Not Less Than Everything: Catholic Writers on Heroes of Conscience, from Joan of Arc to Oscar Romero

In Not Less Than Everything, Catherine Wolff gathers the world's best contemporary Catholic writers, including Alice McDermott, Tobias Wolff, and Ann Patchett, to share their thoughts on brave men and women such as Joan of Arc and Oscar Romero--heroes who've challenged the dogma while holding steadfastly to their faith. In each of these thought-provoking essays, these greatly respected writers and thinkers engage personally with his or her favorite heretic, exploring the tensions that arise from conflicting demands of conscience and authority, of inspiration and orthodoxy, and from the challenge of living one's faith in the real world.

About the Author :
Catherine Wolff is the former director of the Arrupe Center for Community-Based Learning at Santa Clara University. She is married to author Tobias Wolff. They have three grown children and live in Stanford, California.

Review :
"Not Less Than Everything is a timely reminder of the power of personal witness, the call of a creative conscience, and the wonder to be discovered in a life well lived. Put simply, it is an invitation to the catholicity of being oneself." -- U.S. Catholic "A thoroughly engrossing collection of mini biographies of familiar or unfamiliar but always fascinating characters -- as seen through the eyes of highly regarded contemporary authors." -- Christian Science Monitor "This compilation of heroines and heroes shines light in our challenging time as we search for fidelity that is deeper that blind obedience." -- Sister Simone Campbell "This important book is essential reading for Catholics. It is a timely reminder that, quite often in the church, the excluded become the embraced, the silenced become the prophets, the excommunicated become the saints, and the stones that the builders rejected become the cornerstones." -- Rev. James Martin, S.J. "The essays form an affirmation of the faith. They're stories of various people who, in many different ways throughout the history of the Church, were willing to say 'I know that I'm right, and they're telling me that I'm wrong, but I'm going to stay with the institution anyway.'" -- Intermountain Catholic "The Church is suffering from a crisis of dissent. This fascinating collection shows us how brave men and women have lived these tensions through the centuries. All these voices need to be heard if we are to become a Church which is unafraid of debate." -- Father Timothy Radcliffe OP, former Master of the Dominicans "Pure Gold! What a gift and contribution to put such superb authors and super heroes together in one place. This book could move all of our lives to a much higher level of consciousness--where some have already had the courage to go." -- Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M. Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico "What a beautiful experience I had, reading this book. It is deeply personal and engaging, and also full of what I call knowledge-bearing sentences. You will be entertained, believe me, and all the while, too, you will be learning something new, page by graceful page. Don't miss it." -- Richard Bausch "Not Less Than Everything is thought-provoking. Although it features the beliefs and challenges of those belonging to the Catholic faith, the basic theme is timeless and crosses religious boundaries." -- Deseret News