Since 1964, in countless cover packages and other pieces, Woodward has led NEWSWEEK readers through a thicket of complicated theological themes with clarity, passion and wit. He has written with equal ease about papal intrigue and morality in politics, about Billy Graham and the Dalai Lama. But his greatest interest has always been what he calls “traditions.” He’s fascinated by the interplay between the world’s religions, and has invested enormous effort, for instance, in revealing the dimensions of Eastern faiths to our readers. In 1990, he published “Making Saints: How the Catholic Church Determines Who Becomes a Saint, Who Doesn’t and Why.” Called “extraordinary” and “the definitive book on the subject” by critics, it remains in print (Touchstone Press) in six languages.
His newest work, adapted in this week’s magazine, is “The Book of Miracles: The Meaning of the Miracle Stories in Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam” (429 pages. Simon & Schuster. $28). Religion is an essential element in many of our readers’ lives, and we’re proud that The Monsignor is here to explain the complex currents of faith through the ages–and into the future.
