January 2003: Review of God and the World: Believing and Living in Our Time; Happy Are You Poor: The Simple Life and Spiritual Freedom and The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy.

God and the World: Believing and Living in Our Time
by Cardinal Ratzinger

This is the third interview book done by Cardinal Ratzinger. The first two, “The Ratzinger Report,” and “Salt of the Earth,” were both bestsellers. This new interview book is the longest and perhaps the best of the three. Journalist Peter Seewald (incidentally, the same person who interviewed Cardinal Ratzinger for “The Salt of the Earth”) spends three full days at the Benedictine Abbey of Monte Cassino in a setting of silence and prayer where he questions the eminent Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith about a wide variety of issues. Reading this book deepens one’s understanding of Catholic doctrine (particularly incisive are the Cardinal’s comments on Creation) and helps the reader navigate through the present crisis in the Church and in the world. It is a book brimming with insights from one of the finest Catholic thinkers of our time.

Happy Are You Poor: The Simple Life and Spiritual Freedom
by Fr. Thomas Dubay, S.M

Many readers will be familiar with this author’s name since Fr. Dubay is one of the greatest spiritual writers and retreat masters in the Church today. This book is a reprint of a work originally published in l981. And it is a gem! Too often Catholics tend to think of poverty almost exclusively in relationship to religious life and the vow of poverty those take who live the consecrated life. Fr. Dubay’s thesis is that simplicity of life and eschewing materialism is the calling of every believer. This is the kind of book that will not only open the reader’s eyes regarding a critically important Gospel truth, but also could change one’s life. With lucidity and profundity on every page, “Happy Are You Poor,” is Catholic spiritual writing at its best. You will treasure this book.

The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy
by Colleen Carroll

In this exciting book Catholic journalist colleen Carroll has written a wonderful and very hopeful work about young Christians from all over America who are discovering, or in some cases rediscovering, traditional, orthodox Christianity. While many of the persons discussed in the book are Catholic, Miss Carroll also provides the stories of many Orthodox Christians and evangelical Protestants who have rejected the secularism and relativism of American culture and have become leaders in their respective denominations of a revival of orthodox Christianity. Miss Carroll talks to young Christians from a wide variety of vocations who are challenging our secular culture and bringing the saving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to countless Americans. Instead of isolating themselves from our culture, these young people are engaging it and the fruits of their efforts are already most impressive. This is the perfect antidote to all the bad news Catholics have been hearing this past year. Here is a book that will raise your spirits and give you great hope.

© 2003, Frederick J. Blonigen and Catholic Parents OnLine