Catholicism: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #198

by Gerald O'Collins

Despite a long history of external threats and internal strife, the Roman Catholic Church remains a vast and influential presence in our modern world. But what were its origins, and how has it changed and adapted over the centuries? After Pope Benedict XVI dramatically resigned in early 2013 (the first Pope to resign since the fifteenth century), and Pope Francis was elected, many wondered what direction he would lead the Church in, and whether the Church couldmodernise in the face of the demands of our world.In this Very Short Introduction, Gerald O'Collins covers the history of the Catholic Church, and considers some of the key issues facing Catholicism today, such as the catastrophic revelations about clerical child abuse, the impact of the growth of Islam, and the destruction in the Middle East of ancient Christian church communities. He also shows how Catholics are being increasingly challenged by an opposition between their traditional Christian values and rights which are endorsed bythe secular world, such as the right to physician assisted suicide or same-sex marriage, and considers the future for the largest and oldest institution in the world.ABOUT THE The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Christianity, Theology, History, Catholic, Philosophy

168 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Born in Australia, Gerald O’Collins received his PhD at Cambridge University in 1968. From 1973 to 2006 he taught at the Gregorian University (Rome), where he was also dean of the theology faculty (1985–91). He is now a research professor in theology at St Mary’s University College in Twickenham.

Reviews

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a book that claims to be "a very short introduction" it falls far short. You should go in with a clear understanding of the Bible, the differences between Benedictine and Franciscan orders, and the life and papacy of John Paul II. After a brief 60 page summary of the entire history of the church, O'Collins then tries to explain modern Catholics life by focusing heavily on esoteric religious debates.

It would have been more effective to outline the sacraments (as he does), then guide the reader through a liturgical year. I can't really recommend this for a true beginner.

[Edoardo Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s what it says: a very short introduction to the world’s oldest institution. The first two chapters cover two thousand years of history well considering the constraints of space and then it’s off into an exploration of the sacraments. While personally interesting, someone with no prior knowledge of the Faith might struggle a bit, and it is all written from the viewpoint of an ageing enthusiast for the Second Vatican Council. That generation is dying off, while finding it has little to say to young Catholics around the world, so I doubt it will remain relevant into the future.

[John Eliade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like the VSI series because it tends to provide a comprehensive introduction (that's it's purpose) to a topic. I have always found the VSI series to be quite helpful in that regard. For example, I knew nothing about Classics or the Roman Republic, and VSI gave me a stellar introduction to those concepts and histories. However, I find the Catholicism: VSI to be lacking for two main reasons:

1. It presumes a foreknowledge of Catholicism.

Now, I luckily DO have previous experience with Catholicism (coming from a mixed Polish, Italian, and Puerto Rican family, you better fucking believe I have some background at Catholic churches) but like most Catholics* I knew very little of Vatican I, II, the various Councils throughout history, or some of the perceptions of doctrinal truth, or say what effects happenings in the Vatican have on local churches in Vietnam, Venezuela, and Hawai'i.

(*I'm painting with a broad brush here, but I think it's safe to say the majority of followers of any religion have deep insights into the origins, nature, or internal workings of the faith's mechanics at large)

That said, if I knew nothing about Catholicism and needed a literal "Very Short Introduction" I would find myself questioning. In fact, I still know very little about Vaticans I and II and the list above. I find myself currently asking, "Why is Catholicism?" Literally, why does it exist? I used to think I knew the answer to why Christianity exists, and while I can trace the history just fine (this book did a... fine job of relating Catholic history from the early Church to the modern era, but it felt sweeping, apologetic, a bit inaccurate, and quite frankly rushed, but then again, how do you summarize 2000 years of history in less than 100 pages?) I still find myself wondering.

Sure, Catholicism is about "coming to the light and salvation of Jesus Christ." But I grew up in a Protestant Church which focused on redeeming original sin. What I get from this book is that Catholicism is not nearly geared toward that, but more on creating a global society. But again, that's only my feeling based on what O'Collins said. He never actually comes out and says it. So if I have a foreknowledge of Catholicism, it leaves me with a whole lot more questions (such as, what exactly was Vatican I? That seems like a lot more important to modern Catholicism than the dozen or so pages about the Crusades). But if you don't have a foreknowledge of Catholicism, well, you might end the book as more confused than you started.

2. It's a bit tract-y.

Quote from the end of the book: "In the third millennium, the human family finds its future existence under threat. More than ever it needs the message of Christ who is the Light of the whole world. He is the full and final key to what human life is ultimately about, the one who brings life in abundance."

Um... ok.

"My dream is that, through a deep conversion to Jesus, more and more Catholics and other Christians may embody and convey his role in uniting human beings with God and with one another."

There's some redeeming qualities to that sentence in general (such as using the term "Catholics and other Christians" and not "people" and visions of peace are always good no matter what religion or philosophy*) but I take a real issue with this being an introductory semi-academic book on Catholicism with this kind of language. I don't want to read an academic book about space telling me why I should send money to a space program, and I don't want an academic introduction to Islam to end with attempting to convert me. I wouldn't want the same from Damien Keown's Buddhist Ethics: VSI, and he doesn't. He certainly has a point to make, but it is an academic point about what style of ethics he believes Buddhism generally is, not on his personal spiritual beliefs and the future of mankind.

*except Fascism

I have no problem with Catholicism. In fact, I have a lot of respect and appreciation for it now that I have a lot more questions to ask (see above). But I don't think this book was a Very Good Introduction to one of the world's largest religions.

[Whitlaw Tanyanyiwa Mugwiji · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its an okay read. As the book suggests, it is indeed a very short read, but I must admit very well structured. I was particularly interested in the history of the Catholic church. Unfortunately, the history of the church was restricted to one chapter. Though the chapter was exciting, it was inadequate to quench my thirst.

As I read through the book, I could not help but notice tiny things that exposed how the author´s perspective was centred in a European world view. For instance, he talks about Christopher Columbus discovering the America or describes the Moorish invasion of Spain and other parts of Western Europe as the barbaric invasion of Europe by Islam but when he talks about colonialism he uses mild terms.

[Lindsay Wilcox · Rating 1 out of 5]

I initially chose this book as a candidate for my book review column at Austin Catholic New Media. I wound up reviewing Catholicism for Dummies instead and was delighted to find that I'd posted it right in time for the new second edition of that title. Having now finished Catholicism: A Very Short Introduction, I am very glad I decided not to review it for ACNM, because I didn't like it.

O’Collins self-admittedly writes as “an insider,” but he fails to make Catholicism accessible to most newcomers. His organization of topics begins with two chapters of Church history. If you’re trying to reach people who just want the basic of Catholicism, laying out literally two thousand years of history is a very poor way to start. He continues on through chapters on theology, sacraments, and morality before concluding with predictions about the future of the Church.

In the final chapter, I was downright offended by his use of the term “Eucharistic ministers” (which is always wrong; they are “extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist” or of Holy Communion) and his suggestion that the Church must allow more* married men to be ordained in order to survive. That last suggestion is offered with no theological or Scriptural support. Apparently a little bit of social commentary is enough to justify changing a centuries-old practice.

I wanted this to be a shorter intro book in comparison to Catholicism for Dummies, because not everyone is willing to even flip through 400 pages. I was sorely disappointed.

*This is one of the biggest misconceptions of Catholicism. Priests can be married, but never after they’re ordained. That’s just currently the exception and not the norm.

[Jonathan Peto · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't agree with everything in all the other reviews I just read, but I agree with the disappointment. I'm surprised the author is a professor. His writing style isn't very engaging, and he didn't seem to know how to lob this at curious beginners. Clearly, he has not taught introduction classes or if he has, well, he didn't learn anything from the experience...?

This book was okay, but I can't recommend it. I work at a Catholic school, but I am not Catholic, so I have background knowledge about the topic but my knowledge is roughshod and patchy, or worse!

This book shed a little bit of light on the sacraments, I recall a few interesting details from the history review, and a few big ideas may have stuck, but I'm honestly not even sure that is true.

Most readers, perhaps all readers, should probably look for a different introduction.

Sorry, Mr O'Collins, please forgive me.

[Zainab · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay-ish.

[Frank Grobbee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Menurutku kurang banyak membahas pokok-pokok pemikiran dan struktur gereja Katolik dan apa yang membuatnya berbeda dengan umat Kristen lain sih

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, wide-ranging, rather academic introduction to the Catholic Church. I doubt the average Catholic would know more than a fragment of the material, so this is not just an introduction but an excellent summary. Some interesting tidbits:

- Emperor Constantine, often dismissed as a convert for purely political reasons (if a convert at all) preached weekly sermons to his courtiers, and once kissed the mutilated face of a bishop who had been tortured during the persecutions.
- Conversion of the New World is usually seen as appalling cultural vandalism, but it is difficult to imagine a more brutal set of religions than what Christianity replaced, e.g. Aztec religion involved countless thousands of human sacrifices, "and many such sacrifices were rounded off by cannibalism, with members of the nobility eating the victims."
- There were thousands of Japanese Catholics before they were outlawed and hunted down in the 17th century. When the ban on Christianity was lifted in the latter 19th century, "foreign missionaries discovered many hidden Catholics who had secretly kept and handed on their faith."
- There was printing in China in the 2nd century AD, but first isolationism then opposition of Islam prevented it from reaching Europe.
- 7,000 priests were killed and hundreds of churches destroyed during the Spanish Civil War
- Pope Pius XII was involved in several plots against Hitler during WW2
- The Cuban Missile Crisis occurred during the Second Vatican Council (Oct 1962) - JFK (a Catholic) sent a message to Pope John XXIII, who responded with a plea for peace (also published in Soviet newspapers) that gave Khrushchev a means to back down without losing face.
- Faith is not seen as a gritted-teeth assent against reason, but the "response of the whole person, head, heart, and actions, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to the self-manifestation of God".
- Scripture is man's record of God's self-manifestation, hence "Scriptures differ from revelation [as] written texts differ from living, interpersonal events ... God’s living word is not confined to a written text" (this is a very different view to evangelical Christianity and Islam)
- The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) confessed ‘the one true God’ to be ‘eternal, immense [i.e. unmeasurable], unchangeable, incomprehensible, almighty, ineffable’, and ‘entirely simple’. The last point, i.e. the pure simplicity of the infinite, rebuts Dawkins 800 years in advance.
- The Israelites revolutionised the image of the divine not only as one, but as both "majestic transcendence and loving closeness".
- The Trinity is definitely right there in the Gospel, e.g. baptising ‘in the name [singular] of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ (Matt. 28: 19), and right from the beginning of Christianity. "In a hymn that the apostle [Paul] composed or, more likely, took over from early Christian worship (Phil. 2: 6–11), he attributed to Jesus ‘equality with God’, as well as the right to bear the divine name of ‘Lord’ and so receive adoration from the whole universe."
- Penance, or Reconciliation, is not just reconciliation with God: ‘Those who approach the sacrament of penance receive pardon from the mercy of God…and at the same time are reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins’.
- The army of Pope was active "right down to the unification of Italy in 1870".
- Papal infallibility has been invoked only twice, and only after conferring with bishops worldwide.
- Not included under infallibility is birth control and "it is the spouses themselves who must ultimately make this judgement’ (Gaudium et Spes)
- But this does not mean that personal preference is paramount: "For Catholics and other Christians, forming one’s conscience means attending with utter seriousness to the divine law and letting it shape one’s heart, mind, and life."

[Michael Huang · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the less organized VSI that does not make enough effort to boil things down to the essence. The chapters on the historical aspects are better.

1. Early history: Tension between Torah-observant communities and non-Torah-focused lifted early church beyond just a reform group. Persecution started early, but during plagues, the care for the sick won support from people and help the growth. Emperor Constantine’s support for Christianity is followed by theological crises. During 11-13th century, churches are Romanesque, Gothic churches started. Muslim expansion in Spain is stopped by Charles Martel (grandfather of Charlemagne) in 732. Last Muslim territory surrendered in 1492.
2. The expansion phase: Jesuit spread to China & helped reform calendar. But Pope’s criticism fro adaptation of rite enraged emperor of China who banned Jesuit and Christianity. Protestant movement created diverse type of churches. Calvin created one with precise ecclesiastical order. Council of Trent took a very long time but brought uniformity of doctrines to Catholics, but sealed division between Catholics and Protestants. In the 20th c. the church makes effort to reform as well as to become a world church.
3. Some key beliefs: Having spoken through the Son, God has nothing greater to say. Bible came into existence under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
4. The 7 sacraments include baptism, communion, etc. Historical details such as Augustine claiming validity of sacrament does not depend on personal holiness of minister, but Wycliff and Huss argue the opposite.

[Hattie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As usual the VSI books can be hit and miss.
This was fine, not really a clearly written or comprehensive introduction.

Strange that the section on ordination and marriage didn’t even mention the obvious debates (women’s and gay, respectively) which he seems to consider out of the question. He’s definitely fine with contraception, taking pains to point out that it wasn’t made an infallible doctrine and that it’s really down to the individual.

‘I dedicate this work to Michael Hayes and other treasured colleagues at St Mary's University College.’ - considering adopting “dear treasured colleagues” as a work email starter

the mysterious otherness of the divine Being who largely transcends human knowing.

But, as John Paul II taught (in 1999), one does not know whether or which human beings are found in hell. Catholics (and other Christians) may and should pray that this terrible possibility will never be realized for anyone. (Reassuring)

But all truth is based in God, and there can never be final opposition between religious and scientific truths.

St Augustine of Hippo (d. 430): ‘Let there be unity in what is necessary, freedom in what is doubtful, and charity in everything’ - debatably applicable to the catholic church, but a good quote for general usage.

I'm sure there was a good line about the chaotic/murderous nature of the medieval papacy, but I can't find it now.

[Oliver Oreilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is split up into 2 major parts: History of the church and then miscellaneous topics ranging from modern actions of the church to some odd core beliefs. While the first history section I think is fine, covering essentially everything you need to know in a condensed format, giving you a lot of room to do your own research should anything catch your eye. However the second part was very rough and while not presenting inaccurate information, was just not as well edited and seemed to be random in terms of topic. I think what would have been nice would have been a simple listing of core beliefs, a rundown of the church as an organisation (what priests and bishops do for example). So in summary: if your looking for a quick history of the church, the first half is pretty good for that, but if your looking for an actual introduction to what Catholicism is for the layman or uneducated member of the church, then you would do best to find another book. Overall can't recommend.

[Christian · Rating 2 out of 5]

While interesting, this book misses its mark.
The author is well-learned and lucid, but I am afraid he may have confused his assignment here. The "Very Short Introduction" series is intended to be approachable to newcomers, but this book requires considerable prior knowledge of the Church to understand it. There is far more personal rumination than introduction. It is also written exclusively for Catholics, perhaps seminarians, and has no hint of the impartiality and objectivity that one might expect from Oxford press. There is hardly any structure. Information is repeated across chapters to a distracting extent.
It is a terrifying task to distill this mammoth subject into a short book, which only makes it seem less excusable each time he digresses into opinionated remarks about modern culture or "barbarian" peoples.
Overall, it's just not a very good introduction to Catholicism.

[Elijah McArthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a brief survey concerning modern Catholicism, O'Collins presents a strong case for conciliarism in the RCC. This volume does make quite an emphasis on Vatican 2, which is not bad (as it is certainly a defining trait of Catholicism) but it does leave the reader wondering what the RCC looked like for all those years before 1963. Also, O'Collins puts forward a very attractive look at the RCC for evangelicals, as he downplays typical issues like the Papacy and the sacrifice of the mass and emphasizes modern ecumenical dialogue and positive developments with other religions. All in all, O'Collins introduces a conciliar Catholicism, arguing that this is the correct interpretation of the church's authority throughout its history.

[Brady Turpin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exactly what it purports to be: a very short introduction to Catholicism. O'Collins is a concise and erudite author and that comes out clearly in this work. I did find in need of a second edition, but that is unlikely to happen. I'll look into more of his other works instead. One drawback I found was how he tended to sidestep important cultural challenges facing the Church today, for example Church teachings on gender and sexuality, as well as the string of child abuse cases in recent years. While these are acknowledged as challenges, O'Collins doesn't really give them any space to be discussed here beyond a few lines or a paragraph.

[Jason Ray Carney · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting overview of Catholicism. It provides a detailed history, an overview of Catholic ritual and practices, speculations about Catholic ethics, and thoughts about the problems facing the church today. It ends with something similar to a manifesto of controversial ideas about how the Catholic might consider changing: e.g. allowing priests to marry, ordaining women and a more global group of church leaders, and adopting more modern language in mass. Very informational.

[Andrew Gomillion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. O’Collins expertly condenses the history, structure and doctrine of the Catholic Church. Rather than focusing on the intricacies and glamour of the papacy and its rich Italian history, O’Collins traces footsteps out of Italy to see the church’s impact and its interaction with the peoples of Africa, Asia and the Americas

[Vince Sheehan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What shines in this introduction is O'Collin's generosity to other Christians outside of the Catholic fold. He clearly has an ecumenical heart and it is heartening to read the commonalties between Catholicism and other denominations, (including my own) Anglicanism. Recommended.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent and well-written book, providing a concise (if somewhat limited) historic overview of the Catholic church through the ages, a basic summary of the Seven Sacraments and a balanced projection of Catholicism in the future.

[Paul Kerr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short introduction indeed so I guess you can’t complain, but a little more on the modern church combatting its age old problems under the current media spotlight would have been an interesting addition to this but the book affair

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readable

Initially, I found this book very informative. I was surprised by the authors knowledge and how well he narrated throughout. I learned a lot.

However, he does change his posture towards the latter chapters.

Overall, it is a surprisingly solid book

[Patrick Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fails in its purpose as a 'very short introduction', assuming quite a bit of theological knowledge and a familiarity with scripture (what sort of catholic reads the Bible?). Also a bit polemic-y at points.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful, well written, and inspiring.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is an overview so it hit the highlights. As a result the writing seemed more technical than engaging. I learned a few new things.

[Gregory Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, comprehensive introduction by an author of broad and deep knowledge of his subject, and of very strong faith.

Highly recommended.

[Román · Rating 2 out of 5]

Очень посредственное введение в проблематику и историю католицизма. Обычно книги из серии «very short» дают неплохой обзор литературы и основных проблем, но, увы, не на этот раз.

[MSN · Rating 3 out of 5]

It does give an overview of Catholicism. But it’s still unclear of how it distinguishes from Orthodox Christianity or Protestant or Judaism.

[Bojan Tunguz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catholicism is a word that encompasses many distinct meanings: a religion, a church, a way of life, a geographical region perhaps. Catholicism is all of these things and much more - it is a Christian sect (to most of its members THE Christian sect) that strives to be all encompassing and universal, as its very name implies. And yet it is probably the form of Christianity that invites the most controversy. To the outsiders it can seem imposing and even threatening, and many groups implicitly or explicitly define their raison d'être as the opposition to Catholicism. The opposition is not limited to the outsiders, and there are many who call themselves Catholics who have serious issues and misgivings about certain aspects of Catholic teachings. And yet, for millions of people around the globe Catholicism remains a cornerstone of their lives and a source of great joy and fulfillment. It is often said that the Catholic Church is much vaster from the inside than it is from the outside. For all these vastly different points of view, be they opposing or promoting, it is useful to get themselves familiarized with what Catholicism really is. They owe it to themselves to understand this Catholicism better, and in achieving that goal I cannot think of a better first step than reading this slim yet informative book.

The book is written by Father Gerald O'Collins, S.J. research professor of theology at St. University College, Twickenham, and formerly the dean of the Faculty of Theology at Gregorian University in Rome. He is obviously a Catholic "insider," but that does not prevent him from making a book that is readable by and aimed at the general reader. The advantage of a Catholic theologian writing a book on Catholicism is that the reader is guaranteed to get a full picture of how Catholics understand themselves, their faith and their Church.

The book's chapters cover a handful of main themes - the history of Catholicism, Catholic Theology, the sacraments and church practices, the spiritual life, the moral and social teachings, the organization of the Catholic Church and the future of Catholicism. Each one of these topics could easily occupy vast number of volumes or even whole libraries full of books, and it is not always the easiest thing to exercise prudential judgment in choosing how much space to devote to each one of them. Many things will necessarily be omitted or just mentioned in passing. Overall, however, Father O'Collins does a remarkably good job of covering all the essential features of Catholicism.

The book is easy to read. It is written in an easy-going and legible style, but it is not condescending to the reader. It assumes a willing and interested reader who wants to learn about a new (or perhaps an old) subject.

Overall, this is a splendid book and another publishing success for the Oxford University Press. If you have any interest in Catholicism, this is a worthwhile volume to read. And just like the Catholicism itself, the appeal of this book is truly universal.

[Daniel Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author very much writes about his subject from within it; his Catholic credentials are flaunted with pride on the blurb. There is nothing wrong with this per se, but I couldn't help but be amused when the author occasionally behaved like a stereotypical traditional Catholic, slightly afraid of what the Church authorities might say if he puts too much toe across the official line. Consequently some parts inevitably came across as apologetic rather than descriptive, which could be slightly annnoying to a Protestant like me. Still, no-one comes at any subject with an entirely open mind, especially when religion is involved, and there is still plenty of interesting content here, theological/historical/whateverical.

[Kat · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book should have been called the history of Christanity with an emphasis on Catholicism. Half of the book was a history of early Christianity and the other half was information about Catholicism but it did not go into detail. This was not a good book. I know bits and pieces of stuff about Catholicism but I do not have an understanding. I know it is supposed to be a very short introduction but it was very hard to understand and did not give me a clear understanding of the basics of Catholicism; only a history of it.