Why Catholics Are Right [Hardcover]

Michael Coren (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 12, 2011

A practicing Catholic defends the faith and offers a passionate response to current anti-Catholic opinion.
 
In Why Catholics Are Right, author, columnist, and practicing Catholic Michael Coren examines four main aspects of Catholicism as they are encountered, understood, and more importantly, misunderstood today. Beginning with a frank examination of the tragedy of the Catholic clergy abuse scandal, Coren addresses some of them most common attacks on Catholics and Catholicism. Tracing Catholic history, he deconstructs popular and frequent anti-Catholic arguments regarding the Church and the Crusades, the Inquisition, Galileo, and the Holocaust. He examines Catholic theology and central pillars of Catholic belief, explaining why Catholics believe what they do: papal infallibility, immaculate conception, the Church rather than Bible alone. Finally, he explores the dignity of life argument and why it is so important to Catholicism.
 
In this challenging and thought-provoking book, Michael Coren demolishes often propagated myths about the Church's beliefs and teachings, and in doing so, opens a window onto Catholicism, which, he writes, "is as important now as it ever was and perhaps even more necessary."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Michael Coren has written a case for the Catholic faith that is the rarest kind of book: wonderfully readable, intellectually vigorous and stylish in its force. . . .The whole text is alive with fidelity, penetrating intelligence and the irony of our times, expressed with consummate skill. Highly recommended."
—Charles J. Chaput, Archbishop of Denver, Colorado
 
"Fearless. Unpredictable. Funny. Never boring. There's nobody and nothing like Michael Coren in journalism anywhere."
—David Frum

About the Author

MICHAEL COREN is the bestselling author of twelve books, including biographies of G.K. Chesterton, H.G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, J.R.R. Tolkein, and C.S. Lewis. He is the host of The Michael Coren Show, a nightly television talk show with an audience of 250,000 viewers. He also hosts a daily radio show and writes a syndicated column for ten daily newspapers.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: McClelland & Stewart (April 12, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780771023217
• ISBN-13: 978-0771023217
• ASIN: 0771023219
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.9 x 8.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #298,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

172 of 185 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Get Your Facts Right May 17, 2011

By Nicola Manning TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Reason for Reading: I love Michael Coren's TV show, I am a Catholic and the provocative title did its trick and grabbed my interest. But I would read any book by Coren on religion or politics, though I don't always agree with him on the latter.

This book is unapologetically, in fact, is proudly, Catholic. Written by a Catholic to give a Catholic point of view on Catholic teachings and Catholic issues. Unfortunately, there remains one last prejudice in this world that is fine and dandy to behold and that is anti-Catholicism. Some Christians may feel that prejudice against any form of Christianity is rampant, and while that is true to a certain degree, even some non-Catholic Christians can be as vicious as anyone else in their anti-Catholic vitriol. Search the net; it won't take you long to find one of these "discussions", even in major newspaper comment sections.

Michael Coren's book hits on all the major topics, and even the minor topics, that non-Catholics and the media are so upset, uninformed and plain wrong about. This is a short book so doesn't go into theological academia to prove its points but does go plenty deep enough to get at the truth. Divided into 5 parts Coren deals with the abuse scandal, historical topics, theology, life and a final chapter on "other stuff". Within these 5 topics Coren manages to not only discuss his main topic but carry on from one topic to another related one until the subject has been more than covered, leaving no blank spaces behind. The book is very thorough.

This book is a must have for every practicing Catholic as it is a primer on how to defend our faith in a friendly, intelligent manner against all the uninformed and oftentimes ignorant comments made against Catholicism. The chapter on the abuse scandal which accepts the awful truth and tragedy of what actually happened and explains how it has been dealt with versus the media attacks and vendettas is worth the price of the book alone.

Persons who truly want to understand what Catholicism is about will enjoy this book which will give them bite-size yet meaty information on what we Catholics really believe and why, rather than what you've heard about or think you know about our beliefs.

If you are already anti-Catholic, this book will enrage you and you will hate it as it will prove all your prejudices to be wrong, thus having you believe that the book itself is at fault as you personally could, of course, never be.

My only complaint is that the book has no index. Something that doesn't seem to be a given anymore where non-fiction is concerned. I know this is going to be a book I will refer to time and time again and while the book is set up easily enough to find what you are looking for an index would have come in handy.

A brilliant book that no practicing Catholic should be without. Treat yourself to a copy and while your at it buy a gift copy for a friend, relative or priest. It's that good!

58 of 61 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Book June 15, 2011

By AC300

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have watched Mr. Coren for nearly a year now via his Canadian television show. Unlike many conservative Christian commentators in America, Mr. Coren kindly and with conviction states his opinion whilst allowing all views to still be heard. He takes the same approach with this book, which is not an attack on other faiths but is Mr. Coren's attempt to clear up confusion about the Catholic Church's history, theology, and cultural beliefs. This book is an excellent read for those wanting to either defend their Catholic beliefs more strongly, or simply for inquisitive minds who want to know more about the Church. I am not even Catholic but have greatly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone.

66 of 72 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Critical for our times May 27, 2011

By Christian D. Elia

Format:Hardcover

Michael Coren has authored a work critically important to the Church today, for the gathered and the scattered alike. For the gathered, that is, serious Catholics, "Why Catholics are Right" will provide insight into the common arguments and attacks against our faith. This is not traditional apologetics. Coren uses his vast understanding of contemporary western culture and thought and skilfully demonstrates his award winning journalistic prowess as he covers the principal historical and current views which support the Truth of Catholicism, the same Truth today as yesterday. For the scattered, cultural, lukewarm and/or dissenting Catholics, Coren provides compelling, even encouraging reasons to exercise the God given freedom of choice to come back into the Church, or admit oneself outside of the Church, but by all means to stop using the same old tired and simply untrue arguments against the Holy Roman Catholic Church because the Church of Jesus Christ simply may not suit them. It is about being honest really, and "Why Catholics are Right" is the most honest book covering these topics in years.