Agony in the Garden: Sex, Lies and Redemption from the Troubled Heart of the American Catholic Church

by John van der Zee

A monsignor, convicted of molestation, is imprisoned; a priest flees the country after repeated molestation charges; another commits suicide. A former priest and youth ministry leader is charged with... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560254718
• ISBN13: 9781560254713
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: Nation Books
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.3" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Non-Catholic appreciates insights

I appreciate Van Der Zee's insights into the reasons behind the pedophilia of priests, which I believe is the worst epidemic in America. This situation has got to be stopped! I hope the Pope reads this.

A Well-Researched Picture of a Church Scandal

Despite it's less-than-descriptive title, this book is actually an account of recent ethical and monetary scandals in one Roman Catholic diocese. I live there, and I'm a Catholic. I'm also a reference librarian, and I think the book seems quite well-reserched. It goes far beyond what I read in the local newspaper. It's also a very fast read--I read it in a week-end, almost without putting it down. I'm ordering a copy for my library, and a second one to loan to my friends.

A must read for all concerned with the Catholic Church

John van der Zee's treatment of the recent scandels in the Diocese of Santa Rosa manages to be both illuminating and riveting. I took the book on a business trip and was drawn in by the "Forward". Having begun, I could not stop until finished.The author delivers a blow-by-blow account of the events, revelations and shameful cover-up. He provides the reader with the personal history of the main players for perspective. He also intermixes his thoughts on the systemic problems with the Catholic Church which contibuted to or, perhaps, allowed the entire debacle to occur. I appreciate the fact that this was done lightly in a manner which was designed to provoke thought rather than conclusions.As a short-lived member of a Diocesan finance subcomittee, I found his material to be well-researched and his conclusions reasoned. His observations about the future of the Catholic Church in the modern world are particularly compelling.While this book could easily be turned into a riveting Hollywood movie, it is much more valuable as a reminder that absolute power vested in a few individuals should be avoided by any organization and that we must all demand honesty and accountability from our leaders whether they be financial, political or spiritual.