The Catholic Difference

George Weigel's Letters to a Young Catholic (Basic Books, 2004) is a little treasure I found on the New Arrivals shelf at GRPL downtown. Watch for my full review of it in Perspectives journal. For now, let me just say that this book is almost a "must read"--it is certainly a book I would put in the hands of any thoughtful person who is "seeking" and wants a solid account of what Christian faith and practice is all about. It could also be a wonderful introduction for a new believer. At the least, I'd love to put it on the syllabus for freshmen at Calvin.

For my fellow Protestans, don't be spooked by the "Catholic" bit: to quote a sermon of Augustine, "Remember, you are catholic..." What Weigel sketches here is the core of the catholic Christian vision, what he describes as an "optic" through which we see the world and engage it. Anyone who is comfortable reciting the creed ("I believe in the holy catholic church") will find their faith being described here.