Book: THE NEW FAITHFUL: WHY YOUNG ADULTS ARE EMBRACING CHRISTIAN ORTHODOXY

[Lux_et_veritas]

Has anyone read this book?

I had to chuckle at this (I’m posting the paragraph before and after that which I want to highlight):

…While Carroll’s book has been welcomed in evangelical circles and praised by Catholic church authorities, it has generally not been well received by progressive Catholics. I do have some questions about how representative of young Catholics her book is. National studies by sociologists do not seem to support her argument.

Sociologist William D’Antonio of The Catholic University of America in Washington, for example, indicates that young Catholics remain committed to the church’s sacramental system and to its concern for social justice, though most look to their own conscience in the area of sexuality rather than to the magisterium. Carroll’s subjects are mostly an elite–university students and well-educated young professionals. What she is de-scribing is a subgroup.

Nevertheless, commentators like Sr. Katarina Schuth, Fr. Robert Schreiter, William Port-ier, and Jesuit Fr. John Kavanaugh have noted a different attitude among many young Catholics today, particularly among those preparing for leadership roles or taking a more active role in the church’s life. Other theologians have confirmed to me that their graduate students are familiar with “conservative” authors, Catholic apologists like Scott Hahn, Mark Shea and Patrick Madrid, whose works their professors wouldn’t dream of reading…

I wonder what the Catholic University of America is doing about the fact that young people are following their own conscience - one obviously not informed about the 10 Commandments, which are treated like the 10 suggestions.

 

[Riley259]

Lux_et_veritas:

Has anyone read this book?

I had to chuckle at this (I’m posting the paragraph before and after that which I want to highlight):

…While Carroll’s book has been welcomed in evangelical circles and praised by Catholic church authorities, it has generally not been well received by progressive Catholics. I do have some questions about how representative of young Catholics her book is. National studies by sociologists do not seem to support her argument.

Sociologist William D’Antonio of The Catholic University of America in Washington, for example, indicates that young Catholics remain committed to the church’s sacramental system and to its concern for social justice, though most look to their own conscience in the area of sexuality rather than to the magisterium. Carroll’s subjects are mostly an elite–university students and well-educated young professionals. What she is de-scribing is a subgroup.

Nevertheless, commentators like Sr. Katarina Schuth, Fr. Robert Schreiter, William Port-ier, and Jesuit Fr. John Kavanaugh have noted a different attitude among many young Catholics today, particularly among those preparing for leadership roles or taking a more active role in the church’s life. Other theologians have confirmed to me that their graduate students are familiar with “conservative” authors, Catholic apologists like Scott Hahn, Mark Shea and Patrick Madrid, whose works their professors wouldn’t dream of reading…

I wonder what the Catholic University of America is doing about the fact that young people are following their own conscience - one obviously not informed about the 10 Commandments, which are treated like the 10 suggestions.

They’re supposed to inform their conscience by becoming familiar with the teachings of the Church and the Magisterium. Why even be Catholic if you’re not going to follow the Church’s Magisterium?
I don’t get it.

 

[Eileen_T]

Riley259:

They’re supposed to inform their conscience by becoming familiar with the teachings of the Church and the Magisterium. Why even be Catholic if you’re not going to follow the Church’s Magisterium?
I don’t get it.

I don’t get it either.

Fr Corapi had this to say:“There is no such thing as being a good Catholic and being disobedient to the Holy Father. There is no such thing as being a good Catholic and being a dissident when it comes to faith and morals. There is no such thing as dissent from authentic and authoritative Church teaching. No such thing. Those who do that separate themselves from Christ and His body. They become dead members of the body of Christ.”

 

[Pacbox]

I read this book about a year ago. It wasn’t bad in terms of research. It was interesting to read.

A lot of this is my trying to remember from several months ago so it may be completely off mark in some cases.

She interviewed non-Catholics, Roman Catholics, and Orthodx (meaning Greek or Russian) Catholics. She points out the trend for people entering college/university to search or give up the search for God. She points out the trend of 20 somethings and younger not following in their parents footsteps in regards to their faith. A lot of incoming college/university students are searching for involvment in church activities, in Mass and services participation, and social aspects such as finding fellow believers and friends who believe and practice the same thing. A lot of these students don’t want what society has been feeding them and want the stability and depth of faith life they believe is possible and doing it while in college/university.

A large portion of the people she interviews you can tell are lacking in catechisis but aren’t shy about saying that they want to learn and that they are asking the question.

She interviews a lot of students and how they came to discern that a particular theology or chuch was ‘right’ for them.

I’m not sure how representative it is of reality but it is a good read. Fascinating.

 

[Steph700]

This is the book that started me on the path to the Catholic Church. I was an evangelical protestant with an interest in theology and saw this book reviewed on EWTN while flipping chanels. Nearly 3 years later, here I am in RCIA and preparing to become Catholic. It was a great book, it opened me up to exploring Catholicism, which up till that point I’d had no interest in looking at.

 

[lel]

I read this book probably 2-3 years ago, back in my non-theist days, and I found it a rather interesting tome about the sociology of religious belief, but not much more.

Looking at my own generation, the folks profiled in this book, it is interesting to see how we are in many more ways more conservative and traditional than our parents. It is a bit odd.