About the Author

Richard John Neuhaus is acclaimed as one of the foremost authorities on religion in the contemporary world and is President of the Institute on Religion and Public Life. He is the editor-in-chief of the Institute's monthly publication First Things. He is the author of many books, including Freedom for Ministry, The Naked Public Square, The Catholic Movement, Believing Today, Death on a Friday Afternoon, and As I Lay Dying. A priest of the Archdiocese of New York, he lives in Manhattan.

Reviews

"(A) shrewd and humorous survey of the sedate Protestant world (Neuhaus) has left behind him and the colourful Catholic world he has embraced... A short book, both salutary and stimulating." Catholic Herald"

"(A) shrewd and humorous survey of the sedate Protestant world (Neuhaus) has left behind him and the colourful Catholic world he has embraced... A short book, both salutary and stimulating." Catholic Herald"

Readers acquainted with Neuhaus's previous books and his work with the magazine First Things will be most interested in this latest tome on the state of the Catholic Church. A former Lutheran pastor who became Catholic in 1990 and a priest in 1991, Neuhaus has emerged as a leading voice among those considered to be faithful to the Church's Magisterium, or teaching authority. Here, Neuhaus challenges the oft-heard statement, "Yes, I am a Catholic, but I think for myself," explaining how fidelity to the church begins with thinking for oneself so one can think with the church. He expands on this by exploring the role of conscience, drawing a distinction between doing what one wants and discerning and acting upon the truth. Neuhaus also discusses the church's authority, emphasizing that it is never invoked to require people to believe what is false. Other topics include the eerily prophetic Humanae Vitae, the 1968 papal encyclical on artificial contraception; the loss of Catholic identity when Friday abstinence from meat faded from practice; and how news reporting on the Second Vatican Council shaped its meaning for many American Catholics. Neuhaus devotees and others interested in the issues he raises will find here a thoughtful exposition of Catholicism's present moment. (Mar.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.