{"id":12283,"date":"2012-04-01T15:56:24","date_gmt":"2012-04-01T19:56:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.splendoroftruth.com\/curtjester\/?p=12283"},"modified":"2012-04-02T16:42:51","modified_gmt":"2012-04-02T20:42:51","slug":"the-catholics-next-door-book-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.splendoroftruth.com\/curtjester\/2012\/04\/the-catholics-next-door-book-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The Catholics Next Door – Book Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Greg and Jennifer Willits of the radio show “The Catholics Next Door” have a book out called not-suprisingly The Catholics Next Door: Adventures in Imperfect Living<\/a>\"\".<\/p>\n

This book, much like their show, gives inner glimpses into a Catholic family living their faith. Sections in the various chapters are alternatively written by Greg and Jennifer and each section gives their view of the topic and chapter at hand. \u00a0This is not a book written predominately to tell their conversion\/reconversion stories or the history of their various apostolates, but to write about those daily conversion involved in marriage and family. \u00a0As Greg mentions at one point you can’t learn parenthood from a book, and they don’t attempt to do it themselves — but provide their experience \u00a0in growing in faithfulness and struggling on the path of holiness.<\/p>\n

Considering the HHS mandate their chapter discussing contraception is quite timely. \u00a0We constantly hear how contraception is never mentioned in homilies, yet it was a homily they heard on contraception from a Deacon that started them on the road to rejecting what is seen as wisdom by the culture of death. \u00a0They managed to persevere in seeing contraception as a sin despite being told by a priest who gave them the standard Jiminy Cricket response. They were also very open in regards the struggles in accepting what the Church teaches as both their hearts and intellects came to the truth.<\/p>\n

What I enjoyed most about the book is its good humor and honesty about living the faith. \u00a0There are many fun and instructive stories along the way and I think the book is very good for both the audience of those who have come to accept Church teaching and for those also who are struggling in believing what the Church teaches. \u00a0Their writing style invokes the conversational tone they have on the show and you do feel as reading the book to be involved in a form of conversation. Recommended.<\/p>\n