Becoming Catholic, Again: Connecting the Faith We Were Taught with the Faith We Live

by Catherine Brunell

"Everywhere I go, I find Catholics moving into adult faith and also longing for adult faith--usually without even knowing it.  Here is an excellent book that can partner both groups on their journeys.   Becoming Catholic,  Again  is deeply personal, very readable, and quite solid theology too.  You don't often get all three!" -- Fr.Richard Rohr,O.F.M.

For many Catholics, practicing one's faith may have felt much simpler as a child. This was true for Catherine Wiecher Brunell; but as she matured, she encountered a tension in her faith--a disconnect between the faith she learned as a child and the faith she lived as an adult. In Becoming Catholic, Again , Brunell shares her realization of a spiritual identity that is congruent with both her lived experience and Church Tradition.

Becoming Catholic, Again examines how to maintain an authentic spiritual life and a connection to the Church in a postmodern world. For example, Brunell describes her experience with "theology of inadequacy": if we only prayed more and did more, then blessings and grace would flow. But that attitude might actually box God out of our lives--to find grace, we should focus on the lives we lead and meet the needs we see in the world from where we stand.

Brunell invites us to experience a faith that grows through personal discovery. Like Brunell, we may no longer have the absolute faith of a child, but we can nurture an adult faith that reconciles any differences.

Genres: Religion

244 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2012

Reviews

[Brianne]

The title is very misleading - this book is barely, if at all, specific to Catholicism, and could easily speak to just about any denomination - the author just happens to be Catholic. The book focuses on denominational religion as a medium through which we connect to God, and each chapter includes personal anecdotes and an excellent series of exercises. I am not Catholic, and I had no trouble at all getting something from this book. The writing can occasionally get a tiny bit bound up in the intangible or ethereal, and because of that I'd probably give it 4.5 stars if that were an option, but the book really spoke to me at every other point.

[Kate]

I got this book because it was only like $2 during one of Amazon's monthly sales and I think I was going through a phase of being fascinated by various forms of spirituality. It turned out to be a decent quick read, though I think it could have been titled a lot better. It's just about as relevant for any religion (and maybe even just general spiritualities,) and especially any Christian religions as it is for Catholicism. I'm not really religious at all, and I found it to be relevant even for me. It doesn't come across very preachy at all, which is surprising and good.

There's a bit of rambling here and there, and I found myself reading, but getting nothing from passages from time to time, simply because of how they were written and/or how nebulous what they were talking about was, but over all, it was a decent, insightful book.

The author is a mother of four and uses a lot of anecdotes about raising her children to illustrate points and for this reason, I think it might be a good book for parents.

The author also frequently talks about and tries to illustrate how it's ok to stray from organized religion/the rituals/the rules if that's what feels right for you. So if you're wanting to become Catholic again by getting more hardcore and following the rules more thoroughly, this is not the book for you. Actually, maybe it is, because maybe you really shouldn't be doing that.

Overall, I didn't love the book, but it wasn't bad and I definitely have a few friends who I think would really benefit from a reading of this book. I'd go with a 2.5 star rating if I could, firmly between "it was ok" and "I liked it".

[Warhammer Grantham]

For those of us raised in a religious tradition, it can frequently be difficult for that childlike faith to make sense in adulthood. Brunell's voice very much acknowledges that 'breaking point' where the faith she had up until that point, simply wasn't sufficient for her to hold onto. The book is a series of stories from the author's life, each accompanied by a suggested meditation and life practice. The author doesn't attempt to gloss over any of her own embarrassing experiences, so the voice of the book is genuine and the accompanying meditations come across as mindful thoughts. If I wasn't hopped up on caffeine when reading this, I probably would have got a lot more out if it. I'm not Caltholic, but I appreciate this authors honest voice in working through her own faith and religion issues.

[Joanne]

Brunnell is a pastoral minister and mother of 4. Her book reads like a spiritual journal. I would have liked her to elaborate more on where she disagrees with the RCC as well as more explanation of how she holds these challenging areas and a faith practice at church at the same time.

[Monica]

Difficult writing style at times. I appreciated and could relate to some of her personal anecdotes.