One good work at a time: simple things you can do to make a difference.

Written by Frances Sheridan Goulart PUBLISHED BY Sorin Books, Notre Dame, IN, 2006, ISBN: 1893732908, Softcover, pp. 128, $10.25 CAN

The intention of this simply written book is to call "people of faith to live a life of service and stewardship while cultivating physical and spiritual health." Using a syncretic faith approach, the author continually refers the readers to books and websites that cover just about every faith imaginable. Initially it appears that the author is using quotes from different faith to show that there is a common call to do "Good Works," that all people are called through their faith to provide for the needs of others.

Keeping a "Hunger Piggy" sounds like a good way for a family to collect spare change for the needy and introduce children to caring for others. The "spiritual health" suggestion: "Mea Culpa" as a good way to become clean from one's sins by regular confession, if that is part of your tradition, or "spiritual ritual" if not.

The introduction begins with a Christian quotation, "Trust in the Lord and do good" and the Latin term Nobis es (it is up to us); and the last quote is from Acts 10:38: "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power ... he went about doing good ... for God was with him." All chapters are titled 'Good Works in.' The topics of the chapters reflect how or where:

Prayer, Home, Workplace, Community.... You will find many excellent suggestions on how to give of yourself and your means in every chapter.

However, I became concerned after reviewing some of the suggested resource websites. Several of the sites have content material or links to other sites that support a very "progressive" approach to Christianity. One example is: www.livingthequestion.com, the progressive Christian alternative that advertises the writings of Jeff Proctor-Murphy, a Methodist minister, who has championed the acceptance of "gays," lesbians, and "transgendered" persons in faith-based schools.

In the chapter for college students the author highly recommends www.idealist.org, to help students with social issues and suggests they visit it often. The home page has a highlighted article regarding "equity for homosexual students." From the article it is apparent that equity means the acceptance of the lifestyle as a norm. The suggested website resource for women in faith, www.maryspence.org, has a very disturbing link to the Human Rights for Women document that includes "Women's Reproductive Rights" as one of its accomplishments.

More specifically, the book reflects in its website referrals an inclusive ideology that goes against traditional moral beliefs by supporting abortion rights and homosexuality as acceptable behaviour. Sorin Books is a division of Ave Maria Press, and it is disappointing that a Catholic publisher would distribute this book.