Weekly Book Discussion Group

See below for the books that will be discussed starting September 15, 2022.

Our first discussion, Thursday September 15, 2022, will be facilitated by Anne Koester, a member of the Holy Trinity staff, RCIA Coordinator for the parish, Georgetown professor, and an author…read more.

Liz McCloskey will facilitate discussion of the book on September 29. Liz is a parishioner at Holy Trinity Catholic Church where she is a spiritual director, co-facilitates a feminist bible study, and is on the team of the Ignatian Spirituality Project…read more.

Tony Tambasco will be facilitating the discussion of the book on the two other Thursday evenings that we will be discussing the book.

1) Women in the New Testament  Liturgical Press, by Mary Ann Getty-Sullivan,   2001, 280 pp., $12.95 paperback.

Much of the history of women, in religion as in other fields, is lost because it was overlooked or considered unimportant. It is therefore surprising that so many fragments of women’s stories survive in the New Testament texts, which were composed by men. Why did they include so many references to women and why are women, as a group, treated so positively by the male New Testament writers? Women in the New Testament shows how the stories of women are an integral part of the Gospel and its meaning for us. It also conveys how we can respond to the challenge these women represent, whether we are men trying to understand or women trying to find our voices within the tradition of faith found in the New Testament. Chapter one discusses three women of expectant faith. Chapters two and three deal with women who are changed by Jesus. Chapter four focuses on New Testament women of influence. Chapters five and six show how women disciples spread and gave shape to the gospel message.

2) Belonging: One Catholic’s Journey by Frank J. Butler,  (Orbis Books, 2020), 208 pp., $25 paperback, $15.49 kindle.

Frank Butler has been an eyewitness to ecclesiastical power struggles over church reform for several decades and became a trusted advisor to some of the largest Catholic foundations in the world. His deep faith, reformist instincts, and unique leadership experience provide an honest, critical, and still hope-filled look at his church today. Belonging leaves readers hopeful that connection to a faith community, despite the disillusioning failures of its leadership, can lead to a deepened sense of responsibility and purposeful action.

Frank Butler led an international consortium of private charities for more than three decades. Before that he served on the senior policy staff of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In his early years he was a committee staff member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. Butler is a co-founder of SOAR, a foundation helping retired nuns and priests, a board member of the National Catholic Reporter, and has served as an advisor for many national and international charitable organizations. Frank Butler’s writings and commentary have appeared in AMERICA, Commonweal, and the NCR and he has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and other news media as an experienced voice in the religious and philanthropic worlds. His most recent book, Belonging, One Catholic's Journey, won a First Prize in the category Spirituality at the 2021 San Francisco Book Festival and Second Prize in the category Memoir at the 2021 Catholic Media Awards.

Frank Butler is a Holy Trinity parishioner.