Evangelical Catholicism - by George Weigel (Paperback)

About the Book

The Catholic Church is entering a new era. The curtain is coming down on the Church defined by the 16th-century Counter-Reformation, and a new Catholicism is taking the stage: evangelical Catholicism, which confronts head-on the secular hostility of the postmodern age.

Book Synopsis

The Catholic Church is on the threshold of a bold new era in its history. As the curtain comes down on the Church of the 16th-century Counter-Reformation, it rises on the Evangelical Catholicism of the third millennium: a way of being Catholic that will send the faithful into mission territory every day-a territory increasingly defined by spiritual boredom and aggressive secularism. In Evangelical Catholicism, Catholic theologian George Weigel proposes a program of faith-based reform that confronts these challenges head on. An urgent call to arms, Evangelical Catholicism reminds Catholics of the evangelical vocation into which they were baptized and of the joy and courage that comes from living on this side of the Resurrection.

Review Quotes

"Evangelical Catholicism is a remarkable intellectual and spiritual achievement, even by George Weigel's dauntingly high standards. It is nothing less than a blueprint for the re-evangelization of the West and the re-invigoration of the rest of the world." --Mary Eberstadt, author of Adam and Eve After the Pill and The Loser Letters

"[Weigel is] our greatest observer of the global Catholic Church.... If I could gain entrance into the conclave, I would smuggle in enough copies of Evangelical Catholicism to place one on the chair of each elector, in hopes that they would adopt this masterpiece of Catholic history and thought as a possible guide for the Church's mission in the centuries ahead." --National Catholic Register

"A call for pride, sincerity and depth in Catholic life and community.... The bulk of Weigel's book examines how this new Catholicism can be applied to the episcopate, priesthood, liturgy, laity, etc. The author makes many important points, and his call toward a deeper spirituality and sense of mission in Catholic life is laudable."--Kirkus

"A laudable hunger to relight the Church's missionary fires is the core of Evangelical Catholicism, but good intentions need practical blueprints if they're going to work. George Weigel has gotten that conversation started in his typically lucid, provocative fashion, and we are all in his debt."--John L. Allen Jr., Senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and author of The Future Church: How Ten Trends are Revolutionizing the Catholic Church

"A learned and lucid commentator on Catholicism.... [Weigel] brings a keenly developed sense of the workings of the church to his analysis. But Evangelical Catholicism is a call to arms. Though written long before Benedict made his surprise announcement, the book is nonetheless a timely guide to the issues that the cardinals in conclave -- and the next pope -- must confront.... Evangelical Catholicism may provide a desperately needed vision of the future of the church, imbued with the extraordinary hope that has always been at the heart of the Catholic faith."--Wall Street Journal

"A rare book that can transform culture and communities from the inside out, beginning with the humble premise of evangelization: to proclaim -- in word and deed -- the good news of Jesus Christ. No stone is unturned, no promise or issue within the Church and her members is ignored in this excellent, well-thought-out guide for reform-based evangelization."--Carl A. Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus

"A serious and acute work.... Weigel's ability to combine the spiritual insights of a believer with the dispassionate analysis of a historian makes Evangelical Catholicism valuable for Catholics and non-Catholics, of all political persuasions, who care about the Church's future."--National Review

"A timely, accessible and unusually insightful work."--Don J. Briel, Koch Chair in Catholic Studies, University of Saint Thomas

"An elegantly written manifesto."--The Economist

"George Weigel has been the leading diarist of authentic Catholic renewal -- its progress, detours, personalities, and hopes -- for 30 years. In Evangelical Catholicism he turns his extraordinary skills to the needs of the Church in the coming decades, calling us back to the missionary vocation we received at baptism and offering us a road map to faithful, vigorous Church reform. Rich in its vision, engaging in style, on target in its counsel and invaluable for anyone trying to understand the Church and her challenges in the 21st Century, this book should not be missed."--Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Philadelphia

"This sparkling read puts all the old Church-labels -- liberal vs. conservative, progressive vs. traditionalist, pre- vs. post-Vatican II -- in the shredder. Now there is only one valid adjective for all of us: evangelical! Simply put, this means we take our baptismal promises with the utmost seriousness. Like the Samaritan woman, we've met a man -- Jesus -- who has changed our lives."--Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York

"Weigel at his astringent and prophetic best."--George Cardinal Pell, Archbishop of Sydney

"Weigel at his best, situating our present moment within the context of the last century, and laying out an agenda for Catholic reform and mission in the future....This book deserves to be read by any serious thinking Christian."--The Weekly Standard

About the Author

George Weigel is distinguished senior fellow of Washington's Ethics and Public Policy Center and one of America's leading public intellectuals. The first volume of his biography of Pope John Paul II, Witness to Hope, was a New York Times bestseller, and his writing appears regularly in a variety of publications, including the Wall Street Journal. He lives in North Bethesda, Maryland.