $2.99 price; "On the Passion of Christ" is $0.99, just like my other short eBook-only releases.  As with my other eBooks, it can be read for free by subscribers to Kindle Unlimited.

  Pascal's Anguish Maurice Barrès Buy the Kindle Edition Here    Newly-released is a set of two essays by Maurice Barrès (1862-1923).  Barrès was a novelist, traveloguist, and politician; I previously translated a volume of his writings on Joan of Arc . The present eBook consists of the essay "Pascal's Anguish," along with the shorter complement "The Enfances Pascal ," about Pascal's childhood.  The main essay discusses Pascal's spiritual anguish, which was resolved by a revelation, the experience of which was enshrined in Pascal's Memorial .  The essay includes a line-by-line commentary on the Memorial .  The second essay delves into Pascal's intellectual and spiritual development during his childhood.  As with my other translations, I have added many footnotes explaining Barrès' references. Being short, this new translation is available in eBook format only; as with my other eBooks, it can be read for free by subscribers to Kindle ...

  Defense of the Genius of Christianity François-René de Chateaubriand Buy the Kindle Edition Here   Chateaubriand (1761-1848) was a major French author of his time, and one of the forefathers of Romanticism, but he is little-read today.  (Though, circumstantially, a newly-translated anthology of his writings was just released a week and a half ago, which views him from the angle of his anti-Enlightenment and anti-Revolutionary thought.) One of his greatest works is the Genius of Christianity , an apology for the Catholic religion primarily on the basis of its effect on aesthetics and morals, rather than a philosophical or theological defense.  Though wildly popular, it also had its critics; to rebut his critics, Chateaubriand, inspired by Montesquieu's Defense of the Spirit of the Laws , wrote this Defense . Unfortunately for English readers, the only available translation of the Genius (as far as I have found) omits this addition.  To remedy this lack, I ha...

  Joan of Arc: Hero of Lorraine, Hero of France, Hero of Christendom Selected Writings by Maurice Barrès Buy the Paperback Here Buy the Kindle Edition Here Buy on Kobo Here     Newly-released is a collection of writings by Maurice Barrès (1862-1923).  Barrès was a novelist, traveloguist, and politician.  Among his political accomplishments was successfully pushing for France to establish a national feast of Joan of Arc and patriotism, celebrated on the second Sunday of May: due to Barrès' efforts, this feast was established in 1920, shortly after Joan's canonization, and it is celebrated to this day. The core of this volume is a collection of articles Barrès wrote during World War I, relating to this drive for a national feast.  To supplement, I have also included some earlier, more lyrical essays on Joan of Arc's childhood, and a chapter from a travelogue about his visit, with his son, to Joan's hometown of Domrémy.  Appendices also include selectio...

  The Rosary in the Sun Francis Jammes Purchase the Paperback Edition Purchase the Kindle Edition Purchase on Kobo   Available on Apple Books     The most recent entry in the Undusted Texts Translations series is the first work of fiction in the series: the novel The Rosary in the Sun (1916) by French poet Francis Jammes (1868-1938).  Jammes early gained recognition for his poetry, particularly his 1898 collection From the Dawn Angelus to the Evening Angelus .  Despite the title of that collection, Jammes was a fallen-away Catholic until he struck up a friendship with poet and playwright Paul Claudel (1868-1955).  Due to that friendship, Jammes "converted" to practicing Catholicism in 1905, and all of his later works were infused with a fervent Catholicism.  The present novel is no exception: it tells the story of Dominica, a young rich girl from Marseille torn between our love for Christ and the poor and her love for a young scientist and for c...

  Life of Jesus Pierre de Bérulle Purchase the Paperback on Amazon Purchase the eBook on Amazon As a companion to my recent publication of Bérulle's Elevation to Jesus Christ Regarding Saint Mary Magdalene , I am proud to announce the release of a new Bérullean translation, the Life of Jesus . The Life of Jesus is an unfinished work, intended to be the "Second Part" of Bérulle's chief-work, the Discourses on the State and on the Grandeurs of Jesus .  Due to Bérulle's death, the Life only covers the Annunciation and the Incarnation; it stops just before Bérulle would have treated the Visitation.  Thus, despite the title of the book, the work is heavily Marian: a more accurate title for the work as we have it might be Life of Jesus Living in Mary . Along with the Life itself, this book includes an introduction on the work, Bérulle's life, and his other writings.  In addition, it includes two appendices: one is the infamous Vows , because of which Bérulle was...

  Elevation to Jesus Christ Regarding Saint Mary Magdalene Pierre de Bérulle Purchase the Paperback on Amazon Purchase the Kindle Edition on Amazon Preorder on Kobo (Available July 21, 2025)    I am excited to announce the release of my first book of translations: Cardinal Pierre de Bérulle's Elevation to Jesus Christ Regarding Saint Mary Magdalene .   Bérulle (1575-1629) was a French priest, cardinal, and royal advisor.  After helping his cousin, Bl. Marie of the Incarnation (1566-1618), bring St. Teresa of Ávila's reform of the Carmelites to France, he went on to form a society for priests, the Oratory of Jesus, inspired by St. Philip Neri's Oratory.  Bérulle was a friend of St. Francis de Sales and St. Vincent de Paul, and he is considered the founder of the French School of Spirituality, whose members include, beside de Paul, St. John Eudes, Jean-Jacques Olier (founder of the Sulpicians), and St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort.   Bérull...