Now in paperback, an authoritative successor to Butler’s Lives of the Saints. Although Butler’s still is available in various editions, there has not been a new, expert compendium from a fresh, contemporary viewpoint in a long time. McBrien, one of our leading authorities on Catholicism, presents inside information on:

• How saints are chosen

• Great Christians who may not become saints (e.g., Dorothy Day, who had an abortion and an illegitimate child before her dramatic conversion to Catholicism and serving the poor )

• Likely new saints (Mother Teresa, etc., including many Americans)

• The story of the huge number of recently named saints (many from Africa).