Description

In this remarkable tour of the Catholic world, George Weigel helps us understand how Catholicism fosters what Flannery O'Connor called "the habit of being." Taking the reader by the hand, Weigel embarks on a journey to Catholic landmarks as diverse as Chartres Cathedral and St. Mary's Church in Greenville, South Carolina; the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and G.K. Chesterton's favorite pub; the grave of a modern martyr in Warsaw, and the Sistine Chapel. Weaving together insights from history, literature, theology, and music, Weigel uses these touchstones to illuminate the beliefs that have shaped Catholicism for two thousand years. With clarity and conviction, Weigel examines the foundations of Catholic faith and explores the topics of grace, prayer, vocation, sin and forgiveness, suffering, and—most importantly—love. Putting a dramatic face on this invitation to Catholicism, Weigel introduces some of the figures who have shaped his faith and thought—Michelangelo and Fra Angelico; Evelyn Waugh and Cardinal John Henry Newman; Father Jerzy Popieuszko and Pope John Paul II; Edith Stein and Mother Teresa—as he also shares anecdotes from his own Catholic life. To a world that sometimes seems closed and claustrophobic, he suggests, Christian humanism offers a world with windows and doors—and a skylight. In these letters, George Weigel conveys the power of a faith that is at once personal and universal, timely and eternal. His book will inspire not only the young generation of Catholics whose World Youth Day celebrations have launched an era of renewal for the Church, but also the faithful, the doubtful, and the searchers of every age.

Praise for Letters to a Young Catholic:

"Letters to a Young Catholic is an engaging, lucid and informative introduction to the teachings and traditions of Catholicism."
—Wall Street Journal

"This is a luminous work that would appeal to anyone interested in faith, hope, and life itself."
—Booklist

"A marvelous book; a great gift for young people of your acquaintance. But be sure to get a copy of yourself as well."
—First Things

"[Weigel] mixes the popular pilgrimage destinations with less familiar forays to discreet locations to reveal unexpected lessons of faith."
—The Catholic Register

Extended Copyright Information

Copyright 2004 by George Weigel. All rights reserved.

Previously published by Basic Books, a member of the Perseus Books Group.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Opening Lines (Experimental)

These letters are written to, and for, young Catholics--and not-so-young Catholics, and indeed curious souls of any religious persuasion or none--who wonder what it means to be a Catholic today, at the beginning of the twenty-first century and the third millennium.
There are lots of ways to explore ...

Copyright

Copyright 2004 by George Weigel.

All Rights Reserved.