User:Devotee of St Joan of Arc

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[edit] Books and websites on the subject by Virginia Frohlick, Allen Williamson, and others

Catholic Encyclopedia This is an online version of the 1909 CE. Has a moderately-lengthy biography of her from this classic publication. Maintained by New Advent along with an online copy of the Summa Theologica, writings of the Church Fathers, and other materials.
Catholic Patron Saints Index. Catholic Forum page. The biography is very brief, but also includes links to external sites, a list of the things which she is a patron saint of (France, soldiers, etc) and some prayers. This is part of a large database of saints' lives and other related material.
The Saint Joan of Arc Center Located in Albuquerque, N.M., run by Virginia Frohlick. The site includes essays, photos (including a tour of the Meuse River valley and other areas), translations, prayers, reviews, and more. This site has been online for many years, and is one of the oldest sites on the subject to be found on the net. The director of the site is an enthusiastic and warm person who is always ready to answer questions on the subject.
The Historical Association for Joan of Arc Studies (alternately named Historical Academy for Joan of Arc Studies). Founded in 2005. Publishes scholarly articles and books, online and in print, some of which are linked below. States that online databases are planned.
Joan of Arc Primary Sources Series One of the above organization's publications: an ongoing series of books and articles. Three formats are listed, online, print, and CD-R. Says that educators can buy classroom copies in bulk for the cost of printing.
"Primary Sources and Context Concerning Joan of Arc's Male Clothing" by Allen Williamson. An item in the above series which sets out the historical evidence for this often misunderstood subject and the theological issues connected with it. The clothing she was wearing would provide protection against rape - her English guards were trying to rape her - since the clothing could be tied together in a way thst would mske it nearly impossible for the guards to pull off the lower garments (hosen or pants). Includes explanations by the clergy who convicted her. The final portion summarizes the commentary by theologians at the appeal of her case in the 1450s, with comments given by many bishops, canon lawyers, and the Inquisitor-General.
"Royal Financial Records Concerning Payments for Twenty-Seven Contingents in the Portion of Joan of Arc's Army Which Arrived At Orléans on 4 May 1429" by Margaret Walsh and Allen Williamson. This is mostly a translation of well, what the title says it is. A financial entry for some of the units in Joan's army in May of 1429. This shows some of the commanders and small units in her army, people who are never mentioned in the biographies. Notes provide some brief information about many of the commanders. An introduction provides background on the army and circumstances connected with that segment of the Hundred Years War.
Book -- "Joan of Arc and the God of the Bible", a new book by Chris Snidow which was published a few months ago. Compares this saint to the prophets of the Old Testament and to the life of Christ. This makes it a surprisingly rare book on the subject, possibly the only one to make this explicit connection or to go into such detail. Has many details from the Bible and Joan's life. It has been given good reviews by people in the field.
Catholic Online Very short biography, prayers, and other information. Part of a large database of saints.
The Joan of Arc Archive Run by Allen Williamson. Contains many articles, two biographies, reviews, translations of her letters and other 15th century documents. This one has been online for awhile.
Lengthy Biography The longer of the two biographies at the above site. Some illustrations and lots of footnotes (or actually links to separate pages with the notes). Each webpage of this section contains a separate chapter of the biography.
Brief Biography The shorter of the two biographies at the above site. A single "page" (albeit a long page) with an overview of her life. No illustrations or footnotes. Does have a few excerpts from the primary sources.
Book -- "Joan of Arc: The Early Debate" by Deborah Fraioli. (London: Boydell Press, 2002) A fascinating and rare study of the opposing views among the clergy in 1429. Those who supported the English and Burgundians opposed Joan, the rest supported her. Includes correspondance by the Archbishop of Embrun, several clerical treatises on the subject, the Poitiers examinations. Particularly valuable is the background to the split among the clergy - it was the same split that had been a factor throughout the war. The book discusses the arguments between the same clergy during the Council of Constance in 1415 over the Jean Petit matter - pro-Burgundian clergy such as Jean Petit had supported the assassination of the Duke of Orleans in 1407, which led to a dispute between the clergy which mirrored the later dispute over the heroine.
Book -- "Joan of Arc: A Military Leader" by Kelly Devries. (Gloucestershire: Sutton Publishing, 1999) Summarizes her campaigns and gives some background on the armies and people. The author's photos of locations are included. Mr. Kelly Devries has written many articles on medieval military subjects, for "De Re Militari" and other publications. He teaches at Loyola University and routinely takes part in the Medieval Conference at Kalamazoo.
"Joan of Arc: The Warrior Saint" by Stephen Richey (Westport, CT: Praeger, 2003) The other of the two most-cited books on the campaigns. This one was written from a more personal standpoint, as the author has military experience himself. The book contains some details of the campaigns and analysis from the author's own perspective, such as the reaction of male soldiers to a female in their midst. Of course, his perspective is drawn from his experience in the modern U.S. military. St Joan was followed by her soldiers because they believed her to be a living saint or angel - a different circumstance from that of modern soldiers developing respect for women who manage well during a campaign.
First World War Continuing the military theme, this one covers her reception among soldiers in WWI. Many period photos taken by soldiers, such as in the basilica erected in her honor near her home village. Soldiers during the war would go on pilgrimages to her home village while on leave from the front. It was right after WWI that she was canonized. This was a big period for all things Joan-related.
Coat of Arms Her family had a coat of arms before they were given noble status by King Charles, and also a new coat of arms after ennoblement. This article covers both points with many details.
Chapel at Marquette University There's a chapel at Marquette which was moved from France. It dates from prior to the 15th century and is believed to been visited by Joan herself during her campaigns. Includes photos and a virtual tour of the chapel, a brief outline of the history and significance of this chapel, and some other information. On the Marquette University website.
Garden of Praise page A short biography designed for children. No illustrations except for a photo of a statue (actually head) reputed to be of Joan, but does have easy-to-understand language appropriate for the target audience. Also has links to other sites.
BBC page - A page on the saint in the BBC's "H2G2" section. Contains a fairly brief biography and links. No illustrations.

[edit] Websites for St. Joan Churches

[edit] Catholic Links

"Goodbye, Good Men" - Reporter Michael Rose's important book exposing the corruption that has entered the Church. This became a best-seller in the wake of the pedophile priest scandal, which was however merely a small symptom of a disease which many Catholics have been watching grow like a cancer for decades. Rose meticulously documents why it is that those who believe in the Catholic Faith find themselves marginalized or silenced - within and by the Church itself - while those promoting once-heretical views are allowed to thrive.
"Ugly As Sin" - Another classic Rose book which articulates what many Catholics have long felt: as the beautifully spiritual and expressly Catholic churches of the past have been replaced by empty gymnasiums devoid of both spirituality and Christian doctrinal symbolism, the New Age theology now increasingly being promoted in the Church has found its natural architectural expression. Rose puts forth the reasons for the change and the reasons why previous church architecture deliberately emphasized the very theological values which are now deliberately being eroded.
Sexual Abuse in Social Context A good report which puts the "Pedophile Priest" scandal in proper perspective: public school teachers have a much higher rate of pedophilia (up to 5 percent of teachers versus 0.2 - 1.7 % of Catholic priests and 2 - 3 % of Protestant ministers. While the scandal finally forced the Church to do something about people such as Paul Shanley - who gained fame in the 1970s for openly promoting virtually all forms of sexual immorality - nevertheless the media coverage was absurdly unbalanced.
Paul Shanley was the most famous and also a typical specimen of the "pedophile priest". In the 70s was known as the "Hippie Priest" for being one of the leaders of the liberal Catholic movement. He was invited to speak at many Progressive events and was revered for his "sexual liberation" theology. He gave public speeches promoting pedophila, homosexual sex, and bestiality (sex with animals). Conservatives complained for years about Shanley and others of his ilk, but nothing was done until the scandal broke. Other figures in the scandal, such as Fr. Geoghan and the monks at St. John's University, were of much the same mold. St. John's has long been famous (or infamous) for promoting every sexual heresy in the book. When the media reported that the monks there were having sex with choir boys and younger seminarians as well as with each other and with men they met at gay bars in the Twin Cities, it did not come as a tremendous shock to anyone familiar with the place. It had long been said that the screen of pine trees in front of the seminary had the purpose of concealing the activities that went on there. Younger seminarians have said that the older monks "would descend on us like vultures" during socializing. The place's theology is more in line with MTV than that of Catholicism.
Boston Globe article on Shanley which summarizes some of his activities and theology during the 1970s. The article notes that he was considered a hero by the Progessive Catholic movement as well as by secular gay leaders such as Barney Frank. His former supporters are now disavowing his activities with boys, although given that Shanley never made a secret of his support for pedophilia it is not certain why they are now expressing disapproval.
More sources on Shanley, this time in reference to the famous speech he gave in Rochester, New York in 1977 promoting pedophilia, homosexual sex, incest, and bestiality.
"Alan Keyes is Making Sense", 25 April 2002, MSNBC. Transcript
Emanuella Grinberg. "Disgraced Boston priest faces child molestation trial" Court TV 25 January 2005. [1]
"Deposition of Bishop Thomas V. Daily" (Day 2, page 1). Boston Globe 22 August 2002. [2]
The Vatican is now contemplating changing Catholic doctrine concerning the souls of unbaptized infants. Up until now, the Church has never made a definitive statement concerning this matter - the older catechisms merely state two possible theories (the baby is either baptized by the Heavenly Host and thereby enters Heaven, or the baby goes to a place of natural happiness known as Limbo). A lack of revealed evidence on the matter is the reason the Church has never made a formal declaration, but a lack of evidence does not appear to concern the current group of theologians. They have said they feel required to act due to the alleged popular anxiety that unbaptized infants may merely enter a state of happiness rather than Heaven. If such anxiety exists it certainly would seem to be a curious anxiety, especially given that few people feel any anxiety as to whether deceased adults (loaded down with a lifetime of sin) may go to Hell or not.
Little Flowers Family Apostolates A family-run Canadian publisher of Catholic books and other materials. They have written and published some highly-recommended books on subjects such as modesty. Also have Christmas books, children's books and stickers, home altars and other items.
The True Colors of Benedict XVI An article by Marian T. Horvat summarizing a set of actions and theological positions of Benedict XVI which seem to contradict his image as an orthodox theologian. Many other articles have been written on this topic as there seems to be a substantial amount of material that tends to raise questions.

He himself has said repeatedly that he still regards himself as a "radical", as he had been considered during the Vatican II conference. Many conservatives, however, have been won over as a result of his stance on such topics as homosexuality and the Latin Mass. This essay by Marian Horvat outlines some of the reasons why conservatives should be wary. The media has recently alleged that Benedict XVI - then Cardinal Ratzinger - had issued an order in 1962 (the year of the Vatican II conference) requiring bishops to conceal acts of sexual misconduct committed by priests. Since this violates traditional canon law - such priests would have been prosecuted by the Church in the past - this is a curious order and a curious bit of timing given the year in which it was issued. Why were there so many changes of this sort beginning in 1962?

It is a curious paradox that at a time when mainstream churches are seeing fewer - and greyer - heads at Mass, with a similar trend among an aging priesthood, traditionalist churches are seeing an expanding and younger membership. The one I go to is primarily composed of people under the age of 40, mostly young couples in their 20s and 30s with between two and six children apiece and another newborn produced every two to three years. There are also many singles in their late teens and early twenties, making Sunday Mass look more like the dating scene - except the women all wear headcoverings as required by tradition. There are relatively few people over the age of 70. Most incredibly, the clergy themselves are mostly under the age of 50. Many are only in their thirties. Why is this?
Continuing in the same vein, this group is far more dedicated. Even the parish students sit rock-still during the 8 am Mass each weekday, with not a single whisper for over an hour. The twenty-somethings who come to the Sunday Mass mostly focus intently on the service. Many people kneel, cross themselves, and in some cases blow kisses at the altar before leaving. People still practice the traditional forms of devotion and austerity. Hymns are very old ones, sometimes Gregorian Chant. As the mainstream conservative Catholic youth movement would say, "there's nothing wishy-washy here".
World War II Propaganda Films in Britain Anyone want to write papers concerning WWII propaganda films? Isn't this a bit specialized?
The Society of Women and the Civil War Here's another specialized thing, in this case a conference.
Great Lakes American Studies Association A call for submissions for material dealing with the Great Lakes and bordering states.