Dietrich von Hildebrand was a German Catholic philosopher and theologian whose work was highly regarded by Popes Pius XII, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI. He was known as a vocal critic of the changes in the Catholic Church following the Second Vatican Council, particularly the new liturgy, which he sharply condemned. His writings delve into ethics and philosophical reflection, establishing him as a significant figure in 20th-century Catholic thought. Pope Benedict XVI even proclaimed that his name would be most prominent among the figures of the 20th century when the intellectual history of the Catholic Church is written.
Of all sins, pride is the most dangerous . . . and the most sorrowful: it cuts the Christian off from God, estranges him from others, and leaves him lost and unhappy. This book shows readers how to drive pride from the soul and discover the incredible strength and joys of humility today.
Unlike most recent books about death, Jaws of Death: Gate of Heaven faithfully presents both faces of death—its grim horror and its potential for infinite light and joy. Dietrich von Hildebrand shows that although death never loses its character as a punishment for sin, its fearful darkness can be pierced by the radiant light of faith—faith in God, in eternal life, in the resurrection of the body, and in the certainty of reunion with our beloved dead—a reunion that will know no sunset. Because the jaws of death can be our gate to Heaven, the radiant aspect of death finally triumphs as the light of Christ dissipates the fearful dark clouds spread by death. Alice von Hildebrand | From the Foreword
Before we examine the nature, the meaning, and the beauty of Christian marriage (which St. Paul calls "a great mystery in Christ and the Holy Church"), we shall examine the essence and meaning of marriage in the realm of nature, and its specific character in reference to all other fellowships and communities. Only in this way can we understand what was so gloriously exalted by Jesus Christ and thus dispel the misinterpretations of the nature of marriage so frequently encountered. Why does Holy Scripture choose this particular relationship as an image? It is chosen because marriage is the closest and most intimate of all earthly unions in which, more than in any other, one person gives himself to another without reserve, where the other in his complete personality is the object of love, and where mutual love is in a specific way the theme (that is to say, the core) of the relationship.
