Welcome to the Summer Reading Edition of New Springtime!

As the name suggests, we have in this edition not only the familiar range of articles which is our permanent focus, but also a special range of book reviews and recommendations that will cater to all readers, regardless of their literary taste. Since most university students will have at least another two months of summer holidays, we could think of no better service for such languid minds, and even those who may not possess the same capacity for leisure will surely find something of interest in these pages.   

To this end, we approached some well-known and very well-read Catholics, and asked them if they would pass down a bit of their wisdom. We were extremely fortunate to have Fr James Schall SJ, from Georgetown University in the United States, to write a succinct but evocative piece on Belloc’s The Four Men. Tracey Rowland takes us through a survey of the works of Benedict XVI, a must-read guide for anyone seeking to know more about the life and thought of the Pope, while Stephen McInerney makes an interesting case for children’s literature. 

So we invite you to delve into all of that and more in this latest edition, and hope that it helps you find that perfect summer companion!

A note regarding the website - it is being slowly updated to incorporate some changes for the new edition. Please be patient as we sort out these difficulties. You can still access all the articles from the Summer Reading Edition by following the links at the bottom of the front page.

Also, we are working to build an Archives section where you can find all the articles from previous editions in the one place. For now, you can access the articles of the October 2007 Edition individually by clicking on the relevant topic buttons as they appear on the left-hand navigation bar. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Finally, the editors would like to thank everyone who has supported New Springtime so far, including all those who have contributed to and edited the journal, Netvantage, which has provided invaluable technical assistance for the website, and the Australian Catholic Students Association (ACSA), for its ongoing organisational support. You can also find a message from the ACSA President under the banner on the right-hand side of the webpage.  

We wish everyone a joyous and blessed Christmas, and a safe and enjoyable holiday season.