by James R. Huber, PhD, LMFT

As a former university teacher, a retired marriage and family therapist and a lifelong Catholic, I began reading Mystery & Tradition as a daily spiritual exercise during the Lenten season of 2024. It is now well beyond Ascension Thursday and I am still uplifted by the beauty and wisdom of this “Catholicism for Today’s Spiritual Seekers.”

In his latest scholarly offering, author Joseph Stoutzenberger takes a refreshing “stepping back” approach to exploring Catholicism and all of its beliefs, practices and traditions. The author’s writing style is researched yet readable, organized yet open, and practical yet often poetic in its touch.

“Despite personal anxieties and global challenges, God is as close to us as our breath, as intimate as our heartbeat.” (p. 341)

Beginning with Chapter 1: Religion and Faith and ending with Chapter 13: Catholicism Today, each section contains informative historical content as well as relevant contemporary definitions, examples, issues and considerations. In addition, each unit provides the reader with helpful chapter reviews, annotated resources for further study, and some thought-provoking questions to reflect upon in the moment and/or to return to later for a deeper exploration and more complete understanding. For example: “Should I care about people I don’t know?” (p. 1), “Imagine writing an autobiographical book titled The Story of My Soul. What might you say in it? (p. 24) and “For Catholics, prayer lays out our concerns before God and also implies a response from us. Give an example of how a prayer can be a request for help from God and also a call to personal action.” (p. 241)

The overarching strength of this book, however, lies in Stoutzenberger’s clear voice and friendly framework; an engaging tone that both affirms and informs and never seeks to belittle or alienate readers from other religions or no faith traditions. He skillfully weaves an effective tapestry of quotes, stories, insights and examples from a wide variety of spiritual seekers, including Pope Francis to Flannery O’Connor, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Dorothy Day, and Buddha to Bob Dylan’s 1979 song “Gotta Serve Somebody.” Each chapter reads like an hour of good conversation with someone wise enough to raise important questions and respectful enough to quietly listen while you wonder.

For these reasons, I would recommend this insightful book for both personal reflection and professional enrichment.  It would also serve well as a college text in a religious studies course or a discussion group guide for a campus ministry program. It may even be useful as a supplemental reader for adults and couples in counseling or therapy who are seeking a better understanding of Catholicism and a greater meaning and purpose in life, especially if one of the partners identifies as non-Catholic. 

Granted, there is some overlap across chapters in the content and sources cited, but the important aspects of “the unique worldview that underlies Catholicism” are well worth repeating. Future editions of this book and others on the topic may benefit from a chapter on the impact of social media and artificial intelligence on Catholicism in a constantly changing and rapidly modernizing world.

Until then, I will continue to learn and grow and marvel at the structure and substance of Stoutzenberger’s amazing book.  It opens with a quote from Rabbi Abraham Heschel, “All religion begins in wonder.”  And it concludes with an inclusive invitation to Catholicism from the Bible: “Let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” (Revelation 22:17). From beginning to end, this book is truly a wonder-full gift.