Catholicism

Great Religions of Modern Man #2

by George Brantl (Editor)

The absence of God
Theophany
Advent
Incarnation
Pentecost
Faith
The transformation in Christ
The Catholic affirmation
The last things
References
Index of Sources

Genres: Religion, Theology, Philosophy, Catholic

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

Reviews

[Lesung vor Acht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das bisher ausführlichste Buch der Reihe bietet dem interessierten Leser eine anspruchsvolle Einsicht in die katholische Tradition und Weltanschauung. Brantl erklärt die mittelalterlichen Gottesbeweise ebenso wie die Inhalte der Konzilien und Enzykliken im ausgehenden neunzehnten und zwanzigsten Jahrhundert und zitiert Quellen von Augustinus bis zu Johannes XXIII. Der historische Abriss führt dabei zu einem tieferen Verständnis des heutigen Zustands der katholischen Kirche und bietet zudem eine ausführliche Erklärung des kirchlichen Standpunkts zu Fragen über Ethik und Moral. Was zuvor wie eine kryptische Organisation am Rande der bekannten Welt wirkt, erhält dadurch eine Gestalt.
Die knapp 380 Seiten (deutsche Ausgabe) können selbstverständlich niemals ausreichen, um ein vollständiges Bild der katholischen Kirchengeschichte zu bieten. Dennoch tat Brantl sein Möglichstes, um dem Leser ein anspruchsvolles philosophisches und theologisches Exzerpt zu bieten.

[Berry Muhl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I'm glad I finished the series, but saddened that I didn't come away with the insights I was hoping for. All these books are great at providing the background and development of their respective religions, and at distinguishing them from related ones, but don't provide enough detail about the specific rituals and practices to give you a deep sense of how they operate. For that, I suppose, you have to attend some of the services yourself.

To put it more succinctly, these books provide a wealth of information about *how practitioners think and what they believe*, but not enough about *what they do*. Still, if you're interested in religion, they serve a significant purpose, by providing you with a detailed context into which to place what you later learn as you pursue your studies. Indispensable for those who are seeking or just trying to understand the psychology of religious belief; dispensable for those without such inclinations.

[Luke Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise introduction to the key tenets of Catholicism. As a former catholic I can verify its authenticity on a religion that is often misunderstood. Bodes well for the other volumes in this series which introduces core religions of the world

[James Violand · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book which emphasizes how reason plays a pivotal part in our Christian faith. Unfortunately, it is written to be read by an intellectual and thereby seems to legitimize the criticism that Roman Catholicism is too scholastic a faith. If only it had been written for the masses, the Church would be able to retrieve a lot of souls who now seem lost.

[Belle Meade School]

230.2