Faith That Dares to Speak

by Donald Cozzens

Book Overview

The Catholic Church at the dawn of the twenty-first century is arguably the last feudal system in the West. Once the feudal structure of the church is recognized, the bishops' response to the clergy abuse crisis comes into focus. Bishops and other church authorities reacted to the scandal the only way their feudal culture allowed--with secrecy, denial, and a no holds barred effort to protect the reputation, authority, and resources of the institution...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0814630189
• ISBN13: 9780814630181
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: Liturgical Press
• Length: 138 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.3" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Faith that Dares to Speak

It is alarmingly accurate. Anyone who has been involved in the church will recognize the scenarios depicted. I applaud Fr. Couzens for his blunt honesty.

Faith That Dares To Speak Review

This book was very insightful. It helped me understand the background of the very top-down nature of the Catholic Church and the lack of communication, especially open and honest communication and hierarchical listening as well as speaking, that continually frustrates me as a lay person. Father Cozzens courageously makes a strong and logical case for the need for change within the Church. Whether, as he suggests, the laity can lead our leadership to make the needed changes, only time will tell. He notes the power of our money (and I have already made some changes in my donations). But his book will also lead me to speak up with more courage than I have shown to date, in hopes that it will lead to a better future for our Church.

Faith That Dares To Speak

Donald Cozzens is incredibly insightful about the state of the Catholic Church today. He hits every nail right on the head... he puts things in crystal clear perspective.

Survival in the Catholic Church

This book is a true blessing. While discouragement and despair tempt many faithful Catholics today. "Faith That Dares To Speak" by Donald Cozzens brings hope and encouragement. This is truly a masterful analysis of the problems in the Catholic Church, done lovingly. Fr. Cozzens presents the indespensible role of the laity in healing their beloved Church There are jewels of wisdom to be found on every page. Courage, fellow Christian Catholics. Hope is to be found! Trust in the Love of Christ which is so powerfully displayed in this book.

A revolutionary testimony

Faith That Dares To Speak is a revolutionary testimony calling for the transformation of the Catholic Church from a feudal format into a new era of accountability and transparency. The dawn of the twenty-first century has seen the Catholic Church beset with scandals, perhaps most reprehensibly sexual abuse scandals involving children, and the Church has repeatedly reacted in a manner consistent with feudal culture - secrecy, denial, and an all-out effort to protect reputation and institutional resources. This feudal response neglects the poison of unethical and even criminal behavior within the Church, and the Church itself is in dire need of transformation; the author focuses upon the voices of lay Catholics in North America calling for needed change. A highly recommended contribution to modern religious and Catholic studies.