Why I Am A Catholic
by Garry Wills
- Used
- as new
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- As New/Near As New DJ
- ISBN 10
- 0618134298
- ISBN 13
- 9780618134298
- Seller
-
Mulvane, Kansas, United States
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About This Item
Content appears as new, unopened, unread & unblemished with Fine black boards in DJ displaying no significant surface/edge wear as shown. You can feel the tightness of new.
The author recounts his own experiences as a Jesuit seminarian and a Catholic layman, traces the origins of the papacy and explains why this often fallible institution is not the same as the Church, and discusses the Apostle's Creed.
Kirkus Review: The prolific historian offers a timely confession of faith and an apology in the true sense of the term.
Wills (James Madison, p. 244, etc.) is not just any Catholic: he studied for the priesthood, has worked in Jesuit and papal archives, and has written many books on moral matters and the intersection of politics and religion. For having dared question the Church's positions on matters of doctrine great and small, he has been nearly stripped of his membership as one of the faithful. "I am not a special case," he writes, "but in many ways a typical one." In light of all this, asked why he chooses to remain a Catholic, Wills answers with quiet dignity, "because of the creed." By this he means the creed offered by Christ in the Lord's Prayer (ever the trained classicist, he offers a new translation that hugs closely to the original Greek) and by the apostles, who pledged faith in "the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting." Would that it were all so simple. Arguing against generations of doctrine on such matters as women's unsuitability for the priesthood, papal infallibility, and "peripheral stances taken by church authorities, some of which are not only non-binding but scandalous and morally repulsive," the author takes a long tour through Catholic history, separating the words of Jesus, Peter, and Paul from their later representatives and, critics might object, casting aside whatever does not suit him in search of a more user-friendly brand of Catholicism. Though immensely learned and capable of holding his own in any argument, Wills also calls on some heavy-hitters for backup, including English writer G.K. Chesterton (a favorite of clerical conservatives), saintly socialist Dorothy Day, and the brilliant Thomas Aquinas.
Deserves—and will almost certainly find—a wide readership while garnering for Wills both praise as a principled oppositionist and condemnation as a heretic.
Shipping/Handling/Insurance/Tracking Included within the continental U.S. (Free Shipping). Extra Charges/Fees apply on Shipments Outside The U.S. and Expedited Shipments. Oversize and/or heavy books may require additional fees. Will advise. Written 8.27.21SK #5429-90821 Img.6682 9.08.21
Synopsis
In this provocative work, which could not be timelier, Garry Wills, one of our country's most noted writers and historians, offers a powerful statement of his Catholic faith. Beginning with a reflection on his early experience of that faith as a child and later as a Jesuit seminarian, Wills reveals the importance of Catholicism in his own life. He goes on to challenge, in clear and forceful terms, the claim that criticism or reform of the papacy is an assault on the faith itself. For Wills, a Catholic can be both loyal and critical, a loving child who stays with his father even if the parent is wrong. Wills turns outward from his personal experiences to present a sweeping narrative covering two thousand years of church history, revealing that the papacy, far from being an unchanging institution, has been transformed dramatically over the millennia -- and can be reimagined in the future. At a time when the church faces one of its most difficult crises, Garry Wills offers an important and compelling entrée into the discussion of the church's past -- and its future. Intellectually brisk and spiritually moving, Why I Am a Catholic poses urgent questions for Catholic and non-Catholic readers alike.
Reviews
Two-hundred pages into this 300+-page book, I was still wondering why Mr. Wills--indeed, why I--remains a Catholic. Wills's area of expertise seems to be the history of the papacy. He romps through two thousand years of church history outlining all the shameful details of abuses and failures of those charged with tending the faithful. It is only in the last 50-page section of the book, when Wills's focus turns to the Apostles' Creed that the clouds start to part and a faithful Catholic begins to be reassured. With frequent quotes from Augustine, William F. Buckley, and G.K. Chesterton to bolster his liberal Catholic viewpoint, Wills succeeds in explaining why he (and, likewise, so many Catholics) are still committed to the Church despite its historic flaws.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Eve's Reads (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 5429-90821
- Title
- Why I Am A Catholic
- Author
- Garry Wills
- Book Condition
- New
- Jacket Condition
- Near As New DJ
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- 1st Ed, 1st Prtg
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10
- 0618134298
- ISBN 13
- 9780618134298
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Co
- Place of Publication
- Boston, Ma.
- Date Published
- 2002
- Pages
- 390
- Keywords
- Catholicism
Terms of Sale
Eve's Reads
Shipping/Handling/Insurance/Tracking Included within the continental U.S. (Free Shipping). Extra Charges/Fees apply on ALL Shipments Outside The U.S. and Expedited Shipments. Oversize and/or heavy books require additional fees. Will advise and will send invoice via Paypal for extra charges.
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