Why Do Catholics Do That?

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Author spends all his effort criticizing other religions - Rated
This book is not helpful for explaining Catholic practices to non-Catholics. The author cannot resist the urge to criticize Protestants and other religions throughout the book. The book will instantly put non-Catholics on the defensive. In addition, the author has a very warped and inaccurate understanding of Protestants, which seriously undercuts his credibility. He should have resisted the urge to add all the condescending footnotes and focused more on explaining the Catholic faith itself.

Some good explanations for non-Catholics. - Rated
Although Kevin Johnson writes this book from an obviously biased Catholic perspective, there are some good explanations about what Catholics believe, how they interpret the Bible and how those interpretations have resulted in the Catholic faith. This book would be useful not only to Catholics who are interested in learning more about their faith, but for non-Catholics who want to understand the Catholic religion better. There are also some very non-denominational historical contexts and explanations provide which will help all faiths understand the foundation of the Judeo-Christian beliefs.

Good read, wish there was even more detail offered. - Rated
I first saw Kevin Orlin Johnson on EWTN. His knowledge of the Faith and history of the Church were quite impressive. I ordered this book because I had many questions on why Catholics do what they do before, during and after the Mass. Having attended parochial middle and high schools as well as having extended family members that are Catholic I have often attended Mass during the High Holy Days of Easter and Christmas. I had already gained a basic understanding of Church principles during my studies for a degree in Art History but Mr. Johnson have me a deeper appreciation of the rich history of the Church.

I must admit that his need to de-value Protest traditions and beliefs may be a distraction to those of other faiths reading the book as a start to possible conversion. The richness of Church history and ties to Biblical teachings is strong enough without having to degrade the beliefs of others.

All in all this is a well written book that I would recommend to all, Catholic and Protestant alike.

Excellent Organization, Outstanding Content - Rated
One of the greatest things about this unbelieveably good book was how it was set up. It explains the Catholic Faith in sections that are most commonly inquired upon. It can be used fully operationally as a quick refernce book or as a read-through discussion defending the Catholic Faith. It uses Sacred Scripture AND Sacred Apostolic Tradition to reinforce every subject. The whole book is written fully explaining every dispute. Overall, it was an EXCELLENT book.

Read this, but not for serious learning. - Rated
This was very informative on some matters, and on others lacked a great deal. I do not recommend this book to anyone except the religious catholic already quite stable in their beliefs. The book explains a great deal on the differences of faiths within the cultures of the world, it does not explicitely explain what is needed to know by many protestants, such as "What is the Rosary?". Overall rating: average