Almost Catholic

December 3, 2007
Rosaries, rituals, crucifixes and canonized saints: Sweeney, an Episcopalian, enthusiastically embraces these trappings of the Catholic faith, even as many Protestants find them unbiblical and some Catholics have abandoned them. In his latest book, Sweeney talks about his chosen state of being “almost Catholic,” explaining how Catholicism's practices and outlook help connect him to the divine and expand his worldview. Raised as an evangelical Protestant, Sweeney tells how he grew up believing “Catholics were going to hell unless they found our brand of true salvation.” Later, as a church planter in the Philippines, his thinking started to shift when he stepped inside a Catholic church for the first time. Overwhelmed by the sensory experience, he came to love Catholicism as an approach to faith that “lands in the heart and the body as well as in the head.” He has stopped short of converting, however, saying that those who remain outside the institution can still access Catholic life. Although Sweeney's love of Catholic practice makes for interesting reading, he saves his best for describing the differences between Catholic and Protestant thought, providing a depth that goes beyond fascination with externals.

March 1, 2008
Sweeney, associate publisher of Paraclete Press and author of "Born Again and Again", was raised an evangelical Protestant but has always had a curiosity about other religions and spirituality. Unlike books like Stuart Matlins and Arthur Magida's "How To Be a Perfect Stranger", which shows readers how to act and what to expect when attending a religious service, Sweeney's is an appreciation of Catholic beliefs and its collective ritual that, the author believes, fosters mindfulness, attentiveness, contemplation, and the embracing of others. Always intrigued by Catholics, Sweeney first attended a Catholic church when he was a missionary in the Philippines. Here, he investigates the ritual and traditions of Catholics through two millennia of saints and down to 20th-century writers such as Graham Greene and Thomas Merton. Along the way, he makes interesting observations, such as the crucifix losing its blood as the corpus has been removed and the Catholic imagination understanding that repetition schools the heart. Practicing Catholics will appreciate this text as it explores the released synapses of the divine in our lives. Recommended for public libraries.Leo Kriz, West Des Moines Lib., IA

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