Michael Davies (1) (1936–2004)

This title is written for those interested in learning more about the impact of Modernism on the Catholic Church and explains the influence it has on the church's declining numbers. The title isn’t long, but the material although interesting takes time to comprehend and digest. The writer explains how Modernism differs from traditional catholic beliefs by first posing the question, “ Is God imminent or is God transcendent? The introduction of Modernism in the 19th century sees God as imminent, therefore undermining the Catholics’ belief in the supernatural world. After a great discussion on the historical background, development, followers, etc., the writer concludes Modernism still continues to be a danger to Catholicism and other religions as well.

(Review copy)… (meer)

A Short History of the Roman Mass is a brief, fifty-page overview of the origin and development of the Roman Rite of the mass (the main form of the liturgy in the West). From the New Testament to today, Davies gives a thorough summary of how the mass became what it is today, including the form of the low mass. It should be noted that the author was famously anti-the new mass, so post-Vatican II developments are relegated to a couple of pages about how underhanded and a betrayal of previous processes it the mass of Paul VI was. But if you're interesting in the older forms of the mass, there is much to chew on here.

Recommended for Catholics of a certain stripe, Davies gets a bit bitter towards the end, so lovers of the new mass may want to stay away.… (meer)