Reviews of the book "Unveiled"

[JCPhoenix]

Has anyone read this book? It was written by a non-Catholic who went to different convents around the U.S. and lived with them for awhile, or just interviewed them, etc.

She visited both habited and un-habited convents.

I have recently gotten/read this book and I would like to hear someone else’s reaction to it before I give my own.

 

[rkberlin]

hi,

my friend told me about the book, so I bought it. It was ok, I thought she sounded a little biased, even though she tried making a point that she wasn’t anymore toward the end of her journey. To me, it sounded like she definitely preferred the more secular types of convents, with sisters who were more than happy to critisise the church hierarchy. That kind of disturbed me, things like, “sister so and so hasn’t attented mass in so many months”, or " sister so and so’s stand on birth control and abortion". I don’t know. I guess you have to draw your own opinion out of it. I favored certain convents over others, but then, that was just her way of portraying them, so I’m cautious.

What did YOU think about it? I was torn, as I said, but it didn’t offend me too much. It actually kind of made me sad that I didn’t choose a religious life, but opted for husband and kids instead. If I could do it over again, maybe I would’ve hear the calling, maybe not. I’m pretty liberal, I guess, so it didn’t make me mad or anything. It’s just one lady’s opinion, and it’s her right to express it. Love to hear your (name removed by moderator)ut on it, though:thumbsup:
God bless

 

[bossmare]

I personally wouldnt buy the book. It does seem as though the author preferred secularized convents. I also did not like how she portrayed contemplative convents as compared to “modern” convents.She portayed one mother superior in a very uncharitable way. Waste of money IMHO
a better read is Sisters: Catholic Nuns and the Making of America
by John Fialka

 

[JCPhoenix]

I really thought the book was so full of bias and feminist nonsense that it made me angry. I had to skip secions and then finally put it down.

This book and most of the orders portrayed do NOT represent the Catholic Church or the beliefs of the Catholic Church.

The author should have actually gotten some basic Catholic theology before starting this project.

I was very offended by one of the orders (sadly, a local one) which of course was not traditional in any sense of the word and at the end one of the sisters referred to God as “she”.

Those that won’t leave are right up there with the feminist movement who actually ADMIT that their adjenda is to stay within the Church to corrupt it from within because they cannot exercise any of their nonsense from the outside. Several of the orders portrayed admitted they really had lost their faith and so were really no more different than a social service organization seperate from the “umbrella” that covers them.

The orthodox orders which were portrayed were shown to be archaic, out of touch and controlling. Much of what she “saw” she did not really understand because she had no concept of obedience, humility, or true faith. The author knew nothing at all about the Church and so maybe it’s not entirely her fault that she had such a bias.

I actually would like to write a rebuttal of sorts to this book by embarking on my own project and visit convents–although I would focus on traditions/orthodox orders and weave solid theology to help the reader understand.

I actually have been considering a vocation (not real strongly, just as an option) and after reading this book it nearly made me run away from the very idea screaming.

How many other women could pick this up, get the wrong idea and have the same reaction?

 

[jennstall]

I bought it and read it and found it very interesting. I was also a bit bemused over the fact that while the author had an obvious preference for the more liberal orders, she couldn’t hide the fact that most of them they were seriously in trouble in terms of sustaining themselves. I’m still contemplating the idea of joining a religious order and it was definitely a very useful book in terms of steering me away from particular groups. Some websites for various orders are very deceiving.

I did find it a bit heart-breaking that there seems to be so little orthodoxy left in the Benedictine orders if her visits are a fair sampling of them.

 

[JCPhoenix]

jennstall, I agree-- she couldn’t hid the fact that thos orders who have really “left” the Church are dying out. There is nothing there to which the women of today are being called. There is no difference between them and a secular social services organization.

I am sure there are some good Benedictine orders out there but I have to admit since reading that book I cringe when I hear of them! How sad is that, when our Pope is Benedict?

 

[jennstall]

JCPhoenix:

I am sure there are some good Benedictine orders out there but I have to admit since reading that book I cringe when I hear of them! How sad is that, when our Pope is Benedict?

I know. It is very sad. I’m trying to discern a vocation now and it was reading about St Benedict and reading his rule that helped me return to the Church in the first place. And I find for the most part that the Benedictine communities I’ve looked at on the web are either on the fringe or right over the edge into heterodoxy.