ODDS & ENDS.Idiot. Hardly a civil or courteous greeting. But attention getting, for sure. No doubt that s one reason t, he popular series The Complete Idiot s Guide to ...," published by Alpha Books of Macmillan, was so named. This series has already produced books on several hundred topics such as: astrology, cigars, angels, classical music, motorcycles, amazing sex, extraterrestrial intelligence, pro wrestling, Beanie Babies, betting on horses, Elvis, and motherhood. Only an idiot would not have expected this series eventually to branch out into mainline religion. Nonetheless, when I found a copy of the newly published The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Catholicism staring at me during a recent visit to a bookstore, I was surprised. This miraculous 400-plus-page tome, written by Bob O'Gorman and Mary Faulkner, employs some unique approaches as it presents and unravels the many manners and mysteries of Catholicism. This book is unlike either the traditional question-and-answer Baltimore Catechism A Catechism of Christian Doctrine, Prepared and Enjoined by Order of the Third Council of Baltimore (or, simply, the Baltimore Catechism) was the de facto standard Catholic school text in the United States from 1885 to the 1960s. or the contemporary, encyclopedic en·cy·clo·pe·dic adj. 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of an encyclopedia. 2. Embracing many subjects; comprehensive: "an ignorance almost as encyclopedic as his erudition" Catechism of the Catholic Church The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II. . Both these manuals presented Catholicism more as an unchanging moral monolith rather than a myriad of mores. Happily, the Idiot's Guide departs from these passe pas·sé adj. 1. No longer current or in fashion; out-of-date. 2. Past the prime; faded or aged. [French, past participle of passer, to pass, from Old French; see approaches. This book explores and celebrates Catholicism's diversity by concentrating on the many and varied experiences of Catholics. Quick visits to an Irish Catholic Irish Catholics is a term used to describe people of Roman Catholic background who are Irish or of Irish descent. The term is of note due to Irish immigration to many countries of the English speaking world, particularly as a result of the Irish Famine in the 1840s - 1850s, wake, a Mexican Day of the Dead observance, an African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. Mass, a rural Catholic parish, and the Taos Pueblo Catholic Church reflect the breadth and depth of the various and varied types of Catholic experiences and identities. This book has some unusually entertaining and informative outcroppings within the text itself. The most striking feature, "S'ter Says," appears every few pages as an icon of everyone's favorite habited, finger-wagging, grammar school nun. "S'ter Says" defines a lot of Catholic lingo--from cloister cloister, unroofed space forming part of a religious establishment and surrounded by the various buildings or by enclosing walls. Generally, it is provided on all sides with a vaulted passageway consisting of continuous colonnades or arcades opening onto a court. 2 to crusades, from monstrance mon·strance n. Roman Catholic Church A receptacle in which the host is held. Also called ostensorium. [Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin to modernism. Another icon, "Your Guardian Angel," contains gentle advice and direction for the practice of Catholicism. And "For Heaven's Sake" lists helpful information alerting readers to common misunderstandings about Catholicism. In addition to these icons, two other features interact both with the text and the reader. "Epiphanies" offer interesting Catholic tidbits TidBITS is an award-winning electronic newsletter and web site dealing primarily with Apple Computer and Macintosh-related topics. Internet publication TidBITS has been published weekly since April 16, 1990, which makes it one of the longest running Internet publications. like the similarities and differences between the Nicene and the Apostles' creeds. "Saints Preserve Us" informs readers about a host of specific saints such as Clare, patron of television, and Christopher, patron of travelers. Catholicism has always been an incredibly diverse religion, although it has not always been presented as such. Happily, with the publication of the admittedly oddly named but effectively constructed Complete Idiot's Guide, we now have a book that faithfully mirrors the many realities of this faith. Newcomers to Catholicism as well as lifers, curiosity seekers as well as lapsed Catholics, and many others will learn a lot and absorb a new appreciation for the Big Tent of Catholicism by reading this book. Don't be an idiot and pass up this unique, contemporary presentation of Catholicism. |
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