OK, this falls under the heading of shameless self-promotion, but it also has to do with promoting the catechism, so I thought it was worth mentioning. I will be talking about the Catholic faith in general and the catechism specifically for one whole hour on "The God Show," which will air this Sunday at 6:30 a.m. on KTAR 92.3 talk/news radio in Phoenix. It will be repeated later in the day and available for download as a podcast after the fact.
And, if you're interested in more on the catechism, check out a new review of my book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Catholic Catechism, over at Glastonbury Abbey's website. This reviewer clearly gets the idea behind the Idiot's Guide series. It doesn't mean anyone is an idiot, just that you want complex information in a quick and easy-to-read format. Here's what reviewer Bruce McCabe had to say about my take on the catechism:
"A funny thing happened while I was reading this guide to the Catholic Catechism. I learned why pride could be considered a sin.
"One thing the book has going for it is its accessibility. It’s more, dare I say it, accessible than the bible. Of course, we read the bible, if at all, for different reasons. We want reassurance. You don’t read this book for reassurance. It can provoke you. It tackles hot-button issues like sin, celibacy, abortion euthanasia, the death penalty, adultery -- no euphemisms like 'cheating' -- divorce, birth control, homosexuality, and other broader issues like equity in wages, the right to work, preserving the environment and even the need to banish greed and envy. Talk about tall orders.
"You might think, as I do, that sin is something like beauty, i.e., in the eye of the beholder. The guide has no truck with that. It dismisses rationalizations referring to human weaknesses or character flaws and labels it flatly as 'a turning away from God’s plan and an abuse of the freedom (God) gave us.'
"...The guide conveys a sense of knowing and explaining to you most if not all of what Catholics believe or are supposed to believe. It gives resonance to the mass and its rituals, giving them more meaning we don’t always hearken to. In a way, we’re so accustomed to them, we may overlook them or take for granted their poetry, symmetry, symbolism or metaphorical significance. " Continue reading HERE.
