Review: Why Be Catholic?

Why Be Catholic? by Dr. Ray Guarendi
2006, Nineveh's Crossing, 90 minute DVD plus 2 audio CDs, Catholic

Many people are familiar with Dr. Ray Guarendi - psychologist, father of 10 and expert on family discipline. You may not know that he has a number of apologetics materials available as well.

Dr. Ray, a revert to the Catholic Church after 10 years in Protestantism, explains, in an engaging and often humorous way, the big things that brought him back. There is a particular emphasis on the need for a religious "system" to be logically and morally consistent. He touches on the Early Church, the Eucharist, Contraception, the problem with personal interpretations of Scripture and much more.

This talk was filmed at a men's conference and might be particularly nice for busy homeschool dads who often don't have time to keep up with the spiritual reading and study that goes on at home during the day. Our entire family enjoyed this talk and I'm sure we'll return to it many times.

Watch a sample portion here
Also, there's a free study guide available online.

The DVD also includes his classic talk (half-hour in length) "Catholic Dads Aren't Wimps" - an insightful look at the importance of discipline within the family and some very practical tips for making this happen. This is an abbreviated version of his 95 minute "comedy stand-up routine on parenting" titled "You're a Better Parent Than You think" (also produced by Nineveh's Crossing).

Two audio CDs are included in this package - one for each of the talks (great for taking in the car).

Reviewed by Alicia Van Hecke (5-1-07)
Available from Ignatius Press or Nineveh's Crossing