What is Catholicism?
by Lester L. Bundy David L. Edwards, London: Mowbray, 1994 (U.S. distribution: Morehouse Publishing, 871 Ethan Allen Hwy., Ste. 204, Ridgefield, CT 06877). Pp. 179. $19.95, paper. Introducing the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Traditional Themes and Contemporary Issues. Edited by Berard L. Marthaler. New York and Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1994. Pp. 182. $11.95, paper. First, it should be noted that a catechism is not intended to be a fully-worked-out statement of dogmatic theology, nor is it intended to be a complete liturgical manual or any other such specialized work. As Dooley (Marthaler) points out, a catechism is a unique genre of writing. The Catechism is a fairly complete concise statement of the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church as verified and approved by Pope John Paul II. There are some critical references, but there is limited explanation and rationale. Considering its length and complexity, this edition of the Catechism is fairly easy to read and use. The sections a
