INDIANAPOLIS —When she was asked to pen the new edition of the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Catholicism (Alpha Books $19.95) New Palestine resident Julie Young said it was proof positive that God must have a sense of humor.
“When I was little, I was always the kid in religion class who challenged teachers with impossible to answer questions. Now I found myself trying to answer them myself,” she said.
Young, author of Fifteen Minutes of Fame, Famous Faces of WTTV-4, CYO in Indianapolis and Central Indiana and A Belief in Providence teamed up with Indianapolis Archdiocese Vocations Director Fr. Eric Augenstein for the project and said that his insight was invaluable throughout the writing of the manuscript.
“I would have been terrified to have tackled this without him,” Young said. “Although I have been Catholic since I was six and attended Catholic schools all of my life, it’s amazing what all needs to be nuanced and explained in a clear and concise manner.”
Written for a lay reader as well as a scholar, the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Catholicism is a helpful guide written from the pulpit as well as the pew. It offers a clear and easy-to-understand look at the history, culture, structure, values and beliefs of the Catholic Church. Young and Augenstein help readers explore: the basic tenents and creeds that the Church is built upon, offer an introduction to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, take readers on a tour of the Mass according to the New Roman Missal, explore the Church’s views on sin, morality, heaven and hell, and offer a guide to prayers central to the Catholic faith.
“Billions of people all over the world identify themselves as Catholics and this book is for those who want a better understanding of the Church, who are looking into the faith, or those who have been away from it for a while,” Young said. “It was really a lot of fun to look at the faith from the outside in and present it in a way that everyone can understand,” Young said.
The new book is available at Bookmamas in Irvington and wherever books are sold.
