Thanks be to God for gifting this author with so much clarityin thinking, wholesome approach to the true nature of humanity, andability to translate his wisdom into understandable concepts which can be applied in daily life. For the serious seeker who is willing to strip himself of illusions, this work is a jewel.

In reading the book, it brings new insights in a relationship that is an ongoing process, allows to to put into perspective the needs one's own life here on this earth and the life to come.

An in depth look at the abstract qualities that come from and are aimed at cultivating in our relationship with God (mercy, humility, love, understanding, wisdom, sobriety...)

I wonder how could I have been lived for so long without reading any book from the autorship of Dietrich Von Hildebrand: now, I know that he was a master and fairly deserved his reputation as the 20th Doctor of the Church (Pope Pius XII used to label his beloved friend Hildebrand in that way).

In "Charitable Anathema", a compilation of essays that Hildebrand wrote, I suppose, in the late 1960's and early 1970's, he analyses the crisis that assaulted Catholic Church after the closure of the Second Council Vatican, a crisis that unfortunately persists until the present day.

Dietrich Von Hildebrand, for my great happiness, subscribes a one hundred per cent traditional catholic point of view about such issue, which can be resumed in the following statement: Post-Vatican II Catholic Church lost her faith and, invaded by the heretic modernist and progressit trends - the so-called "Spirit of Vatican II"-, intends to establish compromises with the uncompromisable, the "this-worldism" mind. Against such states of things, Hildebrand prescribes the role-models of Saint Athanasius and Saint Pius X.

The book is absolutely excellent and its essays, all of them, are unlosable precious gems. Nevertheless, I would detach, for example, "The Case for the Latin Mass", a passionate praise of the eternal Tridentine Mass; "The Illusion of Progress", where modernism, a variant of leftism inside the religious field, is exposed in its true colours; finally, "The Institutional Church and Institutionalism" and "Belief and Obedience: The Critical Difference", pieces that today can only be read as ahead of time defenses of the great Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

Great, great, great: definitively, a must read book!

It might seem that "formal" prayer would result in a stifling intellectualism that could not really bring about a radical healing and wholeness to the human person, or would neglect the dimension of the healing of emotions. Hildebrand, philosopher-theologian extraordinaire, author of Transformation in Christ, The New Tower of Babel, The Art of Living, In Defense of Purity, The Heart: Source of Christian Affectivity, etcetera, leads the reader into the art of ancient worship in the Liturgy, and into the Heart of God where He can transform one's heart unto a willingness and conformity to the will of God, unto a knowing of oneself via relationship with God, and toward a joy linked to the Beatific vision. The man whose prayer life is "formal" is drawn by God through the prayer of the Church, and could only come to be softened and changed at his center, to desire the Gospel life, to gain a new personalized compassion for all the people of God, whose transformed heart makes him a new creation in Christ; the worshipper unfamiliar with "formal" prayer, through learning to be in conformity with the Church, will enter and experience the deepest awe and reverence of the Sacrifice of the Mass as the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and come to experience the very holiness of God.

It's too bad there is not a rating with six or seven stars. Man and Woman: Love and the Meaning of Intimacy is the best book on love and intimacy in marriage I have ever read. It is written in plain easy to understand language. I wouldn't let an engaged couple, or a couple even thinking about marriage, out the door without first reading and understanding the beauty of married love and intimacy as expressed by Dietrich von Hildebrand in this book.

Marriage gives true love a structure. Hildebrand makes the point that marriage causes each spouse to fight against himself for the sake of his beloved. This, argues, von Hildebrand is why it has become so unpopular.

Von Hildebrand has provides us a forcefully correct understanding of marriage. If you believe that love is both enduring and faithful and that marriage is an unbreakable bond, this book is for you. If you believe that marriage is a well intended union, but need not be permanent this book is really for you.

Von Hildebrand has not written another dimestore "discover yourself and save your marriage" books. Von Hildebrand understands, and argues forcefully, that in loving your spouse you are loving Christ because your spouse is a member of the Body of Christ.

Selfless love towards your spouse is to care solely for the salvation of the person meant by God for you. Once this is realized conjugal love, romantic love, and an enduring love follow.

I really enjoyed this book. It provides an insight into the Catholic understanding of marriage as a sacrament and indissolvable union. No reader will leave this book without having gained some insight and respect for marriage. Buy the book.

"The Soul of a Lion" is a very moving account of the life of Dietrich von Hildebrand, one of the most important Catholic theologians of the 20th century. Since it was written by his lovely wife, Alice, she does not pretend to be an unbiased observer. However, while she clearly writes from a heart filled with deep love and affection, she also recounts his mistakes and character faults without attempting to whitewash them.

Some of the highlights of the book include the sections detailing his very cultured, very European uprbringing; his conversion to Catholicism; and his courageous, outspoken opposition to Nazism, resulting in his dangerous escape to America with his family.

My one disappointment with the book is the ending-- Alice von Hildebrand ends her account with his arrival in the United States. This necessarily leaves untold the story of how the first Mrs. von Hildebrand (Gretchen) died, and how Alice had the great good fortune of meeting and eventually marrying Dietrich. Surely this is another moving tale which deserves to be told! Perhaps, someday, a continuation??

"What Is Philosophy?" is, without a doubt, the most important book listed in Amazon's catalogue of 3 million titles. This claim will appear grandiose -- to say the least -- to those who have not read and understood this book, which outlines von Hildebrand's epistemology. I contend, nevertheless, that the statement is true.

Most mainstream intellectuals have dismissed this brilliant philosopher without any kind of a hearing, much less a fair one, some perhaps as a reaction to his unabashed and outspoken Catholicism. However, "What Is Philosophy" is not a religious book and, in fact, has nothing whatever to do with believing. It is about knowing, as all who give it serious consideration will quickly discover.

Von Hildebrand maps the paths to knowledge in the first three chapters and then in the fourth reveals the inescapable distinction existing between the philosophical and empirical spheres of knowledge. Seeing the significance of this distinction is like passing from darkness into brilliant sunlight, if I may allude to the well-known Allegory of the Cave, for it has the power to change one's perspective on the universe.

The remaining four chapters look at such subjects as objectivity and independence, the two basic themes of knowledge, the distinguishing mark of philosophical inquiry (including the positive relation of philosophy and scientific knowledge), and the meaning of philosophy for man.

Finally, von Hildebrand's clarity of thought and lucid style are unexpected bonuses that will come as a pleasant surprise to those who have forced themselves to slog through the works of many other 20th century philosophers, only to arrive at a dead end. "What Is Philosophy" is truly different. It is a great book, containing ideas that will help shape the next renaissance.

Written in 1970, and revised in 1993, TROJAN HORSE IN THE CITY OF GOD offers a prescient analysis of the crisis in the Catholic Church. Dietrich von Hildebrand was a convert to Catholicism who resisted the rise of Nazism. He foresaw the horrors to come as Nazism first emerged in Germany; and in this book he demonstrates the same ability to read the signs of the times.

Unlike many books written by traditional Catholics, von Hildebrand begins by conceding that prior to Vatican II, the Church was in need of reform. He points to the excessive legalism that threatened to squelch the spirit - especially as expressed in religious life. His great insight here, though, is that the antidote to the problem is not excessive liberalism, but rather the need to refocus on our primary task as Catholics, which is to seek transformation in Christ.

TROJAN HORSE catalogues the tendencies in progressive Catholicism that led us away from genuine spiritual renewal. Many of the errors von Hildebrand identified in 1970 have taken firmer hold today: disregard of tradition; secularism; an overemphasis on the immanence of God at the expense of His transcendence; scientism; and others. The book is very readable and moves briskly from topic to topic. Many penetrating insights are to be found along the way.

There are a few minor weaknesses in the book, however. Von Hildebrand critiques the errors of progressive Catholicism without always identifying exactly who has espoused the error. In the few cases when the errors that he discusses seem, in fact, to have ebbed away this can be a bit confusing. There are sections of the book which do seem dated. Still, this is an excellent analysis of the problems that confront the Church today - and it reminds us of what should really matter to us as Catholics.

Before reading this, I was already leaning towards a more traditional view of my Catholic faith. This superb book shoved me right over the edge. It describes, in vivid detail, how the forces of 'change' and 'modernity' within the Church are in many cases just disguises for secularism and atheism. Von Hildebrand pulls no punches and his erudite writing, though difficult in spots, is truly inspirational. But then again, what would we expect from a man who counted among his many accomplishments arousing the ire of the Nazi party in Germany prior to World War II?

Recently, I have been reading quite a few of Alan Watts books in an attempt to understand the worldview he, and others like him, represents. This has, in turn, led me into Vedanta-ism, New Age-ism, modernism, secularism, moral relativism, existentialism, nihilism, determinism, behavioralism, humanism, and probably a few more -isms that I have lost track of and haven't seen since college anyway. What began as an intellectual adventure turned into a descent into hell. How do people live with this stuff? Personally, I prefer the Light of Christ, but it seems so hard to come by these days.

Luckily for me, and Amazon.com's seemingly endless link system, I came across several wonderful books which served as a rope to haul my head out of that pit. One of those books is Von Hildebrand's book, "Trojan Horse in the City of God." He is observant and he writes it as he sees it. The Second Vatican Council has been much abused, both by Progressives who have twisted its message almost beyond recognition, and by Traditionalists, who mostly spit when the subject of the Council comes up. I appreciate Von Hildebrand's recourse to calm reason and well-derived philosophical argument.

The book is easy enough to read, given the complexity of the subject matter. The chapters are short, and are divided into even shorter sections. Easy to pick up and put down and return to later.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to figure out what it means to be a Catholic Christian in the present age, and who wants to be able to counter some of the nonsense that so often passes for Catholic teachings these days.

Dietrich von Hildebrand's book, The Encyclical Humane Vitae: A Sign of Contradiction, is an essay on birth control and Catholic conscience published shortly after a maelstrom of criticism was unleashed subsequent to the publication of Paul VI's controversial encyclical in 1969, which reaffirmed the church's proscription of artificial birth control. The book is intended particularly for those Roman Catholics having difficulty grasping why the church reaffirmed artificial birth control as sinful. In his book, von Hildebrand argues that the reaction of many to the encyclical Humanae Vitae indicates a widespread lack of understanding of the true nature of marriage. His thesis is rooted in the principle that marriage, as well as the marital act, has meaning not only because of procreation, but also as the expression and fulfillment of a deep union of love. His position identifies the value of sex as an expression and fulfillment of spousal love that occurs within the mystery of God's plan of entrusting the generation of a new human being to this most intimate union of love. He contends that a number of Catholics make the mistake of concluding that if the role of love in marriage is emphasized, then artificial birth control must be allowed when there are important reasons for preventing pregnancy. Within this context, von Hildebrand embarks on a discussion of the meaning and value of marriage, beginning with a recognition that the love between a man and a woman is the deepest source of natural happiness in human life. He asserts that this intrinsic motive of marital love, as expressed by mutual self-donation in bodily union, has been overlooked to a large extent by Catholic thinkers. These thinkers essentially have deprived spousal love of its ecstatic ardor and its splendor as a noble and basic incentive of marriage, thus detaching marriage from the sexual sphere. Other writers denigrate spousal love and interpret its ecstatic character as an illusion or mere sex instinct. Von Hildebrand argues that the love between a man and a woman is a unique type of love that is a beautiful and glorious reality, destined by God to play a fundamental role in life. The notion that sex is primarily an expression of concupiscence and simply to be tolerated when serving procreation within the legitimated realm of marriage is false. Sexual drive and activity is not a mere biological instinct or urge, but a mysterious participation in the spiritual sphere. The nature of sex reveals its true character, meaning, depth, and mystery only when seen in light of spousal love, in fulfillment of the irrevocable union in which "two become one flesh." Indeed, understanding the meaning and value of marriage as a love union does not minimize, but rather enhances, the link between marriage and procreation. Von Hildebrand then addresses the current state of affairs that seeks to separate sexual pleasure from its intrinsic function of serving the love union between man and wife, making sex instead an end to itself. He asserts that the meaning of marriage can only truly be understood when it is not looked upon as either merely as a means for procreation or solely for sexual fulfillment. The conjugal act has the meaning of a unique fulfillment of spousal love; to this high good, procreation has also been entrusted. The same act which in its meaning is the constitution of the union, also has been superabundantly made the source of procreation. The sinfulness of artificial contraception is rooted in the separation of the actualized love union in marriage from a possible conception, which is a wonderful, deeply mysterious, connection instituted by God. Active intervention that eliminates the possibility of conception is incompatible with the holy mystery of the superabundant relation in this incredible gift from God. Von Hildebrand asserts that in a fruitful conjugal act, the spouses participate in God's act of creation. Artificial birth control not only severs this mysterious link between the most intimate love union and the possible coming into existence of a new human being, but also separates an act which is ordained toward cooperation with the creative act of God. Thus, artificial birth control is sinful not only because it severs the mysterious link between the most intimate love union and the coming into existence of a new human being, but also because in a certain way it artificially cuts off the creative intervention of God. In effect, it separates an act which is ordained toward cooperation with the creative act of God from its destiny. The question of artificial birth control raises in acute form the question concerning the relationship between the individual's conformance of conscience to the teaching office of the church. Von Hildebrand concludes with the salutary notion that the depth and sublimity of Humanae Vitae should be evaluated in light of the considerations given above, and accepted not only in obedience to the representative of Christ on earth, but also with grateful joy. The understanding of the fact that artificial birth control is an abandonment of reverent submission to God, an exceeding of the limits of our creaturehood, a contradiction of our reverent dwelling before God, presupposes that one is not infected by anthropocentrism, by secularization, and "progressivism." Von Hildebrand develops his thesis in an organized, detailed and methodic manner throughout his book. The clear unfolding his presentation makes his assertions easy to follow, interesting, and convincing. The depth of his thought, despite the brevity of his work, is very well suited for those seeking to deepen their understanding of the church's proscription of artificial birth control.