101 Things Everyone Should Know About Catholicism: Beliefs, Practices, Customs, and Traditions

by Helen Keeler

The mysteries behind the world's most enigmatic faith--revealed!

- What is catechism?
- Why do Catholics turn to the saints for inspiration?
- What is purgatory?

101 Things Everyone Should Know About Catholicism crystallizes these and other key components of this influential, enduring faith. Whether you're curious about the symbolic meanings of Mass or intrigued by the deeper significance of the seven Sacraments, this book answers all your questions. Inside this compact yet comprehensive volume, you'll also learn about:


Major events that have shaped Church history
The Catholic understanding of Heaven and Hell
The structure of Church hierarchy
The Catholic interpretation of scripture
The significance of major Catholic holidays
Modern-day challenges and reform movements
Encompassing everything from the birth of Jesus to Vatican II and beyond, this thoughtful, engaging guide provides a wealth of indispensable information.

Genres: Catholic, Nonfiction, Religion, Christianity

246 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[cellomerl]

I was surprised by two things when I finished this little book; how little I knew about the inner workings of Catholicism and the basic principles of the faith, and how much information is crammed into it. For a little “101 Things” type of subject overview book, each article is quite detailed and well presented. The information is balanced as well - it neither paints a too-rosy picture of the Church, but neither does it apologize for it. The structure of the book would make it a good reference if you wanted to re-read some specific point later on.
It can be easy to be so overwhelmed by all the complicated rituals and trappings of the faith and forget the point of it. The Catholic Church is erudite, worldly and intellectual. It has spent two thousand years looking for answers (and finding many of them). In this evil post-modernist world, we all need to pray more.

[Jane Fournier]

I learned so much about being Catholic. I joined the church at age 19/20. As a youngster I had only experienced church by going with one Grandma (Mormon) and other Grandma (Reorganized LDS) and friends from school (all different faiths). But then I married a Catholic. I did not join immediately but did the studies and then was baptized. We attended always and observed the rules while raising four children and educating them in Catholic schools. I’m so glad we did that but have to say only one is still a practicing Catholic.😢. Since the death of my husband I have studied and learned a lot more about my faith and I’m so thankful. However I do understand after reading this book why other faiths do not understand or agree with Our beliefs. I find great comfort and peace.

[Maxwell Thornton]

This book is meh. It does an ok job describing the sacraments and very core tenants of Catholicism, but I have major criticisms, a few of the which are these:

1. No mention of the Eastern Catholic Churches
2. Historical lie that the Catholic Church 'sold indulgences'.
3. Little mention of the Latin Mass, also called the 'Traditional Latin Mass', 'Extraordinary-Form Mass', or 'Usus antiquior'.

With this, I say that if you are going to buy this book, do not rely on it only to understand Catholic history, beliefs, and teachings. Buy other books like the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), an annotated Bible, and other Catholic works.

[Jay Szpirs]

An informative guide that covers a wide range of topics without delving too deeply or critically into any one of them. Although it was written during John Paul II's time, it is interesting that none of the fundamental challenges facing the RC church have changed since the book's publication.

[Valerie]

staggering amount of info, in bite-size pieces. parts are dry (as you may imagine), unless you're REALLY interested.

[Shaun]

Great starter but without Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur take this only as a Catholic teaser. Incidentally, these are not even mentioned so external reference is a must.