Originally written and published by James Cardinal Gibbons, the eminent American churchman of the late 19th century, The Faith of Our Fathers is and always has been one of the most popular and successful books to explain the basic tenets of the Catholic Faith and why we hold them. It delves into the historical background of virtually everything people find hard to understand about Catholicism, such as:
- priestly celibacy,
- sacred images,
- the Church and the Bible,
- the primacy of Peter,
- Communion under one kind,
- invocation of the Saints,
- and a host of other objections from non-Catholics . . .
First published in 1876, when there was much anti-Catholic sentiment in the United States, the book sold 1.4 million copies in forty years and has been reprinted many times since. While the content was originally intended to counter the false notions of a Protestant audience, it is suitable for any apologetic purposes and even for brushing up on Catholic history oneself. The Faith of Our Fathers will confirm one's faith in the truth of the Catholic Church like none other and will arm you to answer the questions so often posed by skeptics and unbelievers.
James Cardinal Gibbons was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1834, but he grew up in Ireland, only moving back to the United States with his mother in 1853 after his father's death. In the United States, he became a priest, ordained in 1861 in Baltimore. In 1868, he became the first Apostolic Vicar of North Carolina at age 34. He participated in the First Vatican Council, voting for the definition of Papal Infallibility. He also became a prominent figure in the United States, preaching even to Protestants and advising presidents. Eventually, he became the Archbishop of Baltimore and a Cardinal of the Church, renowned throughout America by both Catholics and Protestants.
- Author:
- James Cardinal Gibbons
- Imprint:
- TAN Books
- Pages:
- 392
- Publication Date:
- 10/1/1980
- Product Format:
- Paperbound
- Height:
- 8.50
- Width:
- 5.50
2 Reviews
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The Faith of Our Fathers
This is an excellent presentation of the Faith. It predates Vatican II (by a long shot!) so it gives clear, concise and readable instruction about exactly what the Church teaches and what it does not. James Cardinal Gibbons' original intended audience appears to have been Protestant, which is actually helpful for several reasons, not the least of which is that, post 1962, we are most of us unknowingly Protestant. I converted (I thought!) in 1983 but only learned a handful of years ago that what we see today is quite a different religion than that of the Church Cardinal Gibbons helped shepherd. The Cardinal uses direct language, cites Scripture and Tradition to verify his explanations and covers every topic that is commonly objected to by non-Catholics, I nearly guarantee that you will learn much about the Faith that you had no idea you didn't know. I just can't praise this book enough. My only quibble is with the binding. Mine split apart, but I like this book so much that I will get it coil bound in order to have it handy for ongoing reference.
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One must study this book to realize how wonderful it is
I was a 24 year old convert going to Our Lady of Lourds for instruction to become a Catholic. There was no RCIA 69 years ago so the good Priest took me under his wing and gave me modest instruction and his copy of this book ( it is now so fragile I will not open it) in moving I forgot to return it and lo this many years later I saw that I could buy a copy to go back and re-read soooo much that is still god for me. I can mark it up and not be worried it will fall apart. Thanks so much for having this in your book store.
