{"product_id":"almost-catholic-isbn-9780787994709","title":"Almost Catholic","description":"Jon Sweeney, a self-described “evolved Protestant” and noted religious writer, has long been fascinated by the Catholic Church. However, it wasn’t until he was a young missionary in the Philippines that he truly began to understand the Church’s traditions, mysteries, and religious beliefs and its hold on those who follow the tradition. As he explains, Catholic spirituality is all about responding to the fundamental mystery of Jesus, the incarnation, and what it all meant in the beginning as well as what it means today.  \u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eAlmost Catholic,\u003c\/i\u003e Sweeney offers an appreciation of Catholicism, weaving in the story of his own explorations with those of others who have also been attracted to this tradition. He finds himself drawn to the Church’s ancient and medieval traditions out of a desire to connect with the deepest and widest paths on the way. Two millennia of saints and practices and teachings and mystery form a connection for him to the very beginnings of Christianity.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntroduction vii\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSection One The Language and the Spirit 1\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eForget What You Thought You Knew 3\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e“Catholic” 11\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eForget About Conversion 16\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDoubters and Believers, Atheists and Agnostics 22\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEleven Steps to Becoming a Truly Catholic Christian 26\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSection Two The Catholic Imagination 29\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGod is Here 31\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSacred Spaces and Places 36\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrivy to a Revealed Secret 42\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBut It’s Too Easy 48\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTaking Vows 54\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBecoming a Saint 62\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSection Three Faith with Flesh 69\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHe Loved His Own Flesh 71\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Sensuousness of Jesus 77\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Crucifix 81\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eStations of the Cross 88\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBones and Bodies 93\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSomething Good About Hell 101\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSection Four Much More Than Kitsch and Jesus Junk 109\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRosary Beads 111\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eLittle Books 116\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eImages That Speak 122\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNovenas for Heathens and Outcasts 128\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGoing to Confession 135\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Sacred Heart of Jesus 140\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSection Five My Own Cloud of Witnesses 147\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThomas Merton 149\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSaint Francis of Assisi 153\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEvery Idealist Who Has Ever Tried 156\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eG. K. Chesterton 160\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFlannery O’Connor 165\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eCatechism\u003c\/i\u003e as a Mystical Novel 172\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSection Six Together with Others 179\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTake Me to the River 181\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSacraments and Sacramentals 187\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eContemplative Living 192\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEating and Kissing 197\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMillions of Blessings 203\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eExcommunication 207\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAppendix Defining a Few Terms 213\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNotes 217\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSuggestions for Further Reading 225\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAcknowledgments 227\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Author 229\u003c\/p\u003e Rosaries, rituals, crucifixes and canonized saints: Sweeney, an Episcopalian, enthusiastically embraces these trappings of the Catholic faith, even as many Protestants find them unbiblical and some Catholics have abandoned them. In his latest book, Sweeney talks about his chosen state of being “almost Catholic,” explaining how Catholicism's practices and outlook help connect him to the divine and expand his worldview. Raised as an evangelical Protestant, Sweeney tells how he grew up believing “Catholics were going to hell unless they found our brand of true salvation.” Later, as a church planter in the Philippines, his thinking started to shift when he stepped inside a Catholic church for the first time. Overwhelmed by the sensory experience, he came to love Catholicism as an approach to faith that “lands in the heart and the body as well as in the head.” He has stopped short of converting, however, saying that those who remain outside the institution can still access Catholic life. Although Sweeney's love of Catholic practice makes for interesting reading, he saves his best for describing the differences between Catholic and Protestant thought, providing a depth that goes beyond fascination with externals. \u003ci\u003e(Feb.)\u003c\/i\u003e (\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, December 3, 2007)  \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE AUTHOR\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJ\u003csmall\u003eON\u003c\/small\u003e M. S\u003csmall\u003eWEENEY\u003c\/small\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e is a prolific author who wrote\u003ci\u003e Born Again and Again,\u003c\/i\u003e named one of the Best Books of 2005 by\u003ci\u003e Spirituality \u0026amp; Health\u003c\/i\u003e magazine and honored with an Award of Merit by\u003ci\u003e Christianity Today,\u003c\/i\u003e and\u003ci\u003e Light in the Dark Ages: The Friendship of Francis and Clare of Assisi,\u003c\/i\u003e a selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club. He writes for the website www.explorefaith.org, and his articles have been published in a variety of magazines including\u003ci\u003e Catholic Digest, The Lutheran, The Merton Seasonal, and Spirituality \u0026amp; Health.\u003c\/i\u003e   \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eALMOST CATHOLIC\u003c\/b\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eI am spiritual and I also love religion. I love what Thomas Howard calls 'the ancient Church and all that she holds for us in her liturgy, her teaching, her disciplines, her devotions, and her spiritual writings.' I love the sensuous, mysterious approach to faith that lands in heart and body as well as in the head.\u003c\/i\u003e —\u003csmall\u003eFROM THE INTRODUCTION\u003c\/small\u003e  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJon Sweeney, a self-described \"evolved Protestant\" and noted religious writer, has long been fascinated by the Catholic Church. However, it wasn't until he was a young missionary in the Philippines that he truly began to understand the Church's traditions, mysteries, and religious beliefs and its hold on those who follow the tradition. As he explains, Catholic spirituality is all about responding to the fundamental mystery of Jesus, the incarnation, and what it all meant in the beginning as well as what it means today.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eAlmost Catholic\u003c\/i\u003e, Sweeney offers an appreciation of Catholicism, weaving in the story of his own explorations with those of others who have also been attracted to this tradition. He finds himself drawn to the Church's ancient and medieval traditions out of a desire to connect with the deepest and widest paths on the way. Two millennia of saints and practices and teachings and mystery form a connection for him to the very beginnings of Christianity.  \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis evocative explorations of Catholicism lead to a wide variety of topics, including the lives of saints such as Teresa of Avila and St. Francis, spiritual teachers such as Thomas Merton (the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Seven Storey Mountain\u003c\/i\u003e), as well as liturgies and ancient practices including praying the rosary, confession, novenas, house blessings, and much more.\t   \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eALMOST CATHOLIC\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eI am spiritual and I also love religion. I love what Thomas Howard calls 'the ancient Church and all that she holds for us in her liturgy, her teaching, her disciplines, her devotions, and her spiritual writings.' I love the sensuous, mysterious approach to faith that lands in heart and bodyas well as in the head.\u003c\/i\u003e —F\u003csmall\u003eROM THE\u003c\/small\u003e I\u003csmall\u003eNTRODUCTION\u003c\/small\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJon Sweeney, a self-described \"evolved Protestant\" and noted religious writer, has long been fascinated by the Catholic Church. However, it wasn't until he was a young missionary in the Philippines that he truly began to understand the Church's traditions, mysteries, and religious beliefs and its hold on those who follow the tradition. As he explains, Catholic spirituality is all about responding to the fundamental mystery of Jesus, the incarnation, and what it all meant in the beginning as well as what it means today. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Almost Catholic, Sweeney offers an appreciation of Catholicism, weaving in the story of his own explorations with those of others who have also been attracted to this tradition. He finds himself drawn to the Church's ancient and medieval traditions out of a desire to connect with the deepest and widest paths on the way. Two millennia of saints and practices and teachings and mystery form a connection for him to the very beginnings of Christianity. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis evocative explorations of Catholicism lead to a wide variety of topics, including the lives of saints such as Teresa of Avila and St. Francis, spiritual teachers such as Thomas Merton (the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Seven Storey Mountain\u003c\/i\u003e), as well as liturgies and ancient practices including praying the rosary, confession, novenas, house blessings, and much more.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Jossey-Bass","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47988715356389,"sku":"NP9780787994709","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780787994709.jpg?v=1761781304","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/almost-catholic-isbn-9780787994709","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}