The Catholicism Answer Book: The 300 Most Frequently Asked Questions

This book provides answers to 288 commonly asked questions about the Catholic faith, grouped under the headings of doctrine, worship, the Ten Commandments, prayer, church history, and "this and that." Written by the authors of "John Paul II for Dummies" and "101 Things Everyone Should Know About the Bible", it is aimed at a popular rather than a scholarly audience. While it does provide some helpful information on the basics of Catholicism, answers sometimes consist of roundabout explanations that could be expressed more succinctly, and some sections are confusing in their inclusion of concepts not directly related to the subject under discussion. Some of the questions seem rather odd, such as whether God created alien life on other planets and whether "daily bread" comes from bakeries, and some of the explanations are somewhat flippant. Sources include the 1997 "Catechism of the Catholic Church" as well as papal encyclicals and church staples like the "Summa Theologica" of St. Thomas Aquinas, which underline the traditional/conservative orientation of this work. Of some interest to public libraries. Denise J. Stankovics, Rockville P.L., Vernon, CT Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Rev. Fr. John Trigilio, Jr., PhD, ThD, a native of Erie, Pennsylvania, is pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel (Marysville, Pennsylvania) and St. Bernadette Catholic Churches (Duncannon, Pennsylvania). He is the current president of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, and also cohosts two weekly television and radio series on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).

Rev. Fr. Kenneth D. Brighenti, PhD, a native of New Britain, Connecticut, is pastor of Saint Ann Catholic Church (Raritan, New Jersey). He is the managing editor of Sapientia magazine and cohosts the weekly TV and radio series on EWTN, Crash Course in Catholicism, with Father Trigilio.