A Primer in the Philosophy of John Paul II–In His Own Words
by Dr. Michael J. Healy
To aid students in comprehending the Holy Father’s thought, Dr. Healy provides close-to-the-text summary interpretations of Saint John Paul II’s major philosophical works, condensing the essence of his philosophical teachings on the person and act, love, and sexuality.
Paperback: $29.95 | Kindle $9.99
TESTIMONIALS
“Professor Michael Healy has prepared a very accessible and usable introduction to the thought of Pope John Paul II which students and teachers alike–and even the interested general reader–will find to be a very good beginning in trying to understand and appreciate the author of one of the most profound and prolific teaching pontificates in the history of the Church. One would have to plow through many volumes to acquire what careful reading and study of this volume alone provides. Not least, the “primer” provides a clearer idea of what the student of John Paul II’s thought should go on to acquire and study.” – Dr. Kenneth D. Whitehead
“Karol Wojtyła was very gifted as a speaker but, alas, when he made philosophy he was extremely technical and rigorous. So much so that a familiar story in the milieu of Cracow was that all priests who in life had neglected their intellectual formation, before entering in Heaven, should have to pass an examination on The Acting Person (the philosophical masterpiece of Wojtyła). For some of them it might take even one hundred years. Now their task has been enormously facilitated (and their penance correspondingly cut short) by this “primer” of Prof. Michael Healy Sr.. Prof Healy has assimilated the spirit of Wojtyła so much in depth that he succeeds in rendering it in a smooth, plain and easy expression. He is really the St. John the Baptist of Wojtyła : he prepares the way leading to our author and makes the paths straight. The book is good for the students who try to find a path leading into the complex conceptual construction of Wojtyła but is useful also to advanced scholars who want to better appreciate the particular and inimitable flavor of Wojtyła’s philosophy.” – Dr. Rocco Buttiglione
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Michael J. Healy served as Dean of the Faculty (chief academic officer) under Fr. Michael Scanlan, TOR (President) at Franciscan University of Steubenville from 1986-2000. During the 2002-2003 academic year, he served as interim president of Ave Maria College while on leave of absence from Franciscan University. He then returned to Franciscan to resume his position as full professor of philosophy, where he specializes in philosophy of the person, ethics, existentialism, and philosophy of religion. He has a special love for Kierkegaard, von Hildebrand, and Wojtyla interpreted in light of and in dialogue with the philosophia perennis. His favorite author in the Thomistic tradition is Josef Pieper. His favorite course is The Nature of Love, wherein he uses the works of all four of the above. Dr. Healy earned his B.A. from Loyola University of Los Angeles (1972, now Loyola Marymount University) and his M.A. (1975) and Ph.D. (1978) from the University of Dallas.
OTHER CATHOLIC PHILOSOPHY BOOKS
A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding St. Thomas Aquinas’s Teaching about the Actual Composition of Essence and Esse in Created Beings by Peter Anthony Achilles Redpath
A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding St. Thomas Aquinas’s Teaching about the Actual Composition of Essence and Esse in Created Beings by Dr. Peter Anthony Achilles Redpath This book explores St. Thomas Aquinas’s metaphysical principles, focusing on the relationship...
Essays on the Life and Work of Étienne Gilson: Christian Humanist and Global Peacemaker by Peter Redpath
Essays on the Life and Work of Étienne Gilson: Christian Humanist and Global Peacemaker by Dr. Peter Anthony Achilles Redpath The book of essays offers a comprehensive exploration of the intellectual life of Étienne Gilson, generally considered to be the leading...
A Handbook on How Prudential Common Sense Can Save the World from Imminent Collapse by Peter Redpath
A Handbook on How Prudential Common Sense Can Save the World from Imminent Collapse by Dr. Peter Anthony Achilles Redpath Ever since the start of the twentieth century, and especially toward the rise and end of World War II, some Western intellectuals started to...
Proofs for God–Some New Approaches: A Catholic Philosopher Defends Elements of Classical Proofs, While Also Offering Somewhat Novel Metaphysical Demonstrations by Dennis Bonnette
Proofs for God--Some New Approaches: A Catholic Philosopher Defends Elements of Classical Proofs, While Also Offering Somewhat Novel Metaphysical Demonstrations by Dennis Bonnette, Ph.D. Proofs for God--Some New Approaches explains and defends the metaphysical first...
Man’s Nature–Spiritual, Immortal, and Free: A Catholic Philosopher Defends the Human Spiritual Soul and Presents Unique Analysis of Modern Ape-Language Research by Dennis Bonnette
Man's Nature--Spiritual, Immortal, and Free: A Catholic Philosopher Defends the Human Spiritual Soul and Presents Unique Analysis of Modern Ape-Language Research by Dennis Bonnette, Ph.D. Man's Nature--Spiritual, Immortal, and Free is a work of philosophical...
Foundations for Universal Certitudes: A Catholic Philosopher Defends Metaphysical First Principles that Firmly Support Traditional Aristotelian-Thomistic Sciences by Dennis Bonnette
Foundations for Universal Certitudes: A Catholic Philosopher Defends Metaphysical First Principles that Firmly Support Traditional Aristotelian-Thomistic Sciences by Dennis Bonnette, Ph.D. Foundations for Universal Certitudes demonstrates the apodictic certainty of...
Revealed Mysteries Rationally Defended: A Catholic Philosopher Explains and Defends Several Central Revealed Truths by Dennis Bonnette
Revealed Mysteries Rationally Defended: A Catholic Philosopher Explains and Defends Several Central Revealed Truths by Dennis Bonnette, Ph.D. Revealed Mysteries Rationally Defended addresses the metaphysics of miracles and the manner in which supernatural grace...
God’s Nature and Relation to Creatures: A Catholic Philosopher Explains Divine Attributes, Problem of Evil, and Natural Law Ethics
God’s Nature and Relation to Creatures: A Catholic Philosopher Explains Divine Attributes, Problem of Evil, and Natural Law Ethics by Dennis Bonnette, Ph.D. God's Nature and Relation to Creatures aims primarily at helping readers understand that the nature and...
Atheistic Materialism’s Unseen Errors: A Catholic Philosopher Exposes Naturalism’s Incoherent Worldview by Dennis Bonnette
Atheistic Materialism’s Unseen Errors: A Catholic Philosopher Exposes Naturalism’s Incoherent Worldview by Dennis Bonnette, Ph.D. Atheistic Materialism's Unseen Errors, written in purely rational terms of how reality actually is constituted in ways that materialism...
The Development of Political Theory by Richard Bishirjian
The Development of Political Theory: A Critical Analysis by Richard Bishirjian Students of political science properly hunger for comprehensive approaches to political theory which place in theoretical perspective the major ideas which govern the world today. This...
Assertions and Refutations II An Assessment of “A Secular Age” by Charles Taylor, authored by Donald G. Boland
Assertions and Refutations II: An Assessment of “A Secular Age” by Charles Taylor by Dr. Donald G. Boland This book is as stated on its cover an assessment of a book by Charles Taylor entitled “A Secular Age” published in 2007. It serves mainly as a critique of...
Analysing the Errors and Exposing the Real Agenda of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.: The Selected Works of Frits Albers, Vol. 1
Analysing the Errors and Exposing the Real Agenda of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.: The Selected Works of Frits Albers, Vol. 1 by Frits Albers, edited with a Foreword by Frank Calneggia Selected for publication in this present volume are four of the principal works...
Four Catholic Philosophers: Rejoicing in the Truth (Jacques Maritain, Edith Stein, Dietrich von Hildebrand, Karol Wojtyła)
Four Catholic Philosophers: Rejoicing in the Truth (Jacques Maritain, Edith Stein, Dietrich von Hildebrand, Karol Wojtyła) by Richard A. Spinello This book unfolds the intersecting life stories of four important Catholic philosophers of the 20th century, namely,...
Metaphysics, Truth and St. Thomas Aquinas
Metaphysics, Truth and St. Thomas Aquinas by Dr. Donald G. Boland In studying natural wisdom, Dr. Boland takes a look at how Aristotle defends the principle of non-contradiction, focusing on the great philosopher's treatment of the causes that prompted the ancients to...
Thomas of the Creator
Thomas of the Creator by Dr. Donald G. Boland Based on the works of St. Thomas, in particular his two Summas and his commentaries on Aristotle’s Physics and Metaphysics, this book is divided into three parts; 1) The Existence of God; 2) His Essence; 3) His Attributes,...
Metaphysics/Ontology and St. Thomas Aquinas (Twenty Readings in Wisdom Forsaken)
Metaphysics/Ontology and St. Thomas Aquinas by Dr. Donald G. Boland With this book the author moves from what Aristotle and Aquinas called the order of practical studies to the theoretical. At their highest levels it is from the ethical to the metaphysical. To the...
Rational Responses to Skepticism: A Catholic Philosopher Defends Intellectual Foundations for Traditional Belief by Dennis Bonnette, Ph.D.
Rational Responses to Skepticism: A Catholic Philosopher Defends Intellectual Foundations for Traditional Belief by Dennis Bonnette, Ph.D. Following an avalanche of spirited criticism from skeptics, agnostics, and atheists, who have provided forceful intellectual...
Political Science and Saint Thomas Aquinas
Political Science and Saint Thomas Aquinas by Dr. Donald G Boland This book seeks to provide a relatively complete basis for the understanding of political science as presented by Aristotle, with the help of Saint Thomas Aquinas mainly by way of his (partial)...
Ethics Today and Saint Thomas Aquinas
Ethics Today and Saint Thomas Aquinas: A Complete Course on Moral Philosophy for Our Time and All Times by Dr. Donald G. Boland This book seeks to provide a complete moral philosophy based on the works of St. Thomas Aquinas. The first part deals with the principles or...
Assertions and Refutations: An Assessment of Dr Tracey Rowland’s Natural Law: From Neo Thomism to Nuptial Mysticism
Assertions and Refutations: An Assessment of Dr Tracey Rowland’s Natural Law: From Neo Thomism to Nuptial Mysticism by Frank Calneggia This book unties the philosophical knot of Dr Tracey Rowland’s assertions concerning the natural moral law, Faith and reason, nature...
Natural Law – Australian Style
Natural Law - Australian Style: A Study in Disputation focusing on the Work of Peter Singer, John Finnis and Tracey Rowland by Dr. Donald G. Boland This book is a critique of the three most prominent Australian "authorities" on Law and Ethics of the present day,...
The Drama of Metaphysics: An Exploration into the Psychological Power of Worldviews
The Drama of Metaphysics: An Exploration into the Psychological Power of Worldviews by Stephen Alexander Beach Western Philosophy has been a 2500-year conversation attempting to understand the reality which lies beyond the changing physical appearances of the world....
The Battle for the 20th Century Mind by Ronda Chervin
The Battle for the 20th Century Mind by Ronda Chervin TBA Paperback: $19.95 | Kindle: $9.99 Reviews A review of Dr. Ronda Chervin’s, The Battle for the 20th Century Mind (St. Luis, MO: En Route Books and Media, 2022) by Francis Etheredge Ronda Chervin sets out her...
Conscious Energy and the Evolution of Philosophy
Conscious Energy and the Evolution of Philosophy by Joe P. Provenzano This is a book about philosophy, but it is a book for everyone—everyone who has ever wondered about the meaning of the universe and human life—because it provides answers to two fundamental...
Three Acts: A Commentary on Plato’s Theaetetus
Three Acts: A Commentary on Plato's Theaetetus by Brandon Spun This guide to Plato’s Theaetetus is both an introduction to philosophy and an analysis of the dialogue according to the three acts of the mind. It suggests that Plato explores the problem of knowledge by...
Philosophy Begins in Wonder
Philosophy Begins in Wonder by Stephen D. Schwarz with Kiki Latimer This book is the compilation of over fifty years of teaching Ethics, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Philosophy of the Person, and Virtue Ethics in the classroom setting. Philosophy Begins in Wonder offers...
The Gender Link to the Human Soul by Kimberly Bruce
The Gender Link to the Human Soul by Kimberly Bruce The Gender Link to the Human Soul establishes gender as an element of the soul retained in this life and for all eternity. This is demonstrated in the brilliant philosophical insights of Thomas Aquinas and John Paul...
How to Listen & How to Speak by Dr. Peter Redpath
How to Listen & How to Speak: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants to Renew Commonsense and Uncommonsense Wisdom in the Contemporary World by Dr. Peter Redpath While the subject of this monograph is chiefly human communication in the form of listening and speaking,...
Words, Concepts, Reality: Aristotelian Logic for Teenagers
Words, Concepts, Reality: Aristotelian Logic for Teenagers By Thaddeus Kozinski, Ph.D. When we hear the word logic, we tend to think of arguments, premises and conclusions, claims and evidence for claims. But this is only half of it. Arguments are made of words, and...
The Right Way to Live: Plato’s Republic for Catholic Students by Richard Geraghty
The Right Way to Live: Plato's Republic for Catholic Students by Richard Geraghty Plato's philosophical dialogues provide a solid understanding of Catholic moral principles. Geraghty shows within these pages how the truths of the old sage are both delightfully and...
Soulful Organizational Leadership by Arthur William McVey
Soulful Organizational Leadership by Arthur William McVey In the "Postmodern" organizational era, the concept of soul, spirituality, rationality, telos, virtue, happiness, and meaning is becoming increasingly a mainstream component in scientific psychology. This...
A Reader in Recent Catholic Philosophy, ed. by Dr. Alan Vincelette
A Reader in Recent Catholic Philosophy: The Twentieth Century Ed. by Alan Vincelette This presentation of readings in Catholic philosophy in the twentieth-century reveals a remarkable diversity of views. Dr. Vincelette presents this diversity in the selection of...
Recent Catholic Philosophy: The Twentieth Century
Recent Catholic Philosophy: The Twentieth Century by Alan Vincelette This presentation of Catholic philosophy in the twentieth-century reveals a remarkable diversity of views. Dr. Vincelette presents this diversity in an expository manner without applying the kind of...
The Destructive Doctrines of our Age by Gerard M. Verschuuren
The Destructive Doctrines of Our Age by Gerard M. Verschuuren There are many doctrines around that try to change and mold our minds—doctrines such as relativism and secularism, to name just a couple, but this book discusses 13 more. These doctrines are rather...
Broken Hearts in a Broken World by Gerard M. Verschuuren
Broken Hearts in a Broken World by Gerard M. Verschuuren Brokenness has become endemic in our days. In poll after poll, the vast majority of respondents say that our country is fundamentally broken. Our political system is broken. Our economy is broken. Our very...
A Companion to Reading Newman’s Grammar of Assent by Richard Geraghty
A Companion to Reading Newman's Grammar of Assent by Richard Geraghty In this book A Companion to Reading Newman’s Grammar of Assent, Richard Geraghty explains Newman’s truths by illustrating them as they pertain to contemporary Catholic issues. Through his personal...
The Thomist Tradition: Avoiding Scylla and Charybdis
The Thomist Tradition: Avoiding Scylla and Charybdis by Dr. Donald G Boland As with every great philosopher and theologian, the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, though perhaps the clearest expressed of all, has inevitably been subject to a variety of interpretations....
Voyage to Insight
Voyage to Insight by Dr. Ronda Chervin En Route Books and Media has reprinted Ronda Chervin and Lois Janis’ book Voyage to Insight with fresh, exciting graphics. It can be read straight through or you can add your own insights into the book and even dialogue about...
A Not-So-Elementary Christian Metaphysics, Volume 2: An Introduction to Ragamuffin Thomism
A Not-So-Elementary Christian Metaphysics, Volume 2: An Introduction to Ragamuffin Thomism by Dr. Peter Redpath Nothing short of a metaphysical disturbance and metaphysical revolution of the highest order can resolve the West’s and the world’s current cultural,...
A Not-So-Elementary Christian Metaphysics, Volume 1: Written in the Hope of Ending the Centuries-old Separation between Philosophy and Science and Science and Wisdom
A Not-So-Elementary Christian Metaphysics, Volume 1: Written in the Hope of Ending the Centuries-old Separation between Philosophy and Science and Science and Wisdom by Dr. Peter Redpath This book’s chief aim is novel and radical: to reunite philosophy, science, and...
The Moral Psychology of St. Thomas Aquinas: An Introduction to Ragamuffin Ethics
The Moral Psychology of St. Thomas Aquinas: An Introduction to Ragamuffin Ethics by Dr. Peter Redpath Through a radical reinterpretation of classical philosophy as an organizational psychology, The Moral Psychology of St. Thomas: An Introduction to Ragamuffin...