Customer Reviews

This Is Our Faith: A Catholic Catechism for Adults

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

We have been using "This is our Faith" by Michael Francis Pennock in our RCIA class. Written in a simple and direct style, "This is our Faith" is an eminently readable and highly accessible introduction to Catholic teaching and theology. Pennock divided the text into four sections that parallel those of the Catechism: The Profession of Faith, focusing on the creeds; The Celebration of the Christian Mystery, which focuses on liturgy and the sacraments; Life in Christ, which emphasizes Christian morals; and Christian Prayer. Individual chapters consist mostly of Questions and answers--making "This is our Faith" sort of a FAQ for Catholics. Each question is cross-referenced to the Catechism. Curiously, the teachers of my RCIA class sort of discourage us from reading the Catechism. (Is that typical?) But I like having the cross-references so that I can follow up where the text doesn't provide enough detail. Pennock's theology seems sound and conventional, yet he reflects both traditional church teaching and current thinking. Anyone in RCIA ought to pick up "This is our Faith."

I thought this book did a wonderful job of explaining Catholic beliefs in a straightfoward manner. It touches on pretty much every topic that you could be interested in, and I especially like its question-and-answer format. I believe that one of the best aspects of this book is that, for the most part, you can skip around. If you just have questions about the sacrament of marriage for instance, you can just read that chapter to get your information; it doesn't depend too heavily on all the chapters before it (although everything leading up to it is certainly important also, specifically things like the basis of the Catholic faith)
What I don't feel is covered as well is the reasoning behind the beliefs. In many sections of the book, references are made to the bible as well as various papers the Vatican has composed. However, I feel that many of the topics warrant much more information about the history behind them, how certain decisions were made, etc. After thinking about it though, I think perhaps that is outside the author's intention for this book; I'm sure someone could write a book on the history of each topic alone.
Ultimately, this is a great no-nonsense book about the beliefs and teachings of the Catholic church. You'll have to look elsewhere to find out WHY they believe and teach it, though.

This a well-thought-out book, very readable, and an excellent introduction of Catholic teaching. Ideal for use as a text book in RCIA, used in conjunction with the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

While the book is fairly accurate in the author's assessments, there are statements that are erroneous. For example, the author implies that anybody and everybody are members of the Kingdom of God. If this were the case, what would be the point of someone bothering to be a Catholic Christian?

Was on time. Packaged well. This book should go along way for a friend of mine who is taking R C I A and could really use some more and different insights into the faith. Thanks

We have been using Fr. Pennock's book as the basis of our Adult Faith Formation/RCIA for a number of years. It provides excellent stories that capture the essence of each chapter and plain English, making it easy for non-Catholics to understand.
The questions at the end of each chapter help to focus discussions that deepen awareness and develop the faith perspective of all who use it.
Even as a textbook for individuals, this excellent book nurtures those who use it in the faith of the Catholic Church.
I recommend it highly

I am taking a class from Dayton University and this is the text book for my first class. Almost read the entire book.

There are moments in this book that are thoughtful and considered. And there are other moments that range from the sweepingly general to the bluntly propagandistic. I am reading this book as a part of an RCIA program offered through my church. In this regard, the book does give a good general overview of the Catholic Churches stance on any number of spiritual & secular issues. But it's value begins and ends there. I would not buy this book. I prefer writing that is more intellectual and critical in it's approach. For the thinking "seeker" I would recommend Richard Rohr's "Why Be Catholic?" It offers a far more engaging discourse on the tenets of Catholicism than this book. This book? I would skip.

This is Our Faith by Michael Pennock which is based upon his earlier Seeker's Catechism which has received very poor reviews on Amazon is very, very weak and troubling. I would not recommend it to anyone serious about the Catholic faith. It is a very poor text, in many ways. They correlation between it and the CCC is very awkward at times, or other times, they just plain conflict. For example, the CCC states that the goal/objective of ecumenism is the reconciliation of all Christians to the Catholic Church. You will not find this anywhere in Pennock's book. In fact, Pennock, in contradiction to the CCC, states that the goal of ecumenism is: a common commitment among Christians to live out the gospel and to be open to the unifying action of the Holy Spirit." Or, in violation of USCCB instruction regarding catechetical instruction, Pennock caveats nearly every statment of faith with: "the Catholic church teaches"... or "Catholics believe.." lending the impression to the reader that there are other acceptable teachings that are just as valid as what "the Catholic church teaches." Most alarming, though, is his depiction of Christ. In the chapter "Jesus: Lord and Messiah", we are first told that Christ is compassionate, self-giving and humble, but Pennock doesn't get around to addressing his divinity until the last page and then only places it in a list of dogmas.

Similarly, when answering the question "What is meant by the 'real presence'?", Pennock states that Jesus is present in the "assembly", the priest, and "the word", but he lists Christ's presence in the Eucharist - what the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls the "source and summit of the Christian faith" - last. Pennock, has such a lack of zeal for the Catholic faith, that by reading his "catechism" he nearly sucked out all the zeal I had inside of me. This primary texts gets two big thumbs down. How did this book ever get a imprimatur???

While not the most original work in the field of Dogmatics and Catechetical work, this is a concise and approachable book that would serve nicely as a reference guide for those who find the official Catechism too dry or difficult to read. What is nice about this volume is that there is Catechism reference numbers that correspond to the subjects Pennock addresses at a given point in the book for those who wish to research further.

Having looked at many "Introductions to Catholicism" in order to better recommend books to those inquiring about a simple reference book to better understand their faith, I have found that this works well as both an introduction to Catholic faith and as an introduction to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The simple Question and Answer format allows for this book to be "taken it at your own pace".