Callista: A Tale of the Third Century

Most famous for his cogent scholarship, persuasive apologetics, and profound sermons, St. John Henry Newman was also a gifted novelist. Writing in 1852, at the heights of the rise of the novel as a literary form, Newman offered this assessment of literature’s purpose: “Man is a being of genius, passion, intellect, conscience, power. He exercises these various gifts in various ways, in great deeds, in great thoughts, in heroic acts, in hateful crimes. He founds states, he fights battles, he builds cities, he ploughs the forest, he subdues the elements, he rules his kind. He creates vast ideas, and influences many generations. He takes a thousand shapes, and undergoes a thousand fortunes. Literature records them all to the life…” Callista: The Emperor Decius is brutally persecuting the Christians of Sicca Veneria. Callista, a beautiful Greek sculptress, is not herself a follower of the Christ—yet she is drawn into their world when Agellius, a Christian, seeks her hand in marriage. After a plague incites further persecution, Callista is mistakenly arrested and imprisoned. The sudden intervention of the mysterious Caecilius offers relief for Callista from the Emperor’s immolating demands—albeit in the form of a sacrifice of her own self, unto eternal life.
ASIN: 1685953565
VSKU: BVV.1685953565.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Newman, John Henry
Binding: Paperback
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.