Catholicism For Dummies

Fordummies

A reader asks:

"Have you read the book Catholicism for Dummies? Would you recommend it for learning about the Church? Thanks!"

Catholicism For Dummies by Frs. John Trigilio and Kenneth Brighenti, two priests associated with EWTN, is, in fact, the only secular "For Numskulls"-type book on Catholicism that I can recommend. I have read others on the market, published under other "For Numskulls"-type imprints, and the ones that I have read are all deficient, ranging from somewhat to seriously so. I was so impressed with Catholicism For Dummies, however, that I recommended it to Catholic Answers to carry.

YOU CAN BUY IT HERE.

8 thoughts on “Catholicism For Dummies”

  2. This was one of the first books I ordered from Amazon, when I was considering conversion, this and Scott Hahn’s ‘Rome Sweet Home’, really helped to convey some of the richness of Catholicism, but more specifically, why I didn’t have any options left for remaining protestant.
    It’s sad that this has become something of a ‘joke in some circles (book snobbery, who’da thought it?) but I still refer to it even now I’m a fully fledged Catholic!
    God bless.

  3. It may not be “book snobbery,” though. Some of the “Catholicism” books produced in similar series, as Jimmy pointed out, can be very problematic. If people heard you speaking well of “For Dummies” and thought you meant “For [the other leading brand],” I can understand bad reactions.

  4. In early 2003 I began to look for a church home. I was raised in the Nazarene and Baptist traditions, but decided that I needed to investigate other denominations. I said to myself, “Ahh, what the heck? To be fair I’ll even look into the Catholic Church.”
    So I bought a copy of “Catholicism for Dummies” and this book (along with many others by Hahn, Shea, etc.) helped to bring me home. I was received into the Church at the end of May that year, my newborn daughter was baptised in February, and my wife was received into the Church just this month! Praise God for His goodness! And for the workers in His vineyards like Frs. Trigilio and Brighenti.
    I recommend this book to anyone who might have questions about the Church, especially to Protestant friends and family.

  5. I read the “Idiot’s Guide to Catholicism”, and one of the persistent themes was that of dissent. For example, one caption on the priesthood said “Only men can become priests in the Catholic Church, but someday, that will change.”
    Talk about idiots leading idiots.

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