Mercy Matters

Opening Yourself to the Life-Changing Gift

by: Mathew N. Schmalz

"Wherever there are Christians, everyone should find an oasis of mercy."-Pope Francis

Whether dealing with adoption, sobriety, bullying, the Boston Marathon bombing, or friendship with a Jehovah's Witness, Mathew Schmalz's own life serves as the backdrop for his reflections on the complex nature of mercy-how we give it, and how we receive it. From a home for lepers in India to a halfway house in the Bronx, the author probes his experiences to reveal mercy as a virtue that doesn't necessarily come easily, but is infinitely rewarding.

Discussion and reflection questions at the end of each chapter allow you to dig deeper into your own ideas about mercy, what it looks like in your life, and how to move toward a more merciful existence. Perfect for individual or group study.

Trade Paperback.
160 pages
ISBN: 9781612789965


About the Author
The author is an associate professor of religious studies at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.

His previous work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including: The History of Religions, Method and Theory in the Study of Religion, Religion, The Religious Studies Review, and America's Best Spiritual Writing. He is also co-editor of "Engaging South Asian Religions: Boundaries, Appropriations, and Resistances" (SUNY Press, 2010), and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Christian Higher Education, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, and the Catholic theological journal Asian Horizons.

A regular writer for the website Crux: Covering All Things Catholic. He has published opinion pieces in the Washington Post, Commonweal Magazine, The National Catholic Reporter, and The Huffington Post, and has provided expert commentary to USA Today, The New York Times, the Washington Post, ABC's Good Morning America, The Boston Globe, NPR, CNBC, MSNBC, and U.S. News & World Report, among others.