A Faith Interrupted: An Honest Conversation with Alienated Catholics

According to a recent estimate, seventeen million baptized American Catholics are inactive. Whether this alienation is the result of a gradual slipping away, an incident of mistreatment, or simple uncertainty about one’s faith or beliefs, there is hope for those who are looking to make peace with the church.

In A Faith Interrupted, authors Alice Camille and Joel Schorn serve as compassionate mediators in a conversation with disaffected Catholics, providing a place for people to clarify what went wrong and identify options for reconciliation and reunion. This book not only explores some of the reasons why Catholics leave the church and offers guidance for those contemplating a return, but also outlines basic principles of the faith, looks at key elements that make up the Catholic identity, and simplifies issues of theology and Church teaching.

Also included are helpful tips on finding the right parish and using spiritual tools to arrive at a better understanding of what one wants from the church. A Faith Interrupted seeks to help readers heal past hurts and find hope for the future.

Alice L. Camille is a writer, religious educator with nine years of experience in parish RCIA programs, and the author of Invitation to Catholicism (ACTA 2001) and God's Word Is Alive (Bayard 1989). She has a master's in divinity from the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley and currently resides in southern California.

Joel R. Schorn has worked an an editor and writer for several Catholic publications.  He holds a master's in theology and five years of parish RCIA experience.  He lives in Evanston, IL.