Jon Sweeney, a self-described "evolved Protestant" andnoted religious writer, has long been fascinated by the CatholicChurch. However, it wasn't until he was a young missionary inthe Philippines that he truly began to understand theChurch's traditions, mysteries, and religious beliefs and itshold on those who follow the tradition. As he explains, Catholicspirituality is all about responding to the fundamental mystery ofJesus, the incarnation, and what it all meant in the beginning aswell as what it means today.In Almost Catholic, Sweeney offers an appreciation ofCatholicism, weaving in the story of his own explorations withthose of others who have also been attracted to this tradition. Hefinds himself drawn to the Church's ancient and medievaltraditions out of a desire to connect with the deepest and widestpaths on the way. Two millennia of saints and practices andteachings and mystery form a connection for him to the verybeginnings of Christianity.

Introduction viiSection One The Language and the Spirit 1Forget What You Thought You Knew 3"Catholic" 11Forget About Conversion 16Doubters and Believers, Atheists and Agnostics 22Eleven Steps to Becoming a Truly Catholic Christian 26Section Two The Catholic Imagination 29God is Here 31Sacred Spaces and Places 36Privy to a Revealed Secret 42But It's Too Easy 48Taking Vows 54Becoming a Saint 62Section Three Faith with Flesh 69He Loved His Own Flesh 71The Sensuousness of Jesus 77The Crucifix 81Stations of the Cross 88Bones and Bodies 93Something Good About Hell 101Section Four Much More Than Kitsch and Jesus Junk 109Rosary Beads 111Little Books 116Images That Speak 122Novenas for Heathens and Outcasts 128Going to Confession 135The Sacred Heart of Jesus 140Section Five My Own Cloud of Witnesses 147Thomas Merton 149Saint Francis of Assisi 153Every Idealist Who Has Ever Tried 156G. K. Chesterton 160Flannery O'Connor 165The Catechism as a Mystical Novel 172Section Six Together with Others 179Take Me to the River 181Sacraments and Sacramentals 187Contemplative Living 192Eating and Kissing 197Millions of Blessings 203Excommunication 207Appendix Defining a Few Terms 213Notes 217Suggestions for Further Reading 225Acknowledgments 227The Author 229