Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishings Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the worlds literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
CARNEYVILLE is a controversial novel recounting theindelible memories of Patrick Kelly from 1959 to 1967 in a strictCatholic seminary. In reconstructing the past, he can’t help butcomment on the current travails of the Church, specifically thosedeviant priests who had reputations for victimizing youth or engagingin sexual liaisons with men or women. Kelly speculates about the deepand multi-faceted psychodynamics of sexual abuse by priests and theenabling institutional factors that permitted this evil to become sopervasive and long-lasting. Specific cases are cited of formercolleagues and senior clerical personnel in the religious order he hadjoined.

The thrust of the book is, however, on the young man’s memory of thosetimes, his idealism and ambition to succeed, the beliefs andexpectations he brought to the seminary experience, his bitterdisillusionment and his eventual turning away after eight years. Hisentry into so-called civilian life was in the mid-sixties, a time rifewith events that probably fueled his propulsion from that cloisteredplace.

Throughout the story Kelly remembers a priest who influenced him. Hetraces the evolution of this model priest, who gained some power andreputation, but eventually fell far because of his own weaknesses. Buthe resurrected himself within his faith and continues today, a kind ofsymbol of the survival of the priesthood, albeit heroically. Thecontrast of our protagonist to this priest over the years, how theyboth, for better or worse, faced the harshness of cultural,psychological and spiritual challenges, makes for an fascinatingstory.

The narrative is at times irreverent, an obvious channel of great anger toward the Church for the writer, but it takes our now-aging author to task as well. Although he is not saved in the traditional Christian sense, he is at peace with that chapter of his life. His recollections have forced him to look deeply within himself for the meaning of his own life, and he realizes an awakening of compassion, sensitivity and forgiveness. What he considered lost years of youth are now a source of self-discovery that liberate him from his long resentment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interestingbut bitter
As a product of the seminary system myself, albeit 15 years after our hero, I was stunned by the similarity of experience. Despite the passage of time, and the historic changes in the Catholic Church, the seminary system, with its petty rivalries and repressed sexuality, survives intact.
This book,although chronicling the passage through a very confused and destructive formation system, has deep flaws.
First, Jim Murphy, carrying around deep anger and resentment even after all these years (I can only hope he felt purged after writing this, otherwise it's very disturbing!) would have been far better to write an autobiography rather than pen this as "fiction".The transparency of the main character reveals Jim Murphy just below the surface. The interlaced journaling thoughts throughout the story are rife with anger and resentment that would be more appropriate for a private counseling session.
The conclusion of the story is disappointing.Murphy glosses over years of theology training in just a few pages, as if there were nothing there to really discuss as it wasn't powered along by anger.
Finally, the book is filled with misspellings and grammar errors (fax pas?The Beetles?).Whoever the editors were for these pages deserve to have their licenses revoked!
A fun, fairly quick read for former angry seminarians, and those wanting some glimpse of the origin of sexual abuse in the priesthood, but otherwise take a pass. ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
Read about the best kept religious secret in America! Married clergy, decentralized administration, and Catholic liturgy and practice - in a non-papal and autocephalous Catholic Church. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good resource
Perhaps the strongest aspect in favour of this text is that it is a book on American Old Catholicism by an American Old Catholic.So many texts about the Old Catholics, American and otherwise, are written by outsiders, who bring the biased lenses of their contexts and communities with them.Sometimes these biases are subtle and unintended, but sometimes they are quite deliberate.Needless to say, those who write from the inside similarly write with bias; in the case of Old Catholicism, there is still a long way to go to achieve a parity in sources that could approximate objectivity.

That being said, this text does strive for some degree of objectivity.There are few texts available on Old Catholicism; it is an obscure-enough denomination and topic that books go out of print very quickly.Also, there are many varieties of Old Catholicism (and arguments as to the validity of the claim 'Old Catholic' by many from many).It is easy to get lost in the fray, and even the most able historian and researcher will find clarity an elusive goal.

Andre Queen is not an historian by profession or training, nor is he a writer.He is, however, bishop of a jurisdiction within American Old Catholicism, based in Chicago, and has various other titles and affiliations that have given him a reputation as a good source of information.Queen made effort to seek the counsel of other leaders in various jurisdictions as he compiled this text, so there was an element of collaboration in the process.

In some ways, this book is a compilation, and Queen would be in some respects more aptly described as the editor and compiler rather than the author.This, of course, is in keeping with the methodology of those who have a care for tradition and history - re-inventing the wheel is not necessary.For example, the longest chapter (comprising almost one-third of the entire text) is a model catechism, reprinted with permission from the catechism of the jurisdiction of the Old Catholic Church of America (James Bostwick, archbishop).Not all Old Catholic jurisdictions follow this catechism, and it is not intended to serve here as a dogmatic imposition, but rather as a paradigm for exploration.

The first several chapters give a brief history of the development of Old Catholicism in Europe (which has several strands), together with the text of important historical documents, and the transference of Old Catholicism into North America, a trek that has not been without incident, intrigue, and the occasional unfortunate occurrence.As a history, it suffers a bit from lack of a narrative framework; it is more like a patch-work quilt (made of documents, principles and brief biographies) that tells a story than a seamless narrative.For those not already acquainted to some degree with the history, it is easy to get lost.Perhaps in a future edition, this will be addressed.

The concluding chapters, 'Why Eastern and Western Expressions Combine in American Old Catholicism' and 'Yesterday's Tomorrow, Today', bring up important points that beg for further development.They address questions that most likely will be ongoing concerns, but further work on these issues would be appreciated.

There are three appendices, which deal with more obscure points (one an essay on married clergy, and two biographical/autobiographical pieces on figures of prominence in the movement).These are not really for the uninitiated - the essay on marriage assumes a familiarity with historical theology and church practice (and some degree of canon law); the other two appendices are more accessible.In particular, a reading of the appendix dealing with Archbishop Vilatte, side-by-side with that out of another text, Episcopi Vagantes, shows the trouble in dealing with Old Catholic history, and how apparent bias can be.

One minor criticism is that, in a day of computers with spell-check and grammar check, there are a few more typographical errors that one would hope; alas, in this day of self-editing even for major publishing houses, the primarily error-free text is becoming a vanishing species.Again, should there be a future edition, perhaps these will be corrected.

With the advent of lightning publishing and print-on-demand, texts such as this can remain available for longer periods of time, which is a blessing, given that in circles drawn as the Old Catholic circles are, it takes time to disseminate the information regarding the text's availability.There is not as yet a tradition of scholarship and publication in the Old Catholic world (European, North American or otherwise); in that instance, most any book is a blessing.This book represents another step in the direction of self-study and self-proclamation by the Old Catholics of their own community and beliefs.Imagine a world in which the only available texts about the Anglican, Presbyterian or Lutheran communions were written by Roman Catholic scholars, or the only texts available on Roman Catholicism were written by Eastern Orthodox scholars - one can begin to appreciate the difficulty of study of the subject.

This book strives to put Old Catholicism in the best possible light - a worthy goal, and one that any leader such as Queen would try to do.However, space should be made for the frank admission of the difficulties in Old Catholic history that Old Catholics have caused for themselves; this is brought up implicitly in some of the text, but never specifically addressed.Future editions might develop this theme, so as to not be subject to the charge of not facing our own origins.

For those interested in Old Catholicism, this is a valuable resource.It should be required of clergy and lay leaders of every jurisdiction in Old and Independent Catholicism; even the areas of disagreement can yield insight, and issues of difference made more explicit can aid in mutual cooperation.One hopes for further developments of this sort among the Old and Independent Catholic communities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Valuable resources, raw material
The Old Catholic Sourcebook by Bishop Karl Pruter and J. Gordon Melton, director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion (ISAR), a researcher who produces sourcebooks and bibliographic material on topics as diverse as scientology to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, have collaborated to produce an important volume of pieces of Old Catholic history.

Melton, a Methodist minister, highlights an issue in the Old Catholic polity in his preface, when talking about most bishops in the OC church:

`[An Old Catholic bishop] lacked any of the real power of a traditional bishop. His worker priests, dependent on neither the bishop nor any congregation for their financial support, proved a most rebellious lot. Unable to discipline them, the bishop was forced to cajole and placate them at every turn or face their abandoning him for any one of a hundred other bishops.'

The Old Catholic church as a whole has this as a continuing problem -- no central recognised authority, and no overarching ethos of cooperation and consideration toward fellow Old Catholics. Small movements have begun to spring up in the time since Pruter and Melton's work, but the situation still remains that there are many more bishops who believe autonomy is all-important over ideas of community and cooperation.

Part of the value of this book comes from the problem with Old Catholic history in general, spelled out without sugar-coating in the first section:

`We can see the Old Catholic Church, at least in its American phase, as a very new movement. Almost none of its present leadership and very few of its present membership were raised as Old Catholics. They have come to the movement as converts from the Roman Catholic Church or the Protestant Episcopal Church. Overwhelmingly the various jurisdictions which now make up Old Catholicism were formed in the past decade and those that were formed earlier have little substance to their history.'

The first section of the book explores the precursors to Old Catholicism, from European and American sources. The Jansenist movement, the See of Utretch, and the uproar over Vatican I set the stage on the European continent, with later activity among the Polish Mariavites. The Oxford Movement, autocephalous orthodox churches and movement of Old Catholicism into England complete much of the historical path for later developments in America.

The spread into America came through Vilatte, various Anglican splits such as the Reformed Episcopal Church, Bishop Brown of the Episcopal Church, Carfora, and independent orthodoxy. Pruter and Melton explore these topics before getting into the more varied history of the ethnic churches, which include the Polish National Catholic Church and the African Orthodox Church.

Pruter and Melton are very frank about some of the shortcomings of Old Catholicism in its history. One such problem period was the 1960s, when Vatican II pushed many traditionalists out of the Roman Catholic church, and the older ethnic enclaves in America were assimilating, so Old Catholicism no longer had a strong base of support among those communities. Old Catholicism allowed for both traditional Latinists and diverse experimental liturgies, and so attracted a varied group. This did not encourage collegiality.

Likewise, the various social movements of the 1960s and 1970s found homes in some Old Catholic jurisdictions; the issues of women's ordination and homosexuality continue to be hot-button debates in Old Catholic jurisdictions, but various bishops issuing pronouncements on one side or the other as sine qua non conditions for communal relationships led to further splintering.

Finally, Old Catholicism has had the historical problem of ordaining the 'wrong' people.

`Unfortunately, Old Catholicism, in this process, became a haven for men who had dreams of being a priest or bishop but were entirely unsuitable for the task, or who, in a few cases, wished to use the ministry for exploitive, entreprenurial, or even illegal activities. These later cases have become the scandal of the Movement and have done much to prevent Old Catholicism from attaining much viability at all.'

Pruter and Melton develop in some detail the specific jurisdictions and churches under broad headings.Then, the future of Old and Independent Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican jurisdictions is examined here. Whereas these groups seemed to be in decline in the mid-twentieth century, the later part of the century showed a remarkable resurgence.This is occuring at the same time that ecclesiastical authority no longer reigns supreme save in the narrowest of societal bands. Freedom of religion also provides fertile ground for denominational and jurisdictional movement.

The authors confess the book is incomplete, as any such book will usually be. This book is perhaps more incomplete than many sourcebooks, because of the difficulty in obtaining original source material, and the trouble with verifying information when it comes from highly biased sources with few relatively objective modifiers for tempering. The original material used in production of this volume is being preserved at the ISAR centre in Evanston, Illinois, and is likely the most complete Old Catholic collection in North America open to the public.

Like any good research sourcebook, this sourcebook has an extensive bibliography -- 848 books and primary sources, and 98 periodicals, grouped according to the same pattern as the historical outlines, with introductory annotations. This is a wonderful resource for further research into any Old Catholic topic.

The final two sections include a chart of Old Catholic bishops, those resident in North America and those foreign bishops who exercise episcopal oversight for local groups or jurisdictions, and a directory of headquarters and major institutions of most of the Old Catholic jurisdictions in North America. Given the rate of change in Old Catholic circles, both of these sections are largely out of date, and useful as an historical snapshot from the early 1980s, but the usefulness is in doubt.

A new edition would be welcome, but is unlikely any time soon. ... Read more

Product Description
The Old Catholic Church of the United States is a Catholic Family of Faith, based within the United States. As inheritors of Apostolic Succession from the Western Latin (Catholic) Church, the Ancient Oriental Churches and the Eastern Byzantine (Orthodox) Churches, we possess a rich theological heritage. We are a sacramental church, embracing the fullness of Christianity as expressed within Catholic understanding. We stand, holding fast to the teachings of the ancient faith, in a modern society that is often hostile, towards Christians in general and Catholics in particular, and choose to obey the timeless message of Christ rather than yield to the "Spirit of the Age".

"I am very happy with the contents, and feel that yet again it is a wonderful work and look forward to having this in print to use here in the UK." - Most Rev. David Bowler, Provincial Ordinary of the United Kingdom.

"As a comprehensive, detailed Old Catholic catechism, it is an indispensable aid to studying the faith." -Most Rev. Andre' Queen, Provincial Ordinary of the Western United States.

Customer Reviews (1)

What is a catechism?
As is often the case in Old Catholic publication history, this text is one of a kind in many ways.While it is first and foremost a catechism, an `instruction book' if you will for the Old Catholic Church of the United States (a particular jurisdiction within the larger body of Old and Independent Catholic entities that populates the religious landscape in America), it holds a good deal of information in an informative and organised fashion for members of other jurisdictions.

The first chapter explores the purpose of this (and more, generally, a) catechism - it addresses the need for a catechism in the Catholic sense (Old Catholics, as the name implies, do not see themselves in the general Protestant strand of sola scriptura paradigms), as well as how this particular catechetical work can be used.The overall structure includes a question/answer format at some points, a narrative essay format at others.Good though this or other catechetical texts may be, it is still meant to be used in community, rather than individually; much like scripture, if we read by ourselves without testing our reading against those more wise and experienced as well as those in other community positions, we run the risk of self-deception or misinterpretation.

For Old Catholics, a large communal support structure is generally not available.However, this book, together with online communities and growing stability in some quarters of the OC/IC jurisdictions, can help to promote a sense of learning and formation toward a faithful rendering of doctrine and worship.While people of good conscience may disagree with some pieces (and indeed, I disagree with Bishop Queen on some of the particulars found in this catechism), we still remain committed to learning from each other and staying in dialogue for purposes of strengthening the faith in each other, and the church.

Lest those who fear that the catechism gets too far from a biblical faith, one has but to look at the foundational questions to see the sense in which the biblical text forms an important and necessary part of this catechism.After a few basic questions (such as, what is a catechism?), the questions begin incorporating the Bible into the answers:

Q. Why is faith necessary in the first place?
A. Because, as the word of God testifies, Without faith it is impossible to please God. (Heb. 11:6)

Q. What is faith?
A. According to the definition of St. Paul, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb. 11:1)

The catechism continues apace with questions and answers about topics such as revelation, tradition, scripture, creedal statements, ways to consider the sacraments, etc.The information contained in the text includes liturgical calendars, discussion of early church fathers and ecumenical councils, prayers, liturgies and more.

From page 355 forward is a very good collection of source documents and original texts that provide some foundations for Catholic thought in general, and Old Catholic thought in particular.These include very early documents accepted by the undivided church (`The Rule of Faith', by St. Vincent of Lerins, from the year 434), to general pieces related to the history of Old Catholicism in Europe (Munich, Bonn, and Utretch writings), and pieces to do with the American strand of Old Catholicism (coming through Mathew and Vilatte).There are a few other pieces as well, including some pastoral letters issued by Bishop Queen on current issues in Old Catholic thought and practice.

This is a must for any Old Catholic, Independent Catholic, student of catechism, and interested persons outside these groups who want to see generally how this jurisdiction puts together for its own use an educational and formative document.This is not a theological treatise, though theology does figure into the text.

Take and read.
... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Treating Southern Catholicism in functional and symbolic terms and relating it to the culture of the region, this study indeed represents a pioneering effort, a comprehensive examination of what it was like to be a Catholic in the slaveholding, predominantly Protestant South. In the editors introduction (Miller) and afterword (Wakelyn), they provide an incisive overview of a heretofore neglected field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A strong tradition
Please note: this is a reprint by Dry Bones Press, a press that specialises in Old Catholic texts, of the classic 1928 Book of Common Prayer, which many tradition Independent and Old Catholic congregations use, as well as a good many continuing Anglicans.

For many Episcopalians (the American version of official Anglicans), the 1928 version of the Book of Common Prayer is still the most prized worship and liturgical form around. When the 'new' Book of Common Prayer was adopted in 1979 (merely the latest in a lengthening line of Prayer Book revision done by the church in America in the past three hundred years), whole parishes balked (and walked) because of the changes; faithful within the church looked for various means of preserving their beloved version of the BCP - my own church had a '1928 Service' every Wednesday afternoon.

The book is not arranged in as user-friendly a manner as the more recent revision (which itself leaves something to be desired in various ways), but it isn't the ordering that causes such devotion to this text. Despite the fact that much of the 'Shakespearean' language of this liturgy is retained in the Rite I form in the newer BCP, there are key differences that make this book the standard bearer to many conservative and traditional Episcopalians.

Like any BCP version, it has the principle services of the church - Communion, Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Marriage rite, Funeral rite, the Psalter, the Calendar. It also has rites not included in updates - the churching of women, for example; neither will one find inclusive language in the orders of ordination here, for women were not admitted to the three-fold ordained ranks of bishop, priest and deacon while this book was primary. It also contains the collects, epistles and gospel readings for Sundays and major feast days, omitted as well from the later BCP.

The catechism is vastly changed from this to the 1979 revision - it is worth comparing the two to see how changes have taken place. Similarly, the Articles of Religion which conclude the 1928 BCP are placed under the ambiguous heading of 'Historical Documents' in the later BCP.

Not having been raised on either the 1928 or 1979 Book of Common Prayer, I feel somewhat objective about seeing the merits and shortcomings of each version; however, some who see value or shortcomings in either one are reflecting a more general feeling about the church in general - rare is the person who opposes women's ordination who supports the 1979 BCP over the 1928. I have both, side by side on my shelf, together with the Australian Prayer Book, the New Zealand Prayer book, the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, and the 1559 Book of Common Prayer, which shows a grand tradition of diversity and continuity in the Anglican liturgy. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer has a significant place as a strong link between past and present, and is a must-have for students of, and those who generally love, the liturgy.

Prayers
Ok,
My name is Sarah and I LOVE this prayer book. I am only 13 and I have been reading out of this all my life. As a member of the Episcople Church, I am very fond with many of its readings. I will definatly suggest this book to anyone looking for prayers for ANYTHING. It has weddings, baptisms, funerals, everything. If you are a Christian reader, or anything else for that matter, you should definatly buy a copy of this book. Thanks.

Best book for the price
It is affordable and yet it lives up to the standards of the Anglican and Episcaple churches. ... Read more

Product Description

In this widely acclaimed book that will long remain an indispensable work on American religion and the Catholic Church, one of its most influential laymen in the United States says that the Roman Catholic Church in America must either reform profoundly or lapse into irreversible decline.

In addition to providing a spiritual identity for over 60 million Americans, the church is the nation's largest nongovernmental provider of education and social services, as well as the largest not-for-profit provider of health care. But even before the recent revelations about sex abuse by priests, American Catholicism was already heading for a major crisis, with its traditional leadership depleted by the decline in religious vocations and paralyzed by "theological gridlock."

Catholicism in the United States confronts hard choices among contrasting visions for the future, choices with huge implications for American life. Analyzing these choices in ways that escape all the familiar labels of conservative or liberal, Steinfels points to the directions the church must take to survive.Amazon.com Review
American Catholicism "is on the verge of either an irreversible decline or a thoroughgoing transformation,"according to author Peter Steinfels, veteranreligion reporter and writer of the "Beliefs" column for the New York Times. In the face of the Church’s dauntingsex scandal, few could argue withSteinfels’ dramatic assessment. But what makes this book especially unique and controversial is that Steinfels believesthat the American Catholic Church would stillbe grappling with impending decline or a serious overhaul even if the heinous acts of sexual misconduct had never occurred.

Customer Reviews (19)

The most brilliant and profound book I have read on contemporary Roman Catholicism.
This is, without question, the most brilliant and profound book I have read on the crisis in the contemporary Roman Catholic Church.It is as vital and meaningful today as it was when it was published.And things are indeed worse today for the Roman Catholic Church than they were in 2003. Problems described in detail by Steinfels have not been addressed; there is a greater clergy abuse scandal now than there was earlier in the century; and the divide between Catholics and arch-conservative Catholics is as great as ever.I strongly recommend this book to Catholics who are genuinely concerned about the fate of their church; I recommend itto those who want to understand the baffling problems they see around themselves not only in Catholicism but in other Christian sects as well.And I recommend the book to anyone who is concerned with the problems of religion in contemporary America.------I will not try to list or describe the many topics addressed by Steinfels.Other reviews here can provide this sort of information. Let me say rather than Steinfels does not simply address social problems.He addresses the problems of Catholic theology as well.And he is unfailingly insightful and his writing is eloquentand compelling.----- A personal note: after 12 years of struggle, I have left the Roman Catholic Church.My conscience gave me no choice but to do this on moral grounds.But I deeply respect the decisions of millions of Catholics to remain in the church in spite of its many problems today.And I respect a learned Catholic like Steinfels who has put considerable effort into this intelligent, patient, and thoughtful book.---- I ask readers to ignore some of the negative reviews on this site. Unless you have struggled with the battles within the Catholic Church you cannot be aware of how acrimonious arch-conservative Catholics can be to anyone who seeks to constructively criticize Catholicism.Again, I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Mr Steinfels Again has Totally Wrong Premise, As His Otherbooks on Catholicism Show
IndisputableReality is That the Roman Catholic Church in the USA is the Fastest Growing Church inthe USA, According to the National Council of Churches. They Listed RCC at 2.6% Growth in 2005, 2% Growth in USA 2006.That translates into approximatelly 1.7 Million MoreActive Catholics in 2005, And over 3 Million More to 69 Million in last 2 years. Vastly Higher than Any Other Church, Since RC Church is By Far the Largest in USA.Mr Steinfells Ignoresthe Vast Viewership of EWTN Cable/satellite/online, With its Profound, Rich, Traditional, Superior, Thought Provoking Programing Content. Mr SteinfelsAlso ignores the Rapid Growth of Traditionalism in Roman Catholicism. Traditional Churches are Only ones Growing.Mr Steinfels wrote Another book in 2006, Alleging"100,000 Catholic Nuns" Left Their Orders Since Vatican II of 1960's, Atributing that to Male Only Dominating CatholicBishops.Totally Wrong on Both Premises. FIRST, Vast Majority of the "100,000" "Nuns" who left Did Not. They Diedof Old Age, "On the Job". Mr Steinfels so admitted to This Reviewer on the Live NPR Diahn Rehm National Callin. He admittedusing Dead Nuns in his Figure of how many left.And it was the Liberal Misunderstandings Following Vatican II that caused most Departures > No Need of Uniforms/habits, Perhaps Marriage Allowed, etc.All seriousMisunderstandings, Opposite of Vatican II. Media Hype, AsMrStyeinfels is Now doing, with 2 Highly Misrepresenting Books, Is Primary Reason. And Vocations to Traditional Nunneries is "rapidly" Growing, Quite the Contray to Mr Steinfels' False allegation of Decline in NunsContinuing.Mr Steinfels Needs to find Topics he can Write aboutWithoutGravelly False Premises. Vocations to Catholic Clergy are Rapidly Growing. 2for Priesthood, One for Teaching Nun, One to ReligiopusBrother, in 2 Nearest Parishes to me. And Arlington Virginia Catholic Diocese (Northern Virginia) has 33 In Seminary for Priesthood Now.

Catholicism in the U.S.A.
Peter Steinfels is a 'New York Times' columnist and in this book he analyzes the major institutional challenges facing American Catholicism in the twenty-first century. He focuses on Church leadership, priest sex-abuse scandals, contrasting visions and gender issues. He maintains that the Church is at a crossroads, poised "on the verge of an irreversible decline or a thoroughgoing transformation" and offers recommendations for action.

A Sobering Work
As the crisis in the Catholic Church unfolded in all its ugly details, a number of books were published with the intent of giving perspective about what has been happening in the Church. Three books that continue to educate and enlighten are George Weigel's THE COURAGE TO BE CATHOLIC which approaches the issue from a more traditional approach. David Gibson's THE COMING CATHOLIC CHURCH looks at the church from the point of view of a journalist and Catholic convert. Peter Steinfels' A PEOPLE ADRIFT has been dubbed "the liberal" book, perhaps because of Steinfels' association with the magazine COMMONWEAL.

One of the strengths of the Catholic Church is that it combines both faith and reason. Just look at how many great thinkers have been in the Catholic tradition and how many of the brilliant minds have been people of deep faith too: Saints Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, Bonaventure, and Anselm are just a few great minds. A rigorous intellect is seen as a gift from God and a gift to be used. Church documents are constantly calling us to "read the signs of the times" and apply the faith accordingly. To do this, we need to listen to a variety of authentic perspectives, knowing that no one person has all of the truth or the exact answer, while trusting to that the Spirit is alive in the Church, the Church being both the leadership and magisterial authority and the people of God, not one or the other, but both. Peter Steinfels and George Weigel seem to embrace faith and reason as well as the importance of reading the signs of the times and both give us a perspective of doing so in A PEOPLE ADRIFT and THE COURAGE TO BE CATHOLIC.

The strength of A PEOPLE ADRIFT is Steinfels' ability to define the problem and give an accurate portrayal of Catholics in The United States, both those who see themselves as practicing and connected to the Church and those who may be what some call "culturally Catholic." While some may see this book as a thinly disguised book that calls for a relaxation of Church teaching on sexual matters, a call for women's ordination and an end to the celibate priesthood and a weakening of ecclesial authority, a careful reading will prove otherwise. What Steinfels does is paints a picture of Catholic life today and shows not so much the variety of people as much as the variety as to what the Church believes and how the lived experience can be somewhat different. He discusses a number of opposing points of view among Catholics on matters of supreme importance and more trivial areas. Readers may not always like what is said, but Steinfels isn't so much stating a point of view as he is stating the problem and what has to be addressed for the future.

For me, the broad scope of the book is impressive and the background information in the book is fascinating. I also believe the book doesa good job at stating Catholic beliefs about issues such as abortion and homosexuality and how the reasons behind Catholic teaching in these areas differs from others who may share the point of view. He also does a good job at summing up the opposing arguments on these issues and how they are inconsistent. This is not a book that everyone will agree with, and it's not perfect. It does point out the seriousness of eth problems facing the Church and the danger and irreparable harm that will result of the issues are not addressed. Also, since perspective is important, the books by Gibson and Weigel on these issues should not be ignored either.

Nice Commentary on Current Issues.
Steinfels has a vested interest in the subject matter of this book and that makes a positive difference.

I believe, like the author, that the Roman Catholic Church is in troubled times.Although this is not the first time in the history of Christianity that the Church has found itself reflecting on its mission in the world and its relationship to that world, Steinfels (a Catholic, a writer and a historian) makes an effort to look at today's issues and elucidate possible problems and solutions.

He does a good job at presenting the issues and approaching them from a variety of angles.The topics - always handled with respect - lead to great conversations.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is seriously engaged in the Church or is curious about the current struggles that we as a community of believers are facing today.

Read this book.
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Product Description
For 2,000 years, Catholicism—the largest religion in the world and in the United States—has shaped global history on a scale unequaled by any other institution. But until now, Catholics interested in their faith have been hard-pressed to find an accessible, affirmative, and exciting history of the Church.
Triumph is that history. Inside, you'll discover the spectacular story of the Church from Biblical times and the early days of St. Peter—the first pope—to the twilight years of John Paul II. It is a sweeping drama of Roman legions, great crusades, epic battles, toppled empires, heroic saints, and enduring faith. And, there are stormy controversies: Dark Age skullduggery, the Inquistition, the Renaissance popes, the Reformation, the Church's refusal to accept sexual liberation and contemporary allegations like those made in Hitler's Pope and Papal Sin.
A brawling, colorful history full of inspiring pageantry and spirited polemic, Triumph will exhilarate, amuse, and infuriate as it extols the glories of Catholic history and the gripping stories of its greatest men and women.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (53)

Completely Surprised
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.Discovering our Church's rich history was incredible.I learned so much and recommend this book to anyone who wants to know where we came from.

History of Catholicism battling opposing philosophies and modernism
I give it 4 stars, but wanted to give it 5.
I'm not conversant enough with history to discern
its flaws and prejudices if indeed they exist.

However, you will come away with a sense of the battles
Catholicism, Gods Truth, has been fighting against the cultural
and philosophical forces allied in war against it for the last 2,000 years.
Nothing less!

Honest history.
History as it was, not as we wanted it to be.An honest book.

Unreliable
This book purports to be a survey of the 2,000 year history of the Churchbut is little more than the author's collection of biased opinions and misunderstandings.Crocker may not be an historian yet the requirements of objective scholarship are not suspended because he is writing for a general audience.Perhaps those requirements are even more necessary; the general reader could be less likely to recognize his misrepresentations and errors.

His misrepresentations are many.He demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of Eastern Christian theology and spirituality misleading the reader on the causes of the schism between East and West.After reading his account, the reader will still be ignorant of the Christological controversies of the early Church.He repeatedly makes ahistorical analogies that tend to only confuse rather than illuminate the complexities of history (The Frankish and Norman crusaders were "the Wermacht of the Middle Ages".).

His biases are blatant and prevalent.Anything English, German,and Western is noble and good while anything Italian and Eastern is suspect and bad.Women are absent from his story and other religions and non-Catholic Christians are offensively described.Disturbingly, he seems to defend the institution of slavery as practiced in the antebellum era of the American South and misinterprets Paul's lack of condemnation for slavery as practiced in the ancient world as justification for slavery down through the ages.He has a tedious preoccupation with the Church at war and the military exploits of the popes seeming to suggest that conquest and the machinations of popes are the most important aspects of Church history. Finally, in an absurd aside, he compares the election of Clinton to the American presidency to election of the Nazi's in 1930's Germany.

If you read this book, do not expect a reliable telling of the Church's story.

Triumph:The Power and Glory of the Catholic Church:A 2,000 year History*hardcover*great book and History!.
If your Anti-Catholic or have a strong bias, Stay away... if your A Proud Catholic or A Curious one Then Read, No apologies,No holds barred, Fun To Read Book. The Author makes no Qualms,The Catholic Church in all her Glory and Tribulations. For she is not Perfect, Only GOD/Our Lord Jesus is. And we are here as Sinners, Human Beings who try our best to uphold tradition.
Not sola Scripture. Jesus Said On this Rock,(meaning the Catholic Church) as the First True Christian Church and Religion."And not Even the Gates of Hell" Will prevail..meaning no Scandal or Hate towards her have stopped her for 2,000 years, this is not pick and chose garden variety,but the Real Thing.The book Is Well Written, Very Intelligent and A Good Defense. Forget Constantine's Sword(book), And Read this And HOW THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BUILT WESTERN CIVILIZATION BY WOODS. and you will see there is nothing to Apologize for.Being Catholic Is nothing to be Ashamed of. Always Defend her. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Wonderful little book!
Ms. Costello has composed beautiful prayers for many occasions.This book includes a modern version of liturgy of the hours, which is a great way to start and end the day. ... Read more

Product Description
The Catholic social tradition is one of thinking and acting. Within this tradition stand the social encyclicals as unique manifestations of the Church’s ethical intuition and commitment to the Gospel as lived in society. From the Heart of the Church provides a view of the social encyclical tradition within a broader understanding of Catholic theology.

In From the Heart of the Church, Judith Merkle, S.N.D., de N., examines the social teaching of the Church since Leo XIII from the perspective of its links to the Church and its life. While the social encyclicals of the popes since Leo XIII form a key expression of the social teachings of the Church in the last century, this book also explores the roots of these teachings in the life and theology of the Church today.

Chapters in Part One: Foundations are "Social Teaching: A Message Lived or Professed?" "The Faith to Walk," "Spirituality for the World," and "The Church in Society." Chapters in Part Two: The Catholic Social Tradition are "Social Teaching Before Vatican II," "Social Teaching of John XXIII and Paul VI," "Political Theology," "Liberation Theology," "Social Catholicism After Vatican II," and "Social Teaching of John Paul II." Part Three: The Future of the Catholic Social Tradition includes "Communities Formed in the Heart of the Church: A Thought Experiment." ... Read more