‘Why Be a Catholic?’: A Personal, Philosophical Exploration of the Faith
A review of ‘Why Be a Catholic?’, by Marc Dooley; Burns & Oates, 2011.
Why be a Catholic? It is a fair question. The Church is mired in crises. Crises of authority, priestly scandals, rows of celibacy, feuds over hierarchy. The Irish philosopher Mark Dooley, also literary executor of Sir Roger Scruton, grapples with this question in his book of the same name. It deals with what it means to be of the faith (really, of any faith) in a world in which the relevance of religion is, to say the least, up for debate. Dooley addresses both believers and sceptics, setting out how Catholicism speaks to basic human needs — belonging, purpose, moral grounding — rather than arguing for its truth.
On the evidence, we moderns are in bad shape. Over the past ten years or so, more people have died from ‘deaths of despair’ in the United States than cancer. We find ourselves in the West in a mad situation where we are rich, free and safe and yet thoroughly miserable. Dooley’s point is that Catholicism offers an answer to all of this alienation and fragmentation. We are stressed, worried, sad and all the rest of it because we are atomised. Religion gives us back meaning and community. Catholicism is not a mere set of rules, but a lived tradition that provides us with a sense of order and continuity. Dooley sees the Church as a home-from-home that brings stability and presents a coherent vision of life that ennobles the person rather than debasing him.
Catholicism is not a mere set of rules, but a lived tradition.
Belonging and identity are at the heart of this book. The Church is a family, says Dooley, and one that has connected people of all stations, nationalities and ethnicities across time and space. The concept of communion is one key to understanding the Catholic worldview, which respects tradition and the accumulated wisdom of the past. To be in communion is to participate in the divine. Unlike individualistic, à-la-carte takes on spirituality, Catholicism asks us to believe in something bigger than ourselves. It is precisely our failure to see beyond ourselves that is the root, for Dooley, of our moral confusion and loneliness.
He also leans on the mystical parts of Catholicism, stressing how the sacraments, liturgy, and symbols connect believers with something beyond words. He speaks to the beauty of the faith, as expressed in art, music, and architecture, suggesting that these are not just pretty accoutrements but reflections of deeper truths. Catholicism’s emphasis on incarnation, the blending of the physical and spiritual, appeals to Dooley as a counter to the disembodied, free-floating, often nihilistic worldview, as he sees it, of modern secularism.
Of course, the Catholic brand has taken some hits in recent years. Institutional failings, scandals, a strictness and stubbornness on certain questions — Dooley addresses all of these. He acknowledges attacks on the Church but argues that its contributions, cultural as well as spiritual, outweigh its flaws. The human failings within the Church do not negate the Church itself, and the transcendent power of its core ideas. Rather than dismissing Catholicism’s critics, Dooley tries to show how the faith’s ideals provide a moral vision that, though difficult, is deeply fulfilling.
The Catholic brand has taken some hits in recent years.
The tone of Why Be a Catholic? is inward-looking, respectful. Dooley draws on Chesterton, Newman, even Nietzsche, weaving these references into a reflective tapestry. Dooley is a philosopher by trade, and that is plain to see in how he sets out his stall, as it were. But he does not depend on classic arguments for faith; he would like us to think about his points rather than accept them. Fittingly he does not organise his chapters as neatly as a textbook might. He moves fluidly between personal stories and larger reflects on society. This meandering style gives the book an introspective quality, though it will let down those who picked it up in the hope of finding a straightforward case for believing in the God of the Catholics.
Why Be a Catholic? is thoughtful and heartfelt. It asks us to think about Catholicism as more than just a label. His approach, philosophical and personal, invites a deeper, more contemplative, more experiential understanding of faith. He aims not to win a debate, but to show the value of Catholicism as a way of life that brings meaning, community, and a sense of the sacred to millions. The book will be rewarding for those open to exploring the role of faith in a secular world, especially those who appreciate a philosophical perspective on life’s bigger questions.
