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johnnyboy23's review against another edition
5.0
Reading this is such a delight!
My favorite parts would be the ones about Peter and Paul, the four saints Bishop Barron featured, and the chapter on Hell, Purgatory ang Heaven. Those are the top ones but there are a lot of things I’m glad to read on and be reminded of.
Reading Bishop Barron made my vocabulary score go up by 20+ points. Haha. He used words and sentence structures that are evocative of the real thing that he describes. Everything seems to come to life. Beautifully written.
I think believers and nonbelievers alike could get something out of it esp if curious about the Catholic faith or wants to enrich one’s faith.
My favorite parts would be the ones about Peter and Paul, the four saints Bishop Barron featured, and the chapter on Hell, Purgatory ang Heaven. Those are the top ones but there are a lot of things I’m glad to read on and be reminded of.
Reading Bishop Barron made my vocabulary score go up by 20+ points. Haha. He used words and sentence structures that are evocative of the real thing that he describes. Everything seems to come to life. Beautifully written.
I think believers and nonbelievers alike could get something out of it esp if curious about the Catholic faith or wants to enrich one’s faith.
phoebe_phorreal's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
4.0
This is a book of essays, and based on what I've been told from my friends who are a little better acquainted with Bishop Barron, I'm not sure if it's all new content. The organization of the essays into groups of paradoxes which the Church does not object to but rather embrace is for the most part done well. My favorite essays might have been "Pope Benedict and the Logic of Gratuity," "John Henry Newman at the Synod on the Family," "Why the Ascension of the Lord Matters," and "St. Irenaus and the God who Doesn't Need Us, " though there's a little something for everything.
I'm not sure the new atheists are as relevant as Bishop Barron claims them to be in this book. He talks of a more non-combative atheism later on, but it seems to me that those trying to irrefutably prove the nonexistence of God are in the minority. I much prefer when Barron addresses his essays more towards Catholics, though, granted, I am part of that demographic. Plus, due to the fact that some of these essays were likely not written for this book, there's a little bit of repetition, but nothing too bad or distracting. Overall, there are some meh essays, some quality ones, and some that are absolutely brilliant and will lead you to further understanding of the Catholic faith, whether or not you believe, thus I rate it a 4.
I'm not sure the new atheists are as relevant as Bishop Barron claims them to be in this book. He talks of a more non-combative atheism later on, but it seems to me that those trying to irrefutably prove the nonexistence of God are in the minority. I much prefer when Barron addresses his essays more towards Catholics, though, granted, I am part of that demographic. Plus, due to the fact that some of these essays were likely not written for this book, there's a little bit of repetition, but nothing too bad or distracting. Overall, there are some meh essays, some quality ones, and some that are absolutely brilliant and will lead you to further understanding of the Catholic faith, whether or not you believe, thus I rate it a 4.
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