Christ Among Us: A Modern Presentation of the Catholic Faith for Adults (6th Edition)

Rating:
Summary: A Dissenter's Guide to Catholicism
Review: At a time when thirty years of the sexual revolution have left Western culture with broken families, 40 million abortions, and a movement to redefine the definition of marriage, the last thing the faithful need is a "Catholic" guide that misrepresents so much of what the Church teaches on these subjects.

As is typical of books like this, the author attempts to "horizontalize" the Liturgy and the Eucharist, falsely claiming that the Real Presence can be found in just about any congregation that calls itself Christian.

Moreover, despite the assertions of some reviewers, to deny Church teaching by merely asserting the primacy of conscience is to commit a sin against faith. And the Holy Father has characterized our age as suffering from a "crisis of faith".

The Church teaches that the freedom of conscience, which, like "the spirit of Vatican II", sadly has become putty in the hands of dissenters, comes with the duty to form that conscience in the light of natural law and the doctrines of the Church. Books like this one simply won't help Catholics do that properly.

Curious and would-be Catholics should buy an orthodox catechism like "Catholicism for Dummies", Fr. Oscar Lukefahr's "We Believe ..." or Peter Kreeft's "Catholic Christianity". They can also pick up a copy of the "Catechism of the Catholic Church".

Rating:
Summary: Catechizing Against Catholicism
Review: Heretical. Wilhelm presents incomplete offical Catholic teaching in many areas, often followed by discussion of why he believes a Catholic does not have to believe or follow those teachings. He never defends the Catholic teachings with which he obviously disagrees. He endorses dissent in issues such as the immorality of all abortions, ordination of women, the existance of Hell, the immorality of contraception, calling God "Father" and many others. Not a book anyone interested in authentic Catholicism has any business reading. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is where you find offical Church teaching.

Rating:
Summary: Give it a rest!
Review: If you are considering this book for RCIA or to learn more about the Catholic faith, please reconsider. This book badly misrepresents the teachings of the Catholic Church. It is filled with theologian opinions that contradict what the Church firmly teaches. At the end of each chapter, the author gives his recommendations of books for further reading - scanning the authors of these books one finds a "Who's-Who" of dissident Catholic writers. Christ Among Us is confusing as it misleads readers by implying firm Catholic teachings on faith and morals are still "up for grabs"; nothing could be further from the truth. Don't just take my word for it... in 1983, the Vatican requested that the imprimatur be removed from the book and even requested that the publisher discontinue its printing due to its erroneous content; this is a documented fact. This 6th edition does not have an imprimatur (an imprimatur is a Church-approved declaration that a book is free from doctrinal error.) What to do... for Catholics who want to deepen their knowledge about the faith, I recommend "Catholic Christianity" by Peter Kreeft; for non-Catholics interested in learning about Catholic teachings and practices, I recommend "We Believe... A Survey of the Catholic Faith", by Oscar Lukefahr. Both of these books are in accord with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and both books have imprimaturs.

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Summary: That '70s Catechism
Review: No reliable information on authentic Catholicism in these pages. However, as a period piece, it may have some utility to those trying to appreciate the confusion in the Church in the days following the Second Vatican Council on the part of those who took most of their information from the media without actually reading the conciliar documents.

Rating:
Summary: Still good after all these years
Review: Not only does this work currently not have an imprimatur, it originally had one. However, the Vatican, after many years and likely complaints, forced the bishop to withdraw his approval from the book. This is a very, very uncommon occurance, and shows the subtle danger in this book. Just because it selectively quotes Church documents does not mean that it is faithful to the teaching of the Church. The material on conscience and many moral issues are especially dangerous. This book DOES have an excellent lay-out, and is easy to read and understand. If only it actually taught Catholicism!

Rating:
Summary: A politically correct introduction to Catholicism
Review: The first two books (other than the Bible) I read when I started thinking about becoming Catholic were Thomas Howard's "Evangelical is not Enough" and "On Being Catholic"--both of which I recommend highly. Yet, neither of those books answered all my questions. Neither is comprehensive and both operate at a pretty high level of abstraction. I also needed answers to questions like "why do Catholics do that"? Wilhelm's "Christ Among Us" was one of the first books I found that answered those sorts of questions. It has three great virtues: (1) It is highly readable and quite accessible. (2) It includes extensive citations to and quotations from primary church documents, which allows you to check what Wilhelm is saying. (3) It is quite comprehensive, covering a very wide range of theological and practical issues. Why then do I not rate "Christ Among Us"ore highly? Mostly because its politics are quite left of center and, relative to other theological works I've read, its doctrine seems pretty liberal too. If what you're looking for is an inclusive politically correct statement of the faith, "Christ Among Us" will probably make you very happy. If you're an admirer of the "beauty of inflexibility," however, you won't find "Christ Among Us" as useful. As someone who finds Catholicism most attractive when it stands for moral truths in a post-modern world, I tend to fall into the latter camp and, consequently, down-grade it.

Rating:
Summary: A politically correct introduction to Catholicism
Review: The first two books (other than the Bible) I read when I started thinking about becoming Catholic were Thomas Howard's "Evangelical is not Enough" and "On Being Catholic"--both of which I recommend highly. Yet, neither of those books answered all my questions. Neither is comprehensive and both operate at a pretty high level of abstraction. I also needed answers to questions like "why do Catholics do that"? Wilhelm's "Christ Among Us" was one of the first books I found that answered those sorts of questions. It has three great virtues: (1) It is highly readable and quite accessible. (2) It includes extensive citations to and quotations from primary church documents, which allows you to check what Wilhelm is saying. (3) It is quite comprehensive, covering a very wide range of theological and practical issues. Why then do I not rate "Christ Among Us"ore highly? Mostly because its politics are quite left of center and, relative to other theological works I've read, its doctrine seems pretty liberal too. If what you're looking for is an inclusive politically correct statement of the faith, "Christ Among Us" will probably make you very happy. If you're an admirer of the "beauty of inflexibility," however, you won't find "Christ Among Us" as useful. As someone who finds Catholicism most attractive when it stands for moral truths in a post-modern world, I tend to fall into the latter camp and, consequently, down-grade it.

Rating:
Summary: Give it a rest!
Review: The negative reviews on this site are astounding. This is a book for thinking Catholics, pure and simple. It honestly acknowledges the fact that a Catholic may, in good conscience, disagree with official Church teaching. Yes, it's important to inform our consciences, and to prayerfully consider what the Church teaches. Bear in mind, though, that the Church itself acknowledges that an informed conscience is the ultimate authority in matters of morality. It's a shame that other reviewers on this site don't seem to know this core teaching of our faith.

Rating:
Summary: Please don't dismiss this book completely ...
Review: While I agree with several of the reviewers who note that Wilhelm is rather nebulous in his explanation of Catholic doctrine, I also believe that Wilhelm does offer a spirit of welcome and inclusivity -- and a deep respect for one's conscience, which he backs up with Church documentation -- that is sorely needed for many of us either considering conversion or (in my case) returning to the Church. I highly recommend this book, though I will agree with the other reviewers and also strongly urge you buy a copy of the Cathechism to get a complete picture of Catholic belief.