{"id":16863,"date":"2012-05-25T00:55:32","date_gmt":"2012-05-25T05:55:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=16863"},"modified":"2012-06-20T09:41:09","modified_gmt":"2012-06-20T14:41:09","slug":"the-spirit-of-catholicism-a-drive-by-pre-introduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/05\/the-spirit-of-catholicism-a-drive-by-pre-introduction\/","title":{"rendered":"The Spirit of Catholicism – “A Drive-By” (Pre-Introduction)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Despite the challenges\u00a0that the Catholic\u00a0Church\u00a0experiences in the world today– including the\u00a0fact that she faces an uphill battle against the current cultural climate\u00a0— one thing is \u00a0certain:\u00a0 she continues to survive<\/em>. \u00a0\u00a0 And in some places, including Austin, Texas, she\u00a0even thrives.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

With the Church\u2019s birthday, Pentecost, coming up this Sunday, it occurred to me that perhaps this would be an opportune time to sit back and reflect on what it really means to be Catholic.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ah…\u00a0but where to start?<\/p>\n

As I pondered this question, it didn’t take long for me to recall that\u00a0one of my favorite books, the time-tested classic, \u00a0The Spirit of Catholicism<\/span>, by Karl Adam, was due a re-reading.\u00a0\u00a0Coincidentally, this book, which makes the top ten “must read” list of many a Catholic educator,\u00a0\u00a0happens to be one of the best places to begin that reflection.<\/p>\n

In the spirit of G.K. Chesterton’s famous quip that “anything worth doing is worth doing badly,”\u00a0 I\u00a0propose to take the opportunity in\u00a0a series of blogs to do a \u201cdrive-by\u201d of this book in the hope that anyone who has not yet read it will be able to get at least get a taste.\u00a0\u00a0 Perhaps this “appetizer” will encourage some who have never read it to check it out.\u00a0 (It will additionally provide plenty of fodder for blog topics as the year progresses).<\/p>\n

Note that the Spirit of Catholicism<\/span>, by Karl Adam:<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0 although\u00a0first published\u00a0in 1929 — continues to be published and is still as relevant today as ever.<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0 is legally available for free download here<\/a>, or\u00a0is easy to obtain both new and used.\u00a0\u00a0 —\u00a0AND —<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0 has had an enormous impact on many new and influential converts to the Faith<\/p>\n

Much like the new DVD series, \u201cCatholicism\u201d by Fr. Robert Barron, Karl Adam’s The Spirit of Catholicism<\/span>, tries to answer the basic question: What is Catholicism and what makes\u00a0it what\u00a0it is?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What is the underlying essence and nature of this faith that has managed to survive this long despite pressures from within and without?<\/p>\n

What is the driving force behind\u00a0the Church?\u00a0 How is this\u00a0institution so large and full of apparent contradictions\u00a0in any way\u00a0related to Jesus Christ or the original primitive Church?<\/p>\n

Such thoughts will be explored in the posts that follow. As we proceed, my intention is that each post will be able to stand on its own without\u00a0nesssarily having to read the preceding posts.\u00a0 For now I will leave you with a quote\u00a0(from a quote) from the book that\u00a0may explain why there is justifiably\u00a0so much interest\u00a0in the Church and\u00a0I hope will\u00a0inspire your curiosity.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cEnglish historian, Macaulay, once described in the eloquent words: “There is not, and there never was on this earth, a work of human policy so well deserving of examination as the Roman Catholic Church. The history of that Church joins together the two great ages of human civilization.<\/p>\n

No other institution is left standing which carries the mind back to the times when the smoke of sacrifice rose from the Pantheon, and when camelopards and tigers bounded in the Flavian amphitheater.<\/p>\n

The proudest royal houses are but of yesterday, when compared with the line of the Supreme Pontiffs. That line we trace back in an unbroken series, from the Pope who crowned Napoleon in the nineteenth century to the Pope who crowned Pepin in the eighth; and far beyond the time of Pepin the august dynasty extends, till it is lost in the twilight of fable.<\/p>\n

The republic of Venice came next in antiquity. But the republic of Venice was modern when compared with the Papacy; and the republic of Venice is gone, and the Papacy remains. The Papacy remains, not in decay, not a mere antique, but full of life and youthful vigor.<\/p>\n

The Catholic Church is still sending forth to the farthest ends of the world missionaries as zealous as those who landed in Kent with Augustine, and still confronting hostile kings with the same spirit with which she confronted Attila…. Nor do we see any sign which indicates that the term of her\u00a0 long dominion is approaching.<\/p>\n

She saw the commencement of all the governments and of all the ecclesiastical establishments that now exist in the world; and we feel no assurance that she is not destined to see the end of them all. She was great and respected before the Saxon had set foot on Britain, before the Frank had passed the Rhine, when Grecian eloquence still flourished at Antioch, when idols were still worshipped in the temple of Mecca.<\/p>\n

. . . We discern the immortality, the vigorous life, the eternal youth of the old, original Church. And the question rises to many lips, and to the lips of the best among us: What is the source of this strong life? And can the Church impart it, and will she impart it, to the dying western world?”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

More to come\u00a0.\u00a0. .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Despite the challenges\u00a0that the Catholic\u00a0Church\u00a0experiences in the world today– including the\u00a0fact that she faces an uphill battle against the current cultural climate\u00a0— one thing is \u00a0certain:\u00a0 she continues to survive. \u00a0\u00a0 And in some places, including Austin, Texas, she\u00a0even thrives. With the Church\u2019s birthday, Pentecost, coming up this Sunday, it occurred to me that perhaps… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4],"tags":[768,769],"class_list":{"0":"post-16863","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-blog","7":"tag-karl-adam","8":"tag-spirit-of-catholicism","9":"entry","10":"has-post-thumbnail"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":18277,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/06\/staring-at-the-walls\/","url_meta":{"origin":16863,"position":0},"title":"Staring at the Walls","author":"Steve Scott","date":"June 20, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Continuing from the previous blog post on the Catholic classic, the Spirit of Catholicism- we continue to look at the introductory Chapter 1.\u00a0\u00a0 In the introduction to his book,The Spirit of Catholicism, Karl Adam confronts the common misunderstandings of Catholicism that are derived from the remote viewpoint of those who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/staring-at-the-wall-300x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":17764,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/06\/the-catholic-church-vs-the-early-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":16863,"position":1},"title":"The Catholic Church vs. the Early Church?","author":"Steve Scott","date":"June 10, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Continuing from the previous blog post on the Catholic classic, the Spirit of Catholicism- we continue to look at the introductory Chapter 1.\u00a0\u00a0 One of the questions that we are sometimes called to answer is: \"WHAT\u00a0EXACTLY IS CATHOLICISM AND\u00a0WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER RELIGIONS AND PHILOSOPHIES?\" Many people\u00a0THINK they\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/Christ-dna-in-Church4.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":19470,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/07\/torn-from-our-roots\/","url_meta":{"origin":16863,"position":2},"title":"Torn From Our Roots","author":"Steve Scott","date":"July 18, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cNo way! The Catholic Church? You gotta be kiddin\u2019 me.\u201d \u00a0No doubt you\u2019ve heard a variation of that line before. So what in the world would motivate a person outside the Catholic Church to give it the slightest bit of consideration? There is a\u00a0restlessness that drives people to seek relief\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/Spirit-of-Catholicism_.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":150060,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/09\/catholics-drink-like-saints-catholicism-and-alcohol\/","url_meta":{"origin":16863,"position":3},"title":"Catholics Drink Like Saints: A Response to Discussions of Catholicism and Alcohol","author":"Lindsay Wilcox","date":"September 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"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,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Catholics Drink Like Saints: A Discussion of Catholicism and Alcohol at AustinCNM.com","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/acnm_drinklikesaints.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20412,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2012\/08\/jesus-in-the-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":16863,"position":4},"title":"Jesus In the Church?","author":"Steve Scott","date":"August 15, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"As viewed from the outside, it\u2019s easy to see the Church as just another big and apparently inflexible institution. Many non-Catholics and even some Catholics no doubt ask the question as to whether the institutional Church is even necessary In his book, The Spirit of Catholicism, Karl Adam reminds us\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/Manila_Cathedral_exterior-630x568.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":195595,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/01\/review-forming-intentional-disciples\/","url_meta":{"origin":16863,"position":5},"title":"Taking Steps Toward the Savior (Review: “Forming Intentional Disciples”)","author":"Lindsay Wilcox","date":"January 5, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A Review of \"Forming Intentional Disciples\" at AustinCNM.com","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/acnm_formingintentionaldisciples.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16863","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/60"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16863"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16863\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16863"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16863"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16863"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}