Letters to a Young Catholic - 2nd Edition by George Weigel (Paperback)

About the Book

What it means to live, believe, and see things as a Catholic, from the bestselling theologian and biographer of Pope John Paul II

Book Synopsis

"An engaging, lucid, and informative introduction to the teachings and traditions of Catholicism" (Wall Street Journal), from one of America's most prominent Catholic intellectuals.

In this remarkable exploration of the Catholic world, prominent Catholic author and papal biographer George Weigel offers a luminous collection of letters to young Catholics, not-so-young Catholics, and any curious souls who wonder what it means to be Catholic today.

Weigel takes readers on an epistolary tour of Catholic landmarks--from Chartres Cathedral to St. Mary's Church in Greenville, South Carolina; from the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem to G.K. Chesterton's favorite pub in Oxford; and from the grave of a modern martyr in Warsaw to the Sistine Chapel. This revised and expanded edition includes five new chapters that examine topics at the heart of the modern faith--ranging from the mystery of evil to the puzzle of secularization--and feature sacred sites from Lithuania to Mexico.

Weaving together insights from history, literature, theology, and music, Weigel illuminates the beliefs that give Catholicism its distinctive texture and explores the theological importance of grace, prayer, vocation, sin and forgiveness, suffering, and--most importantly--love. To a world that sometimes seems closed and claustrophobic, he suggests, Christian humanism offers a world with windows and doors--and a skylight.

Review Quotes

"'Great Expectations, ' in fact, could be Weigel's subtitle, for that is what he hopes to inspire in youthful souls with his graceful meditations on truth, beauty, and love."--Claremont Institute Review

"An engaging, lucid, and informative introduction to the teachings and traditions of Catholicism."--Wall Street Journal

"I expect Letters will be a long-time Catholic-culture classic."--National Review

"If I weren't a cradle Catholic, George Weigel's Letters to a Young Catholic might make me want to convert."--Washington Post

"This is a luminous work that would appeal to anyone interested in faith, hope, and life itself."--Booklist

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 he is the author of over thirty books, mostly recently To Sanctify the World: The Vital Legacy of Vatican II. His writing appears regularly in a variety of publications, including the Wall Street Journal. He lives in North Bethesda, Maryland.