| You're no idiot, of course. You have a good idea of basic Catholic teachings, but it's been a long time since you reviewed them...or maybe you're just starting to explore them. You'd like to know the Church's stance on tricky moral issues and to better understand the deeper theological teachings. But, frankly, decoding some of those can be as intimidating as walking into a darkened confessional. Take a leap of faith - and pick up The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Catholic Catechism. In this guide you get:
Transformative insights into the Trinity and the nature and power of prayer.
An in-depth look at baptism, Eucharist, reconciliation, and the other sacraments.
Helpful hints on how to apply the Catechism to your daily life.
An insider's perspective on the people, teachings, and rituals that have shaped the Catholic Church.
This book contains both the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur - official declarations that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error.
Nihil Obstat:
Rev. John N. Fell, S.T.D.
Imprimatur:
Rev. Paul G. Bootkoski
Bishop of Metuchen
September 19, 2007
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Catholic Catechism is divided into five sections which parallel the organization of the actual Catechism itself.
Part 1, "Decoding the Catechism," lays the groundwork for studying the Catechism. This is where you'll get the basic background you need to understand why the Catechism exists, who it's for, why it's important, and how to read it. In this part, you'll also find a little pop quiz to test your knowledge of all things Catholic.
Part 2, "A Profession of Faith," takes an in-depth look at the Apostles' Creed, which sums up the beliefs of the Catholic faith in prayer form. We'll take the creed line by line, exploring some of the most difficult-to-understand beliefs of the Catholic Church.
Part 3, "A Mystery Not Meant to be Solved," focuses on the seven sacraments, which were instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church. These sacraments fall into three categories: sacraments of initiation, sacraments of healing, and sacraments of commitment or service. IN this part, we will also take an in-depth look at liturgy, which is the central action of the Catholic faith.
Part 4, "Living the Good Life," looks at how Catholic believes are put into action in everyday life. This is where we look at the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament and reflect on how Jesus explained and transformed them into laws of love, If any part of the Catechism is like a rulebook this is it.
Part 5, "Turning Toward Heaven," gets into the practice of prayer answering the questions why do we pray, how do we pray, and where do we pray. This part will give you some pointers on how to have a prayer life and where to god for help. It ends with a line-by-line reflection on the Our Father, the perfect prayer for the Christian faith.
About the authors:
Mary Deturris Poust is an award-winning columnist, journalist, and author who has focused on Catholic issues for more than two decades. She is currently a contributing editor for Our Sunday Visitor.
Msgr. David Fulton, STD, JCD, holds earned doctorates in theology and in canon law. He is on the faculty of St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, and is pastor of Our Lady of Victories Church in Baptistown, New Jersey.
See also: Catechism and Idiot's Guide Set
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