or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
33 used & new from £0.03
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Opus Dei: The Truth About Its Rituals, Secrets and Power
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

Opus Dei: The Truth About Its Rituals, Secrets and Power (Paperback)

by John L. Allen (Author) "The Tablet of London, a well-known English Catholic publication, recently published a series of jokes about various groups within the Catholic Church, and here's how..." (more)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
Price: £7.48 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.51 (25%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 1 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by Wednesday, November 11? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
20 new from £1.21 13 used from £0.03
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover £20.00 £20.00 12 used & new from £3.21
Paperback 13 used & new from £2.98

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Their Kingdom Come: Inside the Secret World of Opus Dei by Robert Hutchison

Opus Dei: The Truth About Its Rituals, Secrets and Power + Their Kingdom Come: Inside the Secret World of Opus Dei
Price For Both: £15.47

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

The Way: The Essential Classic of Opus Dei's Founder

The Way: The Essential Classic of Opus Dei's Founder

by Saint Escriv a de Bal
4.7 out of 5 stars (3)  £5.78
Their Kingdom Come: Inside the Secret World of Opus Dei

Their Kingdom Come: Inside the Secret World of Opus Dei

by Robert Hutchison
3.7 out of 5 stars (6)  £7.99
What is Opus Dei?: Tales of God, Blood, Money, and Faith

What is Opus Dei?: Tales of God, Blood, Money, and Faith

by Noam Friedlander
3.7 out of 5 stars (3) 
Proof of the Illuminati

Proof of the Illuminati

by Seth Payson
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £6.83
Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII

Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII

by John Cornwell
3.5 out of 5 stars (22)  £8.99
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin (4 May 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0141024658
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141024653
  • Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 149,518 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
   Opus Dei opens new browser window
News.Inbox.com  -  Free News Toolbar Brings You The Latest News, Top Stories & Weather! 
  
 

Product Description

Catherine Pepinster, Independent, 30 September 2005

With John Allen's comprehensive account of the organisation, far more has been revealed than ever before. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


Christopher Howse, The Tablet

[A] deeply intriguing study ... John Allen's 388 pages are full of facts --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
The Tablet of London, a well-known English Catholic publication, recently published a series of jokes about various groups within the Catholic Church, and here's how the one on Opus Dei goes: How many members of Opus Dei does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Read the first page
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(1)
(1)
(1)
See all 4 tags...

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Opus Dei: The Truth About Its Rituals, Secrets and Power
66% buy the item featured on this page:
Opus Dei: The Truth About Its Rituals, Secrets and Power 4.0 out of 5 stars (5)
£7.48
Their Kingdom Come: Inside the Secret World of Opus Dei
14% buy
Their Kingdom Come: Inside the Secret World of Opus Dei 3.7 out of 5 stars (6)
£7.99
The Way: The Essential Classic of Opus Dei's Founder
11% buy
The Way: The Essential Classic of Opus Dei's Founder 4.7 out of 5 stars (3)
£5.78
Opus Dei: An Investigation Into the Powerful, Secretive Society Within the Catholic Church
5% buy
Opus Dei: An Investigation Into the Powerful, Secretive Society Within the Catholic Church
£8.42
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Very thorough examination, 26 Oct 2007
By John Hopper (London, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)      
A very thorough and detailed examination of the structure, philosophy and practices of this organisation. In my view, Allen succeeds 90% in showing that fears about the organisation being a sinister, organised and reactionary force with a baleful influence on the Catholic church are grossly exaggerated or entirely fictitious. Yet at the same time some of the common practices, particularly as regards aspects of the lifestyles of the celibate numeraries such as their limited access to sources of information and contacts with the outside world, seem rather cultish and seem to have no real objective justification even from a religious viewpoint. A worthwhile book, clearly sympathetic to a Catholic viewpoint overall, but lacking nothing in rigourous investigation of its subject.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars What's the fascination?, 11 Nov 2005
By A. McGuire "Alec McGuire" (Leeds, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Opus Dei: Secrets and Power Inside the Catholic Church (Hardcover)
I came to this book with a certain amount of expectation, having seen glowing reviews in The Tablet and elsewhere. It didn't live up to my hopes, and it isn't anywhere near as good as Allen's other books.
Allen starts with an outline of how Opus Dei is structured, moves on to describe the founder's life, and then looks at how Opus Dei functions in the lives of its members. As the story progresses he looks at the various criticisms that have been made of Opus Dei. In the main he finds these unfounded and unfair, and he is clearly impressed with the particular model for lay spirituality that Opus Dei provides, most notably in the sanctification of work. The account comes across as bland, and, after a while, even as boring. It becomes difficult to see what the fuss is about.
Now it may be that that is the reality and there's no more to be said: that Opus Dei has a valuable spirituality to offer and that the criticisms of it are mostly unfair. If that had emerged as the conclusion, after a thorough analysis of the organisation and how it operates then one might well be convinced. Yet the analysis never goes particularly deep, and Allen's conclusions are flagged up from the outset; this leads to one not trusting how far he has really examined the issues. Compared with Allen's other books where he has combined even-handedness with insight and questioning, this one in the end disappoints.
One will find plenty of facts about Opus Dei, and probably come away better informed, so to that extent the book is useful. But as to just why so many people have been and are suspicious of Opus Dei, then the book left me at least still wondering.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Failed the objectivity test, 6 Nov 2007
By J. Hyland - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
The book claims to be an objective study of Opus Dei. It is nothing of the sort. The author shows naivete almost from the beginning of the book, accepting much that is hagiographic about the biography of the founder.

Just too much accepted from Opus sources without questioning.

The book contains some interesting information, but the author allows himself to be manipulated by the subject organisation.

The result is something honest but misleading, and sadly misled.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally the truth.
I found this book to be the first fair, honest and open-minded representation of the very controversial organisation which is Opus Dei. Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2006 by josephburbidge

5.0 out of 5 stars The truth at last
I found this book to be the first fair, honest and open-minded representation of the very controversial organisation which is Opus Dei. Read more
Published on 6 Jan 2006 by josephburbidge

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject








i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.