Peeling the Onion: How to Explore the Catholic Church

by Chris Findley

When someone comes to the point of seriously considering the Catholic Church, they are often overwhelmed by all the information they find. There is a complexity to the Catholic Church that is often difficult to traverse. It reminds me of a scene in the movie Shrek where Shrek is trying to help his sidekick donkey understand how complex he is:

Shrek: Ogres are like onions.
Donkey: They stink?
Shrek: Yes. No.
Donkey: Oh, they make you cry.
Shrek: No.
Donkey: Oh, you leave em out in the sun, they get all brown, start sproutin’ little white hairs.
Shrek: NO. Layers. Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers.
[sighs]
Donkey: Oh, you both have layers. Oh. You know, not everybody like onions.

Forgive the silly metaphor but the point remains that there are many layers to this Church. If you’re new to exploring it you might want a few ideas as to “peel” this onion. (Saints forgive me…)

1. Start with a summary of the Catechism. The Catechism will be your best friend in understanding the beliefs of the Catholic Church. It’s a bit daunting, weighing in at some 846 pages. But it has been praised for its accessibility and clarity. It’s not written for theologians, but for the laity. Yet it is far from shallow. The depth of thought and the logic and Biblical consistency are refreshing. You may want to start with a book that summarizes the main parts of the Catechism. One I found helpful was “Essentials of the Faith” by Fr. Alfred McBride Another you may want to consider is the Compendium of the Catechism. This is the Catechism in question and answer format. At the end of the day, however, you’re going to want to have the “real” thing. Get a copy of the Catechism.

2. Supplement the reading of the Catechism with sound Catholic theology. What you choose here is going to have to depend on your own level of comfort and knowledge of theology. Some really great resources include the classic work by Frank Sheed, “Theology for Beginners” , “By What Authority?” by Mark Shea, and “What Catholics Really Believe” by Karl Keating If you want a deeper exploration of the faith I would recommend Scott Hahn’s “Reasons to Believe”. There are a number of others, but these will go a long way in helping you dig deeper into the faith.

3. Read some conversion stories. Some of the best are Scott Hahn’s conversion (former Presbyterian minister) which can be found online here. From a woman’s perspective I’d recommend Cindy Beck’s conversion story A whole list of stories can be found on Steve Ray’s website. As to books, you can do no better than Thomas Howard’s Evangelical is Not Enough or Lead Kindly Light.

4. Find someone you can talk to. I’d suggest getting in touch with the great people at the Coming Home Network. They were so instrumental in my own conversion. Their annual “Deep in History” conference is an incredible gathering that is worth the effort to attend. They can provide much assistance in your journey. They are people of deep faith and prayer. If you are in a situation that requires you keep this exploration confidential (ie you’re a pastor and if this got out you’d immediately be an unemployed pastor!)– they can do that. Check them out at CHNetwork.org Also, if it is helpful, you can email me here and I’ll be glad to offer any assistance I can.

There are many layers, but I promise you it is worth the effort to peel them back, explore and discover the beauty of the Church for yourself.

Here’s a great quote from G.K. Chesterton that I want to leave you with:

“The moment men cease to pull against [the Catholic Church] they feel a tug towards it. The moment they cease to shout it down they begin to listen to it with pleasure. The moment they try to be fair to it they begin to be fond of it. But when that affection has passed a certain point it begins to take on the tragic and menacing grandeur of a great love affair. . . . When he has entered the Church, he finds that the Church is much larger inside than it is outside.”