The Catholic Church : what everyone needs to know / John L. Allen, Jr.
Roman Catholicism stands at a crossroads, a classic ''best of times, worst of times'' moment. On the one hand, the Catholic Church remains by far the largest branch of the worldwide Christian family, and is growing at a remarkable clip. Yet the Church has also been rocked by a se...
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Full Text (via ProQuest) |
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York :
Oxford University Press,
2014.
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| Edition: | Updated edition. |
| Series: | What everyone needs to know.
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Table of Contents:
- Cover; THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: WHAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW®; Copyright; Dedication; CONTENTS; ACKNOWLEDGMENTS; INTRODUCTION; Why does the Church matter?; Myths and misperceptions; About this book; 1 THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 101; What is a parish?; What's the next level up?; So what's a diocese?; If each bishop is basically independent, how do they act together as a group?; You mentioned the Second Vatican Council. What's a council?; What's the Vatican?; Is the Pope an absolute monarch?; Isn't the Catholic Church tightly centralized?; Is there just one "Catholic Church"?; What's a religious order?
- Does the Catholic Church really have its own code of law and court system?What penalties can be imposed under canon law?; Let's talk about personnel. Who are the clergy?; What's the difference between a priest and a bishop?; What's a nun?; Who are the laity?; Where are the world's Catholics today?; Are the clergy distributed the same way?; What are the basics of Catholic belief?; What are the main differences between Catholics and other Christians?; Is there dissent in the Catholic Church about some of these teachings?; What are sacraments?
- Aren't there a bunch of other practices outside the sacraments?What attracts someone to the Catholic Church?; 2 HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS; How did the Church get started?; If "catholic" means "universal," why are there so many different Christian churches?; When did the first church split occur?; What was the Reformation?; How are those divisions present today?; Where does the Pope enter the picture?; Who were the best and worst popes?; What are the greatest moments in Catholic history?; What about missionaries?; Who was St. Francis?
- How do Catholics explain episodes that seem to discredit the Church?What were the Crusades?; What was the Inquisition?; What about the charge that the Catholic Church was complicit in the Holocaust?; What happened at Vatican II?; 3 THE CHURCH OUTSIDE "THE CHURCH"; Are religious orders an example of "the church outside the Church"?; Are Catholic schools, hospitals, and charities part of "the Church"?; What about media, such as Catholic newspapers and TV?; What about Catholic organizations?; What are the "new movements"?; What's an example of one of these movements?
- Do Catholics have to join an organization or movement to be part of "the church outside the Church"?What's causing all this lay activism?; What is an example of Catholic diversity in action?; 4 THE LIFE OF THE MIND; What are the major topics in Catholic theology?; Since doctrines such as the Trinity were settled centuries ago, is there anything left to debate?; Does Catholic teaching ever change?; Where does Catholic moral theology come from?; How does Catholicism understand sin?; How is moral theology put into practice?