Product Description

For Kerry Kennedy, who grew up in a devoutly Catholic household coping with great loss, her family’s faith was a constant source of strength and solace. As an adult, she came to question some of the attitudes and teachings of the Catholic Church while remaining an impassioned believer in its role as a defender of the poor and oppressed.

“Generations ago,” says Kennedy, “the search for spirituality came predefined and prepackaged. [The Church] not only gave us all the answers, it even gave us the questions to ask.” Now many of the old certainties are being reexamined. In an attempt to convey this sea change, Kennedy asked thirty-seven American Catholics to speak candidly about their own faith—whether lost, recovered, or deepened—and about their feelings regarding the way the Church hierarchy is moving forward.

The voices included here range from respectful to reproachful and from appreciative to angry. Speaking their minds are businesspeople, actors and entertainers, educators, journalists, politicians, union leaders, nuns, priests—even a cardinal. Some love the Church; some feel intensely that the Church wronged them. All have an illuminating insight or perspective.

Kerry Kennedy herself speaks of the joy of growing up as one of Robert and Ethel Kennedy’s eleven children, of the tragedies that eventually befell her family, and of how religion was deeply woven through good times and bad. Journalist Andrew Sullivan talks about reconciling his devout Catholicism with the Church’s condemnation of his identity as a gay man. TV newswoman Cokie Roberts recalls the nuns who taught her and “took girls seriously when nobody else did.” Comedian Bill Maher declares, “I hate religion. It’s the worst thing in the world”—and goes on to defend his bold assertion. Writer Anna Quindlen depicts a common parental challenge: passing along traditions and values to a younger generation sometimes deaf to spiritual messages.

Through these and many other voices that speak not only to Catholics but to all of us, Being Catholic Now redefines an ancient institution in the most contemporary of terms.

From Being Catholic Now

“When my mom asked if I wanted to be a nun, I said I’d rather be a priest. . . . The nuns were always wonderful, but the power was with the priest.” —Nancy Pelosi

“There are aspects of studying the saints, with the candles, incense, and Latin Masses and some of the pageantry of the Church that, as an American historian, make me feel part of a larger wave of history. That it’s not a newfangled religion, which some people get great solace from. I feel that I’m connected to places.”
—Douglas Brinkley

“Faith isn’t like picking courses off a menu. It’s a journey, and it’s a path. If your path and journey have been within one structure your entire life, then simply leaving isn’t an option.” —Andrew Sullivan

“Why stay Catholic? Because the hierarchy is not the Church. . . .We [the people of God] are the Church. They can’t take that away from us.” —Cokie Roberts

“I was told very early on by the nuns that I had an ‘overabundance of original sin.’ I was a quiet kid, but I was curious. I asked the wrong questions.” —Susan Sarandon

“I don’t believe you can be authentically Catholic without being committed to the social doctrine of the Church. When I was in grammar school, we had these little boxes to help the poor. That was good, but that is half of it. The other half is to find out why there are so many poor people and how we can do something to help them.” —Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick

“I am reconciled to the oblivion that is coming. I see no proof of anything else, if it is a matter of faith. I admire people who have faith in God. It must be a great comfort to them, but I had to get out from under the fear and the guilt.” —Frank McCourt

“I went to church and the door was locked. I was knocking and ringing the bell. I waited and waited and nobody came. [The priest thought] there was an emergency, because of all the banging and ringing. He looked down at me and said, ‘What is it?’ I said, ‘I’m sorry to bother you, Father, but I’ve been away from the Church many, many years and I’d like to come back. I’d like to go to confession.’ He looked at me and something behind his eyes said, ‘You came to the right place.’ He knew that it was an important moment for me; he got it instantly.” —Martin Sheen

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #311222 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-09
• Released on: 2008-09-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780307346841
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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From Publishers Weekly
Sheer star power should draw a broad range of readers to this volume of 37 interviews, in which Catholics from diverse fields reflect on their church. Kennedy, daughter of the late Robert Kennedy, invited luminaries from politics, entertainment, media and the church itself to talk about their Catholic origins, current beliefs and what they would do if they could be pope for a year. Writer Anna Quindlen would ordain women and lift the ban on artificial birth control. Comedian Bill Maher, who confesses to hating religion, would end the church, while Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, former archbishop of Washington, D.C., would resign right away and get a good guy in there. Other interviewees include Cokie Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Allouisa May Thames, Thomas Monaghan and Douglas Brinkley. In the preface, Kennedy adds her own views, explaining why she remains a Catholic despite differences with the church on issues like abortion and homosexuality. The collection makes for interesting reading, though at times the interviews, which consist wholly of the subjects' responses, seem disjointed and rambling without the context of questions. (Sept.) ""
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved."

From The Washington Post
From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com In Finnegans Wake, James Joyce refers (cryptically, of course) to Catholicism as "Here Comes Everybody," but since the 1960s it's been more like, "Where'd They Go?" Kerry Kennedy's collection of 37 interviews, Being Catholic Now, is one answer: They're still here, more or less. And it is often less rather than more, as Kennedy includes the likes of bestselling author Frank McCourt and religion-razing Bill Maher, who ruefully, or gleefully, would qualify as ex-Catholics or even anti-Catholics, if only Holy Mother Church could let them go, or vice-versa. "Maybe I was damaged by it for a long time -- we all were," McCourt says of Catholicism, "but I can make use of it and that's the gift." Balancing such diffidence are other Catholics, from the pious to the powerful, who raise objections even as they pledge fealty to the church. This critical stance, especially from lay people, is a hallmark of Catholicism since the Second Vatican Council. Bill O'Reilly donates "a lot of money" to the church but blasts bishops who "screwed it up." Former pizza magnate and Catholic traditionalist Tom Monaghan loves the church but regrets sending his kids to parochial schools "because they tend to undermine the faith." Celebrities offer more heft than expected (though some ordinary souls, especially sexual abuse survivor Dan McNevin, provide the real ballast), with actors Susan Sarandon and Martin Sheen leading the pack. Dan Aykroyd is nearly off the Catholic reservation (and never mind that he is Canadian), but without his Catholic boyhood "The Blues Brothers" movie wouldn't exist. The unifying theme of all the interviews is a once-formidable Catholic culture that left a mark as indelible as any sacrament, pushing Catholics to contend with a church that has betrayed or consoled them, or both. The contributors who firmly believe and deeply question give the book its poignancy, with the most affecting essay coming from Kennedy herself; she is one of Robert and Ethel Kennedy's 11 children and a prayerful believer who struggles with the faith but refuses to abandon ship. (Andrew Sullivan, Peggy Noonan, Donna Brazile and E.J. Dionne Jr. also have noteworthy entries.) In the 4th century, Saint Ambrose spoke of the church as a "casta meretrix," a chaste prostitute, for her indiscriminate welcome. A few decades ago, the Catholic convert Dorothy Day added, "She's a whore, but she's my mother." The challenge today is that the Catholic culture that gave birth to Ambrose, Day and the folks in Kennedy's book is threadbare to the point that it's hard to imagine rounding up a similar cast for a sequel. Catholics today are more likely to see the church as a sainted virgin or duplicitous harlot rather than to contend with the paradoxes that are inherent in any major religion and vital to the creative tension at the heart of any culture worthy of the name.
Copyright 2008, The Washington Post. All Rights Reserved.

From Booklist
What does it mean to be Catholic in today’s society? Is there a necessary disconnect between traditional Catholicism and contemporary reality? What role, if any, does faith play in spirituality? Catholics who have asked themselves similar questions and curious non-Catholics will be interested in the comments of 37 prominent Americans collected by the author, the daughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy. She explores what it means to be Catholic via a series of interviews with public figures with roots in the Catholic Church. Included among those tapped by Kennedy to interpret their faith are Anna Quindlen, Bill O’Reilly, Cokie Roberts, Nancy Pelosi, Susan Sarandon, Dan Aykroyd, Martin Sheen, Bill Maher, and Frank McCourt. The diversity of responses, from both staunch believers and lapsed Catholics, reflects the ambivalence that many American Catholics attempt to come to terms with as they grapple with both institutional and spiritual issues. --Margaret Flanagan

Customer Reviews

Excellent
I was riveted by this book. I am a practicing Catholic struggling to make peace with some of the Church's teaching. Kennedy presents her own journey, as well as those of other Catholics - practicing, non-practicing & somewhere in between.

The book's contributors vary widely in their experiences, as we all do. This book is for all Catholics - and those interested in Catholicism. It is a great way to begin to understand how & why Catholics believe what they do & act as they do.

Don't dismiss this book as anti-Catholic or pro-Catholic. Nothing could be further from the truth. The author presents many views, many journeys; and, the book challenges each of us to look at the Church and determine if it is truly following the teachings of Christ.

If you're a devout, practicing Catholic, don't be afraid to try reading this book. If you have left the Church, don't be afraid to try reading this book. It may open your mind to a better understanding of others (and isn't that one of the basic teachings of Christ?).

I read the book. It is especially insulting to read a review from someone who hasn't even read the book. This is a terrific and timely book.

better title "coming from a Catholic background"
I don't understand how someone (Bill Maher)who is an atheist and hates all religions is about "Being Catholic Now". Doesn't being Catholic mean that you at least believe certain things, and at most live by them consistently?

I guess Kerry is just interested in stories about people that have had some exposure to Catholicism, regardless of the effects of that exposure.

I would be interested in a book of devout Catholics who fully embrace the teachings of the Catholic Church, and what the fruits of that experience are. Does Catholicism work? What does it mean for Catholicism to work (what is the goal)? What does it look like in this age to be a wholly committed Catholic?

Stories about people who to varying degrees reject Catholicism doesn't tell me a whole lot about the Catholic experience. I guess the point is to make people who don't believe still feel included, for whatever that is worth.

VERY ANIT-CATHOLIC
This book is nothing but yet another attempt to discredit the Catholic Church by saying their views are old-fashioned and out of date. What the author and others like her fail to realize is that the truth is never out of date. What was morally true 2000 years ago is still morally true today. The only people who will find this book of any value are people who are anti-Catholic and are just looking for more people to agree with their positions. The Catholic Church is not a democracy. The Pope and the Bishops through the power of God establish the rules even if they are unpopular with a growing number of people. If you do not agree with them then you should not call yourself a Catholic. These would be like calling yourself a liberal but holding conservative views on most issues.