A Powerful Convergence is Underway Which Will Strengthen the Church
"The Catholic Tide Continues to Turn" builds on author David Hartline's well received "The Tide is Turning Towards Catholicism" (see my review at [...] which was published in 2006. Hartline in "The Catholic Tide Continues to Turn" spends a great deal of time on today's post-modern culture and attacks on the Church dating back to the Reformation. In the midst of what appears to be turmoil, Hartline notes that the Church has made great strides under the leadership of Pope Benedict XV1 - and these positive developments have not been covered by the "mainstream media."<br /><br />Hartline details Pope Benedict's visits to the U.S. (2008), and the U.K. (2010) which exceeded the expectations of the media and attracted massive crowds. He also highlights the World Youth Days and the lingering effects of both Blessed John Paul II's and Benedict XVI's on the youth of the world. Many have become the water and fertilizer for spring of the Church.<br /><br />There are many powerful forces converging to make this a great time to be a Catholic:<br />* Very good lay leaders and clergy are emerging<br />* The Church is providing greater moral clarity in a time when moral relativism rules<br />* There is a boom at the parish level in bible studies and catecheses<br />* Catholic Conferences and programs (Magnificat, Marian Conferences, Catholic Professional and Business Clubs, the Napa Institute, etc) are growing geometrically<br />* EWTN is now broadcast globally while Catholic Radio has expanded into nearly every major U.S. market<br />Catholic Internet news services, You Tube videos (including a Vatican channel), and blogs are bountiful<br />* The number of excellent Catholic authors and speakers - lay and clergy - has grown exponentially<br />* Converts are increasing as traditional protestant faith traditions implode<br />* The Church is continuing to grow globally...and in the U.S.<br />Orthodox Liberal Arts Catholic colleges as a preferred alternative are gaining strength and students<br />* Screenwriters, producers, and directors are showing a presence in Hollywood and in the media<br />* Eucharistic Adoration is growing rapidly in parishes around the U.S.<br /><br />As a producer of a Catholic speakers series, Catholics@Work, I see the good things underway in the Catholic American Church first hand, and have met many who are making the difference in the public square. Hartline's "The Catholic Tide Continues to Turn" would have been a much better book if he had focused more on the converging forces, those who are change-agents for the Church, and less on the "resistant culture," secularists, and the attacks on the Church, particularly those that are centuries old. At times, I found this book to ramble and stray off topic.<br /><br />On the other hand, the book is loaded with detail and historical facts which will be useful to those who are less informed about the state of today's Church.
Rating: 4 stars