Why Do Catholics Do That?: A Guide to the Teachings and Practices of the Catholic Church

This is a handy and easy read organized into brief chapters dedicated to a particular distinctive of the Catholic faith. The organization of material is perfect for ready reference to a specific interest or to be read through in any order. Dr. Johnson organized the material into 4 parts under the headings, faith, worship, culture, and customs.Each part is organized into brief chapters on focused topics. Part one on faith covers such topics as the formation of the canon of scripture, how the church makes laws, and how the church views other documents of the early church not included in the canon. Part two on worship provides material on topics such as the meaning of common symbols and order of the mass as well as background on the stations of the cross and the rosary prayer. Part three concerning culture delves into the pope and vocations in the church and provides background on apparitions and signs (Fatima, weeping images, etc). Part four on customs provides a wealth of information on the meaning of materials and symbols in worship including music, medals, sacramentals, incense, water, and even numbers.Whether you are a Catholic who has wondered the significance of a given practice or a non-Catholic seeking to understand, you will find a treasure of information here. It is a fantastic introduction to many of the practices that have been wrongfully dismissed as mere superstition. The history and culture of the Catholic faith is rich with meaning and significance. It is an heritage Catholics too often neglect. This is not just a how-to of these practices but a well developed study in why we do them. All within a text that is easy and enjoyable to read. A great resource and part of that Catholic heritage to be cherished.

Excellent!!

Very easy to understand, clearly written plain language book that explains many Catholic beliefs, doctrines, dogmas, and practices. Almost essential reading for many who would like to understand their faith. I read this many years ago, and I recently purchased another copy to read again and give to a friend.

This is perhaps the single-best book I've read on the practices of the Catholic faith. It is rich in useful information and historic context for many of the main elements in the faith that Catholics see and use every day. From the origins of the rosary, to the colors of priestly vestments, to the history of the Bible, to the use of numbers as symbols in the Bible, to the cycle of redemption, its all here.Written in a relaxed, easy-to-understand style, this book does a masterful job of instructing that is neither too erudite nor too simplistic. Much like the Faith itself, this is a book designed to reveal more and more to you each time you read it. Whether you are a cradle-Catholic, a convert, or simply someone who wants to understand, "Why do Catholics do that?" this book is for you.If you were to only have three books in your Catholic library, I'd recommend the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and then this book. It truly is that good.

The book starts off with a section on Tradition (capital t) which for the most part was rather good. Unfortunately it then goes to a section on the scriptures and canon which is very off.For example he simultaneously claims the apocrypha was part of the original Old Testament, which was written in Greek. This is proved by the books of the OT having to be translated from the Hebrew into Greek. Further the Hebrew books weren’t written until the Jewish council of Jamnia wrote them, some 4 centuries after they were translated into Greek. He never explains how the books were there to be translated centuries before they existed. Nor does he explain that the Jews at Jamnia rejected the apocrypha on the grounds that they had originally been written in Greek, not in Hebrew.Confused enough yet? He then claims that the Latin Vulgate, a translation of the Greek and Hebrew, is vastly more accurate than the original languages, so who needs either the Greek or the Hebrew?He then drops the near universal theory that Matthew wrote Jesus’ genealogy through Joseph, while Luke wrote his through Mary. Instead both (non-matching) lists must be though Joseph. The real Mary genealogy must be the one found in ‘New Testament’ style books written centuries later, which he admits the Church never accepted.The official position is that what Protestants call the Apocrypha is the Deuterocanon. Secondary canon, not equal to the primary canon, Useful to read, but not full scripture, These books are not even in the lectionary, the schedual of scriptures to go through in a year in sermons and that sort of thing.The rest of the book is not bad, the section on canon law (church law) was especially useful. Canon law was edited down from tens of thousands of laws under the last popes starting with John 23rd, util now it is a pocket sized volume.

For all you Catholics (and non-Catholics) who wonder what the different symbols, numbers, Saints, and other "Catholic Culture" things really mean: GET THIS BOOK!Seriously - I am a life-long Catholic (and a well-read and educated one, particularly about my faith), and I still learned many things from reading this book.I just recently gave this book to my sister as a Christmas present (because she wishlisted one of those "New Age" numerology books by Doreen Virtue). She loves that this book gives an authentically Catholic understanding of what various Christian symbols mean (including the infamous "666" of Revelation).This book will strengthen the faith of those already strong, as well as pull others back from the brink of secularism and New Age "cosmology/psychology". Highly recommended for all Catholics, as well as those who want to understand their Catholic friends (and converts in the family) better.

great read