"Apologetics and Catholic Doctrine," by Archbishop Michael Sheehan, New Edition

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I periodically stumble upon this title and wonder how it is that I have not noticed it before, it seems amazing. Then I read the preface and remember… revision, revision, and more revision.

I have 2 questions fir the more conservative, traditional-minded CAF members.
  1. Is this volume as watered down and modernistic as hinted?
2…and more importantly… are any of the previous editions still in print?? If so, link pleeease 😁
 
Just . . wow. It’s from Baronius Press, hardly a hotbed of modernism. The editor’s been a guest speaker for the FSSP, considered by most to be a pretty conservative bunch.

But yeah, you can get a copy if the original on amazon. Just a bit shy of $700.
 
Is it my fault that we are living in times that demand vigilance and unrelenting discernment?

“Parts of the chapter on Marriage have been re-written substantially.” - The Sacrament has changed that much, huh?

“The Scripture quotations and references are changed from the Douay-Rheims translation to the Revised Standard Version.” - I’ll stick to the DR.

“Deleted from the text are a few passages judged too technical or too subtle…” - Nothing patronizing about simplifying and deleting text that was originally written for high school students… different era, I guess.

I could cite a few other excerpts that I find to be of some personal concern, but that will probably get us about as far as your dramatic and condescending comment. I love Baronius… I’m actually waiting on a few items as we speak, but they are not an infallible organization. As for this specific work… I am no scholar. For all I know, Fr. Peter Joseph could have done an outstanding job. However, I don’t know… so I’d either prefer a sure thing or insight from someone that does.

Yes, the FSSP association is noteworthy. Unfortunately, I find it difficult to find much information on Fr. P.J. himself.
 
ThomasMT said:
I could cite a few other excerpts that I find to be of some personal concern, but that will probably get us about as far as your dramatic and condescending comment. I love Baronius… I’m actually waiting on a few items as we speak, but they are not an infallible organization. As for this specific work… I am no scholar. For all I know, Fr. Peter Joseph could have done an outstanding job. However, I don’t know… so I’d either prefer a sure thing or insight from someone that does.
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I have an earlier edition and it seems good to me. But I am accustomed to sorting through the most absurd and outlandish modernism from the 70s onward, so I have some tolerance to non-letal quantities of toxins that creep into just about anything, even titles from the 50s.
 
No, sorry - I only have the old one and haven’t seen the new. I didn’t realize you were concerned with the new revision and not the title in general.
 
ThomasMT said:
Nothing patronizing about simplifying and deleting text that was originally written for high school students… different era, I guess.
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Yes, it was. With much higher standards in education.
ThomasMT said:
I’ll stick to the DR.
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That’s fine. Doesn’t mean everybody has to.
ThomasMT said:
“Parts of the chapter on Marriage have been re-written substantially.” - The Sacrament has changed that much, huh?
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Good Since you seem to already know the changes must be bad, there’s no need for me to look them up & tell you what they are.
 
ThomasMT said:
For all I know, Fr. Peter Joseph could have done an outstanding job. However, I don’t know… so I’d either prefer a sure thing or insight from someone that does.
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Yeah I couldn’t find anything on him either. Nothing wrong with doing your research. The ‘spirit’ of VII has a way of infiltrating. I saw some positive comments on twitter for the current edition but when I read about those changes I backed off. Try writing Baronius Press, I’ve been meaning to myself.
 
What I’ve read of the book so far has been outstanding; but I’ve only been able to wade through the first couple of chapters.

The revisions that I’ve noticed (and they make them obvious in the book by using a different type-setting) are responses to questions that have only arisen within the last few of decades. For the sake of comprehensiveness, the book needed to be revised in order to respond to questions that simply weren’t being asked and/or weren’t an issue when originally published.

In the first couple of chapters they’ve also expounded some arguments to include developments in modern science and thought. So, for example, some responses to the more militant atheists of our day have been provided using scientific insights to “build a case” for God’s existence.

If you want pre-Vatican II apologetics, why not check out some of Frank Sheed’s earlier works, along with Fr. Ronald Knox and maybe some of Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s earlier works. Also Laying the Foundation: A Handbook of Catholic Apologetics and Fundamental Theology is an newly re-published and unrevised work you might want to consider.
 
I have … “Apologetics and Catholic Doctrine Archbishop Michael Sherhan A new edition revised by Father Peter Joseph.”
Inside it says 4th edition 2001 ISBN 9781901157147.

You don’t state the year of the particular edition that’s of concern to you.

I got mine from a book sale I think some years ago.

Have you tried book depository, better world books, Abe Books etc?

EDIT

I see on this books preface that it has changed scripture quotations and references from Dr to RSV - so this must be the version you do not want. Sorry I can’t help.
 
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I appreciate your taking the time to offer your feedback. I will certainly look into those suggestions )
 
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