Everyone loves a happy ending, but the sad ones are way more interesting. That’s the basic premise of every story by the incredibly talented Flannery O’Connor. She was one of the greats of Catholic fiction, so for my last regular review for ATX Catholic, I encourage you to give her a try. The first of… [Read More]
Get Through the Bible Today! (Video: John Bergsma, “Bible Basics for Catholics”)
Are you a member of the Perpetual Bible in a Year Club? I am. I know several people who have read through the entire Bible. Some have even managed it in a year. About ten years ago now, I set out to join them… and like many others, I fell behind. I promised I wouldn’t… [Read More]
Taboos and Resolutions (A Response to Archbishop Chaput’s Tocqueville Lecture)
They say you shouldn’t talk about sex, politics, or religion in public. As an evangelization-minded Catholic, I live a little differently, but I do tend to stay away from politics. I just don’t like it. These days, however, there’s no getting away from politics, even when we’d rather talk about some of those other uncomfortable… [Read More]
Bits and Bytes on Thriving Parishes (Review: “Great Catholic Parishes”)
Since I stopped working in ministry, I’ve been a regular parishioner, just like everyone else. Having seen things from both ends of the pew, in a sense, I remain interested in the state of American parishes and efforts to right the wrongs and fulfill our mission as Christians. So I read a lot of books… [Read More]
Can We Be Catholic and American? (A Response to Archbishop Chaput’s Bishop’s Symposium Talk)
Author’s note: As commenter DanC kindly pointed out, I had my Chaput speeches mixed up. The post below has been corrected from its originally published version to refer to the correct context and original text. I apologize for any confusion I caused. I spent a while learning how to teach adolescents in addition to my… [Read More]
Pocket-Sized Pointers for Picking a Partner (Review: “101 Tips for Marrying the Right Person”)
Today’s review is of a short book, so this will be a short review. Following on the heels of their successful book 101 Tips for a Happier Marriage, Jennifer Roback Morse and Betsy Kerekes have released a guide for getting to marriage in the first place. This new title basically begged me to read it:… [Read More]
Literature Teaches Us What It Means to Be Human (Review of Laura M. Berquist)
Forgive me for geeking out a little bit here. I studied English and education in college, and I used to be an English teacher, so it’s safe to say that I like reading. In particular, I like stories. For my writing here at ATX Catholic and for much of my pleasure reading, I cover a… [Read More]
Your Weapons Are Scripture and Tradition (Review: “Dual Wielding”)
I’ve discovered a new kind of Catholic nerdery! I like books and learning and grammar and trivia, so I’ve long considered myself a nerd with personality. When I came back to the Church just over a decade ago, I found it only natural to become a Catholic nerd, too. There are, however, limits to my… [Read More]
What Does a Marriage Culture Look Like? (Review: Helen Alvaré, “Restoring Culture from Confusion”)
Since the decision of the Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges effectively legalized civil marriage between two people of the same sex in all 50 states, many opponents of same-sex marriage have been wondering what to do. Is there anything to do? The law has clearly come down on one side, and it’s not the… [Read More]
The Bible Is a Story About Jesus (Review: “Walking with God”)
I love to read. I also love Jesus. I must confess, however, that I do not always love to read about Jesus. I would wager that most Christians (and many non-Christians) know that the Bible is a book about Jesus. I would also wager that many of those same people might struggle to explain how… [Read More]
Peter Kreeft’s “Nineteen Types of Judgment”: An Outline
It’s back-to-school time in the Year of Mercy, so I bring you a learning opportunity. I am a teacher by training (although not currently by profession), so I love learning, and I love helping other people learn. It’s a reflex, an instinct, and the method by which I hope to make a difference in the… [Read More]
Finding God, Funny Times, and Failing Health (Review: “Operating on Faith”)
I tend not to like vignette-style books. I never did like The House on Mango Street, critical acclaim and racially diverse protagonist notwithstanding. I do, however, enjoy stories of young adults living the Catholic life with joy, not bitterness. It’s refreshing, and it’s my reality. With a lighthearted approach in mind, I read Operating on… [Read More]
Faith in Action (Review: 7 Habits That Define Our Catholic Identity)
I wasn’t raised Catholic, but I’m not a convert, either. My mom’s side of the family is Catholic, so I was baptized as a baby and received my other sacraments of initiation on the usual timeline. I never say that I was raised Catholic, though. We didn’t go to church, not even for Christmas or… [Read More]
Carmelite Spirituality for the Analytical Mind (Review: “The Dark Night of the Soul” by Gerald May)
I have a relatively new interest in the intersection of psychology and spirituality. I have some good friends who are Catholics and counselors, and while I treasure the opportunities I’ve had to walk alongside people on their spiritual journeys, I’ve never wanted to pursue that path myself. I don’t even have much interest in spiritual… [Read More]
5 Things You Should Do at the End of Mass
In my five years of blessings as a contributor here at ATX Catholic, I have taken one post per year to write something that is not a review. Instead, I write about something a little closer to my heart. They’re more like the things I post at my personal blog, Lindsay Loves. In my very… [Read More]
For Women Only… and A Little Bit for Men (Review: “Discovering the Feminine Genius”)
I finally found a book about women’s spirituality that is (a) not about single life and (b) one I like! That is a rare find. I read (and write) a lot about being a single Catholic woman. There’s a market for it. There’s also a need for materials that explore women’s spirituality, but that usually… [Read More]
Mercy, Justice, and the Truth (Review: “To Render the Deeds of Mercy”)
I don’t understand the Jubilee Year of Mercy, but I’m trying to. I love learning, so, as I said on my panel during the ATX Catholic Retreat, I’m taking this year as an opportunity to learn what mercy means. I encounter tons of media already, so my learning mostly consists of keeping my eyes and… [Read More]
Pentecost, Inspiration, and Hope
It’s almost Pentecost! I developed a great relationship with the Holy Spirit when I was in undergrad, so Pentecost is one of my favorite feasts. For some reason, it pulls other people who like to dress liturgically out of the woodwork: we all wear red. Join me on all the other Sundays! It’s awesome! In… [Read More]
Redemption Through Reflection (Review: “Remembering God’s Mercy”)
We all have memories of things we’d rather forget. Some things are embarrassing. Some are painful. Some are traumatic. Dawn Eden is no stranger to the latter, as she revealed in her previous books about chaste love (The Thrill of the Chaste and its recent Catholic edition) and about healing sexual wounds with the help… [Read More]
How Bad Catechesis Happened and How to Fix It (Review of Msgr. Charles Pope)
You can take the teacher of out of the classroom, but you can’t take the teacher out of the heart. It has been many years since I taught full-time. I still have the heart of a teacher. My work with RCIA while I was in campus ministry was one of the best ways I’ve discovered… [Read More]
We Are All Teachers of Virtue (A Response to Archbishop Cordileone’s “Knowledge, Virtue, and Holiness”)
You may remember the news headlines about Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. They focused on the bristling of some archdiocesan school teachers at the prospect of having to sign a statement affirming their support of the Catholic faith. As a former Catholic high school teacher myself, I thought it was much… [Read More]
Your Battle Plan Against Porn (Review: “Cleansed”)
I hate pornography, so I am a fan of resources for people who also hate pornography but have a better sense of how to fight the good fight than I do. I’m not foolish enough to think that the problem of porn addiction is going to quietly disappear from our society, so I keep my… [Read More]
The Last Stand (Review: UnDivided)
It’s bittersweet when a journey comes to an end. I loved the ending of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I was sad to watch that chapter of my life (pun intended) come to an end, but I was very satisfied. I feel the same way about UnDivided, the final book in the Unwind “dystology”… [Read More]
Opening My Mind to Cardinal Avery Dulles’s “Catholicism and Capital Punishment”
I like to read, and I don’t like the death penalty. Thus, I like to read things that are about abolishing the death penalty. (I’m so unpredictable.) As I mentioned in my review of the remarkable book Change of Heart, by Jeanne Bishop, I acknowledge that Catholics are allowed to support capital punishment without considering… [Read More]
The New Age of Martyrdom (Review: “To the Martyrs”)
Daily Mass once moved me to tears. I used to work in campus ministry, so I went to Mass every day. It was not unusual to have the diocesan vocations director visit us. While I was working at the University Catholic Center, the vocations director was Fr. Brian McMaster, so we had him for Mass… [Read More]
You, Too, Can Discern the Will of God (Review of Fr. Mike Schmitz and Peter Kreeft)
A little over a year ago, I reviewed a book about discernment, decision-making, and the will of God by a non-Catholic Bible scholar and teacher, Gary Friesen. I haven’t run out of things to discern in the meantime, though, so this year, I decided to share some Catholic advice. In the spirit of teaching to… [Read More]
Taking Steps Toward the Savior (Review: “Forming Intentional Disciples”)
Do you have a relationship with Jesus? Do you believe God has a mission for your life? Do you tell other people, honestly and openly, about the ways the Holy Spirit works in your day-to-day? Or does all of that sound “too Protestant”? Are those things normal for you? Do you feel like a little… [Read More]
A Clarion Call to Catholic Men (Review: “Into the Breach”)
Although I am not a man, nor am I married to one, I greatly enjoy reading about Catholic men’s spirituality. I’m blessed to have so many examples of strong, outwardly faithful men in my life. Honestly, one of my favorite things is hearing my male friends talk about their personal religious lives as if it’s… [Read More]
The Most Powerful Woman in the World (A Response to the “National Geographic” Feature)
Everybody loves Mary. If you’re a Catholic reading this on its original publication date, you have recently gone or will be going to Mass to honor her as the Immaculate Conception. (Otherwise, the next page you visit might be the closest parish’s confession times.) You probably heard the same homily reminder you get every year… [Read More]
The Story of the King and His Kingdom (Review: “New Testament Basics for Catholics”)
Thanks to a few years of Bible studies, I could easily tell you that the “plot” of the Bible is the fulfillment of the covenant between God and his people. Now I can tell you that the New Testament has its own “subplot,” so to speak. A few summers ago, I made the trek from… [Read More]
The Art of Preaching and Teaching (Review: “Rebuilding Your Message”)
I used to think I was indecisive. Now I’m not so sure. I can usually come down squarely on one side or the other about my opinions on books. Bumped? Loved it. Wild at Heart? Did not love it. Then I read Rebuilt, and I mostly liked it. I liked its foundational ideas, although I… [Read More]
The Great Good of Celibacy (A Response to “Dismantling the Cross”)
I had a really tough time at Mass last Sunday. Since the readings were so clearly about marriage, I expected to hear a homily on that—and I did. I heard a great homily, actually; I’m thankful for that. Yet as someone who is openly celibate and may well remain so until death, I wasn’t hearing… [Read More]
Faith, Consumerism, and More (Review: “The Year Without a Purchase”)
Minimalist stories don’t usually contain much God-talk. Some have hints of spirituality in their suggestions that you can declutter your soul, make time for what’s important, and find peace in a life that’s not so full of stuff. On the flip side, there is plenty of writing about how to grow in your spiritual life…. [Read More]
Catholics Drink Like Saints: A Response to Discussions of Catholicism and Alcohol
I was blessed to attend a college friend’s Baptist wedding reception (and the wedding) once, and I had a fantastic time. These many years later, two details stick out (three if you count the bride’s lovely, cap-sleeved gown). First, the reception ended very quickly and much earlier than I expected, and second, the desserts were… [Read More]
Mathing Up the Faith (Review: “Arriving at Amen”)
I love a good conversion story. I’ve made a few attempts at writing my own, but I have never found quite the right angle of approach. It’s not the struggle to find something other than God in which to place my happiness, like it was for Jen Fulwiler. It’s not the attempt to make up… [Read More]
Marriage Advice for Singles: Scott Stanley on How to Lower Your Risk of Divorce
In case you were wondering, I am still not married. Thus, I still keep my eyes and ears open for marriage advice to tuck away for later (thanks, secret Pinterest boards!) and for advice on how to become unsingled. That’s like a conscious uncoupling, but in the other direction. Not all of the advice I… [Read More]
From Old Adam to New in 7 Easy Sketches (Review: “Bible Basics for Catholics”)
You can learn the story of the Bible in seven easy stick figures. Several summers ago, I took a weekly crash course on salvation history. It absolutely changed the way I see the Bible. Have you ever heard the prophets or psalms talking about Israel and Judah as though they’re separate places and been very… [Read More]
The Hidden Sweetness of Marriage (Review: Humanum Series, Part Four)
“Marriage is hard.” I don’t quite know when it happened, but at some point, that became a movement. I’ve never been married, but from what I understand, it is, in fact, hard. The problem is that marriage is apparently so hard, and the “marriage is hard” movement so strong, that marriage now seems too hard…. [Read More]
Running Slowly Up the Ramp (Review: “UnSouled”)
It takes incredible skill to be a master storyteller. After Unwind and even UnWholly, I would have easily put Neal Shusterman on that list. I read UnSouled, though, so I’m withholding final judgment for now. I’m not as encouraged to keep reading, but I’m glad I did. I have to push through to the end,… [Read More]
A Response to “What Sucks about the Catholic Church”
Every spring brings the Church a batch of shiny new Catholics, and every year I see the same list of complaints. No, not the ones about people “taking your pew.” The ones about the niggling weaknesses in the Church. Many adults who enter the Catholic Church, especially those who were members of other Christian traditions… [Read More]
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