Opus Dei: An Investigation into the Powerful Secretive Society within the Catholic Church

by Michael J. Walsh

An Inside Look at the Secretive Catholic Organization Made Famous by The Da Vinci Code

Is Opus Dei a spiritual institute dedicated to preserving Catholic orthodoxy in the face of modernist assault? Or is it an independent society, a "church within the Church," promoting its own allegiances and preserving an antiquated set of spiritual and penitential practices?

This small organization wields enormous power within the Catholic Church. Due to its status as a "personal prelature" of the pope, it operates independently of local Church authority. The influence of Opus Dei has only grown since this book first appeared.


Opus Dei's founder, St. Josemaría Escrivá, was beatified and canonized over the vehement objections of many in the Catholic Church.
Powerful members of the Vatican hierarchy, including the pope's own spokesman, are members.
The bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code has made millions aware of Opus Dei.
This classic investigation is needed now more than ever. It tells the real story of this mysterious organization -- a probing but balanced examination of the organization, its charismatic founder, its practices, and its effect upon the Catholic Church at large.

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction

226 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Bevan Boychuk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having a degree in religious studies, I've read a log of books on religion. This is one of the more boring, but it also just wasn't really what I expected. Got about half way through before deciding I wouldn't be finishing it.

[Cheyanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information presented was interesting, but the way it was written made it, at times, difficult to follow along. The author skipped and jumped and did not seem to have a clear flow to his arguments. That being said, I did enjoy reading it and I learned quite a bit.