This book review was originally published in our blog on August, 2014. You can acquire this excellent book on Amazon using the link below. Purchases help us keep the website running.
Patrick Madrid’s book, Why Be Catholic is a heartfelt examination of why Madrid chooses to be Catholic, and why he believes there is no other faith tradition that can fulfill humanities’ deepest needs. Madrid begins by taking a candid look at human weakness. He reveals that the sinful acts of the Apostles in the early Church are not unlike the sins of individuals in today’s Catholic Church. But even so, there is great joy in being Catholic. In the ten chapters of this book, Madrid explains the relationship of the human condition with the Sacraments of the Church and the Church’s moral social teachings.
The strength of this book is Madrid’s honesty in his descriptions of his personal encounters with those who have chosen to leave the Catholic Church. Madrid’s explanations for why he evangelizes in the manner he does can help readers when they face similar situations.
Madrid’s writing style is simple, personal, and engaging, making the level of reading proficient for both high school and adult readers. Those who would most benefit from reading this book are Catholic Christians who may be drifting from the Church, Catholics who are steadfast in their faith but still have questions, and especially anyone who has misunderstandings of the Church’s doctrines.
Why Be Catholic?would make a good resource for parishes to utilize in their parish book clubs or study groups. A parish evangelization team may want to invite the parish to collectively read this book and break it open together a chapter at a time after weekend Masses.
Why Be Catholic? Ten Answers to a Very Important Question. Patrick Madrid. New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2014.
