The New World of Faith

by Avery Dulles

[People] sometimes complain that the Church is not up to the times, as though it had to be pursuing the latest theories and styles. It would be better to ask whether the world of nonbelief is still lagging far behind the revolutionary vision that Christ brought into our history. These pages are written primarily for Christian believers and for inquirers into Christianity. They are written from a Roman Catholic perspective, by an author who came to Christianity and to the Catholic Church as a young adult. Everything in my life since that time has confirmed the rightness of that decision. I hope that as many as possible may share with me the joy and excitement of the adventure of faith. - From the Introduction to The New World of Faith In this confident, unified, and unflinching assessment of the key elements of the Catholic Faith, Father Avery Dulles, S.J., illuminates the darkness of skepticism and unbelief that plague modern life, truly presenting apologetics without apology. About the A convert to Catholicism, Avery Dulles, S.J., is the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University. The author of twenty books and a regular contributor to periodicals such as First Things and America, he is also in much demand as lecturer and commentator on the Faith.

Genres: Religion

175 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

About the author

Avery Robert Dulles, S.J. (1918-2008) was a Jesuit priest, theologian, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and served as the Laurence J. McGinley Professor of Religion and Society at Fordham University from 1988 to 2008. He was an internationally known author and lecturer.

Dulles was born in Auburn, New York, the son of future U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles (for whom Washington Dulles International Airport is named) and Janet Pomeroy Avery Dulles. His uncle was Director of Central Intelligence Allen Welsh Dulles. Both his great-grandfather John W. Foster and great-uncle Robert Lansing also served as U.S. Secretary of State.

He received his primary school education in New York City at the St. Bernard's School and attended secondary schools in Switzerland and The Choate School (now Choate Rosemary Hall) in Wallingford, Connecticut.

Dulles was raised a Presbyterian but had become an agnostic by the time he began college at Harvard in 1936. His religious doubts were diminished during a personally profound moment when he stepped out into a rainy day and saw a tree beginning to flower along the Charles River; after that moment he never again "doubted the existence of an all-good and omnipotent God." He noted how his theism turned toward conversion to Catholicism: "The more I examined, the more I was impressed with the consistency and sublimity of Catholic doctrine." He converted to Catholicism in the fall of 1940.

After graduating from Harvard College in 1940, he spent a year and a half in Harvard Law School, where he also founded the "St. Benedict Center" (which would become well-known due to the controversial Fr. Leonard Feeney S.J.), before serving in the United States Navy, emerging with the rank of Lieutenant. For his liaison work with the French Navy, he was awarded the French Croix de guerre.

Reviews

[Maureen Swift · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very accessible book that is very much in line with the teachings of Pope Francis. Dulles is an excellent writer with an important message.