Almost Catholic: An Appreciation of the History, Practice, and Mystery of Ancient Faith

By Jon M. Sweeney

Book Overview

Jon Sweeney, a self-described "evolved Protestant" andnoted religious writer, has long been fascinated by the CatholicChurch. However, it wasn't until he was a young missionary inthe Philippines that he truly began to understand theChurch's traditions, mysteries, and religious beliefs and itshold on those who follow the tradition. As he explains, Catholicspirituality is all about responding to the fundamental mystery ofJesus, the incarnation, and what it all meant in the beginning aswell as what it means today.

In Almost Catholic, Sweeney offers an appreciation ofCatholicism, weaving in the story of his own explorations withthose of others who have also been attracted to this tradition. Hefinds himself drawn to the Church's ancient and medievaltraditions out of a desire to connect with the deepest and widestpaths on the way. Two millennia of saints and practices andteachings and mystery form a connection for him to the verybeginnings of Christianity.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0787994707
• ISBN13: 9780787994709
• Release Date: February 2008
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

must read

we all come from the early church and this sure helps explain some old myths we have been feed

Crucifixes, Rosaries, Stations of the Cross, Novenas and Merton, St. Francis, Chesterton, O'Connor

Author John M. Sweeney has written an excellent book, "Almost Catholic," that should find a home with non-Catholics, lapsed Catholics, and Catholics "in good standing" alike. Sweeney's family was originally Roman Catholic but found it was not easy being Catholic in Kansas in the 1800s so they became evangelical Protestant. Today, Sweeney is an Episcopalian. He admits that his family's Catholic history may be haunting him. The book is composed of six sections: * Definitions and language which includes "The Eleven Steps to Becoming a Truly Catholic Christian." * The Catholic Imagination" which explores a particular way of seeing the world - God is here in sacred places and spaces. * What it means to be Catholic which is to fully embrace the Incarnate Christ - the Crucifix, the Stations of the Cross, and relics, "bones and bodies." * Physical connections to spiritual reality which includes the Rosary, Novenas, Icons/Images, Confession, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. * A reflection by the author on his faith journey which includes chapters on Thomas Merton, St. Francis of Assisi, G.K. Chesterton, Flannery O'Connor, and the Roman Catholic Catechism. * Practices that pull us together which include the Sacraments, Sacramentals, and Blessings, which are being rediscovered today by many outside the Catholic Church. Sweeney, who has thought deeply about the Catholic tradition, wrote this with the hope others would learn as he did about the jewels that lie below the surface. Non-Catholic religious leaders have confused the matter by preaching that being Catholic is primarily about that outer crust of religious observance. As the reader will learn, there is much beauty to uncover and there are many elements of Catholicism that have the potency for non-Catholics and for uncommitted Catholics as well as for Catholics who believe they are well formed.

Catholic Christianity for everyone

The engaging and always intelligent Jon M. Sweeney does it again with this enchantingly readable appreciation of the beauty, mystery, and depth of the Catholic faith. Raised as a fundamentalist Christian, the author is now an Episcopalian who can convey the riches of the Church better than most Roman Catholic writers. This is not a book just for Protestants. It is a book for anyone interested in the timeless allure of Catholicism -- particularly lapsed or almost-lapsed Catholics who are thinking -- Why bother??? After reading this book, you'll never ask that question again...Highly recommended!

Excellent Read

I thought this was a refreshing book about how an evangelical was enriched by the catholic tradition. Too often present day Christians think their tradition goes back to the founding of their particular group when in fact we share a longer tradition with others. If you read Richard Foster or many other spiritual writers they will consult both catholic and protestant writers and mystics. I an a United Methodist and I have been informed by Anglican and Catholic heritages as well as my own Wesleyan heritage. This writer communicates to Protestant readers the practices of Roman Catholics that we could learn from and benefit from ourselves.