Customer Reviews

Catholic Customs & Traditions: A Popular Guide (More Resources to Enrich Your Lenten Journey)

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Easy to read, informative. excellent for families and those just comming into the church. Great for those who always wonder "why do catholics do that?" Not just for catholics, many traditions observe the same customs, now find out why.

This is the second purchase I have made of this book. The book is broken down by the various Catholic seasons (i.e. lent, advent). It is a book that "Cradle Catholics" can use to renew their understanding about the traditions and customs. I recommend this to Catholic families with children, Catholics that would like to renew their faith, individuals in RCIA and anyone interested in the Catholic relgion.

Some interesting information, but overly hostile to traditional Catholicism. The book claims we fasted because of "an exaggerated devotion to the real presence" [p.153]. It says we were overly attentive to the needs of those in purgatory [p.130]. It repeatedly puts the word "souls" in quotes[pp.34,130]. It demeans kneeling as the position of "servitude and slavery" [p.176]. It disparages "confession in a dark closet" [p.146].

The whole book has an odd flavor to it. It uses BCE/CE for dates, instead of BC/AD. It refers to "Orders" instead of "Holy Orders" and too often portrays clergy as either out of touch with the laity or indistinguishable from them. The book often makes it sound as if pagan practice was uncritically adopted by the church.

There is good material here, too. But before you purchase this book, you might want to consider one of the following books, which treat the Catholic faith less skeptically:

The Book of Catholic Customs and Traditions
by Ronda De Sola Chervin and Carla Conley

Catholic Customs: A Fresh Look at Traditional Practices
by Regis J. Flaherty

The How-To Book of Catholic Devotions: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You
by Mike Aquilina and Regis J. Flaherty

Why Do Catholics Do That?
by Kevin Orlin Johnson

The Catholic Source Book
by Peter Klein

The Year and Our Children
by Mary Newland

A Continual Feast
by Evelyn Birge Vitz

These books are the products of a living Faith, and helpful for faithfully following Christ in the 21st century. Mr. Dues seems to have some of the Faith as well, which is a great thing, but I fear his book would be damaging to a reader not already unusually-well grounded in Catholicism.

on Christian holidays, and I wasn't disappointed. That purchase was over a year ago, and I just found myself using the book again tonight to copy out the parts on Easter on an ancient history mailing list I'm on. I particularly like the easy-to-read format of this book, and the index is quite complete. For example, not only does it say what pages Easter is on, but also breaks this down into further categories (like Easter lilies, Easter eggs, Easter bunnies, Easter Vigil..). Dues does not seem to be overly biased one way or the other, and from what I can tell tries to give accurate information. I wasn't satisfied with the bibliography in the back of the book, which only lists 15 sources, but he does mention that this is a selected bibliography. I would have liked to have been able to see what /all/ of his sources were though. He explains what almost every conceivable symbol and tradition that the average person could wonder about means, like I.N.R.I., genuflection, prostration, and provides history to back his information up. All in all I'd really recommend this book, it's a damn good read. and not couched in really irritating language.

This is a fine little book because it puts its readers in touch with the riches and depth of Catholic tradition ... but it doesn't seek to enslave its readers in that tradition. As a professional religious educator, I had a copy in my high school classroom. It is very helpful, not only because of the information it contains, but also because it goes into enough detail to avoid "easy answers" that don't always get the whole story across! It begins with a general discussion of what religious traditions are and how they must be based on real life to be most meaningful. Then it ventures into timely and eternal topics like the church's calendar, different types of feasts, sacraments and sacramentals. It has a healthy, updated and valuable methodology for dealing with issues like purgatory and prayers for the deceased (both of which are difficult issues for some of our Protestant brothers and sisters who reject these beliefs). The book is published by Twenty-Third Publications, which was recently purchased by the Augustinians of the Assumption. This religious order also publishes the only remaining Catholic daily newspaper, LA CROIX, in Paris. If you find this volume as helpful as I do, you may wish to look into their other publications as well.

While I appreciate the concern that other reviewers have shown about this book's accuracy toward doctrine and catechisis, I believe the purpose of the work is well met.

Unless there are glaring historical inaccuracies that I am unaware of, the effort to explain the development of Catholic traditions and practices as a function of society and the evolution of the Church is well founded and useful - not as a spiritual or doctrinal education, but as a refresher in the many public and private devotions, traditions, and customs that may be unfamiliar to modern Catholics.

Certainly, reducing all Catholic practices to "Tradition" encourages the devaluation of the Sacramental experience. But there is a large arena in which the explanation of cultural and temporal impact is relevant and instructive (the evolution of "Santa Clause" as one example).

Overall, I quite enjoyed the structure of the book. The various topics were pretty well detailed. The full richness of Catholic tradition can hardly be encompassed in 200 pages, but there is clearly a lot of ground that wasn't covered (I searched and searched for an explanation of the tenebrae, for example, but found it absent).

In summary, I tend to agree that other than some historical reference, the sections concerning Sacraments are best ignored in favor of a doctrinally authoritative text. But in calling to mind many things forgotten, or hinting at many things unlearned, this book serves a worthwhile and educational purpose.

This book attempts to explain Catholic customs and traditions from a historical or anthropological perspective. The author is trying to educate the catholic who has been raised devoid of any traditions or devotions and with minimal understanding of our customs. The author makes it clear that he finds traditions very useful in a person's spiritual life and wants this book to
promote an emphasis back to traditions.

Critique

I found many sections explaining cultural practices within the church and their origins useful. However, the author makes no distinctions between "traditions" (cultural innovations created by man) and "Sacred Tradition" (teachings handed down by the apostles). Not having made this distinction, a catholic looking for guidance in these matters will begin to equate the two!

The section concerning the sacraments were totally lacking in any catechetical foundation. In the section on the Eucharist, a poorly catechized catholic would come away thinking that the Blessed Sacrament is a symbol of the unity of the members of the church. The book describes how devotion to the Blessed Sacrament came about by an over emphasis on the sacramental priesthood while the laity were regulated to a subservient posture during the mass in the middle ages. The author states that the Eucharist is primarily a liturgical event and refers to the Body and Blood of our lord as simply bread and wine after consecration!

I found this book to be a spiritual wasteland. I will pray for those poor souls, who while looking to educate themselves on the faith, find this book and fall into error. Anyone looking for education on Catholic Customs and Traditions should buy a book called "Why Do Catholics Do That?" by Kevin Orlin Johnson, Ph.D. published by Ballantine Books. You will find a book alive in the faith and filled with relevant information about what to do and why to do it, in the practice of our faith.

I picked this book up as a guide for myself and my family. While it may have some minor flaws, the book still gives some good insights into why and how many Catholic customs and tradtions came to be. However, the subtitle is misleading, because the book covers all seasons in the Church year, not just Lent, as well as daily customs and traditions.

Other reviewers have criticized this book for not providing a strong catechism, which is true. However, this book is not meant to be a catechism, but rather a "guidebook". For true catechesis, Catholics should of course use The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which tends to explain the Church as theologians do. Instead, this book is intended for the laypeople, with a more "down-to-earth" writing style. It is a good guide for day-to-day living as Catholics, but should not be considered a source of doctrine or dogma.

This seems like a good source for explaining Church customs and traditions, particularly for parents trying to answer the questions of their children. Like any resource, it should not be used independently; Catholics should use it as a supplement to their practice of the Faith and study of the Bible and the Catechism.

I really liked the book. It definitely informs. If you are new to Catholicism, all the details in this book may seem to be a bit overwhelming at first, and you may sense some lack of structure. But this is a very good manual of Catholic practices and traditions. The analytical level here is basic and accessible. I am sure that those who have been practicing Catholics all their lives will also learn something new in this book, especially about the history of their religion. Sometimes the things that are close to you are the least understood ones. Read it today.

I, for one, appreciate that this book is not Catechismal in nature - if I want the Catechism, I read that.

Instead, this book helps one understand the traditions of the Church through time - what was practiced, how traditions came into (and possibly fell out of) favor, and why. It's a look at the history of the Church and how it has evolved though the influence of the people, Saints, Popes, Bishops, etc.

As a mother, I love that this book gave me concrete ways to introduce day-to-day Catholicism in my family. Going to Mass on Sundays is a great start, but "Catholic Customs and Traditions" can help you bring your faith home throughout the year.

My husband, a non-Catholic and one who is, for the most part, against "organized religion" even appreciated a look at how the Church grew to it's current state - and, I think, softened him to the Church as a whole.

The tone isn't preachy or snide, and the language makes it a fast read.

To note: I'm not certain why the title here at Amazon includes "More Resources to Enrich Your Lenten Journey" as that subtitle is not included anywhere in my edition (the same one pictured here). This book, as another reviewer pointed out, covers the entire year, not just Lent.