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Review
"'At every turn he challenges complacency and makes ancient wisdom fresh, exciting.' - Commonwealth"
Product Description
In this illuminating and engaging book, Alban McCoy imaginatively and intelligently addresses the key questions that non-Catholics-and even Catholics- have about Roman Catholicisim. Are faith and reason enemies or allies? Do we need proof of God? Can God and evil both exist? Do we need the Pope? Is annulment divorce by another name? Why are women not ordained as priests in the Catholic Church? In an age where morality is increasingly challenged and reassessed, Alban McCoy demonstrates the relevance of the Catholic Church's moral teaching to the modern age and shows how Roman Catholicism is fully engaged with the realities of life and of the Spirit. Alban McCoy is Chaplain to the University of Cambridge. He is also a literary editor of The Tablet. His book, An Intelligent Person's Guide to Christian Ethics, is also in the Continuum Icons series.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
61 of 61 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book offers a frank and detailed discussion of the central tenets of the Catholic faith. Alban McCoy does not shrink from the challenge of explaining some of the most difficult aspects of Catholicism in a way which is instantly accessible to a non-Catholic such as myself. A fascinating read, the warmth and dignity of the author shine through as he engages with challenging issues such as the existence of evil in the world and the role of the Church and the Pope in Catholicism.
I can thoroughly recommend this book to anyone seeking to learn more about Catholicism and indeed to anyone with a more general interest in philosophy, theology and ethics.
I am not sure what Catholics born and raised in the Church will make of the book, as I suspect that many of the arguments and explanations will already be familiar to them. Nevertheless, if a Catholic reader is seeking a fresh insight into the thinking behind the teachings of the Church, they need look no further.
I can thoroughly recommend this book to anyone seeking to learn more about Catholicism and indeed to anyone with a more general interest in philosophy, theology and ethics.
I am not sure what Catholics born and raised in the Church will make of the book, as I suspect that many of the arguments and explanations will already be familiar to them. Nevertheless, if a Catholic reader is seeking a fresh insight into the thinking behind the teachings of the Church, they need look no further.
84 of 87 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Father Alban's book has been an invaluable help to me, both during my conversion and reception into the Catholic church, and now as I try to live my life according to its teachings.
The book is simply written without being patronising and answers many of the questions that one might have about the Church and its position on a good many issues.
I would strongly reccomend this title to both the curious and those who think they know about the Catholic way of life and worship.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Excellent, Excellent, Excellent
1 July 2004
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Father McCoy sets forth authentic Catholic teaching with precision and insight. He correctly states the basis of the Church's inability to ordain women and is quite persuasive in pointing out that the modern Western view that an individual has a right to ordination is utterly off-base (p. 55). He also cogently explains the basis of the Church ban on contraception by lucidly noting how those in favor of contraception labor under the assumption that there is an "inalienable right" to sexual activity (p. 113). These are only two of the many issues discussed in the book, but these two show that Fr. McCoy is intent on explaining Catholic teaching and not on revising it as so many books penned by theological liberals do.
The best part of the book, in my view, is McCoy's discussion of the "Seven Deadly Sins" (pride, sloth, envy, avarice, gluttony, wrath, and lust). He discusses them through a masterful presentation of Christian anthropology--the Christian view of the flourishing human person. He shows how the seven deadly sins are related and how they impoverish our existence. He shows how these sins are very much alive today and do not just form an archaic list from another age.
Here is Catholicism truly presented in an intelligent manner. This book would truly be a valuable addition to anyone's library.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Outstanding and grown up
22 Sep 2009
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is an outstanding explanation from an adult and common sense perspective of a number of aspects of Catholic Christian teaching. Alban McCoy was the Catholic chaplain at Cambridge University, and this book records a number of the lunch hour debates he engendered in that role with intelligent and questioning young adults. It is a must read for anyone puzzled by Catholic doctrine, whether Catholic or not, and anyone interested in the "whys" of Catholic teaching.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Fascinating, but not always on track
12 Sep 2009
Format:Paperback
I was excited to discover this book and hoped to find an in-depth look at Catholic teachings and history. The topics Father McCoy covers are well chosen, including God and proof, our Lady, sins, and virtues, but I felt the author could have done more. I appreciated the more or less neutral tone and researched answers, but at times the author, I felt, deviated, from explaining Catholicism to explaining Christianity. I had hoped for more on the Catholic Church. As an introduction to Catholicism and Christianity with outstanding description and discussion of the seven deadly sins, highly recommended, but if you are looking for more, as I was, this book is not worth it.
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