Practicing Catholic: The Search for a Livable Catholicism

By Penelope Ryan

Many Catholics today feel that the Church and its leaders are out of touch with the real world. Issues such as annulment, birth control, ordination for women, celibacy for priests, and homosexuality... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805046631
• ISBN13: 9780805046632
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Co
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.3" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Clear-eyed and balanced

Far from being a diatribe against "truth" (as many of the negative reviews on this site might have you believe), this book is a very balanced and informed discussion of Church teaching. What this book does so well is to take key moral and social issues -- contraception, women's ordination, reproductive technology, etc. -- and to situate the Church's teaching about them in the context of history. Ryan clearly shows that many of the Church teachings on these issues reflect ancient views of life and science. She also shows how the discovery of certain scientific truths -- e.g., the discovery of the ovum, and the subsequent recognition that not every single act of sex is by its nature open to procreation -- have influenced Church teaching, in many cases causing those teachings to change (e.g, the Church has admitted that every act of sex does NOT innately have a procreative function, and has gradually acknowledged that the unitive aspect of intercourse is every bit as important as the procreative). She very rightly points out that new understandings in other aspects of human life and science -- for example, a clearer understanding of the causes of homosexual orientation -- may in time influence the teachings of the Church. Her book is a thoughtful call for such knowledge and understanding to be acknowledged and recognized by the magisterium. What always amazes me is how unwilling certain Catholics can be to engage in any discussion about these matters. I would think that a concern for the Truth would lead us all to acknowledge that the fullness of revelation and God's plan for us is not yet completely understood. It wasn't so long ago, in Church time, that lending money at interest was believed to be a sin. Obviously, certain Church teachings have changed over time. If you claim that they haven't, you simply don't know your Church history. Ms. Ryan's book is a great place to start.

30 years too late..

This is an excellent, well-written book. It is written by a woman - which is progress for the Catholic Church, who have rarely let women speak on serious theological matters. But that is the only progress I can see. The same issues are being discussed, the same problems addressed, as were the questions which pushed me out of a Catholic seminary over 35 years ago. No progress, either theological or sociological, seems to have been made on the issues of birth control, or women in the clergy, or married priests, etc. The Catholic Church no doubt would see this as a positive characteristic, but the rest of the world has moved on -- and taken a lot of the Catholic faithful with them.This is a good book. It's a shame that it could have been written almost word for word in the "60's.

An inspiration!

A beautifully-written book which serves as an inspiration for those of us struggling to remain Catholic in the world today. I applaud Dr. Ryan for her courage in taking the stand she has taken, and encourage anyone interested in seeing growth in the Catholic Church to give this book a try.

Insightful comments on the church, past and present

An honest, loving portrayal of the Catholic Church, discussing difficult changes that have been made in the past and making suggestions for changes that could (and the author seems to suggest should) take place in the future. Worth reading by anyone interested in the viability of the Catholic Church, as the author obviously is.

An extremely well-researched, lucidly written study.

Dr. Ryan is able to put her considerable learning to the service of the general intelligent reader by lucidly setting out instances of historical change in church doctrine or practice on a subject, and relating the continuing 2000-year dialectic to current and personal experience. Each chapter clearly treats a particular topic; the author sees her religion as complex, paradoxical, sometimes perhaps frustrating but ultimately rewarding. Her scholarly research and summaries of recent problems (theological, demographic or scandalous) are equally illuminating. This is the most comprehensive--and most gracefully written presentation of the subject I have read; and the ending is full of hope, charity--and hard questions. I recommend this book to any thoughtful person who would like to see the Roman Catholic Church survive (with people) through the 21st century.