Almost Catholic : An Appreciation of the History, Practice, and Mystery of Ancient Faith

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. In 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. The Language And The Spirit -- Forget What You Thought You Knew -- Catholic -- Forget About Conversion -- Doubters And Believers, Atheists And Agnostics -- Steps To Becoming A Truly Catholic Christian -- The Catholic Imagination -- God Is Here -- Sacred Spaces And Places -- Privy To A Revealed Secret -- But It's Too Easy -- Taking Vows -- Becoming A Saint -- Faith With Flesh -- He Loved His Own Flesh -- The Sensuousness Of Jesus -- The Crucifix -- Stations Of The Cross -- Bones And Bodies -- Something Good About Hell -- Much More Than Kitsch And Jesus Junk -- Rosary Beads -- Little Books -- Images That Speak -- Novenas For Heathens And Outcasts -- Going To Confession -- The Sacred Heart Of Jesus -- My Own Cloud Of Witnesses -- Thomas Merton -- Saint Francis Of Assisi -- Every Idealist Who Has Ever Tried -- G.k. Chesterton -- Flannery O'connor -- The Catechism As A Mystical Novel -- Together With Others -- Take Me To The River -- Sacraments And Sacramentals -- Contemplative Living -- Eating And Kissing -- Millions Of Blessings -- Excommunication. Jon M. Sweeney. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 217-226). An analysis of the Catholic tradition looks at the history of the Catholic Church, its spiritual practices, its tenets and beliefs, and the rituals of worship, and discusses such topics as saints, liturgies, and papal authority