The Bad Catholic’s Guide to Wine, Whiskey, & Song: A Spirited Look at Catholic Life & Lore from the Apocalypse to Zinfandel (Bad Catholic’s guides)
Review
“All saints suffer one way or another but there are no sad saints. As this book makes abundantly clear, some more than others had the gift of earthly gladness which, by not being lived as an end in itself, points the way to heavenly joy.” — Rev. George Rutler, Author, Theologian, Host, Eternal Word Television Network
“Silly some of the time, respectful most of the time and hilarious all of the time, even the squirrel recipes sound delicious and will have me driving slower thru the red states, chumming for low cost snacks on the two lane all the way to Mardi Gras.” — Mario Batali, Chef, Host of “Molto Mario,” “Mario Eats Italy,” and”Ciao America” on The Food Network. Author, The Babbo Cookbook
“Thanks to John Zmirak and Denise Matychowiak’s uproarious cornucopia of Catholic fun, now we can laugh ourselves up and out of literary purgatory. Their sharp-witted irreverence seldom fails to amuse–because they know the Church so well, and love her so dearly.” — Thomas McArdle, White House Speechwriter, former Communications Director, The Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights
“This ingenious guide will leave you educated and entertained. A comical yet dignified must-read.” — Erik Blauberg, Chef, former Executive Chef, The `21′ Club
Product Description
- The Bad Catholic’s Guide to Good Living: A Loving Look at the Lighter Side of Catholic Faith, with Recipes for Feast and Fun (Bad Catholic’s guides)
- The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Catholic Catechism
- A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching (Concise Guide Series)
- Fellow Catholics, do you like this song that makes me a bad Catholic?
- A Pocket Guide to St. Paul
I just finished reading this book and I can’t recommend it highly enough. When John Zmirak emailed about the new book I ordered it immediately since I doubted my local Catholic book store would carry it. Though if you do find it in a Catholic book store you might be tempted to take it out in a brown paper bag (which is quite appropriate for a book on alcohol) so that you don’t lose your pious creds among other store shoppers.
I had previously reviewed their first book Bad Catholics Guide to Good Living which I also enjoyed. This book takes the same format and applies it to the many intersections of the Catholics Church and the making of various spirits.
Take equal parts history, drinking songs, teleology, odd facts, monastery brewers, and add a heaping measure of humor you start to get an idea of what this book is like. At close to 400 pages this is a fairly long book and what I think is an amazing accomplishment that it is both informative and funny throughout. Seldom has one book made me laugh out loud as many times as this one did. The footnotes are also a major part of the book. If you are inclined to not read footnotes, do not do that with this book. Sometimes the footnotes provide fascinating information and sometimes they are just jaw-achingly funny.
The book covers various alcohols literally from A - Z and also contains segments on loopholes to the Ten Commandments throughout the book. This is a book only Catholics could write in the first place. There is not exactly a rich Baptist tradition between breweries and vineyards. While I was aware that many monasteries throughout history had their hand in these arts, it is rather amazing just how many connections there are of intersections between the Church and alcohol. Though not really surprising considering the miracle of Cana and wine used as the species for the Holy Eucharist. This history is quite fascinating just reading straight, but the authors punctuate this history with many funny moments. Their are also many strange but true facts scattered throughout the book that you would think they were just part of the authors well developed humor. One being a quote from anti-Catholic and just strange John Harvey Kellogg (yes founder of the cereal) who ironically turns out to be a flake.
Another great thing about the book is that while these are Bad Catholic guides, the authors themselves are quite serious Catholics (if serious can be applied to them) and when they include discussion of Church teaching and theology throughout the book it is quite good. The swipes they take at both progressive and Rad Trad Catholics are also fun. Some people will pick up the book expecting something else and will discover that not only that Catholics aren’t Puritans, but they will see aspects of the faith quite well presented.
There are also some very funny comparisons in various tables included my favorite being the comparison between Lager Beer and Infallible Papal Declarations. Another hilarious section is a critique of some of the songs you will find sung at most Masses.
” “Here I am, Lord.” This hymn depicts a human soul responding to the call of Christ–but the music is whiny and grim, evoking in most people’s minds a can of rancid potted meat, being slowly spread by windshield wipers across a plate of dirty auto glass. You hear Christ calling all right–but you feel like He’s some hobo who’s tapping at your window at 4 a.m. to wake you from a sound sleep so He can ask you directions to Dunkin’ Donuts. You don’t so much want to answer Him as clock him with a slipper. Sung in a sleepwalking, zombie rhythm, its use at Communion time produces a strikingly cinematic effect, which film critics have dubbed “The Church of the Living Dead.” Here again, we have a chance to bring good out of evil: In preliminary tests, use of this song by military interrogators has proved successful, slightly more humane replacement for water-boarding.”
As you would expect on a book covering this subject they do cover the discussion of drunkenness and the virtue of temperance. I also loved that fact that they made the comparison between people going to Whole Foods to buy pristine and purer organic foods and at the same time pumping their bodies full of hormones through birth control, a point I have made myself. This book is just flat-out funny and informative and one that I would highly recommend this book along with the first one in the series.
. . . romp through all things Catholic (A to Z) with an emphasis on the many contributions Catholics have made through the years in the realm of good singing — and delicious potables!
The commentary, while truly very funny, is also quite enlightening — and I can’t wait to try some of the recipies! And the musical parodies? To DIE for!
Incidentally, for those who might think that a humorous book poking a bit of fun at the Church must be coming from a revisionist agenda — think again! The theology presented here is quite orthodox — and the liturgical tastes of the authors definitely seem sympathetic with the traditionalist!
Yes, it’s possible to be a person of faith — and to have a great deal of fun. This book is living proof!
Very, VERY highly recommended!
After describing the German Kaiser’s reconquest of Alsace-Loraine from France in the Franco-Prussian War and his persecution of the region’s Catholics, which occurred while the forces of the Kingdom of Italy kept the Pope a prisoner in the Vatican, and which was followed by the Paris Commune’s murder of dozens of French clergy and religious, author John Zmirnak writes, “All in all, the 1870s may have been even worse for the Church than the 1970s … hard as that might be to believe.” (From the entry “Gewurztraminer: The Alsacians Need Better Neighbors.”) If the idea of combining libations, cuisine, history, orthodoxy, humor, and political incorrectness appeals to you, then this is your book. Highly recommended.