|
|
(Larger Image)
|
Catholic Customs and Traditions: A Popular Guide (More Resources to Enrich Your Lenten Journey)
by Greg Dues
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Twenty-Third Publications (1993-11)
ISBN: 0896225151
EAN: 9780896225152
Dewy Decimal #: 282
Paperback: 210 pages
Edition: Revised
SKU: BX002-060809017
Condition: Collectible: Very Go
Comments: Newer Printing (1998). Light wear to corners o/wise clean and shiny. Spine uncreased, flat, pgs crisp, clean, tight, unmarked. No remainder mark.
|
Customer Reviews
|
Excellent Adjunct In Bringing Catholicism Home
Rating  (5)
Date: 2008-07-13
I, for one, appreciate that this book is not Catechismal in nature - if I want the Catechism, I read that.
Instead, this book helps one understand the traditions of the Church through time - what was practiced, how traditions came into (and possibly fell out of) favor, and why. It's a look at the history of the Church and how it has evolved though the influence of the people, Saints, Popes, Bishops, etc.
As a mother, I love that this book gave me concrete ways to introduce day-to-day Catholicism in my family. Going to Mass on Sundays is a great start, but "Catholic Customs and Traditions" can help you bring your faith home throughout the year.
My husband, a non-Catholic and one who is, for the most part, against "organized religion" even appreciated a look at how the Church grew to it's current state - and, I think, softened him to the Church as a whole.
The tone isn't preachy or snide, and the language makes it a fast read.
To note: I'm not certain why the title here at Amazon includes "More Resources to Enrich Your Lenten Journey" as that subtitle is not included anywhere in my edition (the same one pictured here). This book, as another reviewer pointed out, covers the entire year, not just Lent.
|
|
Surprise
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-10-18
This book should be of interest to long time Catholics as well as converts and people wanting to learn more about the religion. Only "Bishop Blacky" is likely to already know everything in the book.
|
|
Maybe not perfect, but still a good guide
Rating  (4)
Date: 2005-06-04
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
I picked this book up as a guide for myself and my family. While it may have some minor flaws, the book still gives some good insights into why and how many Catholic customs and tradtions came to be. However, the subtitle is misleading, because the book covers all seasons in the Church year, not just Lent, as well as daily customs and traditions.
Other reviewers have criticized this book for not providing a strong catechism, which is true. However, this book is not meant to be a catechism, but rather a "guidebook". For true catechesis, Catholics should of course use The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which tends to explain the Church as theologians do. Instead, this book is intended for the laypeople, with a more "down-to-earth" writing style. It is a good guide for day-to-day living as Catholics, but should not be considered a source of doctrine or dogma.
This seems like a good source for explaining Church customs and traditions, particularly for parents trying to answer the questions of their children. Like any resource, it should not be used independently; Catholics should use it as a supplement to their practice of the Faith and study of the Bible and the Catechism.
|
|
An arm's length look at Catholic tradition
Rating  (2)
Date: 2005-02-11
16 out of 18 customers found this reveiw helpful
Some interesting information, but overly hostile to traditional Catholicism. The book claims we fasted because of "an exaggerated devotion to the real presence" [p.153]. It says we were overly attentive to the needs of those in purgatory [p.130]. It repeatedly puts the word "souls" in quotes[pp.34,130]. It demeans kneeling as the position of "servitude and slavery" [p.176]. It disparages "confession in a dark closet" [p.146].
The whole book has an odd flavor to it. It uses BCE/CE for dates, instead of BC/AD. It refers to "Orders" instead of "Holy Orders" and too often portrays clergy as either out of touch with the laity or indistinguishable from them. The book often makes it sound as if pagan practice was uncritically adopted by the church.
There is good material here, too. But before you purchase this book, you might want to consider one of the following books, which treat the Catholic faith less skeptically:
The Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions
by Ronda De Sola Chervin and Carla Conley
Catholic Customs: A Fresh Look at Traditional Practices
by Regis J. Flaherty
The How-To Book of Catholic Devotions: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You
by Mike Aquilina and Regis J. Flaherty
Why Do Catholics Do That?
by Kevin Orlin Johnson
The Catholic Source Book
by Peter Klein
The Year and Our Children
by Mary Newland
A Continual Feast
by Evelyn Birge Vitz
These books are the products of a living Faith, and helpful for faithfully following Christ in the 21st century. Mr. Dues seems to have some of the Faith as well, which is a great thing, but I fear his book would be damaging to a reader not already unusually-well grounded in Catholicism.
|
|
Helpful Guide, Not a Catechism
Rating  (3)
Date: 2003-04-27
9 out of 9 customers found this reveiw helpful
While I appreciate the concern that other reviewers have shown about this book's accuracy toward doctrine and catechisis, I believe the purpose of the work is well met.Unless there are glaring historical inaccuracies that I am unaware of, the effort to explain the development of Catholic traditions and practices as a function of society and the evolution of the Church is well founded and useful - not as a spiritual or doctrinal education, but as a refresher in the many public and private devotions, traditions, and customs that may be unfamiliar to modern Catholics. Certainly, reducing all Catholic practices to "Tradition" encourages the devaluation of the Sacramental experience. But there is a large arena in which the explanation of cultural and temporal impact is relevant and instructive (the evolution of "Santa Clause" as one example). Overall, I quite enjoyed the structure of the book. The various topics were pretty well detailed. The full richness of Catholic tradition can hardly be encompassed in 200 pages, but there is clearly a lot of ground that wasn't covered (I searched and searched for an explanation of the tenebrae, for example, but found it absent). In summary, I tend to agree that other than some historical reference, the sections concerning Sacraments are best ignored in favor of a doctrinally authoritative text. But in calling to mind many things forgotten, or hinting at many things unlearned, this book serves a worthwhile and educational purpose.
|
|
|
|
|