Customer Reviews

United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

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A few weeks before this catechism was released, one of our parish priests said, "We read The DaVinci Code, but we don't have time to study the catechism. There's something wrong with that." He also said every family should own a copy of the catechism. For adults, this new offering from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops would more than fill the bill. While the underlying doctrine of the catechism remains unchanged, this version, like others published since 1992, goes beyond a stripped down question and answer format. As an adaptation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this adult edition is arranged in four sections: creed, sacraments, moral life, and prayer.

Each chapter contains seven elements that bring depth to the material and also allow for flexibility of study by individuals and groups: Story or lesson of faith, foundation and application, sidebars, relationship to culture, discussion questions, doctrinal statements, and meditation and prayer. For example, in the chapter on the second commandment, Reverence for God's Name, the story is about Job's unshakable faith. Foundation and application reviews what the second commandment calls us to do and not do. The sidebar lists three questions and answers on the second commandment from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The relationship of the second commandment to culture reviews scripture passages on the importance of God's name in our faith life; we are reminded to model and encourage proper use of God's name and to discourage others from improper use. The discussion questions relate to practices in the family and workplace. Doctrinal statements encompass blasphemy, baptismal names, and using God's name to witness a perjury or false oath. The chapter closes with a meditation based on scripture and the Divine Praises prayer.

The book also contains a glossary, traditional Catholic prayers, reading list, scriptural index, and general index. It is a superior resource for clergy, pastoral leaders, catechists, faith sharing groups, and individuals who would like to know more about the Catholic faith.

I just received my copy of the United States Catholic Cathechism for Adults and am looking forward to studying my way through it in greater detail during the coming months.

The book's layout and design are very "user friendly" and promote an immediate interest. The biographical vignettes at the beginning of each segment of the book offer unique and realistic role models for American Catholics.

The primary parts of the book are 1) the Creed; 2) the Sacraments; 3) Christian Morality; and 4) Prayer. Additonal and very helpful components of this book as a resource are the scriptural index and the very detailed alphabetical index, which make finding information on specific topics very simple.

The book also includes all of the traditional Catholic prayers and a complete glossary. Each chapter also includes discussion questions, doctrinal statements, an inspiring meditation and a closing prayer.

The book description notes that this would be an excellent resource for RCIA candidates and those exploring the faith, but I also feel it is a great tool for those, like myself, looking to learn and grow in our own commitment to our Church.

The long-awaited national catechism by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is now available as an unabridged audio book. This audio version of the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults brings to life an exciting combination of the seven basic elements that make up the print version:

* Stories of Catholics, most from the United States relating the Church's teaching to the culture of the United States;
* Clear presentations of Catholic Creed, Sacraments, Morality, and Prayer;
* Sidebars within the doctrinal sections in each chapter to help the listener explore the teaching as stated in the 1994 Catechism of the Catholic Church;
* Reflections on the relationship of each particular Catholic Teaching to the diverse U.S. society and culture;
* Questions for Discussion;
* A Review of points of doctrine contained in each chapter;
* A Concluding Meditation and Prayer for each chapter.

Musical accents subtly underscore the beginning of each chapter and the meditation and prayer elements, and six different readers, both men and women, including Archbishop Donald Wuerl, bring the text to life in this special presentation. This audio CD version of the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults is an excellent resource for parish faith formation libraries and audio resource centers. This presentation would be extremely useful for commuters, those who are visually impaired, or those who prefer to listen rather than read. The lessons, stories, doctrinal summaries, sidebars and prayers are all presented in self-contained tracks as short as a minute and usually no longer than four or five minutes, which will also prove useful for RCIA groups, study groups, and other gatherings of believers.

I used this book last year for an R.C.I.A. class. The students found it easy to understand. I would assign a chapter each week and would discuss what was read at the next class. I would recommend this book as a "springboard" into a rich and deep discussion of the Catholic faith with intelligent and question adults. If you are look for an in depth theology behind the creeds and beliefs this is not the book for you.

Approved and authorized for publication by the full body of The United States Conference of Bishops, United States Catholic Catechism for Adults is an in-depth reference text written especially to aid in the instruction of Catholic doctrine in general, and the preparation of catechisms in particular. From a straightforward profession of the faith's core tenets, to the sacraments that celebrate the faith, to the Christian morality principles that embody the practice of the faith lived and prayer as taught by Jesus Christ, United States Catholic Catechism for Adults thoroughly describes and explains the Catholic creed in terms accessible to readers of all backgrounds, including and lay followers and students. A solidly written, straightforward, and definitive reference.

This catechism is an "adaptation of the 'Catechism of the Catholic Church,' and is presented to Catholics of the United States, who are members of both Latin and Eastern Churches..." although this catechism is only intended to introduce Latin Christians to Eastern traditions, since it is expected that Eastern Rites will eventually develop their own catechisms. The arrangement of the U.S. Catechism follows that of the universal catechism: the Creed, the Sacraments, Moral Life, and Prayer. Like the universal catechism, it also specifically addresses major aspects of Catholic faith and morality.

So if this catechism is simply an adaptation of the excellent universal catechism, then why even bother with it? I think the best reason to get the U.S. Catechism is its helpful layout and user-friendly presentation. Rather than being a series of numbered points (like the universal catechism), the U.S. Catechism is laid out more like your average non-fiction book, making it possibly more approachable than other catechisms. There are helpful gray boxes spread throughout the book that highlight points from the regular text. Each chapter begins with a biography of a major Catholic figure, many which are important to the development of American Catholicism. At the end of each chapter are discussion questions, concise "doctrinal points" (i.e. what Catholics are expected to believe), meditations (from the Scriptures, Church Fathers, etc), and prayers. Appendix A is a helpful glossary of Catholic terms, and Appendix B is a collection of basic Catholic prayers. All of this means that the U.S. Catechism is a self-contained textbook, useful in a variety of Catholic adult education situations.

Overall, this is a fine catechism that certainly meets its goal of being a local adaptation of the universal catechism. While in the past, the United States Catholic Bishops have been accused of watering-down Catholic Teaching, the U.S. Catechism does not contradict, or water down, what is taught in the universal catechism. Thus, I hope that the U.S. Catechism is used regularly in RCIA classes, marriage-preparation classes, and other adult education situations. While this catechism is excellent, I would still recommend owning both the universal Catechism of the Catholic Church and The Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, since the U.S. Catechism is based on these works.

This catechism has it all, stories of the saints, discussion questions, prayers. Written in a very readable format it would be a wonderful book to use for study, RCIA, or just personal information. This book should be read by every Catholic.

As other reviewers have noted, the bishops have produced a solid, reliable teaching tool with this new U.S. Adult Catechism. Were it to become the standard text in RCIA and parish-based faith formation programs, we might see a needed and much-desired renewal in catechesis.

There are a handful of drawbacks, however. (And since other reviewers have already highlighted the book's many virtues, I won't spend time repeating them here.) The bishops chose to include profiles of both Cardinal Joseph Bernardin and labor leader Cesar Chavez. Cardinal Bernardin is a polarizing figure, given his role in promoting the now-discredited "seamless garment" policy toward abortion and his questionable leadership in the Archdioceses of Cincinnati and Chicago. (Virtually all of Cincinnati's sexually-abusive priests were "Bernardin men.") And Chavez's liberal approach to labor relations is by no means a position Catholics are compelled to adopt.

The book has been embraced by the catechetical establishment in this country; that is not necessarily a good thing, since they are largely responsible for our current weak state of catechesis. The sections which encourage reflection and discussion could easily become excuses to conduct the sort of dorm-room bull sessions that have characterized all too many parish-based programs. That may not be the fault of the text, but it is nonetheless the context in which it finds itself. And at a hefty 664 pages, it's hardly much shorter than the supposedly too-long-to-read Catechism of the Catholic Church.

It's also unclear how this book ought to be squared with the new Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The USCCB claims that book is for younger readers, yet the Holy Father states that the Compendium is "for every Christian believer, regardless of age or nationality."

That said, the new U.S. Adult Catechism signals a welcome return of the bishops to sound catechesis. They -- and we -- have come a long way since the days of endless pastoral letters of dubious doctrinal value.

This book is a more appropriate instrument for an average adult to learn about the Catholic faith than the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). The book is an outstanding resource for RCIA. It is a handy reference for adult education. Organized much like the CCC, it includes a reference to a Catholic saint in each chapter, mostly from the Americas. It has a cultural application, illustrating how Catholic teaching sheds light on issues of today. It has discussion questions. It concludes each chapter with a prayer drawn from scripture, from tradition, or from the saints. I enthusiastically recommend this work as a basic work for any Catholic household.

This text is a meaningful compliment to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). While the CCC provides a clear and wonderful presentation of the beliefs of the Catholic Faithful, the CCC for Adults expands that presentation by including conversational explainations of the CCC along with comprehensive, yet comprehendable connections to the bible and Traditions. God's Revelation is illuminated for believers looking for a better understanding of the Faith and for those looking for the true, deeper meaning of the Church's purpose. This text is a useful companion for individuals, prayer groups, and CCD teachers.