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Rating: 
Summary: How lay Catholics can serve the faith, a groundbreaking book
Review: Russell Shaw gives us the insight that we can only get from a maverick--but without the maverick's chip-on-the-shoulder attitude. I'll never look at the the hierarchy of the Church the same way again. Shaw first introduces a key distinction: Ministries are essentially departments within the hierarchy, controlled by the parish or diocese. Apostolates are lay associations--out in the world--that are formed (guided) by the clergy. Vatican II, he points out, called for apostolates, but for various reasons what we got was the rapid growth of lay ministries; basically, the Church just hired laity and created a new bureacracy, parallel to the clergy. And all at the expense of the Vatican II goal of having well-formed lay people bringing the faith out into their world. This short book does a terrific job of analyzing what's missing in the present state of the Church, without being at all negative on the great work done by many current ministries. In passing it outlines key movements among Church intellectuals that led to the present state of affairs. Mr. Shaw wraps things up with insightful comments on the all-important spiritual dimension of apostolate service. An important--perhaps even an essential--first step in gaining a more mature understanding of how to serve the Church in the New Evangelization.
Rating:
Summary: How lay Catholics can serve the faith, a groundbreaking book
Review: Russell Shaw gives us the insight that we can only get from a maverick--but without the maverick's chip-on-the-shoulder attitude. I'll never look at the the hierarchy of the Church the same way again. Shaw first introduces a key distinction: Ministries are essentially departments within the hierarchy, controlled by the parish or diocese. Apostolates are lay associations--out in the world--that are formed (guided) by the clergy. Vatican II, he points out, called for apostolates, but for various reasons what we got was the rapid growth of lay ministries; basically, the Church just hired laity and created a new bureacracy, parallel to the clergy. And all at the expense of the Vatican II goal of having well-formed lay people bringing the faith out into their world. This short book does a terrific job of analyzing what's missing in the present state of the Church, without being at all negative on the great work done by many current ministries. In passing it outlines key movements among Church intellectuals that led to the present state of affairs. Mr. Shaw wraps things up with insightful comments on the all-important spiritual dimension of apostolate service. An important--perhaps even an essential--first step in gaining a more mature understanding of how to serve the Church in the New Evangelization.
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