Overview

"In Why Do Catholics Do That? renowned scholar and religion columnist Kevin Orlin Johnson answers the most frequently asked questions on Catholic faith, worship, culture, and customs, including: * How the Church Makes Laws * The Hard-Fought Genesis of the New Testament * The Cycle of Redemption * A Short Guide to the Meaning and Structure of the Mass * Decoding Symbols of Scripture and the Sacraments * The Calendar as the Image of Christ's Life * The Rosary * The Stations of the Cross * Monks, Nuns, and the Rules That Guide Them * The Pope * The Laity in the Modern World * Saints * Fatima, Lourdes, and the Story of Apparitions * The Vatican: A Holy City * The Sign of the Cross, Christianity's Best-Known Symbol * Candles in Prayer and Liturgy * The Meaning of the Nativity Scene Blending religious history, a deep appreciation for art and culture, and an enlightened reverence for the traditions of the Church, Why Do Catholics Do That? is the definitive resource for any one who wants to learn more about the rituals, symbols, and traditions that can strengthen our faith every day. ""Johnson offers lucid explanations of a dizzying array of customs and beliefs."" --Publishers Weekly"

Full Product Details

9780345397263

Table of Contents

Reviews

This primer on the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church provides useful information for the uninitiated but ultimately falls under the weight of the author's extreme bias in favor of his faith. Johnson, a former syndicated religion columnist, clearly loves the Catholic Church. He even points out that its name is a misnomer: It is the Church. All other Christian denominations are simply sects, in need of names to differentiate them from the Church. Though seemingly partisan, this is just one of the interesting facts that emerge here for those not schooled in Catholic dogma and custom. The first section, Faith, deals with Church doctrine. Topics include traditions, the biblical canon, and the place of the Hebrew scriptures. The author also discusses how the Church legislates and why it can't simply change doctrine as Protestant denominations do on issues such as birth control (Christianity is a revealed religion, he says, and has to stick with precisely what was revealed, never to after it ). The Worship section includes an explanation of liturgy and the mass, as well as discussions of the sacraments, the Church calendar, funerals, and rosary beads. Culture treats the polity of the institution, monasticism, the role of saints, and supposed miracles such as weeping Madonnas and the Shroud of Turin. The final chapter, Customs, rounds up diverse expressions of devotion, including church music, the sign of the cross, incense, and holy relics. An ask-your-local-library postscript provides an annotated bibliography for those who want to explore further. This reverential volume has received the authorized imprimatur of the Catholic Church. So, although Johnson declares, If the idea of Christianity is to embrace the teachings of Christ, you have an infinite range of choices of how to express that faith, the rest of the book will lead readers to believe he doesn't mean it. (Kirkus Reviews)

Author Information

Kevin Orlin Johnson holds a doctorate in the history of art, with a specialty in seventeenth-century church architecture in France and Italy. His scholarly publications appear in journals in Vienna, Rome, Paris, and elsewhere. For many years he wrote a column, Signs of Faith, syndicated in diocesan newspapers across the country, on which his book, Why Do Catholics Do That?, is based in part. Now a resident of Dallas, he frequently speaks to civic and religious groups interested in the meaning and purpose of public art and architecture.

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