Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith (original 2011; edition 2011)

While I enjoyed this book, the Catholicism TV series is much more enjoyable. ( )

A great volume for converts to the faith, non-Catholics, and even Catholics who find themselves curious about the Church's depth. Fr. Barron does an excellent job communicating the basics of the Catholic Faith, but also helps the reader to (re)discover the beauty and majesty of this two-thousand year old group. I also recommend the accompanying DVD series, hosted by Fr. Barron himself. ( )

I am usually a fast reader, but this book took me a long time to get through. It was so rich with ideas and imagery that I found myself unable to just tear through it. So many times I had to stop and ponder a passage, rereading it fully absorb it. This is a beautiful book, one I could confidently recommend to friends and family who have questions about Catholicism. I am sure I will refer back to it again and again.

Father Barron does an excellent job exploring and explaining all aspects of what Catholics believe and what it is to be a Catholic. In other words, why on earth someone would choose to belong to a faith that modern society sees as backward and wrong. If you're curious about Catholicism, or have long belonged to the Church, I recommend this book, as well as the DVD series it was written to accompany. ( )

I am very thankful to have received this book. Barron gave this protestant a basic understanding of Catholicism. He did infuriate me at times, but that is to be expected. By the end, I felt that I had a much better grasp of what Catholicism is about, to the point of considering whether or not I could envision myself taking the step of conversion. Personally, I cannot, but Barron has advocated for his faith well.
The incarnation of God in Jesus Christ is the basis for the COMMON faith of true believers, not just Catholics as Barron seems to state...but then, maybe that was just my reading of his words. But, on the other hand, this does open the doors for dialogue as believers, rather than dialogue with an opponent of the faith. As others have stated, Barron is a very engaging author who makes his case well, but not incontrovertibly. I am still intrigued by those who are enamored of Catholicism as the inconsistencies within it still remain unanswered to my satisfaction.
I would heartily recommend this book for those looking for a basic primer on Catholicism, who wish to increase their understanding or even refresh their own thinking with the basics of their faith. Barron is a good evangelist for Catholicism, and a reasonably good one for the Christian faith as a whole. In fact, I still hope to be able to go through Catholicism a fourth time so that I can respond to it in a deeper. more theologically grounded way than in a book review. ( )