Second Spring Of Church In America [Hardcover]

George A. Kelly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 1999

Monsignor George Kelly, one of the great churchmen of our time, turns a keen but loving eye on the contemporary Church in this magnificent new book. On several notable occasions in the past, Monsignor Kelly has set before his readers the status quo of Roman Catholicism in the United States. But in this new book, he combines as never before an unclouded vision of unfortunate aspects of the contemporary Church with a robust optimism concerning what lies ahead.

He rivals John Paul II in his uncanny ability to go to the heart of the matter and put his finger on where things have gone wrong and are still going wrong. In Second Spring of the Church in America, his negative diagnosis and positive prognosis center on the role of the bishops. Readers will find here surprising revelations of just how bad it is in many areas of Catholicism in this country. But Kelly is not interested in amassing a catalog of errors for its own sake. His kindly pastoral eye is ever on the ready for a remedy. The still-imperfect renewal called for by Vatican II is a task for all, but in a special way the bishops must step forward, individually and collectively, to acknowledge what has gone wrong and to lead the Church into the third millennium.

Perhaps no other living Catholic could have written this magnificent book, combining cold critique with warm-hearted confidence in what lies ahead for the Church in America.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Msgr. George A. Kelly, author of many books and innumerable articles, was a founder of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 204 pages
• Publisher: St. Augustines Press; 1 edition (November 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890318795
• ISBN-13: 978-1890318796
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,339,212 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great readable introduction to the issues facing the RCC., August 17, 2001

By 

mario pinot - See all my reviews

This review is from: Second Spring Of Church In America (Hardcover)

I picked this book up by accident and was pleasently surprised to find not only that I could understand it (as if written for the lay person) but that it could represent issues facing other churches, or faiths. Mr. Kelly begins the Introduction by exploring what it means to be a Roman Catholic by listing what Catholics must believe. He sets the stage. Most people feel that in these times they do not have to believe anything they do not like. Mr. Kelly, still in the Introduction, says that John Paul II, will "punish" those who dissent. "This action provides hope for a second spring of a vibrant Catholicity at some time in the twenty-first century." These are dark words. The struggle is the Roman Catholic Church vs Modernism (secularism). It is as if Mr. Kelly puts on one side: "free choice, autonomy, human rights, good works, brotherhood, fun, tolerance and self-fulfillment." and "the religious demands of a universal order of creation to which they are subject." It seems a hopeless argument. Personally I find it hard to understand how the Roman Catholic Church can be against abortions and also against contraceptives, in a world where hiv and aids are rampant because restraint preserves the dignity of Man. It seems a hopeless argument. This book seems to give the views of the conservative faction of the RCC. Thank you.