Karl A. Schultz

We cannot assume that Joseph felt good when he responded to the angel's commands. When you wake up from a dream, you're tired. St. Joseph gave his fiat (obedience) to God via actions, complementing Mary's classic verbal response. This general difference between masculine and feminine responses to God's word is discussed in detail in my forthcoming book "The St. Joseph Guide to Lectio Divina: Sharing the Word with the Holy Family."

There are many St. Joseph's in our midst, behind-the-scenes heroes and heroines who are willing to do the dirty work while keeping quiet and receiving little credit. Nothing escapes God's notice, however.

St. Joseph is a peerless model of masculinity and discipleship in the modern world. Reflection on his life as recorded by the Scriptures and commented upon by the saints and popes can help us emulate his obedience, justice, mercy, kindness, humility, and courage.

Incidently, many women believe St. Joseph is a classic model for a husband: he doesn't say anything, does what he's told, provides well, spends time with his son, teaching him a trade and how to get along in the world, attends religious services and observances faithfully, deflects credit and avoids the spotlight, is chaste, and whenever there is a moral deficiency within the family the fault can only lie with him... However whenever I hear some eager husband hunters comment that they are looking for another St. Joseph, my immediate thought is that they may be in for a long search.

Consider the Source

Karl works with the finest sources, drawing heavily from the work of biblical scholar and church leader Cardinal Carlo M. Martini, S.J., and Popes Paul VI and John Paul II, and has studied under, learned from, and collaborated with many leaders in their respective fields.

Karl's book on Pope Paul VI was endorsed by the world's leading biblical association, the Catholic Biblical Federation, and he has received permission to include in an upcoming book classic articles on lectio divina from their journal "Dei Verbum" (Latin for the word of God), including five by Cardinal Martini.

To help readers stay on the cutting edge of spirituality and Church events, Schultz sought and received permission from the Federation to include papers on the status of the Bible in the Church in light of Vatican II from their 2005 conference at the Vatican, including lengthy reflections by Cardinals Martini and Kasper.

Schultz' presentations and conferences on St. Joseph and men's and relationships issues, drawing from such diverse sources as Pope John Paul II, St. Francis deSales, and Jean Guitton, reveal the timelessness of the issues and the transformational possibilities of Sacred Scripture, particularly when using the lectio divina model.

Schultz recognizes the importance of a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural approach in a complex world, and his books and talks reflect this. He feels you should benefit from other's insights as well as his, hence the third party articles in the appendices to his books, and his collaborative endeavors in print and in audio and visual formats.

One of Schultz' best works, multi-disciplinary reflections on men and relationships, co-authored with recognized authorities Dr. Warren Farrell and Dr. Cornelius F. Murphy, Jr., with rebuttals by Vicky Thorn, founder of Project Rachel, has not been published because it does not fit the dumbed-down, prescriptive, feminist-friendly pattern of mainstream publishing. It refuses to give easy answers to complex problems. As with much of Schultz' work, it prefers to wrestle with difficult questions and engage the reader in a Spirit-sensitive dialogue while discerning the signs of the times (what is happening in the world, and how God is acting and revealing Himself) and drawing heavily upon biblical, traditional, and magisterial wisdom and the insights of the human sciences.

Karl's books, retreats, and presentations are not confined to narrow, sectarian religious topics. Karl integrates art, music, athletics (particularly physical fitness --- Karl played basketball for the University of Michigan and aided by the habits and discipline developed there continues to work out for over an hour each day), and nutrition (he produced two CDs with nationally known nutrionist, Pat Harper, MS, RD) in his work to help develop a well-rounded person.

Karl played when shorts were short, tennis shoes were just becoming colorful and expensive, red, white, and blue headbands and wrist bands were all the rage, and there was no three point shot or 45 second clock.

The closest Karl came to stardom was when Magic Johnson and two other future NBA first-round draft choices, Jay Vincent and Greg Kelser, walked by him after his team had beaten Magic's team by two on a thirty foot shot by a reserve guard with no time left. Now that's what I call a tall tale --- literally, not figuratively. ESPN had not arrived yet, so you couldn't catch it on Sports Center.

The game was played in a barn-like gym, Jennison Field House. At at a UM basketball players' reunion twenty-five years later, the most frequent memory of those who were there was of the noise level, which resulted in several players developing ear aches. Now it is those who listen to Karl who get the aches.

When Karl is continually badgered by young city hoopers as to why he didn't make the NBA, his stock reply is that his name isn't (Larry) Bird or (Rick)Barry and he was too busy with schoolwork... Yeah...

And of course, Karl's humility is only exceeded by his humor, an indispensable part of all his labors. We should always guard against taking ourselves or our work too seriously. Ultimately, it is all God's work and plan.

"Bearing the Unbearable" contains inspiring artwork by Nicholas Parrendo and informative captions and applications by Schultz. Examples are presented below. "The How-To Book of the Bible" contains an extensive discussion of lectio divina on art. In researching this topic, Schultz has visited top art museums throughout the world, and accumulated an extensive collection of works on ancient (particularly Near Eastern, the biblical lands), Renaissance, and Baroque art and culture.

Schultz also recognizes the therapeutic and developmental qualities of music. He produced classical piano guided-imagery tapes and CDs to accompany his books and workshops on Job. Great for individual, family, or (support) group use, these are available from Genesis Center.

Schultz also dabbles in classic rock. During the 1980s and 1990s he managed Revolving Records, which imported high quality audiophile records from all over the world. He continues to sell these rare and highly prized reminders of an era when music and style took precedence over image and hype. These albums include different mixes and versions, album covers, original master recordings, and superior vinyl and pressings. With a decent turntable and cartridge, these outshine CDs, sounding smoother and more natural.

God wants us to love Him, ourselves, and our neighbor with our whole selves, and Schultz is committed to supporting that quest through holistic materials that develop a healthy, well-rounded believer.

Once you sample Karl's published work, and if you find it to your liking, or even before, you are welcome to contact Genesis Center for information on self-published CDs, DVDs, workbooks, and personal organizers. The key to this vault is in your hands.

Thank you for sharing in and contributing to my story. I hope I can participate positively in yours as well.