Contact: Brian Kennelly, Director of Publicity, TAN Books, 704-884-3073, brian@tanbooks.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 4, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- Robert M. Gallagher, publisher and CEO of Saint Benedict Press, LLC, announced today the appointment of Paul Thigpen as Editor of the company's TAN Books imprint.

Thigpen is a summa cum laude graduate of Yale University and holds a doctorate in historical theology from Emory University. He is a best-selling author of 40 books and an award-winning journalist who has written more than five hundred articles for a variety of scholarly and popular journals.

Thigpen is former editor of The Catholic Answer, a national bimonthly magazine, and has served on the theology faculty of several colleges and universities.

A former lay representative on the National Advisory Council of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he was most recently director of adult faith formation at St. Brendan's Catholic Church in Cumming, Georgia, near Atlanta.

As TAN editor, Thigpen will bring his talent and expertise to many projects. His key area of focus will be identifying Catholic classics and other titles that formed past generations of the faithful, enhancing their appeal through careful editing for today's readers.

Titles that Thigpen will soon bring back for TAN include a new edition of St. Augustine's Confessions; Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, a one-volume encyclopedia of Catholic doctrine that greatly influenced generations of catechists; and God and the Supernatural, a work of apologetics from an all-star lineup of English Catholic intellectuals from the last century.

"All of us at TAN are thrilled to have Paul join us as Editor and colleague," said Gallagher.

"When I acquired TAN just over four years ago, my goal was to preserve and enhance the TAN legacy by making the great truths and heritage of our faith available in an attractive and accessible manner. Paul will be invaluable in helping achieve that goal. He is a man of faith with a scholar's mind."

Conor Gallagher, VP of TAN Books, echoed this enthusiasm. "Paul not only has an extensive knowledge of the Saints, but a personal devotion to them. Our mission here at TAN is to help our readers becomes saints. I can't think of anyone more qualified for this job."

On his new role with TAN, Thigpen commented, "I entered the Catholic Church twenty years ago and discovered TAN Books soon after my conversion. They have been instrumental in forming my faith and devotional life; in homeschooling my children; and in introducing my college students to great Catholic literature. My wife and I probably have more than a hundred TAN titles on our bookshelves at home."

"As a journalist," Thigpen continued, "I have a vivid sense of the issues faced by the Church in our day. As a catechist, I know about the personal needs and struggles of everyday Catholics. And as a student and professor of historical theology, I am deeply acquainted with the theological and devotional classics of our Catholic heritage. Imagine, then, my profound gratitude for this new opportunity with TAN to make those classics accessible to contemporary Catholics -- so that the wisdom of the ages can continue to bear good fruit in the faith of the Church today."

About TAN Books:
TAN Books was founded in 1967, in response to the rapid decline of faith and morals in society and the Church. Since its founding, TAN Books has been committed to preserving and promoting the spiritual, theological and liturgical traditions of the Catholic Church. In 2008, TAN Books was acquired by Saint Benedict Press. Today TAN publishes over 500 titles on theology, prayer and devotions, Church doctrine, history, and the lives of the saints. For more information, visit TAN Books at tanbooks.com.