Customer Reviews

The Bad Catholic's Guide to the Seven Deadly Sins: A Vital Look at Virtue and Vice, With Quizzes and Activities for Saintly Self-Improvement (Bad Catholic's guides)

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I was initially kind of skeptical of this book because of the title. Why a "Bad" Catholic's Guide? But I ordered it because it promised to be fun--and I was not disappointed. I was laughing out loud at the airport... people must have thought I was a nut. The book is part sober theological treatise (lots of Aristotle and Aquinas), part crackpot memoir (the author illustrates the virtue of Patience by telling tales of his destructive adopted beagles), and part self-help book (chapters end with insightful quizzes that test the reader on each deadly sin--offering practical steps on how to overcome them). The zany illustrations, fascinating historical vignettes (this may be the only book to contrast, at length, Mother Angelica and Andy Warhol) and just plain wonderful writing made this a painless, but finally edifying, walk through the moral life. After reading it, I ordered the author's two previous Bad Catholic's Guides, and they were every bit as good. This book makes perfect reading in preparation for Lent--or a long airplane ride.

I recently joined the Catholic Church. As part of this conversion, I wanted to read more about the faith on a regular basis. One of my good friends recommended "Bad Catholics Guide to the Seven Deadly Sins." I am glad she did, as it is one of the best books on ANY SUBJECT that I have been privileged to read -- and I am a book-a-holic.

The wry and witty writing style of John Zmirak was a key element in my enjoyment. He extracts a tidbits of information form more ponderous literature and theological discussions of the "Seven Deadly Sins", and uses humorous and meaningful examples from his own life to make the point. Two other factors were also exceptional: 1) The use of great graphics that help underscore a point; and 2)The use of references to literature and biographies that help direct me to other resources that I want to read in the future (e.g., The Church and the Market).

It is hard to imagine reading about the "Seven Deadly Sins" being a pleasurable experience, but it was. However, there were some challenges presented to me in chapters I didn't expect. I am a very busy person, so I didn't think the chapter on sloth would really impact me. Reading about shortcuts taken in the kitchen, which disconnects us to God's bounty, and shortcuts taken in faith (e.g, prayer) were eye-opening.

I was planning to pass this book along to other friends, but I am keeping it as a reference for my own writing and benefit. No, I am not giving into the sin of greed -- I am going to by copies for others who might also enjoy Zmirak's book. I can't say enough good things about this book; it is well worth your time and money.

The Bad Catholics Guide To The Seven Deadly Sins reminds me of the "for the complete idiot" books of years past. What made these "how to" books great was the fact they had no information gaps. You could repair almost anything because they never skipped a step in the instructions and identified necessary parts with colors, illustrations, and pictures. Who would have thought that a theological subject, the Seven Deadly Sins, could be written with no information gaps and be accompanied by classical and commercial art, posters, portraits, and my personal favorite, cartoons!

This is the first book where I actually laughed at the Table of Contents especially chapter fourteen: Pack a Magnum in your Animus. You have to read this wonderful chapter to realize how funny and how important the virtue of Magnanimity is. John Zmirak lets us know in his introduction what he intends to accomplish: "... this book is meant to help its readers stay out of hell ... but even bad Catholics should aim a little bit higher than that". The use of hilarious and insightful quizzes helps us determine where we land on the Virtue, Vice, Neurosis spectrum.

Zmirak uses the Aristotelian concept of the Golden Mean which hangs in tension between virtue and vice while keeping us on the path to heaven. This book is decidedly masculine, don't take my word for it, read chapter two on Chastity where the author admits to his manly bias and explains "The Orange Traffic Cone Hypothesis". Chapter thirteen Envy: I See You in Hell, brilliantly teaches us the damage caused by this deadly sin "that craves evil for its own sake". This same chapter explains how "Envy worms its way into the nooks and crannies of Catholic discourse" which Zmirak bluntly calls "The Amazing Catholic BS Generator".

This book is more than just a good read, it is a great commentary on those people who represent the good the bad and the ugly in the world of virtue, vice and neurosis. John Zmirak has accomplished his objective and written a much needed and remarkably joyful book, but what would you expect from a student of the saintly catechist Fr. John Hardon, S.J. (In the interests of full disclosure I did receive a free copy of this book to review but receive no compensation).

John Zmirak's "The Bad Catholic's Guide to the Seven Deadly Sins" (BCGSDS) is a tonic for our age. As with all his works, I often think Prof. Zmirak wrote this book just for me: Joe Six-Pack pew warmer: not merely grudgingly faithful, nor as lukewarm about my faith as your average Zombie Catholic, but also not as fire-bellied as Michael Voris. Apparently slackadasical Catholics of my type and station in life are thick on the ground, which is among the reasons this work is so excellent because the author is both so insightful, his prose so engaging, and the lessons here so useful.

BCGSDS has humor that hits you right in the kisser, but at the same time is sound as a twenty-dollar gold piece when it comes to the theological teaching. For this is a remarkable book that is both a pedagogic tool and funny as hell.

Except Hell isn't funny.

Which is why this book is so important.

Zmirak's tour of the seven deadly sins is an expansion and recasting of articles for Inside Catholic in the Crisis publications universe and serves as a welcome update for modern ears and idiom after St. Thomas Aquinas's more (eh-hem...) "Scholastic" treatment (read: booorrrinngggg). (Yes I subscribe to Crisis, also The Remnant and The New Oxford Review, and also a host of True-Latin-Mass-In-Our-Basement mimeograph fanzines (and also "Grabbin' The Magazine for Catfish Noodlers...), don't post comments on my review of what a Novus Ordo sell-out I am and "Deal-Hudson this-and-that" ...I've heard it all).

Zmirak correctly points out the dangers of pietism, Jansenism, or scrupulosity (and indifferentism) when addressing the seven deadly sins. Thus he covers the dangers of Frigidity to overcome Lust, Servility to conquer Wrath, Fanaticism to counter Sloth, etc. in an effort "to smash the myth that the opposite of a deadly sin is a virtue." This book in many ways is thus an extension of his "Bad Catholic's Guide to Wine, Whiskey and Song: A Spirited Look at Catholic Life and Lore, from Apocalypse to Zinfandel" and the excellent "Bad Catholic's Guide to Good Living" for Zmirak's fundamental argument is one the Church has long espoused: Catholic life and Culture are the result of "zoey" or "life abundantly" rather than wandering in a paranoid Trad-Catholic echo chamber afraid of shadows or alternately abandoning the Magistrium on the altar of "if it feels good do it!" pseudo-hermeneutics of Vatican II permissiveness. To restore our identity as Catholics we need these "bad Catholic" books, more than a Knights of Columbus fish-fry.

Sadly, for readers..."There's a chapter in the book on various acts of elaborate, hilarious, sometimes illegal vengeance I performed on those who'd "wronged" me over the years -- and that's literally the only section in the book that the publishers made me edit. They said that parts of it were just too appalling to keep the reader's sympathy." The real unexpurgated version does exist online and is hilarity incarnate (no, not literally you dunce).

But the untouched prose of Prof. Zmirak does remain and shine through, which makes this an excellent choice for yourself and as a gift. It is corrective, insightful, and funny. This is spiritual reading at its best.

Humor is often the most personal of tastes. I was raised an Anglo-Catholic in the lusty gothic South, so I like mine bone dry or sopping wet. Zmirak's near Rabelaisian prose scores high points for me in both categories, sometimes with brevity, sometimes with a well constructed paragraph that ends with a priceless punch line. Some literal. I suspect the sucker-punch prose aimed straight for your funny bone is why Zmirak did not seek an "Imprimature" or "Nihil obstat." The Bishops that dish those out tend to be prunish rather than prudish sometimes.

In summary, this is an excellent and entertaining book, simultaneously profound and pleasurable. A very rare literary achievement. Get it today.

Full disclosure: I am FB friends with Pof. Zmirak, and we have meat-space friends in common, but we've never met. I "friended" him because he, fellow Catholic Charles Coulombe, and the incomparable Florence King are my favorite working writers, and he and Coulombe's works were instrumental in my swimming the Tiber. All Zmirak's books are excellent works for thinking, living Catholics, and my review was not prompted by my friendship. His works stand on their own fully without my thin support, but hearty recommendation. I suspect "CyberMonk's" odd review was written by one of the Diamond brothers. If you don't know who these Trad-Cath Morlocks are, don't find out, unless you like the Hannibal Lector and Buffalo Bills of the Sedevacantist movement. Pope Michael is more cogent.

I don't know what book Polycarp is reviewing. There is very little commentary about politics in this charming, funny, thoroughly orthodox book, except here and there for the sake of humor or illustration of Catholic doctrine--and the author is always careful to skewer the sins of both political parties. Unless you're a fan of Stalin, Mao, or Ayn Rand (Zmirak's principal targets), you won't find anything here offensive, just instructive. The same is true for the other books in this very, very highly recommended series.

I bought this third "Bad Catholics Guide" in expectation that it would live up to the previous two books. I have not been disappointed. This is a rollicking good book that as you are gasping for breath because you are laughing, you are also gasping for breath because of the insights Mr. Zmirak provides into a sin you may be infected with.

After Mr. Zmirak details the sin, he details the virtue to defeat it, along with the opposite end of the spectrum - the neurosis, which more often than not, is not the way to defeat the sin but a different kind of sin. For example: the vice of wrath is defeated by patience, but the neurosis at the opposite of wrath is servility. After covering the sin, the neurosis and the virtue, you are afforded an opportunity to see how well (or not) you are doing with a vice/virtue/neurosis (Trademark-Busting Cosmo-Style Quiz).

Along the way, you will read about saints for the virtues (including some that are not properly saints), sinners for the vice (like Ayn Rand), and neurotics for the neurosis. Mr. Zmirak covers history, the future, and of course, the Church. You will benefit from reading this book, if only to make you more aware of your own failings while laughing your butt off.

I heard many great things about the author's works and this one in particular. So I thought I would pick it up and give it a try. I'm always in the market for an orthodox Catholic work which is humorous.

It was a terrible disappointment.

(And before the accusations come, I am not some cafeteria Catholic who wants to liberalize the Church. I accept the authority of the Holy Father whom I believe is a wise Shepherd for our Church)

I wouldn't recommend this book to faithful Catholics because he makes his evaluations based on his own personal preferences instead of judging his personal preferences by the teaching of the Magisterium.

I wouldn't say it is funny either. Mean Spirited is more like it. This book comes across as if Ann Coulter decided to write theology... and by this I don't mean the humorous past books of Coulter, but rather the mean-spirited vicious ones she's written lately.

I can't help thinking that this book will alienate some Catholics seeking to grow stronger in the faith, or non Catholics seeking to learn about the actual teachings of our faith who are turned off by his political polemics, thinking the Catholic Church holds what he does.