Letters at Christmas: Inspiration from Paul and Cicero

Gerald Collins's last book he published before his death.

Now professor emeritus of the Gregorian University (Rome) and a world-acclaimed theologian who has authored or co-authored over eighty books, Gerald O'Collins, SJ, gathers fifteen of his Christmas letters (2009-2023). In different ways, they all aim to elicit gratitude for the year that was closing down and to inspire courage for the year that was about to open up.

At the origins of the Church, St Paul illustrated pre-eminently the indispensable importance of letters for supporting the Christian mission and for advancing our appreciation of essential doctrines and the life of faith.

Shortly before the time of Paul, the unique correspondence of the Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero established forever the value of letters for human beings and their witness to who they are and what they experience.

No one illustrates better than O'Collins the creative and constructive results of precise, Jesus-centred biblical thinking and praying. His most recent books include Facing Up to Jesus in the Gospels and Paul and Letters to Maev (Connor Court Publishing).