The Catholic Encyclopedia: Revised and Updated

Great book, a must have.

I would recommend this book to anybody who desires a reference book covering Catholic subjects. It is a superb companion to the Catholic Study Bible and/or the Catholic Catechism. The book clearly and thoroughly defines pertinent terms and concepts.

This encyclopedia is a wonderful source for reference material and provides itself as a valuable study aid aswell. For Catholics and non-Catholics alike the contents of this encyclopedia help to solve many questions about the faith. Everything in this encyclopedia is relevant to the Catechism and the Holy Scriptures. With this book you will be asking less questions and finding many answers.

This is the third most must-have book (Behind the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church)for any Catholic or person curious about Catholicism in general. It has the Imprimatur and the Nihl Obstat, the official "go-ahead" of the Catholic Church for books; in other words, nothing in this book misrepresents any of the official teachings or goes against matters of faith and morals. This book is a wonderful resource of knowledge that augments the Catechism in a way that is easy to understand. The Catechism lays down the blueprint of what Catholics believe, this book helps flesh it out. It explains in more detail things put forth by the Catechism. I use it all the time in my research and it has proven to be invaluable.

I work at a Catholic Church - and I am constantly referring to Robert and Virginia Broderick's book for answers to questions that often baffle me. Not once have I had to turn a visitor or caller away. This is one of the best Catholic encyclopiedias around - written with lay-people in mind. It is easy to understand, and, literally, warms the hearts of the readers. There are 150 pen-and-ink (liturgical) drawings by Virginia Broderick - one of the greatest Catholic artists alive today - illustrating many of the entries her late husband explains. The drawings alone are worth much more than you'll be paying for the encyclopedia. My suggestion is to buy more than one copy --- and pass the extra one around. It will surely edify and entertain anyone who loves the Catholic Church. Once I pick the book up,I find it VERY difficult to put it back down! I especially love studying Virginia's art. She's a contemporary genius! (Dan Paulos, artist)