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Catholic Christianity: A Complete Catechism of Catholic Beliefs Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Paperback)

~ Peter Kreeft (Author) "We need faith because our world is full of death..." (more)
Key Phrases: supernatural life, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Council of Trent (more...)

4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

For the first time in 400 years the Catholic Church has authorized an official universal catechism which instantly became an international best-seller, the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Using this official Catechism, the highly-regarded author and professor Peter Kreeft presents a complete compendium of all the major beliefs of Catholicism written in his readable and concise style.

Since the Catechism of the Catholic Church was written for the express purpose of grounding and fostering catechisms based on it for local needs and ordinary readers, Kreeft does just that, offering a thorough summary of Catholic doctrine, morality, and worship in a popular format with less technical language. He presents a systematic, organic synthesis of the essential and fundamental Catholic teachings in the light of the Second Vatican Council and the whole of the Church's Tradition.

This book is the most thorough, complete and popular catechetical summary of Catholic belief in print that is based on the universal Catechism.

Product Details

Paperback: 426 pages
Publisher: Ignatius Press (July 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0898707986
ISBN-13: 978-0898707984
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,673 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

#9 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Theology > Catechisms
#34 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Education
#37 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Catholicism > Catholic

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
We need faith because our world is full of death. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
supernatural life

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Council of Trent, Thomas Aquinas, New Testament, Old Testament, Ten Commandments, Holy Orders, Mother of God, Old Covenant, Anointing of the Sick, Christ Jesus, Blessed Virgin, Pope John Paul, Sacred Scripture, Virgin Mary, Roman Catechism, Sacred Tradition, Holy Communion, Council of Florence, Hail Mary, Immaculate Conception, John Chrysostom, John of the Cross, Mother Church

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Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 32 books:

The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis on page 146, and page 148
John of the Cross: Selected Writings (Classics of Western Spirituality) by Kieran Kavanaugh on page 19, and page 387
The Divine Liturgy by David Drillock on page 323, and page 332
The Collected Works of Saint John of the Cross by Saint John of the Cross on page 387
Romeo And Juliet (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Saddleback Classics) by William Shakespeare on page 349

See all 32 books this book cites

1 book cites this book:

Here. Now. A Catholic Guide to the Good Life. by Amy Welborn in Back Matter

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	77% buy the item featured on this page: Catholic Christianity: A Complete Catechism of Catholic Beliefs Based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church 4.8 out of 5 stars (26) $12.21
	7% buy Before I Go: Letters to Our Children About What Really Matters 4.9 out of 5 stars (8) $12.89
	6% buy You Can Understand The Bible: A Practical And Illuminating Guide To Each Book In The Bible 4.3 out of 5 stars (12) $11.53
	5% buy Handbook of Catholic Apologetics: Reasoned Answers to Questions of Faith 3.7 out of 5 stars (6) $14.93

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Customer Reviews

26 Reviews

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

4.8 out of 5 stars (26 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars View of book from a Protestant perspective, February 11, 2006

By	David C. Leaumont "Dave" (Bossier City, LA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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I give this book 4.5 stars. I deducted 1/2 a star, not because of any disagreement in theology I might have with the Catholic faith, but because of a few things the book lacks.

I have been in many churches that preach the worst about Catholic Christianity from the pulpit. My late father was a non-practicing Catholic and I learned a little from his testimony about his experiences. Needless to say, I grew up with a skewed view of Catholicism. In working with several devout, intelligent and scholarly Catholics in my ministry, I have found that my initial views were wrong. While I do disagree with several Catholic theologies, I have grown to respect Catholicism and disregard that skewed reasoning with which I was initiated. This book does a superb job of doing this. Few Protestants are going to read through the Catholic Church Catechisms. But, this book does a pretty good job of explaining the general beliefs of the Catholic Church while referencing the CCC and Scripture.

Peter Kreeft begins with 10 chapters (154 pages) of what Catholics believe. He then devotes 10 chapters (126 pages) to how Catholics live and 10 chapters on the Sacraments and prayer (143 pages). The "Contents" page does a good job of pointing one in the general direction regarding the topic, and then at the beginning of each chapter, he gives a detailed and numbered topic list for the chapter. For instance, Chapter 5 is titled "Jesus Christ" in the Contents and the beginning of the chapter lists 27 topics including: 1: The Centrality of Christ through 27: Christ the conqueror of the world. This layout is unique and helps point the reader in the general direction.

Kreeft does a superb job of explaining in plain English why Catholicism believes its theology and even goes as far to explain very objectively why Protestants object to some Catholic beliefs, such as Marian theology. He does not go into the extreme Protestant positions (such as the ones I was indoctrinated with), but instead gives the even-handed Protestant objections and why they exist.

My critiques (why I deducted 1/2 star):
- The book lacks an index. This makes finding content in the book much more difficult. The Contents and Chapter details help, but not as much as an index could have.
- While this is not a book on Catholic- Protestant relations, Kreeft does delve into some Protestant objections. And since he touches on the topic, it would be helpful for Kreeft to use his superb gift of correct wording to explain why Protestants have some of the more extreme views. It would help Catholics understand this and help Protestants see the err in their ways.

The book is supremely well written and covers most topics that would help a non-Catholic understand Catholicism. I bought this book based on the Catholic Christians' reviews below, and was not disappointed in the least. I thank God that it was written since Christianity is not supposed to be divided, and the way to heal the wounds is not through extremism, but devotion and understanding to help reach other through respect and understanding. I recommend this book to all Christians and to non-Christians who find an interest in the study of religion.

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58 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for every Catholic or eveyone who loves a Catholic!, September 22, 2001

By	Linda McDonough (Arlington, Va United States) - See all my reviews

Whether you are Catholic and wanting to learn more about your faith or a non-Catholic wanting to understand either the Catholic Church or the beliefs of a Catholic friend, this book is for you. This book does so much more than "give the facts" about Catholic beliefs- it gives you the reasons why Catholics believe what they do. Kreeft clearly has the non-Catholic Christian in mind when he writes- providing Biblical and historical reasons for beliefs and practices. Furthermore, his writing style is not only easy to read, but engrossing. His love for God, the Catholic Church and the Bible is infectious. I would especially recommend this book for non-Catholics who are married to or plan to marry a Catholic spouse.

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41 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Illuminating!, February 25, 2003

By	Thomas More (Scenic Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

Reading this book was one of my first steps in the direction of the Catholic Church. Growing up, I had always heard vague disapproval of the Catholic Church; lots of unspecific allusions to Mary-worship, "working your way to heaven", etc. Reading this book, however, lifted the veil and revealed the beauty, depth and truth that is the Catholic faith. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is willing to lay aside preconceived biases and begin an open-minded examination of the Catholic faith. I'm confident that in so doing you will be surprised by truth.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Whole Truth and Nothing but The Truth
"Catholic Christianity" illumines the teaching and doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church which is truly the Mother Church to which Christ himself entrusted all 7 of His Holy... Read more

Published 7 months ago by pcr

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Book
This is an excellent book. Dr. Kreeft has a wonderful gift of taking very complex issues and explaining them in a way that makes them understandable to all. Read more

Published 11 months ago by Tom Griffin

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
The book is a perfect guide to the Catholic Faith. It explains what is true but in a clearer way than thought possible. Read more

Published 11 months ago by Aaron Hollowell

5.0 out of 5 stars The sub-title says it all!
The sub-title of Peter Kreeft's "Catholic Christianity" really does say it all: this is a thoroughly worthwhile catechism of Catholic beliefs based on the Catechism of the... Read more

Published on February 16, 2008 by Mark Hennicke

5.0 out of 5 stars Catholic Christianity
This book is excellent for helping a person to understand the Catholic faith as explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Read more

Published on December 13, 2007 by Robert T. Smentowski

5.0 out of 5 stars Short Review of Catholic Christianity by Peter Kreef
I am working on a longer review for one section of this book (ch. 6-10), but one thing I would like to say as a whole is that I feel Peter Kreeft's book in no way represents the... Read more

Published on October 29, 2007 by Josh Blew

4.0 out of 5 stars Peter Kreeft
I really enjoy Peter Kreeft's books, so this one was not a surprise to me. I like this book more as a reference guide to questions that I may have. It is truly awesome. Read more

Published on July 26, 2007 by Rose Hill

5.0 out of 5 stars This Is a Book You Will Want to Read...
and then you will want to hang onto it as a reference book for your own personal library. Dr. Kreeft is a professor of Philosophy at Boston College and has authored many, many... Read more

Published on May 7, 2007 by Paul-Joseph Stines

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Plain-English Overview of What the Catholic Church Teaches
"Catholic Christianity" provides an excellent overview of what the Catholic Church teaches and why, in easy-to-understand language. Read more

Published on October 3, 2006 by John P.

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of information!
Dr. Peter Kreeft presents a sea of information into extremely well written parts. Using an effective question and answer format, Dr. Read more

Published on April 26, 2006 by Freddy Rayos

› See all 26 customer reviews...

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