Catechisms and Controversies: Religious Education in the Postconciliar Years [Paperback]

Michael J. Wrenn (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 237 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press (November 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898703719
• ISBN-13: 978-0898703719
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,812,115 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A HELPFUL PRELUDE TO THE SAME AUTHOR'S BOOK, "FLAWED EXPECTATIONS", September 23, 2009

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Steven H. Propp (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Catechisms and Controversies: Religious Education in the Postconciliar Years (Paperback)

Msgr. Michael Wrenn was co-author of the later book, Flawed Expectations: The Reception of the Catechism of the Catholic Church; this earlier (1991) book was published just shortly before the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Second Edition was released in 1992 (the English language edition was not released until 1994).

Wrenn aims to provide a background leading up the first draft/provisional text of the Catechism that was released in 1990, and which stirred up some "lively controversy." He points out that "it was none other than Martin Luther himself who inaugurated the age of the written catechism." Interestingly, Wrenn discounts the importance of the Baltimore Catechism, which "was one of many catechisms produced in varous parts of the Church.... According to some accounts, the Baltimore Catechism was never either as popular or as universal as the later mythology about it contended. Apparently it was subject to criticisms in various American dioceses virtually from the time of its first appearance, and some bishops evern issued their own catechisms in preference to it."

Wrenn is strongly opposed to much modern Catholic religious education, which is part of "The very same process of being 'educated' out of one's faith." For example, he strongly opposed the very popular (more than 1.5 million copies sold) textbook by Anthony Wilhelm, Christ Among Us: A Modern Presentation of the Catholic Faith for Adults (6th Edition), and notes with approval that the Imprimatur that was originally granted that book was ultimately removed by the Archdiocese of Newark. He also opposed the so-called "Dutch Catechism," that was published in this country as A New Catechism, Catholic Faith for Adults, which was ultimately republished with "corrections" noted in an Appendix to the book. (Wrenn would have preferred the book not be published at all, of course.)

This book contains many details not covered in Wrenn's later book, and will be of interest to persons (particularly of a conservative theological orientation) concerned about Catholic issues.