The Catholic Passion: Rediscovering the Power and Beauty of the Faith
From Booklist
Rather than dissecting and analyzing the often-dry dogma and the doctrines of Catholicism, Scott instead attempts to ignite a passion for the Catholic faith. By posing a series of fundamental questions about existence, about God, and about how we should live, he is able to reflectively illuminate the living mysteries that define the unique Catholic spirit. Interweaving the insights and experiences of a variety of famous and obscure Catholics over the course of the past 2,000 years, he provides a veritable window to the heart and soul of a vibrant brand of Catholicism–one that embraces and revels in the mysteries of faith while still paying respect to the orthodoxy that defines the church. This is touted as a book about and for Catholics, and interest might be marginal in more general collections. Margaret Flanagan
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–This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
{David Scott] provides a veritable window to the heart and soul of a vibrant brand of Catholicism. — Booklist, October 1, 2005
–This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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I’ve read many recently published books on the substance and meaning of the Catholic faith–Weigel, Groome, Greeley, etc. I’ve also read recent books by and about John Paul II, and Cardinal Ratzinger (Benedict XVI). And, lots of historical, even famous, books of Catholic theology and apologetics: Newman, Chesterton, Merton, etc. Lots of those books were very good, and each in their own way added a dimension to my own understanding of a faith I love. But, David Scott’s Catholic Passion is the single best book I’ve ever read on Catholicism.
I cannot say I actually learned anything new (other than a few interesting facts about some saints I had not met before). Rather, Scott captures the richness and joy Catholic life and belief, and with an easy prose encourages in the reader the attitude that a right understanding of Catholicism should inspire in all of us.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to discover or rediscover what it means and how it feels to be a Catholic. It should be required reading for everyone involved in an RCIA program. Catholics should buy a copy for their Protestant friends who may think (or are even sure) they know what Catholicism is about. Mail a copy to that relative who has left the church.
To be sure, this is not academic theology, nor a catechism lesson. It is the inspired work of an author who loves his church, and who has found a way to communicate the best elements of that church, and his faith, to his readers. Scott’s book is the most honest and joyful expression of the faith in print today!
David Scott is interested in Catholicism as made vividly manifest by artists, poets, and saints. In “The Catholic Passion,” he seeks to get to the romantic, dramatic, visionary, vibrant core of Catholicism, in all its cultural manifestations. It’s a rewarding and rewarded effort.
This book takes as its starting point Chesterton’s assertion that the most perilous and exciting path is not heresy but Christian orthodoxy. Scott is not interested in detailing doctrine and dogma, but in dramatizing and fleshing out the faith as it is embodied and lived out in the Church. Scott tells stories of people such as Blessed Charles de Foucauld, Dorothy Day, Francis Thompson, Eugene O’Neill, and St. Catherine of Genoa. Certainly not all are saints — some are not even believers. But all stories lead the reader to an intimation of what it is that draws so many of us to the Church.
The “passion” of the title is a word that evokes romance, suffering, and engagement. Scott shows us how this passion is a part of life as lived, with a voice that is committed and honest. His words give us not a set of catechetical propositions, but a body, a corpus of Catholicism that is set before the eye of the reader. If you get a chance, pick it up — it’s an excellent, enjoyable, nourishing read.
No politics or triumphalism here, not even much that ‘cradle Catholics’ won’t recognize, just essentials of our relationship with God, expressed with simplicity and great beauty. The author says right off that this will not be a rehash of technical catechism, and keeps his word. This is not a sterile legalistic text, and doesn’t deal in negatives. This is a 100% positive living account, drawn from the lives of real people, from 1st-century martyrs to Eugene O’Neill and Dorothy Day. A work of love, of beauty and calm spirituality, it brought me peace. Highly recommended.