Review by Peggy Clores, adult educator Diocese of Rockville Centre
”Faith is built one brick at a time and when it’s strong enough, not one event, doubt or tragedy can demolish it.”-Alex Basile
This work resonates in a big way! In one power-packed, neat little package, we have been given an effective tool for our time and for all ages, teens on up. Alex Basile meets us where we live now.
Confronted, right out of the gate, with a gripping forward by Marianist Fr, Tom Cardone, the longing for answers is painfully aroused and each turn of the page proceeds to satisfy that longing. We know, up front, that this is by no means “another boring religion book”!
Current, relevant and dead on, it is clear that after 25 years of engagement and dialogue in the Catholic high school setting, Basile has been listening and he has heard. He gets why we can’t hear and why we can’t see. In 100 compact pages and bite-sized chapters, he pierces into the heart of many key obstacles to faith – obstacles that transcend the teen years – and he swiftly directs our attention to where it needs to be. By correctly diagnosing and effectively addressing a broad array of challenges, he places the wealth of his experience squarely in our laps and accomplishes what many earnest attempts at programs, workshops, texts and manuals often fail to do.
Replete with key points of evidence for the skeptical and with an occasional touch of humor, Basile takes on the reasons we doubt: suffering, illness, heartbreak, hurts, disappointments. Citing the pain and desolation he often sees on the faces of many of his students due to 21st century pressures (divorce, separation, death, alcohol, drugs and the urgent crisis of teen suicide and depression), he leads us to confront our indifference and what well may be our fear of finding God. Perhaps best of all, he clearly underscores what we are missing out on by abandoning or putting off the search.
With so many things competing for the attention of our students/colleagues/family and friends, the tools we use to bring others to Christ need to get the job done powerfully and efficiently. This broad-end, simple resource is effective for: adult or teen retreats, youth groups, high school and 8th grade CCD classrooms, independent RCIA reading, the under-catechized of all ages; basically anyone struggling with faith in God or the Church for any reason. This is the perfect Confirmation gift! It will break down walls and serve as a great springboard to challenging, fruitful and impactful discussion!
As an adult educator observing and fielding like issues for the past two decades, I highly recommend “Finding Faith in a Godless World”. As Alex Basile tells us, “You stand to win everything.”
