An insightful analysis of the Catholic tradition looks at the history of the Catholic church, its spiritual practices, its tenets and beliefs, and the rituals of worship and discusses such topics as saints, liturgies, papal authority, and more. Jon Sweeney, a self-described "evolved Protestant" and noted religious writer, has long been fascinated by the Catholic Church. However, it wasn't until he was a young missionary in the Philippines that he truly began to understand the Church's traditions, mysteries, and religious beliefs and its hold on those who follow the tradition. Introduction. Section One: The Language and the Spirit. Forget What You Thought You Knew. ""Catholic"". Forget About Conversion. Doubters and Believers, Atheists and Agnostics. Eleven Steps to Becoming a Truly Catholic Christian. Section Two: The Catholic Imagination. God Is Here. Sacred Spaces and Places. Privy to a Revealed Secret. But It’s Too Easy. Taking Vows. Becoming a Saint. Section Three: Faith with Flesh. He Loved His Own Flesh. The Sensuousness of Jesus. The Crucifix. Stations of the Cross. Bones and Bodies. Something Good About Hell. Section Four: Much More Than Kitsch and Jesus Junk. Rosary Beads. Little Books. Images That Speak. Novenas for Heathens and Outcasts. Going to Confession. The Sacred Heart of Jesus. Section Five: My Own Cloud of Witnesses. Thomas Merton. Saint Francis of Assisi. Every Idealist Who Has Ever Tried. G. K. Chesterton. Flannery O’Connor. The Catechism as a Mystical Novel. Section Six Together with Others. Take Me to the River. Sacraments and Sacramentals. Contemplative Living. Eating and Kissing. Millions of Blessings. Excommunication. Appendix: Defining a Few Terms. Notes. Suggestions for Further Reading. Acknowledgments. The Author. Index.