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Catholicism For Dummies
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Catholicism For Dummies
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Catholicism For Dummies
Ebook695 pages10 hours

Catholicism For Dummies

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this ebook

The easy way to grasp the ins and outs of Catholicism

Catholicism For Dummies is not a catechism or religious textbook, but a casual, down-to-earth introduction for Catholics and non-Catholics. It gives commonsense explanations of Catholic weddings, Baptisms, funerals, Confirmations, and First Communions. You'll also discover other important topics that can help you better understand the Catholic culture—from morality and devotions to worship and liturgy.

There are more than one billion Catholics in the world, and each one shares a foundational set of basic beliefs and practices that he or she follows. Some of the teachings of Catholicism are thousands of years old, while others are more recent. So what is the Catholic culture like and what do they believe? Catholicism For Dummies answers these and many other questions.

  • Various stances within American Catholicism today
  • Covers the death of John Paul II and the succession of Pope Benedict XVI, who has supported the return of the Latin Mass among congregations who desire to celebrate it
  • Expanded information on baptism, confirmation, and the other sacraments
  • New information about the priesthood and religious life today
  • Twenty-first-century issues and questions modern Catholics face, including gay marriage, abortion, and the death penalty

Catholicism For Dummies presents a rich tapestry and history of the Catholic faith—from devotions to doctrines. This intelligent and faithful look at Catholicism will open your eyes to this religion and answer many of the questions you may have about it.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherWiley
Release dateOct 14, 2011
ISBN9781118170434

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Rating: 3.8442650819672135 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read this book because I'm studying some things that require an understanding of several areas of Roman Catholic doctrine: I’m a Methodist, and I needed help. This book is a basic introduction to the subject. It doesn’t claim to be anything more, and it does its job well. It could do with updating, but it’s pretty comprehensive and it does what is says on the tin. I found the clear, concise explanations of the theology of peculiarly Roman Catholic practices and doctrines - prayer to the saints and the Immaculate Conception, for example - extremely helpful.My main quibble is that when the book gets off the subject of ‘what Catholics do/believe’ and starts making comparisons with other Christian denominations (which only happens occasionally), it has a tendency to be a bit dismissive and to make generalisations about both ‘what Protestants believe’ and ‘what Protestants think Catholics believe’. Maybe this Protestant is a bit touchy - or possibly it’s just a question of what many Catholics think most Protestants think all Catholics believe. In which case, the authors are probably right. At least, they are if I’ve managed to keep track of all the sub-clauses in that sentence and say what I meant to say.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read this book because I'm studying some things that require an understanding of several areas of Roman Catholic doctrine: I’m a Methodist, and I needed help. This book is a basic introduction to the subject. It doesn’t claim to be anything more, and it does its job well. It could do with updating, but it’s pretty comprehensive and it does what is says on the tin. I found the clear, concise explanations of the theology of peculiarly Roman Catholic practices and doctrines - prayer to the saints and the Immaculate Conception, for example - extremely helpful.My main quibble is that when the book gets off the subject of ‘what Catholics do/believe’ and starts making comparisons with other Christian denominations (which only happens occasionally), it has a tendency to be a bit dismissive and to make generalisations about both ‘what Protestants believe’ and ‘what Protestants think Catholics believe’. Maybe this Protestant is a bit touchy - or possibly it’s just a question of what many Catholics think most Protestants think all Catholics believe. In which case, the authors are probably right. At least, they are if I’ve managed to keep track of all the sub-clauses in that sentence and say what I meant to say.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    First sentence:Being Catholic means living a totally Christian life and having a Catholic perspective.Reason for Reading: I bought this book when I decided to convert to Catholicism last year. I never did read it but used the index frequently, looking up topics, especially during RCIA classes and now that I've been Catholic since last Easter I've decided to devote some time to reading about my religion and thought this would be a great place to start.Comments: This book is a great big overview of what it means to be Catholic from the basics, to the rituals, to the Sacraments, to the most sacred beliefs, to the most misunderstood traditions and ends with brief bios of famous Catholics and Saints and a whirlwind history of the Church. Chockful of all sorts of information! Written in a easy going narrative, open to any level of reader, even when the topics take a turn towards the theological easy everyday analogies are made to reach the understanding of the layperson. The authors also have a sense of humour which turns up every now and then causing a smile and each Part is started with a Rich Tennant "The 5th Wave" comic.A blurb on the front states the book is for "all ages and beliefs", but honestly I don't think this is the type of book that just anyone would want to pick up and read for the fun of it. While it does cover basic Catholic believes it also does get quite deep into Catholicism and controversial subjects and is written from the point of view of Catholics, thus, that the truth is being presented. So, if you have no real interest in the Catholic faith this book will not be of use to you. However, it is the perfect book for someone who is considering converting, someone already taking RCIA classes, a new convert or someone who has a close friend or family member who either is Catholic or is converting and you seriously want to understand their faith and finally I would also recommend the book for cradle Catholics who have left the Church and are returning or thinking of returning, as a refresher.Personally, I read a lot of things I already knew. I also finally saw the light on several subjects that I never truly really understood before such as why exactly the real *need* for infant baptisms among others and while I've always believed in purgatory (even as a Protestant {gasp}! now I *really* get it). I discovered many new things, particularly concerning the history of the Church. We don't learn this in RCIA and they certainly don't teach it in public education. Truly fascinating stuff! Not only the history of the Church but the history of the Sacraments themselves and the traditions that come straight from Jesus and the disciples. One of the most fascinating things I learned of was the Incorruptibles which I've been googling ever since and will certainly read more about later on.The only negative remark I have is that this book was printed in 2003. I bought my book last year (2008) and received the 10th printing. It's certainly more than time to update to a 2nd edition as there are many instances in the text that could do with updating and of course Pope Benedict XVI needs to be included.Now that I'm finished with this book I am left with many page corners dog-eared because they reference topics or writers that I want to read about in the future, a short list of theological questions that I'll be taking to my priest and a great desire to continue reading. Highly recommended for that "first" book you pick up on Catholicism.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    20 centuries of tradition, practices, and rules in one little primer. Its a fair place to star anyway. :-)