Catholicism Revisited

'Catholicism Revisited' is an attempt to render Roman Catholicism more
credible. The book rests on the author's conviction that a fuller and more
correct understanding of Catholicism as a religion can emerge only from a
radical reappraisal of the salvific role of Jesus' humanity, and of his
human faith, hope and love, in line with the basic and central doctrines of the
Incarnation and the Trinity. Being a Catholic means sharing in an ordinary
but truly mystical way in the spirit of Jesus' human faith, hope and love,
and to the maintenance of this insight and the faith-vision of reality it
entails all else must yield precedence - the conventional notion of God,
the necessary system of Catholic beliefs which support the faith-vision, and
the Church itself. In the course of the book many fundamental issues are
raised and discussed, not least the metaphorical nature of theology, the
connection between faith and beliefs, the meaning and use of Catholic
doctrines, the actual experience of being human. It is in the light of
these issues that the author sees an urgent need to re-imagine the God of
Catholicism.
A born Catholic, Robert Butterworth was educated by the Jesuits and spent
forty years in the Society of Jesus. He read classics at Oxford and
completed his doctorate in early Christian theology at the Gregorian
University in Rome. During more than twenty years as Head of Department he
taught theology at Heythrop College in the University of London and at
Roehampton University. On retirement from academia and from the Society he
married and now lives near London. He has published autobiographical
reflections on his experiences in 'The Detour' (Gracewing, 2005).