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| Rosary: Mysteries, Meditations, and the Telling of the Beads | 
 enlarge | Author: Kevin Orlin Johnson
Publisher: Pangaeus Press
Category: Book
List Price: $29.00
Buy Used: $10.98
You Save: $18.02 (62%)
New (3) Used (17) Collectible (2) from $10.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 178380
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 350
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.4 x 0.9
ISBN: 0965366014
Dewey Decimal Number: 248
EAN: 9780965366014
ASIN: 0965366014
Publication Date: June 13, 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: 409 pages ; (c) 1996 ;rubbing on edges
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Product Description
A comprehensive manual on the skills of Christian meditative prayer, including the history of the Rosary, the history of the devotion, the theology behind it, and its many connections to art, architecture, liturgy, and other forms of prayer. Includes a chapter on each of the fifteen Mysteries, examining them from archaeological, anthropological, textual, and other viewpoints, and a thorough explanation of the many promises conveyed by apparitions of Mary to St. Dominic and Bl. Alan de Rupe, drawn largely from the Fathers of the Church. Throughout the text, the immense spiritual and social benefits of the Rosary and of meditative prayer emerge through the stories of the great saints who re-converted England, France, Italy, and other countries by encouraging the practice.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 FANTASTIC October 1, 2008
For those who enjoy saying the Rosary, get this book. You'll never pray the same way again. For those who don't pray the Rosary or dislike the Rosary, this book will explain why you should. For those who feel that that the Rosary takes away attention that should be given to Christ, this book will explain why the Rosary actually leads us closer to Christ and will increase our love for Him. The Rosary is the gospel prayed. If you claim to love the gospel but despise the rosary, do your self a favor and read this book. It may open up a whole new world of prayer for you. I've never had so much fun reading a book in all my life. I'm a better Christian because of it. Clear, articulate and concise.
Remarkably informative and interesting July 2, 2008
This is a challenging book. Those wanting merely to learn how to pray the Rosary, or seeking a book of meditations to use while praying the Rosary, should look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you are looking for an intellectually invigorating examination of the Rosary, its history and theology, you will never do better.
This book explains, in great detail, the history of the Rosary and its development from early meditative prayers of the Church. This history alone is worth the price of the book. For instance, Dr. Johnson describes the manner in which St. Dunstan, by pious example and by encouraging participation in the Little Office, returned England from spiritual and secular chaos to peace. The description occupies a couple of pages but powerfully illustrates the power of communal prayer to support peoples' natural desire to act rightly and live in harmony. In other words, Dr. Johnson doesn't merely mention the miracle (for that is what it is) but explains how it came about. In doing so, he raises the issue of what motivates people to behave justly and soberly: one motivation is external compulsion (usually by the State); its superior alternative is the "internal power of virtue" (from Johnson's quotation of Pius XI) which must be supported by regular prayer by the community as a whole. In this brief two page description, the author outlined a theory of civil order that is as compelling as it is simple. This is intellectual entertainment of a very high order.
In addition to history, however, Dr. Johnson lays out the theology underpinning the Rosary and similar devotions and, in short but pithy chapters, discusses the theology of the individual mysteries (excluding JPII's Luminous Mysteries). There is an appendix of further readings and a good index.
My only complaint, a minor one, is that the author's use of Latin and Greek is not always precisely correct. (Two examples: 1) On page 128, "Spiritui Sancti" should be "Spiritus Sancti," as 'spiritus', a fourth declension noun, ends in a long -u- followed by an -s in the genitive case. Unless the word changed declensions from the classical to the medieval period, the form Johnson provides is actually dative; 2) Later, on page 262, he refers to the Latin word for suffering, "passio," by its accusative form (passionem), normally the nominative, or subject form, would be used for this purpose.) Do not let this very minor imprecision detract from your enjoyment of this excellent book.
I can't recommend "Rosary" highly enough: it will really make you think. One of the blurbs on the book's back cover says it was worth every penny. I would go further and say it would be cheap at twice the price. It's that good.
Rosary December 27, 2007
This is a beautiful book. It explains the wonders of the most beautiful prayers in existence, as well as the mystery of the Rosary
A must read for every seeker of the Truth July 26, 2003
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
This is an excellent book. It tells of the early history leading to the development of the rosary. A history of a people seeking a closer communion with God. The author tells a story that needs telling -- a story of heresies and misunderstandings, of the power of the rosary to draw us to the saving power of Christ. This is a story about how the rosary should be said and has been said over the course of centuries. This story is easy to read, well organized, and answers the call of the many who search for an answer to the problems besetting the Church today. It is excellent reading.
 Disappointing... May 17, 2003
17 out of 24 found this review helpful
I was really looking forward to this title based on the other reviews and the index which was full of saints .... What I found was very disappointing.Although the author seems initially quite successful at building credibility with his reader - the tone is quite authoritative - not popular piety -- and the content at first glance seems well researched. But when the author mentioned that marriage is the main reason the Roman Empire fell - I started to get nervous. Marriage at best may have been one of several factors, and thats perhaps a stretch - but to assert it is the primary reason for the fall of the Roman Empire is outrageous. And worse in that it calls into question the other facts that the author presents in this work. The meditations are also very wanting. They seem devoid of any personal touch and they are hardly suited to meditation or even a 'science of the saints' type of consideration of related virtues. The author throughout the book is long winded and seems to enjoy relaying facts irregardless of if they have any relevance to the content. For example, I'm not sure how or why a reflection on the 'agony of the garden' somehow launches into a discussion of how all competitive sports are evil. Finally, although the list of resources seems extensive, I was disappointed overall with the selections of saints quotations used throughout the book. Overall, I know that rosary books of any meaningful size are hard to come by (hopefully this 'year of the rosary' will change that), I'd start with 'The Rosary, The Little Summa' or 'Mystery Stories: A Journey Through the Rosary'
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