Books What binds Catholics, from the alienated to the devout
WHAT MAKES US
CATHOLIC: EIGHT GIFTS FOR LIFE by Thomas H. Groome HarperCollins,
336 pages, $23.95 |
REVIEWED By WAYNE A.
HOLST
Kevin grew up in a traditional Boston Irish-Catholic family. His
parents had likely never missed Sunday Mass. But for Kevin, a Boston College
grad, the current pope is for the birds. A lot of what has been
recently happening in the archdiocese has been simply repulsive.
Kevin doesnt just disagree with the pope and his local
hierarchy. He ignores them. This educated achiever has long ceased attending
Mass. But has Kevin really left the church?
Ah ... its not that simple, he said while
chatting with Boston College religious educator and author Thomas Groome. When
asked about what faith, if any, he subscribes to, Kevin still responds with
Catholic. When questioned why he would consider himself a Catholic,
he replied in the local brogue, Thats what I am. But then, it
should mean something for me. But what? Then after a pause he posed a
challenge to the professor. Maybe you should write a book about that --
what it means to be Catholic, even after youve left the church.
What Makes Us Catholic is a book for those who, like Kevin,
have stopped attending Mass but who have really not left
Catholicism. It is written for those who, at a time of major trauma in the
church, are searching for core values -- perhaps even core Catholic values in
their lives; who, if it really came down to it, might want to put their faith
to work; and who treasure their Catholic identity even when they dont
practice as they think they should.
Groome, with a solid reputation as a textbook writer in religion,
presents his case for core values to a broad spectrum of Catholics. His main
task is not to bring lapsed Catholics back into the fold, though they would be
welcome. Instead, he seeks to encourage a critical reconsideration and
deliberate choice of what could be life giving from the Catholic faith
tradition for moderns like Kevin.
The authors target audiences range from the devout to the
alienated, radical reformers to defenders of the status quo; from tired
cradle-members to curious catechumens and enthusiastic neophytes; from
baby-boomers who feel that Vatican II has been betrayed and Gen Xers who wonder
what the boomers are whining about; from returnees who are happier the second
time around to those who will never return but could bring with them a rich
spiritual legacy.
Because of its sensitive ecumenical spirit and refreshingly
non-patronizing approach, this book should also appeal to and delightfully
inform many non-Catholic readers.
It centers on eight distinct Catholic qualities including: the
Catholic imagination, sacramentality (finding the finite in the infinite),
community, appreciation for human potential and fallibility, reverence for
scripture and tradition, concern for justice and the unfortunate, care for all,
and a faith-based spirituality that permeates every day.
Each focus appears in a well-written chapter that opens with an
anecdote from the authors own experience. This serves to make concrete
each of the main themes. Questions near the beginning and end of each chapter
make the book user-friendly for sharing groups in local parishes or for
personal study. Because it is largely jargon-free, the book should not
intimidate those who feel they have little theological background.
While Groome is an engaging thinker with strong Catholic
credentials, his inclusive vision will probably not be that well appreciated by
some conservative readers. Still, he seeks to be faithful to tradition at its
best and yet provide a fresh horizon that nurtures a contemporary, universal
spirituality grounded in the visible and local Catholic faith community.
For the Kevins out there who may wonder why they might still want
to be Catholic (even when they no longer find time to attend Mass), this book
sculpts a positive sense of identity. It offers hopefulness when it is
profoundly challenging to identify oneself as Catholic.
Wayne A. Holst is a writer who has taught religion and culture
at the University of Calgary.
National Catholic Reporter, August 16,
2002
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