Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Very Good/Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. First Edition/First Printing (Number Line With The One Present). Includes Index And Chapter Notes. The Book Is Bound In One Quarter Black Over Black With Gilt Lettering On The Spine. There Are Some Small Faint Discolorations On The Page Edges. The Author Argues For The Continuing Relevance Of A Papacy Understood As A Symbol Of Unity, Not Of Infallibility.

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

On Dec 23 2014, The Old Library Bookshop said:

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: Granada Bookstore (Member IOBA) (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 046195
Title: Why I Am a Catholic
Author: Wills, Garry
Format/Binding: Hardcover
Book Condition: Used - Very Good
Jacket Condition: Fine
Quantity Available: 1
Edition: 1st Edition 1st Printing
ISBN 10: 0618134298
ISBN 13: 9780618134298
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Place of Publication: Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Date Published: 2002
Pages: 390
Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9&f
Keywords: Catholic Church - Apologetic Works; Papacy; Wills, Garry, - 1934- - Religion. Catholicism

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Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Gilt: The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
Edges: The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
Spine: The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....