2002 Alpha Sigma Nu National Jesuit Book Award Winners

October 1, 2002

The Jesuits: Cultures, Sciences and the Arts: 1540-1773

(University of Toronto Press, 1999)
Edited by John W. O'Malley, S.J., Gauvin Alexander Bailey, Steven J. Harris, and
T. Frank Kennedy, S.J., (Boston College)

"The scholarly sweep is incredibly broad, the detail of new research and understanding of the Jesuit impact is nearly breathtaking, and the range of ideas to stimulate further work is nearly encyclopedic. This is a work to ponder, to find ways to use again and again."

Honorable Mention:
Paper Before Print (Yale University Press, 2001)
By Jonathan M. Bloom (Boston College)

"Paper Before Print is a wonderful, original, and very creative contribution [that examines] the development and spread of paper from Asia and the Middle East to Europe in the Middle Ages..a major work of scholarship that deserves wide reading."

In the Discipline of Literature/Fine Arts:

The Owl, The Raven and The Dove: The Religious Meaning of the Grimms' Magic Fairy Tales

(Oxford University Press, 2000)
By G. Ronald Murphy, S.J. (Georgetown University)

"G. Ronald Murray, S.J. persuasively makes the case that five of the Grimm brothers' fairy tales (Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty) reveal significantly religious meaning arising from the Christian faith of the Grimm brothers, especially Wilhelm Grimm. Those interested either in theology, biography, or literary studies will appreciate the way in which he has revealed a new dimension in some of our most cherished fairy tales."

"The achievement, and it is a very considerable one, is to reveal much that is new about the working habits and intellectual orientations of the Grimms. This is a novel and genuinely important book."

In the Discipline of Philosophy/Ethics:

Catholic Ethicists on HIV/AIDS Prevention

(Continuum, 2000)
Edited by James F. Keenan, S.J., et al (Weston Jesuit School of Theology)

"This book brings to bear many of the top global Catholic ethicists on perhaps the most important social justice topic in the world today (and) in the process, contributes significantly to the growth and development of Catholic moral theology and moral philosophy. The multiple global points of view bring nuance and perspective.(and) is a real gift of thoughtful reflection and compassion for the many who are not realistically in a position to help themselves."

Honorable Mention:
Overcoming Onto-Theology: Toward a Postmodern Christian Faith

(New York: Fordham University Press, 2001)
By Merold Westphal (Fordham University)

"This work will be a superb resource and a most welcomed challenge to anyone studying in the fields of Philosophical Theology and Philosophy of Religion. It will also contribute greatly to all those who seek a better understanding of how Christianity can be cogently articulated within the context of a postmodern world."

In the Discipline of Theology:

Catholics and American Culture : Fulton Sheen, Dorothy Day, and the Notre Dame Football Team 

(New York, The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1999)
By Mark S. Massa, S.J. (Fordham University)

"Massa's Catholics and American Culture is an interesting, well-researched, well-written book which examines American Catholicism in the post-war period as it was transformed from a group of separatist immigrant ethnic communities into a traditional integrated into American culture."

"Massa's approach is to discuss key icons, representative figures, and institutions that have expressed Catholicism to Americans over the past 50 years and more. He draws on a wide range of sources, and he is a shrewd and skilled historian who writes with lucidity, humor and intelligence."

"It is a book that raises questions, that gives us food for further thought, further critical examination of ourselves, our institutions and our future."