Evangelical Catholicism

Deep Reform in the 21st-Century Church

By: George Weigel

Narrated by: David Cochran Heath

Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

The Catholic Church is on the threshold of a bold new era in its two-thousand-year history. As the curtain comes down on the church defined by the 16th century Counter-Reformation, the curtain is rising on the Evangelical Catholicism of the third millennium: a way of being Catholic that comes from over a century of Catholic reform; a mission-centered renewal honed by the Second Vatican Council and given compelling expression by Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.

The gospel-centered Evangelical Catholicism of the future will send all the people of the Church into mission territory every day - a territory increasingly defined in the West by spiritual boredom and aggressive secularism. Confronting both these cultural challenges and the shadows cast by recent Catholic history, Evangelical Catholicism unapologetically proclaims the gospel of Jesus Christ as the truth of the world. It also molds disciples who witness to faith, hope, and love by the quality of their lives and the nobility of their aspirations. Thus the Catholicism of the 21st century and beyond will be a culture-forming counterculture, offering all men and women of good will a deeply humane alternative to the soul-stifling self-absorption of postmodernity.

Drawing on 30 years of experience throughout the Catholic world, from its humblest parishes to its highest levels of authority, George Weigel proposes a deepening of faith-based and mission-driven Catholic reform that touches every facet of Catholic life - from the episcopate and the papacy to the priesthood and the consecrated life; from the renewal of the lay vocation in the world to the redefinition of the Church’s engagement with public life; from the liturgy to the Church’s intellectual life. Lay Catholics and clergy alike should welcome the challenge of this unique moment in the Church’s history.

©2013 George Weigel (P)2013 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A call for pride, sincerity, and depth in Catholic life and community…The bulk of Weigel’s book examines how this new Catholicism can be applied to the episcopate, priesthood, liturgy, laity, etc. The author makes many important points, and his call toward a deeper spirituality and sense of mission in Catholic life is laudable.” ( Kirkus Reviews)

“A rare book that can transform culture and communities from the inside out, beginning with the humble premise of evangelization: to proclaim - in word and deed - the good news of Jesus Christ. No stone is unturned, no promise or issue within the church and her members is ignored in this excellent, well-thought-out guide for reform-based evangelization.” (Carl A. Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus)

“Evangelical Catholicism is a remarkable intellectual and spiritual achievement, even by George Weigel’s dauntingly high standards. It is nothing less than a blueprint for the reevangelization of the West and the reinvigoration of the rest of the world.” (Mary Eberstadt, author of Adam and Eve After the Pill and The Loser Letters)

Must Read for any 21st Century Catholic

Author lays out the case that now is the time for robust, culture engaging Catholicism. Both Pre Vatican II and Chatholic-lite of the 1970's Constant- Reform movement are on the way to extinction. While the like of Bishop Barron and West African Catholicism are Exploding in popularity and conversions.

Excellent!

George Weigel offers am excellent path of renewal and reform of the Catholic Church of the 21st century. A must read!

The Life I Have Tried To Live

Where does Evangelical Catholicism rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I don't give many 5 stars because I want that reserved for books that changed my life. This is one of them.

I had never heard the term Evangelical Catholicism until I found this book. George Weigel describes the Catholic life I have tried to live since joining in 1990.

The detailed plan

Do you want to change the church? Would you like to see the church return to its pastoral mission of preaching and ministry? Weigel lays it out for you in this book. He challenges authority to make the necessary changes that we all know need to be done. Get rid of stale preachers, eliminate priests and clergy that don’t speak for the church but instead their own personal goals, the Curia, the liturgy, the conservatives and the liberals who are causing the downfall of the church by their view of church. Weigel goes through this and links the past with today in the evolution of Christs church. Many people don’t approve of Pope Francis but after reading this book I can see Francis as part of the growth from the time of Leo13 to now. Pick it up, you will learn and have new hope after reading.

A Blueprint For The Catholic Future!

Brilliant examination of the landscape of the church and where hope lay to fulfill it's mission of making disciples of all!

The Church Still Burns Heretics

I like many Catholics, many are my relatives. I’m an ex-Catholic. Yet Catholicism is still hunting pagans for sport. Weigel can call people pagans, but I can’t call him an “irrational bigot”. He can’t be a bigot until he agrees he is a bigot. Now if that isn’t irrational, I don’t know what is. Catholicisms view in sexuality kills children. I was nearly dead proof of that many times. So George can take his “hardcore totalitarianism” and shove it…