The Catholic Church : what everyone needs to know / John L. Allen, Jr.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Allen, John L., Jr., 1965-2026, author.

Series:

What everyone needs to know.

What everyone needs to know

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Theology, Doctrinal--Popular works.

Theology, Doctrinal.

Catholic Church--Doctrines.

Catholic Church.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (338 p.)

Edition:

Updated edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, 2020.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Roman Catholicism stands at a crossroads, a classic 'best of times, worst of times' moment. On the one hand, the Catholic Church remains by far the largest branch of the worldwide Christian family, and is growing. Yet the Church has also been rocked by a series of scandals related to the sexual abuse of minors by clergy, and, even more devastating, a pattern of cover-up of that abuse by the church's authorities. In this text, John L. Allen, Jr, offers an authoritative and accessible primer on the Church today.

Contents:

Cover; THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW®; Copyright; Dedication; CONTENTS; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS; INTRODUCTION; Why does the Church matter?; Myths and misperceptions; About this book; 1 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 101; What is a parish?; What's the next level up?; So what's a diocese?; If each bishop is basically independent, how do they act together as a group?; You mentioned the Second Vatican Council. What's a council?; What's the Vatican?; Is the Pope an absolute monarch?; Isn't the Catholic Church tightly centralized?; Is there just one "Catholic Church"?; What's a religious order?

Does the Catholic Church really have its own code of law and court system?What penalties can be imposed under canon law?; Let's talk about personnel. Who are the clergy?; What's the difference between a priest and a bishop?; What's a nun?; Who are the laity?; Where are the world's Catholics today?; Are the clergy distributed the same way?; What are the basics of Catholic belief?; What are the main differences between Catholics and other Christians?; Is there dissent in the Catholic Church about some of these teachings?; What are sacraments?

Aren't there a bunch of other practices outside the sacraments?What attracts someone to the Catholic Church?; 2 HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS; How did the Church get started?; If "catholic" means "universal," why are there so many different Christian churches?; When did the first church split occur?; What was the Reformation?; How are those divisions present today?; Where does the Pope enter the picture?; Who were the best and worst popes?; What are the greatest moments in Catholic history?; What about missionaries?; Who was St. Francis?

How do Catholics explain episodes that seem to discredit the Church?What were the Crusades?; What was the Inquisition?; What about the charge that the Catholic Church was complicit in the Holocaust?; What happened at Vatican II?; 3 THE CHURCH OUTSIDE "THE CHURCH"; Are religious orders an example of "the church outside the Church"?; Are Catholic schools, hospitals, and charities part of "the Church"?; What about media, such as Catholic newspapers and TV?; What about Catholic organizations?; What are the "new movements"?; What's an example of one of these movements?

Do Catholics have to join an organization or movement to be part of "the church outside the Church"?What's causing all this lay activism?; What is an example of Catholic diversity in action?; 4 THE LIFE OF THE MIND; What are the major topics in Catholic theology?; Since doctrines such as the Trinity were settled centuries ago, is there anything left to debate?; Does Catholic teaching ever change?; Where does Catholic moral theology come from?; How does Catholicism understand sin?; How is moral theology put into practice?

Doesn't the Catholic Church also have a strong tradition on social justice?

Notes:

This edition previously issued in print: 2014.

Description based on publisher information.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0-19-756995-1

0-19-937982-3

0-19-937981-5