Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of Faith Paperback

“What I propose to do in this book is to take you on a guided exploration of the Catholic world, but not in the manner of a docent, for I am not interested in showing you the artifacts of Catholicism as though they were dusty objets d’art in a museum of culture. I want to function rather as a mystagogue, conducting you ever deeper into the mystery of the incarnation in the hopes that you might be transformed by its power.” – Bishop Robert Barron

What exactly is Catholicism? A 2,000-year-old living tradition? What is a worldview? Is it a way of life? Is there a relationship? Is it a mystery? In Catholicism, Robert Barron investigates all of these issues and more, attempting to capture the Catholic faith's body, heart, and mind.

Starting with the fundamentals of Jesus Christ's incarnation, life, and teaching, Bishop Barron moves through the defining elements of Catholicism – from sacraments, worship, and prayer, to Mary, the Apostles, and Saints, to grace, salvation, heaven, and hell – presenting the Church to the world through his distinct and dynamic grasp of art, literature, architecture, personal stories, Scripture, theology, philosophy, and history.

Catholicism is an intimate journey that captures "The Catholic Thing" in all its depth and beauty when paired with his documentary film series of the same name. Eclectic, one-of-a-kind, and inspiring, Bishop Barron brings the faith to life for a new generation in a style that is both faithful to timeless truths and speaks in the language of modern life.

Includes over 100 black and white and color photos.

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Reviews

“Clarity, intelligence, passion and elegance – these are the marks of a writer in top form, and Father Barron brings all these gifts to bear in this extraordinary reflection on the Catholic faith. If you read one book this year on what Catholics believe and why, this is the book to read – and to share with others.” –Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap, Archbishop of Philadelphia

“Robert Barron’s Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith takes a path less traveled in leading us to explore the faith through stories, biographies, and images. In these pages, we meet the “Word made Flesh” not only in theological formulations, but also in saints and poets, cathedrals and chants, priests and prophets. What makes Catholicism so compelling are the ways in which Father Barron shows how the Incarnation goes on in the true, the good, and the beautiful.” – Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York

“Catholicism is one of the most significant efforts ever to advance what Pope John Paul II called ‘The New Evangelization.’” –George Weigel, author of Witness to Hope and The End and the Beginning

“Prepare yourself for an entrancing tour of the many facets of Catholicism. From Her art to Her architecture, Her theological riches, to the inspired personalities that have filled Her pews, the Catholic Church is laid bare by a priest who is more than up to the task. Like the Faith it seeks to capture, it is a journey that will leave you full – and then hungering for more.” –Raymond Arroyo, New York Times Bestselling Author of Mother Angelica and host of EWTN's The World Over Live

"Father Robert Barron is a brilliant academic, a popular writer, a seeker and a seer. In Catholicism he illuminates truths that have the power to set us free. It will be a benchmark book for years to come." –Michael Leach, author of Why Stay Catholic?

“When Father Barron is talking, I can't stop listening. Whatever he writes, I can't put down unfinished. He loves the people he addresses. He writes about what matters to us. To read him is to be loved in word after word. In these pages, heart speaks to heart.” –Mike Aquilina, co-author of The Mass: The Glory, the Mystery, the Tradition

“Father Robert Barron's great gift is to wed intellectual depth with clarity and vividness of expression. His Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith is a superb exploration of the Catholic vision that seamlessly unites theological reflection and masterpieces of architecture and art. The story he tells comes truly alive in his portraits of concrete men and women who, in every age, have lived the journey of faith to the full. –” Rev. Robert Imbelli is Associate Professor of Theology at Boston College