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May 14, 2007 -- Roman Catholicism, with its numerous saints, long history and deep traditions, can be difficult for the uninitiated to grasp. But a new book from an expert on the Catholic Church who teaches at Washington University in St. Louis should help to change that.
The Encyclopedia of Catholicism, compiled by Frank K. Flinn, adjunct professor of religious studies in Arts & Sciences at Washington University, will be released May 20.
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The book is part of the Facts on File Library of Religion and Mythology series called "The Encyclopedia of World Religions," which explores the major religions of the world, emphasizing the living faiths and their historical and social background.
"The challenge in writing this book was attempting to be as up-to-date as possible and selecting the topics that are relevant for our time," says Flinn, an expert on religion and the law, including issues related to the separation of church and state, government funding of faith-based social programs and the display of religious symbols in schools, courtrooms and other public places.
In the book, Flinn discusses all the main figures and topics relevant to Catholicism, including baptism, canon law, the Holy Roman Empire, Opus Dei and many more. He also includes controversial subjects like the problem of pedophilia in the Catholic Church.
"I decided to include all the virtues and a sizeable number of the vices," says Flinn, who earned a bachelor of divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School and a doctorate in special religious studies from St. Michael's College, Toronto School of Theology.
The other books in the series are the encyclopedias of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Protestantism.
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| Frank Flinn |
Each volume was written by an expert in the field and reviewed and approved by series editor J. Gordon Melton. The references are accessible enough to be of use to the general reader, as well as the serious scholar.
The volumes each include approximately 700 A-to-Z entries that provide easy access to the theological concepts, personalities, historical events, institutions and movements that helped shape the history of each religion and the way is it practiced today.
General introductions by each author place the religion in context and further readings, a bibliography, an index and some 80 black-and-white photographs are also included.
"I think the Encyclopedia of Catholicism is a real portrait of the Catholic Church," Flinn says. "A person who is completely unaware of what Catholicism is could read this book and come away with a solid understanding of the tenets of the church and to some degree, what it means to be Catholic."
Professor Flinn is available for live or taped interviews using Washington University's free VYVX or ISDN lines.
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