There are more than one billion Catholics in the world, and each one has a similar set of basic beliefs and practices that he or she follows. Some of the teachings of Catholicism are thousands of years old, while others are more recent. So what is the Catholic culture like and what do they believe? Catholicism For Dummies answers these and many other questions.

Whether you’re a Catholic or not, you may be totally clueless or just unaware of some aspects of Catholic traditions, history, doctrine, worship, devotion, or culture. No sweat. Regardless of whether you’re engaged, married, related to a Catholic, or just curious about what Catholics really do believe, this book is for you.

Catholicism For Dummies is not a catechism or religious textbook, but a casual, down-to-earth introduction for non-Catholics and reintroduction for Catholics. It gives commonsense explanations so that the next time you’re invited to a Catholic wedding, Baptism, funeral, Confirmation, or First Communion, you won’t be totally confused. You’ll also discover other important topics that can help you better understand the Catholic culture—from morality and devotions to worship and liturgy. This book will familiarize you with Catholicism by showing you:

• What it means to be a Catholic: traditions, prayers, beliefs, and holidays
• Who is who in the Catholic hierarchy
• How Catholics worship
• What the Seven Sacraments and Ten Commandments are
• The book regarded as the holiest to Catholics: The Bible
• The Church’s stand on some sticky issues

Catholicism For Dummies presents a rich tapestry and history of the Catholic faith—from devotions to doctrines. This intelligent and faithful look at Catholicism will open your eyes to this religion and answer many of the questions you may have about it.

The style is easy-to-read, straight-forward, and the advice and information is always based on official Church teaching. So it is not a good place to go if you wish to join the Catholic Church because you like the stain glass windows but don't want to accept Church teachings. This does not mean the authors cover up or gloss over difficult issues. They clearly admit how some popes were awful, and they have harsh words for the minority of priests who sexually abuse children. They do put these issues in perspective, pointing out that the papacy has a better record than most secular leaders, and the sinfulness of Peter, who was still chosen as first of the apostles. They also compare molestation by priests to molestation within families, showing that within families it is far more rampant (without excusing bad priests' behavior!). These are fair and balanced assessments in my opinion. This is not an apologetics book, although it does go to some length to show the Faith in a positive light. While strict apologetics books (Protestant or otherwise) often leave me cold, this book was a delight to read.

I read this is an entire weekend, and felt prepared to visit a Catholic Church for the first time in years. In addition to using this book, I would recommend reading the Catechism, using The New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book, and reading the early Church Fathers. The Faith of the Early Fathers by William Jurgens is a three volume set with excerpts from the Fathers. Scott Hahn's works are also recommended. Personally, I would say the best way to get a glimpse of the Catholic Church is to visit a Mass (but don't commune until you are a member!). Ultimately it was worshipping and praying with the Church that convinced me that Catholic was the way to go. Overall, Catholicism for Dummies is a good introduction to the Catholic Church, and tells you everything you really need to know in a concise and enjoyable way.

237 of 291 found the following review helpful:


Better to be a Dummy than an Idiot  Aug 15, 2004 By Thomas More
'Catholicism For Dummies' is far superior to the 'Complete Idiot's Guide to Catholicism'. The former gives you objective data on what Catholicism officially teaches, how it worships and how it works as an institution. The latter dressess up opinion as if fact and dishonestly injects dissident theology where readers are actually expecting and deserving accuracy and authenticity. I found CFD lightyears better than CIGC in content and layout. The book is not supposed to be about aberrations and deviations among renegade Catholics, rather it is supposed to present and explain a two thousand year old religion which presently incorporates a billion members. I found this book easy to read, enjoyable and informative. Had I wanted to read politically-correct, opinionated and hidden-agenda propoganda, then I would buy the Idiotic version.

22 of 24 found the following review helpful:


I Can't Wait to Use This Book with My RCIA Students  Feb 21, 2006 By WestieLover
I am the director of RCIA at my parish, and I am always looking for new material that will make the study of Catholicism more profitable for my students. This book is clear and concise, easy to read, and answers the perennial questions that always pop up (e.g., "why do Catholics use holy water?" "why can't non-Catholics receive Communion?" and "do Catholics worship Mary?"). I am seriously thinking of using this as one of the textbooks for our RCIA process, along with the Bible and Catechism which I already use.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to know more about the Catholic Church. While I wouldn't classify it as "apologetics" per se, it does a great job of explaining the whats and whys of Catholic doctrine.

20 of 22 found the following review helpful:


Good Starter  Apr 23, 2007 By DoctaP "surfy shopper"
Its amazing how much you think you know until teenagers start asking questions!! this was an excellent resource book when I started teaching those challenging teens.

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